NIFS Healthy Living Blog

More and more in today’s society, people have one resource that seems like it is only getting stretched out thinner and thinner: time. Too many of us seem to be cramming more and more things into our lives, whether that be work-related events, personal interests, or family events. With this ever-growing list of things we have taking time out of our day, many have to choose between stuff they need to get done and things they want to get done. One thing we all know we should do but sometimes choose to skip because of time constraints is exercising.

Now, we all know exercising is something everybody should do. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that every adult who is able to, exercise at least 150 minutes per week, and for many it can be more. But a good amount of people fall out of this group because they simply do not have enough time to exercise.

What is a way someone can get the most efficient exercise output in as little time as possible? The possible solution could be high-intensity interval training, or HIIT (aka HIT)! HIIT is a training technique that is all about intense bursts of exercise, followed by short recovery periods. The idea behind this type of training is that with these short bursts of exercise, the heart rate can remain elevated much higher in shorter time than traditional training.

Incorporating HIIT into Your Workouts

With the definitions out of the way, we can look at just some of the ways you can incorporate HIIT training into your daily fitness lifestyle. Many people opt for the route of either aerobic or resistance-style HIIT. Aerobic is more focused on cardio and increasing cardiac output, whereas resistance has a bit more to do with working the muscles of the body with varying degrees of weight.

Now which style is the best? That depends on what your goals are. But either will be a great route to choose to try and spike that heart rate and get in a great workout without too much time commitment.

The best thing about this type of training is that it can be anything you want it to be. For example, you can elect to do a sprinting-focused workout, or biking, rowing, swimming, etc. The idea is not behind what exercise you do, but rather how you’re doing the workout.

15-minute Bodyweight HIIT Workout

Here is a simple example of an introductory HIIT workout.

3 Rounds: 45 seconds each exercise with 15 seconds of rest

1. High Knees in Place
2. Squats
3. Push-ups
4. Dips
5. Crunches

Don’t Skip Your Workout!

So the next time you are a little low on time and debating whether or not to skip a workout, high-intensity interval training could very well be the answer you’ve been looking for in order to keep up that consistency!

The blog was written by Ricky Rocha, NIFS Health Fitness Specialist. To read more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.

If you are like me, with a busy, on-the-go lifestyle, you probably don't have more than an hour to get inside the gym and train. Lucky for you, that’s okay!

By training with a full-body routine utilizing complexes, you can spend less time in the gym and still see the results. This not only saves you time in the gym, but it also allows for more time with family and friends, all while seeing the results you want. One way to accomplish this is through a barbell or kettlebell complex.

What Is a Complex?

A complex is a series of movements that are performed back to back in which the set number of reps is done for a movement before moving to the next. A complex can be performed with a barbell or one or two kettlebells/dumbbells. Each movement within the complex should flow into the next one. A good way to achieve this is to start from the ground and work your way up.

How to Build a Complex

Any number of reps can be done for each movement. The more movements within the complex, the fewer reps you will want to complete for each one. A complex consisting of four to six movements should be kept at one to five reps per movement. If your complex is only two to three movements, you can use higher reps. Some examples of complexes include the following:

Barbell 1

• Row x 1–5 reps
• Deadlift x 1–5 reps
• Hang Power Clean x 1–5 reps
• Front Squat x 1–5 reps
• Push Press 1–5 reps

Barbell 2

• Deadlift x 3–6 reps
• Clean x 3–6 reps
• Press x 3–6 reps

Kettlebell or Dumbbell 1

• Pushup x 1–5 reps
• Row x 1–5 reps
• DL x 1–5 reps
• Clean or Snatch x 1–5 reps
• Squat x 1–5 reps
• Press x 1–5 reps

Kettlebell or Dumbbell 2

• Pushup x 3–10 reps
• Row x 3–10 reps
• Swing x 3–10 reps
• Squat x 3–10 reps

I recommend completing two to three rounds, but you can also work up to as many rounds as possible with good technique. Within each complex there will be a movement that limits the weight for the entire complex, and it is better to start the first round with a weight you think will be too light.

For example, the movement that will decide your weight in Barbell 1 above is the push press. The deadlift might feel easy, but that is okay. By the end of the complex you will be happy you did not go as heavy as possible. Try to do the entire complex without setting down the weight to rest, and remember to complete all of the reps for one movement before moving on to the next movement.

Why Should I Implement Complexes?

These complexes are an amazing full-body tool that you can use if you are running low on time for your session, or if you have limited days per week you can come in and train. They are also a great way to add additional volume to your workouts, or can even be used as a finisher at the end to build resilience and touch up your conditioning. If your goal is to be better conditioned, adding a sprint or jog component at the end using pieces such as the echo bike, rower, ski-erg, or SPARC trainer can provide a nice cherry on top of an already stellar total-body workout.

Give these complexes a try to get your blood pumping, and let us know how they go! If you need any technique tips or complete workout programs, come visit us at the track desk for more information on what we offer and how to get that set up!

This blog was written by Evan James, NIFS Exercise Physiologist EP-C, Health Fitness Instructor, and Personal Trainer. To learn more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.