If you are looking for a way to get rid of the last stubborn pounds. Or if you want to burn maximum calories in a short time, then a HIIT workout can be the solution you are looking for. HIIT has become very popular in recent years.
Quite frankly I’m not a big fan of cardio myself. I don’t find it very challenging and it can take a very long time. Fortunately, I found out that you can achieve more in less time with HIIT. And it also offers more variety of exercises during a workout.
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What Is HIIT Exactly?
HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. So HIIT is not a 45-minute hard workout at the gym. The name says it all “Intensity Interval”. The idea is that you give it your all and go to the extreme for about 30 seconds and then alternate this again with a rest period for about 30 seconds.
You can actually perform HIIT with different exercises. You can think of a quick sprint where you push or pull weight, strength training where you do a set of so many reps and with a certain weight, for example the overhead press.
Doing HIIT two to three times a week is more than enough. You should combine it with strength training to build muscle and lose fat. Don’t forget to give your body some time to recover. Try to include two days off in your training schedule to recover.
Is It New?
HIIT is not new, it has been around for quite some time already. They just didn’t call it HIIT back then. Around the 1920s the Sprinter Paavo Nurmi included more training that included alternating fast and slow runs, thus interval training. Although there are several varieties, the basics of HIIT are similar and quite simple.
Is HIIT Better Than Cardio For Burning Calories?
Is it possible to burn as many calories in a short time sprinting compared to an hour of running? YES you definitely can! The reason is that with HIIT you make a much more explosive, intensive effort.
Your body needs to recover long after you are done exercising. During that recovery period, you will continue to burn calories (afterburn effect). This results in a high or even higher amount of energy burned than compared with regular cardio.
In comparison to long-duration cardio, the chance of muscle tissue loss with HIIT is much less or none at all. You don’t want to be spending hours in the gym and undo all your hard work with cardio. Because the HIIT workout is much shorter the body has less time to get energy from the muscles.
8 Benefits Of HIIT Workouts?
1. Build Muscle & Strength
HIIT strengthens the muscles and the heart needs to work harder to deliver more blood to various parts of the body. Better blood circulation will help your heart and lungs to function properly and efficiently.
2. Burn Calories
According to research, HIIT burns 25%-30% more calories than other forms of exercise. HIIT is designed to help the body burn calories in a shorter period compared to moderate-intensity continuous training. This form of exercise also increases metabolism after exercise. Bursts of exercise help people improve fat metabolism as well as tone their muscles.
3. Time
With HIIT you can achieve the same or better results in less time than with regular cardio. Not a lot of people want to spend more time in the gym than necessary. And an average HIIT session only lasts 20 minutes. This does not include the time for a warm-up and cooling-down.
4. Improves Oxygen
When we talk about oxygen consumption, it refers to the muscles’ ability to use oxygen. According to research, HIIT is an effective and safe way to improve oxygen consumption. The advantage of HIIT is that you now get more results from the same time frame in the same time, compared to traditional training methods.
5. Lower Blood Sugar
One in 10 Americans have diabetes and 1 in 3 adults are at risk of having it. The lack of time is the top reason why people don’t exercise, which leads to developing diabetes. According to research, HIIT compared to moderate-intensity continuous exercise, produced greater acute reductions in blood glucose.
6. Stimulates Metabolism
A high-intensity interval training usually lasts 10 to 30 minutes. This short effort ensures an increase in metabolism. You burn more calories, which means you also lose weight.
7. Improve Health And Emotional Health
Exercising causes the body to produce endorphins, a hormone that helps you manage pain and feel good.
8. HIIT Improves Cardiovascular Health
High-intensity interval training can be great for your heart. Research shows (Low Volume) HIIT helps you have a healthier heart and cardiovascular health by reducing heart disease risk factors, blood pressure, and cholesterol. Therefore reduces the risk of death by cardiovascular disease.
4. HIIT Workouts:
1. Treadmill
- Set the treadmill so it’s flat. Walk at low pass (2 mph) for 5 minutes to warm up.
- Run at 9 to 10 mph for 30 seconds.
- Walk at 3 to 4 mph for 60 seconds.
- Repeat 5 to 10 times.
- Walk at 2 mph for 5 minutes to cool down.
2. Battle rope
15 rounds of the alternating waves. Each round consists of two parts:
- 30 second all-out.
- 30 seconds rest period.
Start the workout with a 5 minute warm up! If you want to make it more challenging you can add different variations to your routine. Like Rope Snakes, Power Slams or Side to Side Waves.
3. Rowing Machine
- Start with a 5 minutes warm up.
- Go all out for 30 seconds.
- Followed by 90 seconds of low intensity or rest.
- Repeat 5 to 10 times.
- When done don’t forget to do at least a 3 minute cool-down.
4. Full Body Workout
This workout involves 6 bodyweight exercises for which you don’t need any equipment. For each exercise complete as many reps as you can within the time frame.
- High knees: (30 seconds on, 30 Seconds rest) x 3 sets
- Jump squats: (30 seconds on, 30 Seconds rest) x 3 sets
- Mountain climbers: (30 seconds on, 30 Seconds rest) x 3 sets
- Push ups: (30 seconds on, 30 Seconds rest) x 3 sets
- Bicycle crunch: (30 seconds on, 30 Seconds rest) x 3 sets
- Burpees: (20 seconds on, 40 Seconds rest) x 3 sets
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Hi, thanks you. This is not a paid blog. Please let me know if there are certain topics you would like me to cover in the future