How much HIIT exercise per muscle for optimum results

Are you wondering how many HIIT exercises per muscle to do to optimise your sessions? This article gives you precise, practical answers. In just a few minutes, you'll discover how to structure your workouts effectively.

The importance of targeting each muscle group

HIIT is an excellent way of targeting each muscle group while maximising your results. We detail the number of exercises recommended for each muscle group, and how to incorporate them into your routine.

To achieve optimum results in HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training), it's crucial to target each muscle group in a balanced way. Muscle balance not only helps to develop a harmonious figure, but also avoids imbalances that can cause pain and injury. By incorporating exercises for all the muscle groups, you can ensure even development and better posture.

Injury prevention and performance improvement

By practicing exercises that work each muscle, you strengthen weak areas and avoid overloading specific muscles. This reduces the risk of common injuries, such as tendonitis or sprains. Additionally, a balanced body functions more efficiently, which improves your overall performance during your HIIT sessions. In short, targeting each muscle group is the key to a safe, effective and sustainable workout.

How many HIIT exercises per muscle?

In HIIT, it's essential to structure your sessions to target each muscle group effectively. This allows you to maximise the benefits while avoiding overtraining. Here's a general approach to determining the number of exercises per muscle.

Distribution by large muscle groups

Lower limbs: 2-3 exercises The legs are fundamental in HIIT sessions because they support most intense exercises. Here are some recommended exercises:

• Squats : A great exercise for the quads, hamstrings and glutes.
• Lunges (lunges): Ideal for working the same muscles while improving balance.
• Jump squats : Add a cardio component while intensely targeting the leg muscles.

Torso and arms: 2-3 exercises For the upper body, it is crucial to include exercises that engage several muscles simultaneously:

• Pumps : Targets the pectorals, triceps and shoulders.
• Burpees : A complete exercise that works the torso, arms and includes a cardio component.
• Dips : Excellent for the triceps and chest muscles.

Core (abdominals and lumbar): 1-2 exercises A strong core is essential to maintain good posture and prevent injuries:

• Plank : Targets the abdominals, obliques and back muscles.
• Russian twists : Help strengthen the obliques and abdominals.

Example of a complete HIIT session

To illustrate, here is how to structure a 20-30 minute HIIT session:

1. Warm-up (5 minutes) : Jumping jacks, high knees.
2. Main circuit (15-20 minutes) :
   • Squats (40 seconds work, 20 seconds rest)
   • Push-ups (40/20)
   • Jump squats (40/20)
   • Burpees (40/20)
   • Board (40/20)
   • Lunges (40/20)
   • Dips (40/20)
   • Russian twists (40/20)
3. Return to calm (5 minutes) : Static stretching, deep breathing.

Optimising the number of HIIT exercises per muscle

To optimise the number of HIIT exercises per muscle, several factors need to be taken into account to ensure a safe and effective workout.

The length of your session directly influences the number of exercises you can incorporate. For a 20-30 minute session, we recommend choosing 6-8 different exercises, with clearly defined work and rest intervals. This allows you to maintain a high intensity while guaranteeing sufficient recovery.

Your fitness level plays a crucial role in determining the number of exercises. Beginners should start with fewer exercises and shorter intervals, while more advanced exercisers can afford to increase the number and intensity of exercises. For example, a beginner may do 1-2 exercises per muscle group, while an advanced athlete may include 3 or more.

Your training objectives (weight loss, muscle gain, improving endurance) also dictate the number of exercises you do. For weight loss, opt for exercises combining cardio and strength training, while for muscle gain, focus on more intense resistance exercises.

Techniques for maximising efficiency

Compound exercises, which engage multiple muscle groups at once, are particularly effective in HIIT. For example :

• Burpees : Combination of push-ups, jumps and squats.
• Thrusters Squats followed by an overhead dumbbell push.

These exercises maximize working time and increase calorie expenditure.

Variation in working and rest times Adapting work and rest intervals based on your fitness level and goals is crucial to optimizing your sessions. For example :

• Beginners : 30 seconds of work, 30 seconds of rest.
• Intermediaries : 40 seconds of work, 20 seconds of rest.
• Advances : 50 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest.

By adjusting these settings, you can gradually intensify your sessions.

Common mistakes to avoid

Exercise overload

One of the most common pitfalls in HIIT is exercise overload. It's tempting to think that more exercise will lead to better results, but this can lead to overtraining. Overtraining manifests itself as excessive fatigue, persistent muscle soreness and reduced performance. It can also weaken your immune system and increase the risk of injury.

Recovery is essential to allow your muscles to repair and strengthen. Failure to allow sufficient rest periods between sessions can undo your efforts and hinder your progress. It is advisable to alternate intense training days with rest days or light exercise sessions.

Neglect of certain muscle groups

Ignoring certain muscle groups can create body imbalances. For example, focusing your efforts only on the torso and neglecting the legs can lead to postural problems and reduce your overall performance. Unbalanced training can also cause pain and injury due to overloading the most used muscles.

To avoid these imbalances, it is crucial to plan sessions that include exercises for all major muscle groups. Here are a few tips :

• Weekly planning : Distribute your sessions so as to cover all muscle groups over a week. For example, work your legs one day, your torso and arms the next, and your core another day.
• Compound exercises : Incorporate exercises like squats, deadlifts and burpees that work multiple muscle groups at once.
• Track your progress : Keep a journal of your sessions to ensure that you are not neglecting any muscle groups and that you are varying your exercises sufficiently.

By avoiding these common mistakes, you can maximize the benefits of your HIIT sessions while minimizing the risk of injury. A balanced and conscious approach is the key to effective and sustainable training.

Conclusion

Targeting each muscle group in HIIT optimises results and prevents injury. You should adapt the number of exercises according to the length of the session, your fitness level and your objectives. Vary the exercises and intervals to maximise the benefits.effectiveness of your cross training.

Avoid common mistakes such as overdoing exercises and neglecting certain muscle groups. Ensure complete coverage and adequate recovery. Adopt a balanced approach to safe and effective training.

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