Lesson video

Parents and carers are responsible for ensuring that children follow the correct safety advice provided at the start of this lesson and the instructions the teacher gives during the lesson.

Parents and carers are responsible for supervising activities when required and for seeking medical advice in advance if your child has a medical condition that may prevent them from taking part in physical activity.

Safety in PE lessons includes removing all personal effects, tying long hair back, and wearing appropriate clothing and footwear for the physical activity undertaken.

Always ensure there is adequate space to move in.

For more information, please see the physical activity statement in the legal section of Oak Academy's website.

Hi there.

I'm Mr. Swaithes.

And I'm gonna be teaching you about types of training, and whether you can complete a HIIT training session today.

Conscious that you're gonna be learning or completing this lesson remotely, so I'm making sure that it's something that you can manage in a home environment.

For this lesson, you will need a clear and safe space to perform body-weight exercises, and a stopwatch.

You could complete it inside or outside, it's up to you.

By the end of today's lesson, you gonna able to complete a high-intensity interval training session, or HIIT session, with a focus on maximum power output.

There are a number of keywords that we'll be exploring today, and the three most important ones are HIIT, power, and recovery.

So as I've mentioned, HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training.

It's where you do short bursts of intense exercise, followed by a brief rest or low-effort period.

Power is the ability to use strength quickly to produce explosive movement, and recovery is the time your body and mind need to rest, repair, and regain energy after exercise.

Come on then.

Let's get going.

So first up, we need you to warm up, and I want you to show me what you know about preparing the body for high-intensity exercise.

So start with a pulse raiser, then perform some dynamic stretches and some joint mobility.

Once you've done that, I want you to increase the intensity with some whole-body exercise, for example, maybe you could do some burpees.

If you're struggling to think what that could look like, let's have a quick look, shall we, at someone performing those exercises that would comprise of a warm-up.

Pause the video now, so that you can compete that warm-up a little more thoroughly.

And then once you come back to me, we will carry on into the main body of this lesson.

Well done.

So hopefully, you've increased your pulse to above 120 bits per minute.

Take your pulse now, if it's not yet above 120 beats per minute, you need to pause the video again and do a bit more high-intensity exercise.

You should feel fired up and ready for exercise, and you should have also mobilized those joints and worked your major muscles through their full range of movement by performing some stretches.

You should also make sure that you're in a safe space, ready for this lesson.

Okay, so we've broken up today's lesson into two parts.

In the first part, we'll explore how you could do some high-intensity interval training in a very limited space.

And then if you are blessed with the opportunity to get into a bigger space, whether that be indoors or outdoors, we're gonna add in some intervals training, so some sprinting into that HIIT workout.

If you've not got sufficient space for that, you could repeat the first part of this lesson twice, but actually, we're gonna show you how you could do it in quite a small space.

Okay, let's get going then.

What do we need to learn first, before we get into our exercise?

Well, HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training.

It's a type of workout designed to get you fit and strong quickly by being fast.

So workouts are typically 15 to 25 minutes in total.

So you can easily squeeze this into a busy day.

Maybe it's how you should start every day.

You alternate high-intensity exercise with rest periods.

And then similar to circuit training, you can incorporate different exercises, but you tend to do them at an even higher intensity, followed by rest, and then repeat the same exercise multiple times before switching to a different exercise.

So I hope that helps you see that slight distinction between HIIT training and circuit training, even though some of the exercises included in these sessions can quite often be the same ones.

So perhaps another new term for you, a Tabata.

So a Tabata workout is a really popular way of doing a HIIT session.

And in a Tabata, you do 20 seconds of maximum effort, followed by 10 seconds of rest, and you repeat that for eight rounds.

So you'll end up doing four minutes worth of exercise, rest, exercise, rest, exercise, rest.

And it really does push your body to its limits.

So it results in a four-minute workout that can be repeated to build a longer routine.

So you could do that four-minute workout, take a minute's rest, and then repeat it, or you could then modify the workout and do a slightly different one for another four-minute Tabata.

Okay, let's do a quick check for understanding then.

What is the key difference between circuit training and high-intensity interval, or HIIT, training?

Is it A, circuit training uses a long rest period between exercises, whereas HIIT has no rest at all, is it B, HIIT uses intense burst of effort, whereas circuit training uses a more continuous, moderate pace, is it C, circuit training has always done outside, while HIIT is always done indoors, or is it D, HIIT focuses mainly on strength, while circuit training focuses mainly on cardio?

What do you think?

That's right, B, isn't it?

So HIIT uses intense burst of effort, followed by rest.

Whereas in circuit training, you typically perform the exercise, and you may have a very brief rest as you move to the next station, but you largely then concentrate on a different part of the body and exercise again straight away, rather than needing to rest for those muscles to recover, and then repeat exercise on the same muscle regions.

