Cardio is a training that primarily focused on weight loss. It is an aerobic technique that involves different types of exercises such as running, jogging, swimming, treadmill, etc at a steady pace. Your speed and intensity should be consistent throughout the exercise. It has numerous benefits such as:
- Weight loss
- Improves cardiovascular health
- Increase metabolism
- Overall health benefits
Although cardio training has many benefits, it does not come closer to High-Intensity Interval Training or HIIT. It does not mean that doing cardio is not good or has no benefits but if compare with HIIT its benefits diminish. HIIT is far superior and harder than traditional cardio.
HIIT involves explosive movements with short intervals of a fixed time for rest. Exercises of HIIT are built in a way that you will not be able to take a breath while performing them. Take the example of a sprint, In a sprint, you run as fast as you can with full power and if you notice, you will not be breathing at that time.
Due to this anaerobic training, your heart will be performing at near to its full capacity, say more than 80%. The output is also higher than simple cardio in the same amount of time. The effects of HIIT remain for hours even after the workout which helps our body to burn calories even afterward.
There are many reasons why High-Intensity Interval training is so effective and one of the main reasons is EPOC. It stands for Excess Post Oxygen Consumption (EPOC). It raises the resting body metabolism which continues to burn calories for 24 hours even after the HIIT session.
Many times one question arises or could be bothering you at the moment. So who can do HIIT workouts? Whether it is good for younger people, adults, or seniors? So the answer to these questions is HIIT is for everyone. It doesn’t matter whether you are younger or older, male or female, it is beneficial for all but you need to keep in mind certain things before doing it.
Some Major Benefits of Lower Body HIIT Workout include:
- Fat loss
- Improvement in cardiovascular health
- High Metabolism, stamina, and endurance
- Increase in muscle mass
- Decrease in blood pressure
- Time efficiency due to a hectic schedule
HIIT lower body workout is basically for building strength in the legs that include the hamstrings, glutes, calves, etc along with building overall coordination of the body. It also strengthens the core muscles as well which are primarily responsible for the balance of the body. The circuit which is given below is not easy to do. So modify the working time and rest period according to your level.
It is recommended to do work for longer periods while resting for a short duration for people who are fairly active and working out for years. Whereas amateurs, work for 30 seconds and take a rest for 30 seconds. It is enough to catch up your breath and get ready for the next exercise. The circuit includes lunges and squats of different variations, high knees, etc.
Circuit training for Lower Body HIIT
Circuit 1
| Exercise | Time | Rest |
| Squats | 45 seconds | 20 seconds |
| Lunges | 45 seconds | 20 seconds |
| High Knees | 20 seconds | 20 seconds |
Circuit 2
| Exercise | Time | Rest |
| Jumping squat | 30 seconds | 20 seconds |
| Walking lunges | 30 seconds | 20 seconds |
| Lateral Squat | 30 seconds | 20 seconds |
Circuit 3
| Exercise | Time | Rest |
| Jumping Lunges | 20 seconds | 20 seconds |
| Wall-sit | 30 seconds | 20 seconds |
Above are the exercises which you have to do in a circuit continuously. Take 40-60 seconds of rest after each circuit before moving on to the next one and repeat it 3-4 times.
Do not forget to do proper stretching and warm up for 10-15 minutes to prevent any potential injuries. Once done take some time to cool down. Give your body proper rest afterward.
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