With fitness being at the heart of our community, we thought what better way to bring the hype than with some expert fitness tips from the people who know best, our athletes. 

At AYBL, we’re constantly working hard behind the scenes to empower women through fitness and someone who shares this vision is AYBL Athlete, Katie Becknell. Katie uses her social platforms, including TikTok, to share her workout tips and videos to help others with their own fitness journey. 

Today, we invited the fitness influencer to give the lowdown on her go-to HIIT workout (that’s High Intensity Interval Training FYI!) 

As you may have seen across your socials, the HIIT workout hype is still going strong and for good reason. Not only can you work up a sweat from the comfort of your own home (or the gym - whichever takes your fancy), it’s a seriously speedy and efficient way to exercise. For those of you who don’t know what (HI)it is, HIIT entails short bursts of intense exercise, performed at maximum capability, followed by periods of rest.

So, if you’re looking to take your cardio workouts to the next level, you’re in the right place! Take it away Katie…

TELL US, WHAT DOES YOUR TYPICAL WEEKLY WORKOUT SCHEDULE LOOK LIKE?

I have a five day workout split, which is as follows:

• Monday: glutes and hamstrings.
• Tuesday: chest, shoulders and triceps.
• Wednesday: active rest/recovery. This tends to include going for a walk, stretching and mobility work.
• Thursday: glutes and quads.
• Friday: back and biceps.
• Saturday: full rest day.
• Sunday: cardio and abs.

CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH YOUR HIIT WORKOUT?

Step 1: Warm Up

First things first, we need to warm up. Start by doing 5 minutes of dynamic stretching, specifically stretches that target your hamstrings, quads and calves.

It’s essential to warm up before every workout to ensure your muscles are ready for the work they are about to put in.

Step 2: Treadmill

Let’s move over to the treadmill. If you need more of a warm up, you can do a few minutes of walking at a moderate pace - I’d recommend between 2.5 and 3.5 mph - but if you’re good to go, we’re going to get right into treadmill sprints! Let’s go, girls!

Top tip: If this is your first time doing interval sprints on a treadmill, I’d recommend starting at more of a running pace and working your way up from there. It will take some practise to get used to jumping on and off the treadmill whilst it's running, but here are some tips:

• When you’re ready to start, step off the treadmill with one foot on either side of the moving belt and increase the speed to your desired speed. I typically start at 9 mph, but for beginners, I’d recommend around 6 mph.
  
  
• Once the belt gets up to speed, place both hands on the side rails and hoist yourself up, holding your own weight above the belt, and start moving your legs like you’re running. Slowly lower yourself, transitioning the weight off your arms and onto your legs.
  
  
• Keep holding onto the rails for as long as you need until you’re comfortable enough to run without the support.
  
  
• To stop, essentially you do the opposite of getting on. Place your hands on the side rails, lift your body up and place both feet on either side of the treadmill. 

Exercise: 10 Minute Interval Sprints: 20 seconds on, 40 seconds off

• Start at a moderate run/sprinting pace. I typically start with 9 mph then increase the speed by 0.5 each time until you hit your maximum pace. For me, this is usually 12.0. Your maximum pace should be a pace where it is challenging to finish the full 20 seconds.

• Repeat this 10 times (10 minutes).

Step 3: Core

After we’ve worked up a sweat on the treadmill, we’ll move over to some core work. Complete the following set and repeat 2 to 3 times.

• Plank, 1 minute.
• Mountain climbers, 30 seconds.

• Alternate knee tucks, 30 seconds.
• Bicycle crunch, 30 seconds.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU TRAIN CARDIO?

I have one day dedicated to intense cardio and then every weight training day, I add 10 to 20 minutes of low-intensity cardio, such as incline walking on the treadmill. 

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO INCORPORATE CARDIO INTO YOUR TRAINING? 

Cardio is a crucial part of my training. Not only does it help to burn fat, it’s also key in improving your cardiovascular health. 

IS THERE A CERTAIN ELEMENT OF CARDIO THAT YOU LIKE?

I like cardio because I can get in and out of the gym in less than 30 minutes, yet still feel like I got a good sweat on. 

The beauty of cardio is that it can be done anywhere, so if I don’t have access to a gym, I can easily run outside and get a good workout in.

@katiebecknell today’s cardio 💦💦 speeds may vary depending on your machine! #cardio #stairmaster #sweat #gymtok #fyp ♬ woo x i was never there - xxtristanxo

HOW DO YOU STAY MOTIVATED TO WORKOUT?

I’m going to be honest, I’m not motivated every single day to workout - and that’s perfectly normal - but some things that tend to help me include watching videos of other creators doing new exercises. This then gets me excited to go to the gym the next morning.

Planning my workout ‘fit the day before also gets me amped up because ‘look good, feel good, lift good’ - am I right?

SHOP SUMMER ‘FITS

WHAT WORDS OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE TO OUR FEMALE COMMUNITY TO HELP THEM ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS?

In my opinion, the most important aspect is consistency. As long as you are consistently showing up and putting in the work, you will see results! The hardest part is getting yourself there, but once you start showing up consistently, it will become a part of your routine and it will get easier and easier every time. 

Also, progress takes time and patience. You are not going to see results overnight, it will likely take at least six weeks for you to start seeing real changes, but do not let that discourage you. 

Take progress pictures every week or every day because with fitness, progress happens slowly and sometimes it’s difficult to notice changes when you’re used to seeing your body every day. Once I started taking progress photos I was more confident and felt reassured that what I was doing was in fact working.

READ MORE: How To Introduce Fitness Into Your Weekly Schedule

@katiebecknell me vs me baby #pump #fitcheck #glutes #gymtok #fyp ♬ original sound - Anthony

Phew! Wasn’t that great, girls? Katie certainly knows how to keep us on top form. 

Remember, consistency and patience are key. Yes, goals are important, but everyone deserves to train at their own pace and work towards goals that are attainable for them.

Want to hear more from our athletes? Check out our Athlete Spotlight with Elena Stavinoha.