One of the (many) brilliant things about HIIT bodyweight training is that a workout can be done anywhere at anytime – all you need is a little space, a clock with stopwatch or interval timer app, and a little self starter attitude.
The latest workout attached will take no more than 15 minutes including a warm-up!
So, what are you waiting for HIIT IT!
Metafit uses plyometric exercises (eg. jumps) to build strength and power. When performing plyometric exercises, landing technique is often overlooked, but it is AS if not more important than the concentric (upward) motion of jumping.
The untrained way to land is in a very rigid, stiff legged manner. As a result, all of the impact is absorbed between the hip, knee and ankle joints. It is much more advantageous to land softly and transfer the force to the glutes (butt), hamstrings, quads and calf.
One of the recent points of discussion in strength and conditioning communities focussed on people who are quad dominant v glute dominant. Quad dominant athletes tend to use their quads to shift their weight forward with squatting and jumping movements. This not only transfers a lot of pressure to the front of the knee, but puts a large load on the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
By learning how to land softly without noise and controlling deceleration, you will significantly lower the impact forces, decrease the risk of injury and extend the life of your joints.
The key points in landing technique are:
Jumping and landing training are highly demanding on the nervous system, so it is essential that the body is warm enough to perform the exercises efficiently. Please practice these key points when performing jumps in a metafit session – your joints will thank-you.
Tabata – is the name given to an exercise protocol developed by Prof. Izumi Tabata in a study he completed using Olympic speedskaters in 1996. The protocol is a version of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), 20 seconds of ultra-intense exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated for 4 minutes. The basics of this protocol are used in a variety of HIIT sessions, but in its purest form participants work at 150% Max HR for 4 mins total!
In this DIY workout YOU can be the coach – you get to choose how many Tabtata sets AND which sets to do. Each set is 4 minutes duration, alternating between 2 different exercises – 20 sec on A, 10 sec rest, 20 sec on B, 10 sec rest REPEAT.
As with all HIIT sessions, a thorough warm-up is essential, as is working HARD in each interval – you need to be huffing and puffing, NO PACING and GREAT TECHNIQUE. Exercise descriptions follow and the exercise basics can be found here
Arm circles – back/forwards
Leg Swings – fwd & back, side to side
Trunk rotations
10 Body weight squats
5 Push-ups from knees
Jog on spot – butt kicks 15 sec, high knees 15 sec, sprint 15 sec – x 3 each
TABATA – 20 sec work/10 sec x 8 = 4 mins per set
20 sec on ex A, 10 sec rest, 20 sec on ex B, 10 sec rest – REPEAT
30 sec rest in between sets
| Set 1 | A. Sliders/Skater | B. Mt Climbers |
| Set 2 | A. 2-step dash | B. Crucifix plank |
| Set 3 | A. Burpees | B. No-wall sit |
| Set 4 | A. Sprint | B. Split hand push-ups |
Sliders/Skaters – Lower into squat position, step sideways keeping weight in heels and butt back, bring feet together, step to other side, feet together. Repeat. Stay low, head & chest up.
Mt Climbers – In plank position (shoulders over wrists, heels over toes), bring one knee up to chest, return to plank position, repeat other side.
2-Step Dash – Run forward 2 steps, touch flat palm to ground, run back to steps, flat palm to ground. Bend at knees to keep butt down, squeeze butt to stand up, use arms in run phase.
Crucifix plank – wide arm plank, feet together, squeeze shoulder blades together
Burpees – old fashioned burpee. Hands on ground, jump feet back to plank position, jump feet in to hands, stand/jump up explosively with arms raised overhead. Repeat.
Split hand push-ups – One hand forward, one hand in normal push-up position, push-up, change hand position, repeat. From knees alternative.
Sprint – sprint on spot, high knees, pump arms
No-Wall Sit – Hold static squat for 20 sec. Butt back, weight in heels, head & chest up.
Static stretches that target quads, hamstrings, hips, groin, lower back
A metafit session may not be child’s play, but it does involve playful movements such as jumping up and down or standing on one leg, things we often leave behind with childhood. Yet these movements can benefit a grown-up’s body. Jumping can strengthen bones, and standing on one leg improves balance.
You don’t need to come to a metafit session to do either of these movements, but if you do come to metafit I guarantee you will do things you didn’t know you could (still) do. So, if its been a while since you jumped, stood on one leg or went outside your comfort zone, these are some of the reasons to give metafit a go.
A decade ago, a typical cardiovascular class (aerobics class) at a gym often involved so many choreographed moves you almost needed brains in your feet as well as your head. Now the trend that metafit leads is to less complex exercises that improve all-round physical function – not just aerobic fitness, but muscle strength, power, flexibility and bone density.
Old-school basic training, with movements such as push-ups, tuck jumps and burpees. Yes BURPEES – where you squat on the ground with your hands on the floor and kick your feet back so you are in a push-up position. Then jump your feet back into the squat position, jump up in the air and do it all again.
What is good about these movements is that, although they take effort, they are not complicated to do and, because you move quickly from one to another, there is no time to get bored.
“Traditional classes like step or aerobic classes have waned and I think its because the complexity of the choreography often compromised the physical benefits you got from them,” says Alisha Smith, education manager with Australian Fitness Network.
Metafit is based on functional training, meaning exercises that target multiple muscles at once rather than just one muscle, such as a bicep curl. These movements are closely related to activities of daily living – think of how many times a day you move from sit to stand.
Now you don’t need to come to a metafit session to get fit, but one advantage of a class is that you generally work harder than when you are left to your own devices. Metafit will also push you to vary your movements. Modern living can limit how we use our body. We walk a bit, sit a lot, don’t lift much weight and don’t jump. Yet research shows jumping is the most effective exercise for improving bone density, says Professor Robin Daly, chair of exercise and ageing at Deakin University.
Bones thrive on the stress and element of surprise that comes with jumping, he says. “We should include bone-loading activities like jumping, skipping and hopping. To improve bone density, it’s more important to vary the direction in which you jump than to keep jumping higher. Jumping from side to side is one way. So is a burpee.”
Bones thrive on the stress and element of surprise of jumping – a metafit “explosive jack”
“We don’t know exactly how much jumping is needed to improve bone density but our research suggests 50 to 100 multidirectional jumps three to five times a week.”
A lot happens in a 30 minute METAFIT session – some of the results of HIIT training are obvious in weeks, others not so obvious but have long lasting benefits for your health and well-being. Come and try a session – no fancy choreography, just old-school functional training that gets results.