Power Through It Thursday!
Power Through It Thursday is all about using different workouts to get fit. You’ve got plyometrics, which involves explosive movements for power and agility, which is excellent for athletes and beginners. Then there’s HIIT, where you do short bursts of intense activity followed by rest, which is fantastic for cardio and burning calories. And don’t forget Olympic Rings – they might seem advanced, but they offer exercises for building upper body and core strength and improving coordination and flexibility. In any of these routines, ensure everyone can tackle their Thursdays with energy and strength.
Today, we feature a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) program you can use in your backyard or a public park. This workout is designed to be intense and compelling, targeting multiple muscle groups and boosting your cardiovascular fitness.
Backyard/Public Park/Home Den HIIT Workout
Warm-Up (5 minutes)
- Jumping Jacks: 1 minute
- High Knees: 1 minute
- Arm Circles: 1 minute (30 seconds forward, 30 seconds backward)
- Leg Swings: 1 minute (30 seconds each leg)
- Bodyweight Squats: 1 minute
Workout (30 minutes)
Perform each exercise at high intensity for 45 seconds, followed by 15 seconds of rest. Complete the circuit 3 times with a 1-minute rest between each round.
- Burpees
- Mountain Climbers
- Jump Squats
- Push-Ups
- Plank Jacks
- Lunges (alternating legs)
- High Knees
- Bicycle Crunches
- Tuck Jumps
- Russian Twists
Burpees
- Start in a high plank position with hands directly under the shoulders.
- Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels.
- Engage your core muscles.
- Bring your right knee towards your chest.
- Quickly switch legs, extending your right leg back and bringing your left knee towards your chest.
- Continue alternating legs at a rapid pace.
- Maintain a steady rhythm and keep your hips low.
- Ensure your core remains engaged throughout the exercise.
Mountain Climbers
- Start in a high plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders.
- Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels.
- Engage your core muscles.
- Jump your feet out to the sides, similar to the motion of a jumping jack.
- Quickly jump your feet back together to the starting position.
- Maintain a steady rhythm and keep your hips low.
- Ensure your core remains engaged throughout the exercise.
Jumping Jacks
- Stand up straight with your feet together and arms at your sides.
- Jump your feet out to the sides while raising your arms above your head.
- Land with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart and your hands touching above your head.
- Jump again, bringing your feet back together and lowering your arms to your sides.
- Repeat the movement at a steady pace.
Push Ups
- Start in a high plank position with your hands placed slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels.
- Engage your core and glutes to maintain a stable position.
- Lower your body by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your body.
- Lower yourself until your chest nearly touches the ground.
- Push through your hands to straighten your arms and return to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.
Plank Jacks
- Start in a high plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders.
- Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels.
- Engage your core muscles.
- Jump your feet out to the sides, similar to the motion of a jumping jack.
- Quickly jump your feet back together to the starting position.
- Maintain a steady rhythm and keep your hips level.
- Ensure your core remains engaged throughout the exercise
Lunges ( Alternating Legs)
- Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Engage your core and keep your chest up.
- Step forward with your right leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle.
- Ensure your right knee is directly above your ankle, and your left knee is just above the ground.
- Push through your right heel to return to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement with your left leg, stepping forward into a lunge.
- Continue alternating legs for the desired number of repetitions.
High Knees
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
- Engage your core and keep your chest up.
- Lift your right knee as high as possible towards your chest.
- Simultaneously, raise your left arm.
- Quickly switch legs, lifting your left knee towards your chest while lowering your right leg.
- Continue alternating legs at a rapid pace as if running in place.
- Maintain a steady rhythm and keep your core engaged throughout the exercise.
Bicycle Crunches
- Lie on your back with your hands behind your head and your knees bent.
- Lift your shoulders off the ground and lift your knees to a 90-degree angle.
- Straighten your right leg while simultaneously twisting your torso to bring your right elbow towards your left knee.
- Switch sides, straightening your left leg and bringing your left elbow towards your right knee.
- Continue alternating sides in a pedaling motion, keeping your core engaged throughout the exercise.
- Maintain a steady rhythm and avoid pulling on your neck.
Tuck Jumps
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides.
- Bend your knees slightly and lower into a quarter squat.
- Explosively jump up, bringing your knees towards your chest.
- Try to have your thighs parallel to the ground at the top of the jump.
- Land softly on the balls of your feet, bending your knees to absorb the impact.
- Immediately go into the next jump, maintaining a steady rhythm.
Sidewinders
- Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Lean back slightly to create a V-shape with your torso and thighs.
- Engage your core and lift your feet off the ground, balancing on your sit bones.
- Hold your hands together in front of you or hold a weight for added resistance.
- Twist your torso to the right, bringing your hands or the weight beside your hip.
- Twist back to the center, then to the left, bringing your hands or the weight beside your left hip.
- Continue alternating sides, maintaining a steady rhythm and keeping your core engaged.
Cool-Down (5 minutes)
- Walking or Light Jogging: 2 minutes
- Standing Quad Stretch: 1 minute (30 seconds each leg)
- Hamstring Stretch: 1 minute (30 seconds each leg)
- Shoulder Stretch: 1 minute (30 seconds each arm)
Tips for Success
- Hydrate: Make sure to drink water before, during, and after your workout.
- Modify as Needed: If any exercise is too challenging, modify it to suit your fitness level.
- Consistency: Aim to do this workout 3-4 times a week for the best results.
HIIT is designed to be intense and effective, helping you burn fat, build muscle, and change your life. Today is a perfect time to get started!
Before beginning any fitness program, you must check with your doctor to reduce and avoid injury. By performing any fitness exercises, you are performing them at your own risk. endlesssummerfitness.com will not be responsible or liable for any injury or harm you sustain due to our fitness program, online fitness videos, or information shared on our website. This includes emails, videos, and text.
Bing Copilot, AI software, GPT-4, partially generated this article. Endless Summer Fitness will continue experimenting with similar software; however, our author will create most articles and fitness programs.
