Making the Most of HIIT Workouts with Garmin Venu 2 Series

Along with a host of other features, the new Garmin Venu 2 and Venu 2S sport new activity profiles for HIIT workouts, including downloadable HIIT workouts with on-screen animations and custom timers to help ensure that every second counts. To help you get ready for the new workout opportunities coming to your wrist, Garmin ambassador and CrossFit afficionado Baylee Rayl outlines different kinds of HIIT activities, the benefits of each, sample exercises and more:

“HIIT” is a term that has skyrocketed in popularity within the past years. But what does it actually mean, and how can it be beneficial for you? HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training. It is any type of workout that alternates between intense segments of activity paired with a fixed amount of less intense activities or total resting time. 

HIIT can be programmed in several different formats, like TABATA, EMOMs, AMRAPS and more. For many of us, those formats look like a crazy combination of letters and mostly like gibberish! So let’s break it down a little further and dive into these different types of HIIT workouts:

TABATA

Tabata was created by Dr. Izumi Tabata (hence the name) in Japan. It’s a type of HIIT exercise that applies 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest for a set number of rounds. For example, a TABATA workout could look something like this: 

In a TABATA workout of sit-ups, push-ups and air squats (20/10×8), one would do 8 rounds of each movement for 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest for a total of 4 minutes of each exercise. Once you’re finished with the first exercise – in this case, sit-ups—you’d move on to push-ups and then air squats. This type of workout allows one to push at a very intense pace while providing 10 seconds of rest for recovery. 

EMOM

This acronym stands for “Every Minute On The Minute.” An EMOM style of training means that you will work on a set amount of reps at the top of each minute and then rest for the remainder of the minute. For example, if there are 20 air squats that need to be performed in an EMOM style of workout, those reps would be performed on minute 1. If 20 air squats take approximately 30 seconds to complete, then the athlete will have 30 seconds left to rest until the top of the next minute. An EMOM workout could be styled like this:

20-minute EMOM:

1. 20 Air Squats
2. 10 Push-ups
3. 20 Walking Lunges
4. 100m Run

On minute number 1 the athlete will perform 20 air squats and then rest the remainder of the minute. On minute number 2, the athlete will complete 10 push-ups and then rest the remainder of the minute. The athlete will continue this pattern until the 20-minute mark, which puts the athlete completing 5 rounds of each movement (5 rounds x 4 different minute-long exercises = 20 minutes).

AMRAP

Last up, we are going to uncover what in the world “AMRAP” stands for and how it can be modified to be a HIIT workout. AMRAP stands for “As Many Reps/Rounds As Possible” in a certain time domain. For example, if a workout is written to look something like this — 20-minute AMRAP of 10 push-ups, 10 sit-ups, 10 air squats and a 200m run — the athlete will complete as many reps or rounds of that sequence as they can in 20 minutes. They will continue to work through all of the reps for the 20-minute domain. Since AMRAP workouts can tend to get long, the intensity of the workout may decrease. However, AMRAP workouts  can also be modified to fit the HIIT profile by adding in some rest. A HIIT-style AMRAP (look at us with all these acronyms) can look something like this:

3-minuteAMRAP x 3 (3 minute rest between sets):

10 push-ups 

10 sit-ups

10 air squats

200m run

Essentially, what that means is that the athlete will complete as many rounds/reps as possible in 3 minutes for 3 different rounds and will get a 3-minute rest between each round. With this style, the athlete will work at a high intensity to complete as many reps or rounds of the sequence that they can in the 3minute window. The athlete will then get 3 minutes of rest between each AMRAP. The athlete will complete this 3 different times. Not too complicated when we break it down, huh?

Now that we have evaluated a few different styles of HIIT workouts, let’s dive into WHY these different formats of training might benefit us!

1. Efficiency. HIIT is the perfect format for someone on the go or with a tight schedule. With a set work-to-rest ratio, you can plan out exactly how long your workout will take, and you will benefit from the high intensity aspect of training.
   
2. Minimal or no equipment. For a HIIT style of workout, equipment can be optional. You can add equipment in if you would like, but it is not always necessary to get a great workout in. Running, biking, body weight movements, etc. are all great exercises to include in your HIIT training— which allows you to take your workouts with you anywhere you go!
   
3. Challenging. HIIT is HIGH INTENSITY. This means there will be no chatting during your work period — we are pedal to the metal! You will be working hard during your work period and you will need that built-in rest to recover fully so you can keep your intensity high. These are workouts you can repeat to see how much your fitness has improved.

Ready to give these exercises a test run? Log into your Garmin Connect app for HIIT workouts you can download directly to your Venu 2. We’ve also provided a few HIIT sample workouts below to help you kick start your experience. 

24-Minute TABATA:

For each movement, perform 20 seconds of intense effort followed by 10 seconds of rest. You will complete 8 rounds of ONE movement and then move onto the next movement. You will complete 4 minutes at each movement for a total of 24 minutes.

1. Burpees
2. Sit-ups
3. Air Squats
4. Jumping Jacks
5. Push-ups
6. Walking Lunges

20-Minute EMOM:

For each movement, you will complete the required amount of reps at the top of each minute. You will move down the list and perform a different movement at each minute:

Minute 1: 15 Kettle Bell Swings

Minute 2: 12 Alternating V-ups

Minute 3: 15 Push-ups

Minute 4: 20 Air Squats

(Repeat until you get to the 20-minute mark. This will equal 5 total rounds.)

15-Minute AMRAP:

This one includes 3 rounds of 5 minutes each. You will work through the below sequence and get as many rounds or reps in as you can within the 5 minutes. So, if you finish the 50 jump ropes, start back at the top with 10 more dumbbell deadlifts and keep goinguntil the time is up. Rest for 2 minutes between each 5-minute round.

10 Dumbbell Deadlifts

15 Box Jumps/Box Step-ups

50 Jump Ropes

We hope you enjoy each of these HIIT workouts — and don’t forget to track them with the new HIIT feature on your Garmin fitness watch!