HIIT Exercise Program - Dr. Gus Vickery, M.D.

Movement and exercise are vital parts of your authentic health journey.

Based on principles discussed in Dr. Gus Vickery’s book, Authentic Health, this expert-designed, HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workout guide will help you get started.

Let’s Get Started:

Step 1: read the HIIT Workout Guide.
Step 2: Decide on what types of exercises you want to combine in your HIIT workouts.
Step 3: Use our exercise visual guides here to help form the right posture, stance and execution of movement.
Step 4: Combine your workout plan with our Free 9-Week Nutrition Program to start seeing results!

Click on the book image to download your book.

WARM-UP AND COOL-DOWN STRETCHES

Combine any of the following to warm up before your Core Exercises below or to cool down after Core Exercises.

Basic Overhead Stretch

Gently lift your arms over your head, interlock fingers or hold your hands while moving gently from side to side, breathing and feeling the stretch along your arms and the length of your body.

Basic Overhead Stretch

Arm Stretch

Use this basic stretch before or after a workout.

Arm Stretch

Hip Stretch

Begin on the floor, facing up, knees bent. Take the left leg and bring it over the right knee so it is crossed yet facing outward. Place hands behind the right thigh and gently pull the right leg in toward your chest. This will stretch the hips and left leg muscles. Breathe into the stretch. Lower and repeat with the right side.

Hip Stretch

Arm Circles

Warm up the body with this simple and effective movement.

Arm Circles

Back and Arm Stretch

Start by placing arms behind your body and interlocking your fingers behind you.

Gently bend over, while raising your arms and rotating your shoulders, letting the natural weight of your hands carry them forward over your body as you bend over.

Keep your knees bent for softness.

Breathe into the stretch.

Back and Arm Stretch

Leg Stretch

Begin on the floor, facing up. Bring your left leg straight over head, and bend the knee slightly if needed for comfort. Reach out with your arms (careful not to raise your body off the ground) and gently pull the leg toward you to stretch the muscles. Lower and repeat with the right side.

Leg Stretch

Runner Stretch

Start in a standing position. Hold out one of your arms to balance yourself against a chair, a wall, or another sturdy surface as needed. Bring the left leg in a bend behind you, bending the knee and pulling the left foot against your glute area.

Stand straight and breathe into the stretch.

Lower the left leg and repeat with the right leg.

Runner Stretch

Shoulder Rotations

Using a shrugging motion, warm up the shoulders and joints by moving your arms in a gentle circular motion.

Shoulder Rotations

HIIT CORE EXERCISES

Combine any of the following for a HIIT workout. Add warm-up and cool-down stretching to each session.

Swimmers

Gently lift your head up while lifting your arms and legs off the floor just a bit.

“Swim” in motion, moving your arms and legs up and down in alternate movements.

Lower to starting position. Rest. Repeat.

Swimmers

Plank

Plank

Keeping your ab core engaged, your body strong yet pliable, engage all of your muscles to stay in a flat plank position off the ground. It’s similar to the starting position of a push-up but while keeping your arms straight. Stay in position for 10-20 seconds per rep. You do not need to do multiple repetitions of this exercise!

Triceps Dip

This exercise is shown here on the floor, but we recommend a higher starting point. Place your hands on a chair or a low table, with your back to the chair and fingers pointing in the same direction as you are facing. Put your legs straight out or bend the knees while balancing on the palms of your hands. Bend from your elbows, lower as far as you can, then press up to the original position.

Remember to breathe and keep the core engaged!

Triceps Dip

Jump (Invisible) Rope

Using an invisible jump rope, have some fun and engage your abdominal muscles in a great cardio exercise! Keep arms tight and in close to the body while making small movements.

You can make larger movements or blend into jumping jacks, or alternate with both during your HIIT workout.

Jump (Invisible) Rope

Reverse Ab Crunch

Starting on the ground flat with your arms by your sides. (You can tuck your arms slightly under you for better leverage or support if you’re just starting this exercise, but keep them as straight as possible under you.)

Start with both legs straight up in the air. Use breathing counts to lower your legs together toward the ground, as low as you can, without touching. Engage your abdomen core to bring your legs back up to starting position. Repeat.

Reverse Ab Crunch

Basic Lunge

With your body weight in your heels and your toes facing forwards, step with the left foot leading in a forward lunge, lowering your body but not too deeply, keeping your knee above your toes. Alternate legs.

Basic Lunge

Basic Push-Up: 3 Ways

Basic Push up: 3 ways

Try a traditional push-up, where your body is flat and aligned as you lower until almost touching the ground and then pushing back up using your upper body. Keep your core (ab muscles) tight and engaged, and remember to breathe in as you lower, and breathe out as you push back up.

Basic Push-Up: 3 Ways

Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers are fun because you adjust them to your speed and intensity as you make progress in HIIT workouts! Starting in a plank position, bring your left knee in toward your chest, then bring it back to starting position. Repeat with the right leg.

Work at a speed that is comfortable for you. You can move at a deliberate “crunching in” slow speed, or bring the legs in faster at a “jogging” speed.

Mountain Climbers

Burpees

Burpees are an advance move that work all of your muscles while helping you get an intense cardio session.

Start in standing position.

Bend over and drop down to the floor in front of you to get into a pushup position as fast as you can.

Perform one push-up.

As you come up from your push up, do an extra push to bring yourself back to a bent over yet standing position. Use the knees to bend and bring your body back into a standing straight position.

As soon as you are standing straight, leap up and push your arms into the air above your head (as if you’re jumping for joy).

Repeat several times.

For a simple demonstration, see this video.

Burpees

Jumping Jack

This classic exercise is effective and fun. Get closer to your target heart rate with this one!

Jumping Jack

Basic Squat

Gently lower your body, then use your natural resistance to return back to starting standing position. For assistance, use a chair for added support. Remember to keep your feet under your hips and your body weight in your heels.