Winter Shape Up 2017: Workout 4
Looking for the main Winter Shape Up page? Get the details here plus your weekly workout calendars + links to the meal plans.
Get ready to get sweaty… because workout #4 for this year’s Winter Shape Up is a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workout.
It’s 20 minutes long, and you’ll be completing the following exercises for 40 seconds, followed by 20 seconds of rest.
Remember to warm up for 5-7 minutes with moderate cardio of choice.
20-minute HIIT workout
Here are the exercises:
(Pin this workout or save to your phone if you’ll be doing this at the gym)
Please keep in mind that just because you’re working at high intensity, it doesn’t have to be high impact. You can get in a great workout with both feet on the floor the entire time. 😉 For all of my pregnant mama friends, please remember that pregnancy isn’t the time to find your max. It’s a time to focus on maintaining your activity levels in a way that feels good for you. For ALL prenatal workouts, you should be able to comfortably say your address in one breath. If you can’t, it’s an indicator that you may be working too hard.
Here’s a follow-along HIIT video, with lots of modifications:
As you can in the video, we did this one totally on the fly, which was a lot of fun! This is one of the best ways to HIIT train because it keeps you on your toes, and you choose exercises that you know you can safely complete and push yourself. Please feel free to add in any of your favorite plyometric intervals during the drills.
As always, check with a doctor before making any fitness changes.
Some form cues and tips:
Squat jumps:
Get into a squat position (booty LOW and back), and touch the floor. Keep your abs engaged and chest lifted. Powering through your heels, spring up, reaching your arms towards the ceiling. Land with a soft knee. Repeat.
Side to side taps:
As you come into your side lunge, sit your hips back and take a look at your front knee. Make sure it stays stacked over your front ankle. Tap the floor, come back to center, and repeat on the opposite side.
Ikky shuffle:
This is a tough one to explain! Check out the video for the demo!
Mountain climbers:
Get in plank position with your wrists under your shoulders. Bring one knee towards the elbow on the same side. Move back to plank and switch to the opposite side. For more of a challenge, move as quickly as possible.
Rotating squat jumps:
Start facing one side and sink low into a squat. Jump 180 degrees, and land with a soft knee to squat on the opposite side. To minimize impact, walk 180 degrees to squat on the other side.
Push-up to side plank:
You can do these on your knees or toes, just make sure to keep your hips in line with your torso (no butts in the air or sagging in the middle) and your hands planted firmly into the surface. Bend your elbows to lower your body towards the ground, exhale and squeeze your chest to rise, then rotate to a side plank, lifting up your bottom oblique. This is one rep. If you’re modifying, keep your bottom knee on the floor as you rotate, and just extend the top leg. If you want a challenge, hover the top leg up as you rotate. Repeat, alternating sides.
Burpees:
Sit into your squat and bring both hands to the floor, firmly planting your entire hand. Walk or hop back to a plank position (push-up here optional), walk or hop your feet back to your hands, and jump vertically, raising your arms overhead.
Jumping jacks or air jacks:
If you do basic jumping jacks, make sure that your knees are not caving in as you walk or jump out and in. If you need to, move more slowly until you feel comfortable with form. For an advanced version, try air jacks, only touching the floor when the feet come together and springing back up.
Plie squat jumps:
Step your feet out at least shoulder-width and sink your hips down into a squat. Try to get your thighs parallel to the floor, and touch the floor. Exhale to jump up, and land in a soft squat.
Bodyweight squats:
Make sure your feet are underneath your shoulders (hip width or slightly wider is good) and toes slightly turned out. Focus on sitting back, while keeping your chest lifted and a tight core. Inhale to lower, exhale to rise. Make sure that your knees go towards your toes, but not far past your toes. Sink your hips as low as your flexibility allows, whether it’s a small squat, or to hips just above knee level. You can squat lower than knee level if it works for you, but generally it’s not something that I recommend.
Remember to check in on the Winter Shape Up page for the respective week whenever you complete a workout. This way you’ll be entered in all of our awesome givaways!
xoxo
Gina