So high knees is a really common HIIT exercise, where you're pumping those knees high with alternating arms.

You should use a sprinting technique that has a relaxed yet vigorous arm swing, with your elbows bent at 90 degrees, as you bring them up from your hips to your lips.

You should alternate your arms with your knee, and that helps with balance.

Sam's wondering then, "How long can you perform high knees for with the correct technique?

" Maybe you can have a go at that right now, whilst I continue to work you through this lesson.

Okay, so sprint training boosts your metabolism.

Did you know that?

Here, we've got an athlete sprinting.

And Laura is saying, "So HIIT training is good for increasing the number of calories being burnt during, but also after exercise.

" That's right, Laura.

Because if you're boosting your metabolism, you're gonna be burning more calories, and that happens during the exercise, but also for a period of time after the exercise, as we recover.

So if you push your body hard, will leave you breathless and make your muscles ache, but will also make you feel more energized.

And that's due to some of the chemicals that get released when we do exercise, some of those feel-good hormones.

So what sort of exercise is vigorous for you?

And this is different for all of us, depending on our current level of fitness and our health.

So burpees are a great example of a vigorous exercise that tends to trigger exhaustion after 20 to 30 seconds for most people.

Here, we've got an example of those burpees.

So you start in a standing position, crouch down, jump both legs back into that front support or press-up position, then jump both legs back again, and either stand up, or even better, jump and reach into the air, and then land.

So that is one burpee.

And if you were to do burpees for 20 to 30 seconds, most people will find that pretty vigorous and pretty exhausting exercise.

Izzy's wondering, "How long do you think you could repeat burpees for?

" Why don't you pause the video now and have a go?

How many seconds can you manage to keep doing burpees for, or how many repetitions of burpees can you do?

And what about if you added in a press-up?

So when you get down into that front support position, what about bending the elbows and straightening them back up again, so you're going into that full press-up position, as an addition to your burpee?

Laura's wondering, "Well, what other exercises can you do if burpees are a little bit too hard for you?

" Well, you could do mountain climbers.

So you've got your weight on your arms, and you're sliding those feet backwards and forwards.

I quite like to do that one in just my socks, so I can slide my feet along the floor, but it's probably a little bit harder if you do it and you are lifting your foot to place it up towards your chest.

You can also do spotted dogs, where you get down on almost on one knee, with your opposite hand in the air, and jump and switch.

So those spotted dogs are another example of a good HIIT exercise, but slightly lower intensity, or slightly easier than a burpee.

And then squats are another good example, as repeated squatter.

If you wanna make it even harder, maybe a jump squat, so that as you stand up, you explosively jump in the air, and then land again.

Okay, let's do a quick check for understanding then.

Which of the following exercises would work best in a HIIT session?

Do you think A, hill sprints, B, walking leg kicks, or C, cat cow stretches?

That's right, hill sprints.

So you might do a 20-second sprint up a hill, and then walk back to your start position and sprint again.

Repeat that eight times over, and that's a great way that you can use your environment, you can get outside in blue and green spaces, and perform a HIIT session with real intensity.

Obviously, just making sure that you find a safe place outside with a hill to perform that.

Okay, let's move into our first practice task for today then, before you cool off too much.

So the following list of exercises increase in difficulty.

I want you to select from the choice of exercises and perform 20 seconds of maximum effort, followed by 10 seconds of rest, and do eight repetitions to create that Tabata workout of that particular exercise.

So the easiest on my list that you could choose from is star jumps, and putting it to the side.

Next up, we've got high knees.

So we've tried that already today.

Then we've got jump squats, so down into a squat, and then jump up into the air and repeat.

Then we've got those mountain climbers, so arms on the floor and your feet sliding back and forth.

Then we've got burpees, then we're into burpees with a press-up.

And Jun is saying that, "Well, could you challenge yourself to complete another four-minute workout by selecting an exercise that is lower down this list than the one that you've just done?

" So we're gonna watch a quick video now to show you each of these six exercises in action.

But remember, you won't be working through these in order.

You'll be selecting one of them, performing it for 20 seconds, resting for 10 seconds, and repeating that eight times.

If, once you've finished that four-minute workout, you think, "I've got some more energy in the tank, I wanna go again," select the next hardest exercise on the list, and go again before you press play on the video and regain, or rejoin us, for the second part to this lesson.

Well done.

I hope you enjoyed that.

So what we've been looking at there is sprinting and having that relaxed yet vigorous arm swing, with elbows bent at 90 degrees.

Jun's saying that he didn't do any sprinting in his chosen exercise, but he did pump his arms to generate speed.

