Why it’s her fave: “Women carry more of their body fat in their legs and glutes. Hill sprints are a great way to burn more calories in less time while targeting stubborn lower-body areas. You’ll achieve greater muscle separation for a tighter, more scultped lower body.”
The Workout
Find a hill that’s about 10 percent to 15 percent incline (moderately steep). Warm up for a few minutes on a flat surface. Then do the following intervals: Sprint as you run uphill for about one-eigth of a mile or 20 to 30 seconds. Rest for 30 to 60 seconds, then lightly jog back downhill to actively recover. Start out with five to six all-out hill sprints per session. Aim to up the number of sprints you perform by one to two sessions per week, until you can do eight to 10. Then find a steeper hill or increae the distance every couple of weeks.
Warmup: 0% incline, 1/2 mile
Sprint Uphil: 10-15% incline, 1/8 mile
Jog Downhill: 10-15% incline, 1/8 mile
Sprint Uphill: 10-15% incline, 1/8 mile
Tip: Push explosively off the balls of your feet with every stride. Your heels should not strike the ground as your sprint.
Fhitting Room Instructor: Julia Avery
Kettlebells
Why it’s her fave: “You can work multiple muscle groups at once with kettlebells through dynamic, ballistic movements such as the kettlebell swing, clean, or snatch. Plus, the off-centered weight forces your to use more of your stabilizer muscles, and they require a wider range of motion. When used in HIIT training, there is no better way to increase your heart rate while simultaneously building lean muscle.
The Workout
Do five rounds of the following circuit (each round takes about four minutes):
15 calorie rows (row on the rowing maching until you’ve burned 15 calories)
20 kettlebell snatches (10 on each arm)
10 burpees
Tip: Your goal is to complete all of the exercises as fast as possible so that you have time to rest before the next round begins.
Why it’s her fave: “High-intensity sprints of 15 to 20 secons push fat burning to the max by increasing your heart rate and burning through more calories in a shorter amount of time. And your body will continue to burn more calories long after you step off the treadmill.”
The Workout
Walk – 1.5 mph, 40 sec
Sprint – 10-12 mph, 20 sec
Walk – 1.5 mph, 40 sec
Sprint – 10-12 mph, 20 sec
Walk – 1.5 mph, 40 sec
Sprint – 10-12 mph, 20 sec
Walk – 1.5 mph, 40 sec
Sprint – 10-12 mph, 20 sec
Walk – 1.5 mph, 40 sec
Sprint – 10-12 mph, 20 sec
Walk – 1.5 mph, 40 sec
Sprint – 10-12 mph, 20 sec
Walk – 1.5 mph, 40 sec
Sprint – 10-12 mph, 20 sec
Walk – 1.5 mph, 40 sec
Sprint – 10-12 mph, 20 sec
Total time: 8 minutes
*Does not include warmup or cooldown.
Tip: Warm up first for five minutes with some brisk walking or light jogging to get your muscles ready for the intervals and to reduce your risk or injury.
