Why HIIT training? And how to implement it into your workout routine.
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is gaining popularity more every year. In this blog I intend on explaining what HIIT is, why you should be doing HIIT, and ways you can implement this type of training into your daily workout routine. Let’s start with defining the foundations of HIIT and why you may want to start doing it.
The key part of HIIT is “high intensity”. This means doing exercises that get your heart rate up. The other part of HIIT is “interval”. This means doing high intensity exercises followed by low intensity exercises or resting for a period in between sets of intense exercise. Ideally, going from intense exercise to resting is the way to go to get the most out of HIIT. And what does the “most” mean exactly? Here are the benefits of HIIT:
- Very effective training for weight-loss. Okay, let’s be honest here, ANY exercise is great for weight-loss because (most) people gain weight because they are eating more calories than they are burning. THAT is how people gain weight and why exercising is so very important.
There is something called the “after burn” effect or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption which refers to the body using fatty acids as fuel for recovery in order to erase the body’s oxygen debt. Now, HIIT is not the only exercise that does this for you and there are many variables involved in this process based on the individual. So can I tell you how many calories you will burn doing HIIT compared to an hour of cardio?...of course not. It doesn’t work that way. Just know that you are definitely continuing to burn calories after a very intense work out anywhere from an hour after your workout up to 24 hours.
- Short in duration. One reason why HIIT is so popular is because of the shorter duration. You can accomplish an effective workout in 30 minutes or less getting strength training, cardiorespiratory training, and muscular endurance training all in one workout. You are fitting in aerobic and anaerobic aspects of training in a much shorter amount of time. This certainly beats a 60-90-minute workout which a lot of people find difficult fitting into their busy schedule.
- Keep that muscle! One reason why I love HIIT is because you will lose fat and not lose muscle mass. You may even gain muscle doing HIIT exercises. HIIT studies show that it boosts your natural levels of human growth hormone (HGH) which is responsible for increasing your metabolism, lean muscle gain, and fat burning. HGH is also responsible for anti-aging effects and increasing bone density.
- Mentally rewarding. If it was easy, everybody would do it! The intensity of HIIT can be difficult, but when complete, absolutely rewarding for many reasons. When you push yourself further than you believe you can go, there is an incredible sense of accomplishment that goes a long with it. That can be enough motivation to continue pushing yourself beyond your limits, especially when you see those results!
So how can you include HIIT exercises in your daily workout routines? Look up plyometric exercises and include them in your workout. Whether you do one exercise each set or even two, you are going to see a noticeable change in your mind and body. Examples of some exercises are jumping squats, jumping rope, jumping jacks, step ups, jumping lunges, and high knees. Do a minute at the beginning of each set of your circuit and make sure to do a rest in between each set to bring your heart rate down. There are many more exercises out there that you can throw into your routine. And it doesn’t matter what your goals are, include at least one of these in your circuit and you will notice a change physically and mentally.
Thanks for reading!
P.S. Please never forget that everyone’s body is different. Some people are going to see fat shed right off them while others may have to work harder. And always remember that diet is 70% of the battle (if not more). You may be on top of your exercise routine, but if you aren’t eating right, it’s going to set you back. Stay motivated and stay dedicated. You will reach your goals. If you have questions about anything health or nutrition related, feel free to send me a message