I wonder if you did too.

And in terms of things to think about, well, appreciating that sprint training boosts your metabolism by increasing calorie burn during and after exercise.

Well, Izzy's saying, well, she thinks that this HIIT session will have boosted her metabolism, as her heart and breathing rate have remained really elevated, even after she finished that four-minute Tabata.

And I wonder, is that the same for you?

Is your metabolism still elevated?

Are you still burning calories after finishing your exercise?

Okay then, let's move into the second part of this lesson, where we're gonna try and take that simple HIIT session and build in some sprinting as well.

So what do you need to do to overload further?

Well, completing short sprints using either a rowing machine, a treadmill, a ski erg, or running outdoors, or maybe even indoors if you're lucky enough to have a straight space that's safe to move in quickly with these shuttles, are great options to add in to your HIIT training.

Jun is reminding us that your vigorous arm swing is needed when you are sprinting, pumping your arms quickly with that hips-to-lips movement helps drive your legs faster too.

So I'm wondering, do you have access to a safe space to do these short sprints?

Perhaps you've got a small garden or a yard, or there's a corridor that would make this work for you inside the house.

Remember, if you're going out of the house, to seek permission and make sure that you are supervised for that.

Izzy said, "I don't.

" So instead, she's going to pick another exercise from the previous task, so that she can complete that inside.

So instead of doing sprints, combined with those body-weight exercises, she's just gonna alternate some different body-weight exercises.

Let's remember that high knees is really just sprinting on the spot, isn't it?

So it's still developing the same thing, but in very limited space.

And sometimes when I'm staying away with work, I need to do that in hotel rooms, for example, so I can still make sure I can get a HIIT training session in, even if all I have is a bedroom.

So a quick check for understanding.

Which of the following would not represent HIIT training?

Is it A, a steady-pace swim for 20 minutes, is it B, 10 hill sprints with a recovery time to walk back down before you repeat, or is it C, six sets of 20-meter sprints on a rowing machine, with 30 seconds' rest between each one?

What do you think?

That's right.

It's A, isn't it?

So a steady-paced swim is continuous training.

That is not a HIIT session at all.

What do you know about power output then?

Well, Sofia's gonna help us here and say that, "Power is the ability to use strength quickly, so it helps produce explosive movements.

Some exercise equipment, like row machines and assault bikes, measure your power output.

And for a HIIT session, you want this to be as high as possible.

" Lucas is piping up now and saying that, "A high-power output will boost your metabolism even further.

And adding sprint or sprinting to your workout will further increase that calorie burn during and after exercise," because sprinting is a whole-body exercise, isn't it?

Another check for understanding.

What factors dictate your power output?

Is it A, agility times balance, is it B, speed times strength, or is it C, endurance times flexibility?

What do you think?

That's right, it's B, speed times strength equals power output, or explosive strength, as it's sometimes called.

Well, I'm wondering, what do you know about recovery then?

Well, Sam's gonna let us know that recovery is the time your body and your mind, remember, it's not just your body, but your mind as well, needs to rest, repair, and regain energy after exercise.

Now, you get partial recovery, and you will have now got partial recovery from that first practice task that I had you doing, and in that short rest period between HIIT sessions.

But full recovery takes a few days, and that's why often we say it's best to exercise hard one day, and then take a rest day before you exercise hard again the day after.

Or maybe focus on your upper body one day, your lower body the next day.

Or maybe a HIIT session one day and a low intensity, perhaps a walk or a jog or a swim, the next day.

So you are varying the intensity, so your body can recover.

How could you modify your workout then?

Well, instead of doing a Tabata, you could complete 20 repetitions of an explosive body-weight exercise, for example, press-ups or burpees, then perform five shuttle sprints over five meters, or maybe you've not got five meters, so you have to do over three meters, so it's short space, then rest for 30 seconds, and repeat eight times.

So you're combining that body-weight exercise, like a press-up, with some shuttle sprints, then rest, then repeat.

Aisha's saying to us, "Well, that sounds good, as it combines cardio with strength training.

" And absolutely, you're right there.

Sofia's wondering, "Well, what are the benefits of pushing your body hard, and what else can help motivate you?

" Well, Sam thinks, during the exercises, that they feel breathless and a burning sensation in the muscles, but it also gives a real buzz and an energized feeling.

And it definitely does, that's why I keep exercising, for that positive feeling that it gives me.

And Lucas is wondering, "Well, working out with other people makes it more enjoyable, either exercising at the same time or taking it in terms to exercise and rest.

" And maybe you want to exercise alongside this video if you've not got someone that you could convince to do these exercises with you.

So that takes us nicely into this second practice task of today's lesson, and the final one.

