The fitness industry is flooded with this right now… HIIT workouts (so many apps, infinite workouts)… Get twice the benefits in half the time? Feel the burn now and reap the rewards later? It’s almost like HIIT is the answer for all your fitness prayers! Cardio, strength, endurance. Is it though?
HIIT is a blanket term thrown around in the fitness world. In textbook terms, it stands for High Intensity Interval Training. You train for brief periods or intervals at a high intensity alternating with rest periods. Example: 20 seconds of sprints or stair climbs and 10 second rest/recovery. Repeat the same 6 times and you just did a 3 min HIIT workout. Simple but not easy… You’ll be huffing and puffing… Waiting for it to end… But that’s what it’s meant to do… High intensity!
Here are a few things you should know:
(1) HIIT works on the principle of short bursts of activity that increases your heart rate to 80-95% of MHR (Max Heart Rate which is 220 minus age). So you really need to include movements that can raise your heart rate rapidly. Hence Jumping Jacks, Burpees, Climbers, etc. This is also a reason why HIIT is not recommended for beginners, deconditioned individuals, those with cardiovascular/respiratory ailments.
(2) HIIT uses an energy system called Anaerobic system, which uses carbs or glycogen as fuel to produce energy (Fat is the preferred fuel for aerobic system). This is why you are exhausted, sometimes light headed or feel completely drained after a HIIT workout because you’ve literally used up your energy. This is also why it’s not a good idea to do this in a fasted state. (Have some simple carbs 30-45 min pre-workout)
(3) The main purposes of HIIT would be to increase your endurance levels by improving lactate threshold, and aiding fat loss by boosting metabolic rate through EPOC (Excess Post Oxygen Consumption), meaning you continue to burn more calories after exercise.
(4) HIIT is not the only kind of training or the best form of training or the bread and butter of fitness. It is one type of training to include in your fitness plan when you have the other parameters in place: CARDIO (STEADY STATE-AEROBIC), MUSCULAR STRENGTH, MUSCULAR ENDURANCE & FLEXIBILITY.
(5) Compared to steady state cardio which can be monotonous and boring, not to mention time consuming… HIIT seems like a better option. But Less is More when it comes to benefiting from HIIT and avoiding injuries. And doing HIIT workouts every day is not the right way to go (you could over train). Higher demands made on the body will need more recovery.
(6) SAID principle: Specific Adaptation To Imposed Demands. Your body only adapts to what you do. So if you run every day you get good at running, if you strength train you get stronger muscles, bones and joints, if you stretch every day you become more flexible. If you only do HIIT every day?? It’s like a jack of all trades but master of none.
(7) Push Yourself: You need to put in your maximum effort or else it’s really not HIIT. But this does not mean you lose form.. You need to maintain an acceptable form in all movements to avoid injury. Your form may suffer a little towards your last set when fatigue hits. So be aware of when you need to stop. (You can gradually increase your capacity) This is also why we tend to do better with a trainer or in a group. The energy in company can give you a boost. Its mind over matter. Set targets (realistic), be determined and crush them.
So use the HIIT format wisely! Train smart. 💪
In Video: A sample HIIT workout (shows 1 set, total workout would be 4-5 sets or until fatigue)… It’s a hybrid workout that combines plyo, power, strength and speed based movements. A note: Some of the movements may not raise my heart rate to the required intensity but the cumulative effect of combining these moves without rest will have the same stimulus.
There are many different ways to incorporate HIIT but you can benefit only when you know how, when & why.
Coming up soon, a blog post on different types of HIIT… How to create your own HIIT workouts… (Alternatives for beginners)… And how you can personalize it to meet your specific needs. Also how HIIT differs from some other forms of training.
Hope this helps you… Have fun with your workouts… 😉
Source credit: acefitness.org