If you aren’t already aware, HIRT stands for high-intensity resistance training.  It provides a powerful workout that, according to Men’s Health, is one of the best ways to increase muscle and to burn fat, often even more so than traditional strength training.  And when you burn more fat and gain muscle, you’re giving your health and your body a boost.  HIRT can help whether you’re looking to lose weight, become stronger or are looking to become more active.

You don’t need a gym membership for HIRT

What you may not know is that you don’t need a gym membership to do HIRT.  In fact, you can quickly and easily incorporate high-intensity resistance training into your home workout routine with the proper equipment and space!  Want to know how?  Let’s go over some quick tips and tricks to ensure that you get the best bang for your buck.

Tips for a successful at-home HIRT session

• You’re going to want to have a written plan.  This is one of the most essential steps, as you aren’t going to have time to think about what to do next between sets.  Have all of your equipment prepared ahead of time and get into your go-to workout headspace, whether you’re listening to a fitness playlist or prefer peace and quiet.
• Give yourself short breaks between each set.  And when we say short, we mean it.  Aim for no longer than 90 seconds before powering through the following set.  Be strong; you’ve got this.
• Make sure that your form is solid but also go for speed.
• Create “supersets,” which are groups of 4 or more exercises that you perform repeatedly.

Some of the benefits of HIRT

• You can efficiently tackle a full body workout.
• Workouts can be short and sweet.  If you don’t have much time in your schedule, create a block of time for at-home HIRT.
• When completing your HIRT session, you’ll have your head in the game and won’t be easily distracted.  Not to mention, it’s hard to be bored when you’re so fully engaged in a multi-step routine.
• These workouts are powerful and effective but don’t drag on for what feels like forever.
• You can easily complete these workouts alone and don’t need the hassle of getting to the gym or gym fees.

Equipment that you’ll want to have on hand

You may be wondering what types of equipment you’ll want to use for your at-home HIRT session.  Well, we have you covered with a few suggestions:

• A high-quality set of dumbbells is an excellent place to begin, which you may find in your basement or closet. You can go for the traditional rubber dumbbells, urethane dumbbells, adjustable dumbbells, chrome or a variety of other materials. Think about your personal needs and preferences.
• A weighted vest. Wearing a weighted vest can increase the intensity of your routine, as well as increase your resistance.
• A few other pieces of equipment that you may want to consider are fixed bars, free weights, a leg press, cables or a multi-stack gym system.

Let’s cover a few HIRT routines

And, if you’re wondering where to begin, here are a few examples of solid supersets that will get your heart pumping, which you can easily complete at home:

Superset 1

• 10 Romanian deadlifts

• 20 lunges

• 10 pull-ups

• 10 deadlifts

Superset 2

• 10 squats

• 10 burpees

• 10 medicine ball slams

• 10 push-ups

Now, you’re ready for your at-home HIRT session.  You have the tools of the trade, the tips and a couple routines under your belt.  It’s time to dedicate your time to your health and body.  For more information on exercise and high-quality strength equipment, contact Fitness Gallery.