So this time, let's HIIT maximum power output on a body-weight exercise, followed by a sprint, before resting.

So I'd like you to perform 20 mountain climbers, then perform 5 five-meter sprints, then rest for 30 seconds, and repeat that over eight times.

Aisha's saying, "Well, do you have enough energy left to repeat with 20 sit-ups, followed by five lots of five-meter sprints, with that 32nd rest, before repeating eight times?

" So she's really pushing the bar now.

She's saying, "You've done your mountain climbers, and that's probably got your deltoids working, as you hold your body weight there.

But largely, it's your legs that are working as you're doing those mountain climbs.

And the same, it's your legs as you're sprinting.

" And now, thinking, "We'll do sit-ups.

" So isolate those abdominal muscles for the sit-ups, and then up quickly and into the sprints again.

We're gonna watch a quick video to see what this could look like in action.

And then you'll need to pause the video whilst you have a go at it yourself, and certainly whilst you repeat it eight times.

Sam's wondering, "Could you go again?

But what about upping the ante a little bit further and doing the burpee with a press-up this time instead of that slightly easier mountain climber exercise?

" Well done, and welcome back.

So hopefully, when you were doing those sprinting exercises, you were using those relaxed but vigorous arm swings, and that helped with your efficient movement, as your elbow was bending to 90 degrees.

And Sofia says, "Well, definitely.

" Focusing on pumping the arms fast when doing the sprints helped her legs go faster too.

Is that the same for you?

And in terms of things to think about, well, we need to appreciate that sprint training boosts that metabolism by increasing calorie burn during, but also after exercise.

I'm sure you are still out breath now as you are listening to me talk on.

If you're not, maybe you didn't work quite hard enough.

And Izzy's saying, well, that she could really feel the impact of the sprint effort during and after exercise.

In fact, it left her feeling really hungry.

That happens to me too actually, Izzy.

And then in terms of how you feel, well, did you push your body hard in short bursts?

And did that leave you breathless, your muscles burning, but a sense of energy around your body, that buzz that comes from exercise?

Definitely, for Lucas, felt that feeling of out of breath, heart racing, muscles burning with lactic acid after each bout of exercise.

But then that short bit of recovery before repeating again worked for him.

Obviously remembering that after those exercises, he also did the sprints, and that kind of finished him off.

Thinking about connection to others, so sometimes it's a little bit tougher, because you're working at home at the moment, or remotely certainly, and maybe on your own.

But working out together helps motivate and support others, and makes the experience more enjoyable.

I wonder if, like Sam saying here, they enjoyed working out with a partner, and they took it in turns to exercise and to rest, to add in some competition.

So maybe Sam was lucky there and able to perform this with a sibling or someone else that they could grab hold of to do these exercises with.

Was that the case for you, or did you do it solo?

Okay, this moves us into the last part of today's lesson then.

And really important that we perform a cool-down after any exercise session.

So I want you to perform the following sequence of exercises.

I'd like you to do two minutes of gentle star jumps.

After that, you can do five roll-down and walk-outs.

So you bend your neck, fold down, walk out into that press-up position back, and fold back up.

Can you do that five times?

Then some static stretches for the muscles you've worked the hardest today.

So we've got the quadriceps at the front of the leg, hamstrings at the back of your leg, triceps, and your deltoids have certainly been some of the muscles you've worked the most.

And then can you add in any additional stretches for muscles that you've worked particularly hard today?

So pause the video now whilst you do that, and then come back to me when you are ready.

Okay, continue to do a few more stretches as we reflect together, and think about how you feel now in comparison with before the lesson started.

Did you enjoy the buzz that comes from a HIIT session?

I wonder.

And then I'm doing gonna challenge you with a bit of a commitment before your next lesson.

When are you gonna repeat this HIIT session?

And who could you convince to do it with you?

I wonder.

So let's wrap up the lesson then.

Today was all about completing a HIIT training session, where we thought about our movement skills, so sprinting, which requires that relaxed yet vigorous arm swing, with elbows bent at 90 degrees.

In terms of cognition, we are appreciating that sprint training boosts the metabolism by increasing calorie burn during and after exercise.

You will be still burning more calories now because of the exercise that you've done.

You will also hopefully have felt that pushing your body hard in short bursts left you feeling breathless, left your muscles burning, but also feeling a bit energized.

And let's also remember to keep yourself hydrated if you've been working out today.

So get your water to hand and have a drink.

And then working out together with other people is motivating, isn't it?

And it helps if you're supporting somebody else.

So that makes that whole experience more enjoyable.

I wonder, do you enjoy doing a HIIT workout on your own, or would you rather do it with somebody else?

Thanks for joining me today for this lesson.

You've worked really hard.

Well done.

And I'll see you again next time.