Health & Fitness

HIIT BOX WORKOUT

This is my absolutely favorite piece of equipment to use at the gym.

 

 


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In fact, aside from free weights it is one of the only pieces of equipment I use at the gym. There are so many moves that you can do with it and the different elevations offer versatility to the work your muscles are doing. 

This particular box is THE BOMB! The design offers three different heights, therefore offering a wider variety of moves and difficulty-level that you can execute in your work out. Plus, it feels super sturdy! Sometimes the boxes they have at the gym feel like they’re gonna tip over if I step on it the wrong way :-O And I would be that person in the gym to step on it the wrong way. 

I know, I preach efficiency, but you will not be disappointed with these moves. And when I say full body? I mean it. FULL body moves that will keep you from ever getting bored. Here is a breakdown of each move in this workout PLUS where to take caution in your form and movement. Scroll all the way down for the video!

BOX JUMP

This is a staple with this piece of equipment. And while it’s a simple move, it’s a great one! It’s a good move to get your heart rate up and to set the tone for your HIIT workout. And because of the different heights of this box, you can vary your difficulty. So if you’re just starting out with high intensity work outs, maybe start on a lower height and work your way up. 

*Also, notice your knees! Do this move in front of a mirror and make sure your knees do NOT collapse inward while you are exploding off of the ground, as you land on the top of the box, or when you land back on the ground. If you do, this indicates that your hip abductors, esp. the gluteus medius are weak and deactivating as you do this move. But most importantly is that this leaves your knees susceptible to injuries because it puts uneccesary pressure on those muscles and joints around your knees. 

SIDE PLANK REACH THROUGH

I love both versions of this move (as seen in the video) because while side planks are great, they aren’t the most efficient move to target your side body and obliques. By adding the dumbbell and a bit of movement, it forces those oblique muscles to activate and stabilize the rest of your body. 

*Keep an eye on your top hip. If it opens up too much? Then you are putting pressure on your upper back and stabilizing shoulder. If that top hip leans forward towards the ground, then you are deactivating that stabilizing oblique and side body. Therefore, not getting all that you can out of this move. 

BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT

One of the most dreaded moves, I think. A split squat by itself isn’t as terrible, but you add in the elevation of the back leg and you are forcing an isolation on that working front leg. It’s AWESOME 🙂 By adding the hop in the advanced version, you are further emphasizing the work in that front leg by exploding out of it and, with balance, lowering yourself back down to 90 degrees. 

*Your knee is also important in this move! That front knee needs to be directly over your heel. So use the mirror to make sure that knee hasn’t creeped forward creating a smaller angle (both) at your ankle, and your knee. This also puts unnecessary pressure on your knee joints and deactivates your glute and hamstring, so… you’re essentially working less on the muscles you’re targeting with this move. 

KNEE TO ELBOW PLANK

I call this the Spider Man crunch. But this is also a great one to get that side body! I like the elevation in  your legs here because it puts a little bit more activation in your center core as well. But make sure those shoulders are right over your hands and you aren’t leaning too far forward. 

STEP UP + REVERSE LUNGE

This move is amazing! You’ll feel your legs fatigue after a few. Plus, by adding in the opposing high knee you get activation in your core as well. Your core is actually activated during this entire move because of the constant up, down, and reverse motion. But I LOVE the advanced option. It puts the ‘high intensity’ in HIIT and is a great way to evenly work both legs and create a quicker and efficient move. 

 

NOW LET’S SWEAT!