“I Tried HIIT Training For 3 Months — Here’s What I Learned”
Heard about HIIT a.k.a. high-intensity interval training, but wary of trying it? This woman went from walker to HIIT freak. Here's how it went down.

July 20, 2017

Woman in the gym after a hiit class

This woman went from walker to HIIT freak. Here’s how it went down.

Three months ago WH copy editor Leigh Champanis-King was not a big exerciser. She walks everywhere (points for eco living!) so she wasn’t a total couch potato, but she hadn’t found her workout groove. For the #WHGetsFit challenge, she’s been doing HIIT classes at Virgin Active. The results were surprising….

It’s Not Boring

I’m definitely not a one-type-of-exercise girl. The thought of doing an hour-long spinning class doesn’t excite me and I find doing one discipline for a whole class mentally challenging. I’ve tried classes at the gym before and found them to be a hectic workout, but I wouldn’t be able to do them regularly each week because I wouldn’t be able to motivate myself to keep going. I like the variety that the Grid and 24 offer. You know generally what you’re going to be doing, but you don’t know exactly. I also really enjoy the challenge of high-intensity training that uses a lot of body-weight moves.   

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I Actually Look Forward To Class

For me, exercise is definitely a mental game. I struggle with negative thoughts and actually getting myself to the gym. Not quite knowing what we’re going to do makes it a lot easier to commit and I actually get a bit excited before each class. Nervous anticipation, maybe?

You Don’t Have To Be Super Coordinated

The classes are easy to follow and none of the moves are too complicated – they’re physically hard, but at least I know what I’m doing.  Push-ups are a regular – I still suck at them and I’m nowhere near being able to do a full unassisted push-up, but my assisted push-ups are much stronger. So are burpees – my heart rate goes through the roof, but I’m getting better. And lunges – my form has improved so much! They don’t scare me anymore. I love Grid sprints as a nice cardio break…maybe I should be pushing myself harder.

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Your Body Will Change

I’ve definitely toned up and I feel like my waist is a little tighter. The muscles in my arms have definitely gotten stronger (and bigger), but because I haven’t lost much weight, I only notice a difference when I’m in class with weights in my hands and my muscles are tensed. I’ve struggled with my stomach for the last two years (lots of food and no exercise, plus a tendency to bloat), but these days it’s flatter and I’m less nervous about wearing crop tops in workout photos. BONUS: My lunge form is so much better than it was! 

 Want more? Try this four-minute Grid workout that burns fat like crazy!