preview for 3 Moves to End Your Workout with a Bang

High-intensity interval training is all the rage these days, but I’ve got to be honest: I’m not always in the mood for it. There’s no question that it’s a great technique—you’re mixing metabolic strength training with cardio to get more out of every minute of your workout. Talk about efficiency!

But to really reap all the rewards from that kind of sweat session, you have to a) keep the intensity high while b) keeping your form on point. And that combo isn’t always easy; inevitably, even if it feels like you’re working super hard, one or the other starts to fade over the course of the hour or half-hour workout. Not only that, but even if it’s the world’s greatest workout, there are just going to be some days where you're not feeling that kind of intensity.

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That’s another reason why I love me some finishers: I can hit the weight room for my main strength workout (really focusing on form, using challenging weights, etc.)—then tack on a quick circuit at the end to get that heart-pounding, muscles-shaking, totally-spent feeling you get after a HIIT workout. But because you only have to go for three minutes, you’ve got a better chance of keeping up the high-intensity effort while also maintaining proper form. (Torch fat, get fit, and look and feel great with Women's Health's All in 18 DVD!) 

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This quickie will leave your legs feeling that wonderful kind of wobbly when you're leaving the gym. The key here is going as hard as you can in that 50-second interval, then shaking it out to get ready for the next move. While these all target your lower half, they build in speed to help you “warm up” so to speak as you move through each one.

Focus on keeping your chest up and thighs parallel to the floor in the squat walk (you quads should be feeling the burn!). If the “pop up” in the second exercise is too challenging—or becomes too challenging throughout the interval—step your feet toward your hands as opposed to jumping. The rest of the move remains the same: You want to get your hands off the ground and chest up as quickly as possible, and then get back down into a pushup position just as quickly. Stay low and go fast on the skater jumps; you can make them more challenging by lengthening the distance of your lateral jumps, or by keeping your back foot raised off the ground in between jumps.