HIIT Max Workouts 11-15: Modifications, Alternatives and Strength Options

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Lisa is back with the vest AGAIN – but only for half the week (Thank God for small favors – LOL) . I sometimes actually find it harder to do the exercises without it because I can concentrate on my form better or get more reps in. Keep that in mind too. I noticed that this week was very upper body dominant. Lots of pressing and push-ups. For those of you newer to push-ups, you can keep your knees on the floor. As you get stronger just keep ONE knee down and then you will progress to both knees off the floor. If you continue to do push-ups on your knees you will forever and always do push-ups on your knees. So starting that way is just fine, but remember progression is key to getting stronger. You can also substitute some of the pushing/pressing movements for pulling ones to work the opposing muscle groups a bit more. Exercises like pull-ups, bent over rows, single arm rows, and reverse flies are good ones. There was a bit of jumping again this week for the cardio as well as throughout the routines – mat jumps, squat jumps, skipping as well as burpees and mountain climbers. Remember you can always omit the jumping and just do the exercise without it. You can step back and forth in your burpees, and step your knees in, not run them in for mountain climbers. If you are newer (or recovering from an injury) as this is your 3^rd week, perhaps try a bit more jumping than you did the previous week. If you have been doing every other round of cardio, try doing two rounds in a row this week. But then end of the season you can build up to doing all the rounds of cardio! Also, if you are newer I’ve mentioned in my last 2 posts for the previous weeks to only do one workout a day at a time rather than building. Last week I asked that maybe you try doing 2. Maybe this week you can build up to the 3 workouts. You can always back off if needed. Lisa does use the wall ball for swings. Don’t have a ball? Here some are some alternatives for swings – use a Kettlebell, a Sandbag, or even dumbbells. Swings can be a very technical exercise so if it is not for you, you can try wall ball throws, medicine ball slams, or even pull throughs using a resistance band. My last two posts include some equipment alternatives as does this post: Workouts 1-5 Workouts 6-10 http://www.dailyhiit.com/hiit-blog/hiit-workout/no-equipment-no-excuse/

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For you strength seekers – try heavy swings (at least 25 lbs if not more), a weighted jump rope and instead of doing each cardio round, do every other and add in a strength move. Swap out jump squats for weighted ones, mat jumps for wall walks (handstand walks against the wall), or even add in some weighted reverse lunges instead. Here would be a good place to add in some pulling exercises. As always I recommend 3 rounds of the same day for strength gains rather than repeating days. For strength you need your muscles to rest so repeating the same exercises day to day is not optimal for strength gains. Lisa does a lunge into overhead press this week. Breaking up some of her combo moves can make it either easier on yourself, or harder by adding extra weight on each exercise separately. I also love overhead lunges. This is a great strength move. Do all the lunges leaving the bar overhead throughout the reps instead of pressing. Give it a go! If you have a shoulder injury it might also be a good idea to sub in some pulling exercises, or try lateral or front raises if overhead pressing is too hard on your joints. Try holding planks if push-ups are too much. You can also do push-ups by placing your hands on a wall, counter top, or table to dilute the movement. Friday is a non-cardio day, and to make it even more of a strength day I would switch the order of the exercises. Work the large muscle groups before small ones. Start with legs – the squats and presses and lunges. Move onto back and chest with the bent over rows and chest presses. Next would be shoulders – the presses and flies, and last would be biceps and triceps. Beginners can add this one onto any previous day of your choice. Strength folks can do 3 rounds and advanced can do 4 or even 5 rounds. Remember: need an exercise or a piece of equipment suggestion? Please ask! If I don’t have a suggestion I’m sure some of your fellow bodyrockers will. Feel free to follow me on my Facebook page or check out more from me on my blog, www. zuzanaorbodyrockaddict.blogspot.com