HIIT Workouts, Tabata or Circuit Training: 6 Exercises for Customized Home Workouts

We all have our favorite home workouts. What puts a smile on your face? Is it getting the adrenaline pumping with a HIIT workout? The quick 4-minute blast of a tabata workout? Or  maybe the familiarity of circuit training? 

These 6 exercises can be combined to create different bodyweight workouts for you to try at home and add some variety to your fitness routine. And don’t forget to cool down with some stretching to facilitate recovery afterward.

6 Exercises for Home Workouts • Level: Beginner to Intermediate 

Stretching for Recovery 

Muscles tightening up? It’s time to stretch! Here are a few easy stretches to loosen up. Foam rolling after a workout is also a great way to facilitate recovery.

Choose Your Favorite Home Workout: 6 Combinations 

1. Classic Circuit Training Plan 3-5 rounds. Depending on your level, start with eight reps (per exercise) and increase to 16 reps or more. After each round take a break for max 40s and have some water. The shorter the breaks are, the more intense the workout gets – even with fewer repetitions. But take at least 20 seconds to rest between rounds. When you are done, add some stretches, such as Cobra Stretch and Downward Dog. Stay in these for 25 seconds each.
2. Pyramid This method is common in weight training but is also very effective for bodyweight workouts. Choose your exercises and start with one repetition of each exercise. In the second round increase to two reps, adding one repetition each round until you reach ten. When you’ve reached ten, do the same exercises working your way down to one. This adds variety to your bodyweight workouts. Mixing methods and challenging your muscles in different ways has more impact on muscle growth and leads to great results in the long run. You can stop when you’ve reached ten or work your way down to one rep, but try going up & down for a tough challenge.
3. HIIT Workout High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT is a fun way to get the most out of your training with the highest intensity. Perform each exercise for 40s, take 20s rest after each exercise, then continue with the next one. Put everything you’ve got into those 40 seconds. Exercises with left and right variations can be split into 20/20s if you like. Take a 40s break after each round and shoot for three rounds.
4. Tabata Workout Tabata is a type of high intensity interval training that keeps your body burning calories after you’re finished. One tabata workout is four minutes long, 20s workout and 10s rest for eight rounds. If you’re up to it, repeat the tabata workout for another four minutes.
   • Example: choose four exercises that you repeat when you’re done with the first cycle: 
     • Beginner Burpees
     • Low Plank Jack-Taps
     • Tuck Crunches
     • Butt Kicks
   • You can also choose one exercise for the whole tabata workout, such as eight Beginner Burpees. If you go for this option, you can also add more single-exercise tabata workouts, e.g. three more, choosing three exercises. If you choose a left/right exercise you can alternate the side for 20s each. 
5. Combine methods and test yourself Take the classic circuit approach and start the first round with a moderate number of reps, let’s say ten. In your second round you go all in for intervals, for example 30s workout,15s rest. The third round is reps again, and the fourth round is back to intervals.
6. Challenge yourself Change the pace of your workout to make it more challenging. Performing exercises really slowly to focus on your muscles, form, and breathing increases the intensity and targets your deeper muscles. You can also try a slow round, then a regular pace, then a fast round of exercises. Do every exercise for 20-30 seconds and you will feel the difference between the intensity levels. To mix things up even more, split the time and do half of the exercises slowly and half fast.

Takeaway

No matter what you do, always watch your form and don’t forget to warm up. This is especially important before you start an intense HIIT training session like tabata. Your muscles will appreciate the preparation time before you really put them to work; warming up is an essential part of injury prevention. These types of workouts shouldn’t be done more than three times per week; your body needs time to rest and recover. Exercises like Plié Squat Arm Circles or Beginner Burpees are also great to warm up and get your blood flowing when you do them slowly and in a controlled manner. Butt Kicks and Front Knee Kick & Reach are not only great exercises for your home workout but also the perfect way to warm up before you go for a run.

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