Guest Post: Total Body HIIT Workout

One of the reasons an individual might seek out a personal trainer: They don't know how to build a workout. This is common, totally normal and the reason we trainers spend so much time doing continuing education and reading all the research—so we can build workouts that are specifically tailored to you and your needs. But, I get that not everyone has money (or time) to invest in such a thing. So that's where the Internet and books come into play, and if this is the route you take—I encourage you to read wisely because a lot of people claim to be experts that aren't.  And it's often hard to distinguish these people from the professionals. 

Translation: You need to educate yourself, taking into consideration current findings and your own health history. And from where you're getting your information.

Which brings me to today's Workout Wednesday. It's from someone who is NOT certified. Counter intuitive to the above? You might think so, but I think she's on to something with the workout below. Krista of Krista Mae's Healthy Ways put together a total body HIIT workout for you. It doesn't require any equipment and can be done virtually anywhere. With a background in NPC Figure and Bikini competitions, she is clearly someone who does her research. 

Note from the certified PT (me): As with any HIIT workout, remember that such an intensity is not right for everyone. Please speak with your physician and/or a qualified fitness professional before diving into this workout if you question whether or not you should.

Now, let's hear from Krista:

Hi everyone! I'm Krista from Krista Mae's Healthy Ways. I blog about everything from health and fitness to what we did over the weekend! I am so excited for this opportunity to guest post for Tara while she's taking some time to be with her little one! Congratulations, Tara! (Thank you!) 

So for today's Workout Wednesday, I am sharing a total body HIIT workout. I love high intensity interval training! Since the weather has been nicer, I wanted to create a workout that you could do outside without any equipment. For this particular workout, there are intervals of cardio and strength training exercises. The point of this is to get your heart rate up and then slow it back down a little bit with active recovery.

This workout should take 20-30 minutes depending on how many rounds you complete.

(Hey, me again. In addition to the above, I asked Krista to share a few tips for building workouts. Just to further prove that, with the right knowledge and research, you can still build a good workout for yourself...just like Krista did above! From a trainer's perspective, this type of information might be bad for business, and I do encourage you to seek professional help building a program whenever possible, but I'm realistic. And all about helping YOU get YOUR daily dose of fitness. And if that means you can only do it on your own, I'm here to support you. And so is Krista.)

1) Have a plan! If I have a workout written down, I am much more likely to actually complete the entire thing. I find that when I go into the gym without a plan, I tend to waste time thinking of what to do next or I'll even quit my workout early.

2) Don't skip the exercises that you hate. I despise burpees…but I still include them in my workouts. Why? They are an excellent total body exercise and are great to get the heart pumping! It's always good to keep challenging yourself.

3) Switch it up! Just like anything else, our bodies crave variety. If you get stuck doing the same workout week after week, your body will adjust to that and you'll stop seeing results. Variety can be as simple as training different body parts together. If you normally train back and biceps together, try training back and triceps.

4) Have fun and be creative! Although workouts can be brutal, they should also be fun. There are so many different options out there these days, so don't be afraid to try something new. If there's a machine at your gym that you've always wanted to try…go try it! Or even take some classes to get new ideas that you can incorporate into your own gym sessions.

I hope these tips help you when you plan your next workout! And let me know if you try the HIIT workout posted above! I would love to hear how it went!

You can reach out to Krista on Twitter, and be sure to follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for additional workouts and more. 

Question: If you aren't a certified fitness professional, how do you approach the overabundance of fitness information on the web? Are you cautious about the information posted? Do you only trust certified professionals, or are you open to seeking advice from individuals like Krista who do their research and share their knowledge?