So how are we all doing with our 20 day squat challenge?

Only 5 days to go baby! You. Can. Do. It!!!!!!!!!

Oh do I have a treat for you today!

I totally have your daily squat requirement covered, unless you’re feeling a little extra frisky and want to do an additional 75 squats then you crazy go right ahead.

Today we have ourselves a hard and fast 15 minute lower body HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout.

Because my personal health and fitness goals this year are to gain some size and strength I don’t do a lot of (if any) cardio but every now and then I like to mix things up with a hard and fast HIIT session.

If you’ve never done a HIIT workout before here is what you need to know – its basically short bursts of various intervals (exercises) where you work as hard as you possibly can for up to one minute followed by a period of (active) rest.

The plan is that we are going to do the entire sequence through 4 times total with a 1 minute rest between each set.

The only catch is you must remain active in your 1 minute rest . . . just keep moving at a lower intensity.  Walk around the room, grab a drink, give yourself a high five, anything, just keep moving. Let your heart rate come down a little, then repeat!

Each set should take you around 3 mins so even after we add our well earned minute rest, you will be done and dusted about 15 mins.

Ah that’s what I love about HIIT training. It’s hard, fast and seriously effective!

Research shows HIIT workouts boost your metabolism not only while your working out but that it will continue to burn at the accelerated rate for hours (I’m talking like 24 hours!). For those of you who are aiming to lose a few kgs (or lbs) this means long after your workout is over your resting metabolic rate will remain elevated so you will be burning a higher amount of calories even while your doing nothing.

If you have them available and want to kick things up a notch grab yourself a set of weights, something appropriate to your own personal lower body strength.  I personally tested this workout just using my own body weight for resistance and let me tell you, I had me some serious jelly legs at the end of this session. Not using weights does not mean you won’t have yourself a killer workout. Trust me!

Take your time, concentrate, focus and breathe through each and every exercise and trust me, you will feel the burn even with no weight at all.

Give each exercise everything you have then move to the next exercise as quickly as you can with little to no rest in-between (of course listen to your body if you feel like you need a second to grab a drink and catch you breath by all means do so but only if you really need it ok?) then we savour our 1 minute rest and kick it through for a total of 4 sets, got it?

Ok good. Let’s do it.

First we need to warm up for 5 minutes or so. Run on the spot, do jumping jacks, jump rope, dance around your living room, anything to get you warm then it’s time to get serious.

PS – As always I have included some links to a detailed breakdown/how to for each exercise at the bottom so if some of these exercises are new or unfamiliar I got you covered.

Now are we ready?

Let’s do it –

Finish with a nice little cool down and stretch, maybe take a walk or something anything to help bring your heart rate down. Finish with a few of your fave lower body stretches.

Annnnnd this is me –

As promised, here are some links I gathered for those who wanted the more detailed how-to’s for each exercise. Simply click on the exercise you want to know more about and it will open in a new window for you OK –

Squats – From the wonderful people of Exercise Prescription

High Knees

Step Ups – From the wonderful people of Exercise Prescription

Mountain Climbers – From the wonderful people of Exercise Prescription

Dead Lifts – From the wonderful people of Exercise Prescription

Skip – From the wonderful people of Exercise Prescription

Lunge – From the wonderful people of Exercise Prescription

Squat Jump – From the cool kids over at Popsugar

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Question of the day –

What do you prefer, cardio or resistance training? Me?! I love me the heavy weights 🙂

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