Heather Robertson is passionate about HIIT. From a lifetime of experience, she’s found it to be the most effective method to get the most out of her time in the gym —take one look at her figure and you’d have to agree.
But not only is it efficient, it’s manageable. And since Heather believes consistency is key to a healthy lifestyle, short bursts of high-intensity training allow her to be more active, more often.
She’s shared with us one of her favourite workouts from her new Focus Series Program. It’s a 20-minute HIIT circuit targets all muscle groups providing an intense full-body workout. All you need is a couple of dumbbells and a timer.
“During the 45-second work period you will want to challenge yourself and push for full intensity. Don’t worry, after each intense 45 seconds you will have 15 seconds to recover, catch your breath and prepare for the next exercise. Start your timers and let’s do this!” – Heather Robertson
Workout: Full Body HIIT
5 exercises
45 sec work + 15 sec rest
4 rounds total = 20 minutes
Lunge with Twist
1. Stand tall with your feet together. Grasp a dumbbell with both hands and hold it at chest level.
2. Step your left foot forward and lower into a lunge position. Make sure your knee is in line with your ankle and never passes in front of your toes.
3. Engage your core and twist your upper body to the left and then return to the center. Push through the heel of your left foot to return to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite side.
T Push Ups
1. Start in a full plank position with hands placed shoulder width apart, core engaged and back flat, creating a nice straight line with the body
2. Lower yourself down bringing your chest close to the floor. Keep your elbows tucked into your sides and be sure not to let the hips sag.
3. Push up through the palms of your hands and rotate to one side stacking the feet and extending your top arm straight up. Keep the wrist stacked below the shoulder, hips squared and core engaged. Rotate back down to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side.
Jump Lunges
1. Start in a lunge position.
2. Pushing up through the heel of your front foot, jump up into the air.
3. Quickly switch your legs while in the air landing back into a lunge position with the opposite foot now in front. Repeat this motion quickly back and forth for the recommended amount of reps.
Standing Row
1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and place your feet together. Bend forward from the waist keeping your core engaged and back flat. Let you arms fully extend at your sides.
2. Row the dumbbell back keeping your arms close to your sides and squeeze the shoulder blades together at the top of the movement. Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
Froggers
1. Start in a full plank position with hands placed shoulder width apart, core engaged and back flat creating a nice straight line with the body.
2. Hop both feet forward at the same time bringing your knees to the outsides of your elbows. Make sure to keep those abs engaged.
3. Hop the feet back to the starting position.
