Hey Sunshines!
So, let me just go ahead and say it now and be done with it. Week 2 I saw NO weight loss. I did however lose another ½ inch and I’m looking slimmer in my clothes. It was bummers not seeing the scale move DOWN, but grateful it didn’t move UP. No pain, No gain!
And speaking of pain, in my personal training sessions, we are NOT doing the traditional cardio like your average treadmill intervals or my beloved Zumba workout routines I’m used to. The workouts we’re doing are intense; HIGHLY intense interval training (HIIT) along with muscle building reps.
HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, is a training technique in which you give all-out, one hundred percent effort through quick, intense bursts of exercise, followed by short, sometimes active, recovery periods. This type of training gets and keeps your heart rate up and burns more at in less time. Source
I have to be honest…I DID NOT like HIIT when I first started last week. It was a complete shock to my body. I mean really, I was coming from looking sexy, dancing in front a mirror in my Zumba classes to these highly intense bursts of physical activity I just wasn’t used to. I had never heard of some the reps my personal trainer prescribed like dead lifts, mountain climbers, burpees or triceps kickbacks.
Ahhh, but AFTER getting into the flow of them, knowing what to expect and preparing my mind for the intensity, I actually see where HIIT is taking me. This high intensity program is said to
1. Increases Your Metabolism
With traditional cardio, you’re burning calories in the moment, however with HIITs, you are building your body to burn more calories long after the workout is over.
And
2. Quick and Convenient
HIITs is quick. I usually do between 20 – 30 minutes of high intense intervals . The best thing about this training is that no gym or expensive equipment is needed. I use my own body weight for the most part. You can also use the wall, a bench or even the kitchen counter.
After my HIIT workouts were done, this week I started on the gym machines. Again, you do not need the machines to get a great workout. In Week 1, I didn’t use them at all. I used my dumbbells and body weight for all of my workouts. The main focus is getting your heart rate up and keeping it there. These quick spurts and reps have truly helped me to achieve that goal.
Will I ever go back to Zumba? Sure thing! Will I ever get on a treadmill or jog again? Absolutely! Cardio is great for any fitness journey. However, I will definitely keep HIIT as a part of my primary routine. It combines both cardio and toning at the same time and that’s what I want. I want quick, convenient workouts that will boost my metabolism and turn my body into a fat burning machine. HIITs is helping me to achieve that, of course along with eating a clean diet!
Check back next week when I talk more about clean eating and give a recap of Week 3!
Check some pictures from this week where I began group personal training sessions! Have a small group of women who are attempting to achieve similar goals was very inspiring. We motivated eachother to keep going!
Until next time, remember to CREATE each day INTENTIONALLY GOOD and Be Beautifully Inspired!
Sincerely,
Schan
The Inspired Blogger
