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High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) How Important is it Really?
High-Intensity Interval Training is a great way to burn a lot of fat, build strength and get lean muscles. HIIT workouts are workouts that alternate between periods of intense bursts of activity also known as "anerobic workouts" followed by periods of less-intense activity (aerobic workout) or even rest. This form of workout is incredibly efficient and will burn fat quickly. It will also whip your body into shape in every way, from your breathing to your heath health it helps a ton.Rather than running at a constant pace on the treadmill for an hour, 15 minutes of a high intensity interval training workout will give you better results. Lets break it down and examine what goes into a HIIT workout.
Benefits of High-Intensity Interval Training for Women
- Time Saver: As a woman, you have a busy life and don't always have time to go to the gym or spend hours working out. That's okay and you can really enjoy the efficiency HIIT has to offer. It will help you burn more fat and calories in a shorter amount of time.
- Burn More Fat: Not only will you be burning more calories during your workout, but the effects of the workout will continue even after you are done. You'll end up burning more fat after your workout than you would if you went for a steady pace run.
- No Equipment: You don't need the gym or any equipment to get started. Any bodyweight workout that gets that heart going will do! This includes things like sprints, jumping jacks, biking, or jumping lunges.
- Healthy Heart: HIIT workouts will get your heart beating fast and extreme training will produce extreme results! A study published by the Journal of Physiology proves that your endurance will increase. They found that after just 8 weeks of practicing HIIT workouts, participates were able to bicycle twice as long as they could before the study, while maintaining the same pace. You heart is a muscle and it becomes stronger when you work it out.
- All Fitness Levels: The great thing about High-Intensity Interval Training is that it can be tailored to fit any fitness level and fitness goal. There are ways to tweak your rest-to-work ratio to get it to the level that it's most beneficial to you.
- Increase Your Metabolism: When you workout to the point that it's difficult to breath (as you should be with HIIT), your metabolism will kick in and start working at a higher level. This will help you burn more calories bother during and after your workout.
HIIT - Intensity
HIIT workouts can be classified as cardio sessions that are short bursts of very very hard work. If you are running, this would mean periods of running at your max speed. To qualify a workout as high intensity, you should be pushing yourself to the max during every interval. Since you are pushing yourself so hard, HIIT intervals are short, typically from 20 to 90 seconds. It's essential that you are pushing yourself to the limits to experience all the benefits associated with HIIT, they harder you train they most fat you will burn. Not only will you improve your endurance but you will also build strong muscles. Harder work will also increase the "afterburn" effect or that amount of calories you continue to burn even after you complete your training. With High-Intensity Interval Training you can be burning up to 15% calories throughout your day after the workout is complete.
High-Intensity Interval Training - Rest
This hard work may seem daunting but the good news it that breaks are also a part of this effective workout. Rest periods in between workout burst are an important part and if you aren't taking the proper time to recover, you are doing it wrong. You want to alternate your body between periods of low intensity and high intensity to get the full fat burning benefits of HIIT.
HIIT Tips for Beginners
HIIT is not a workout you can do while chatting with a friend. It requires your full attention and energy.
- If you are just starting out with this type of training a good place to start is with a ratio of 1:2. This means for the amount fo time you spend at high intensity, you should double time during your rest and recovery period.
- You can do a wide variety of workouts during your high-intensity periods, sprints, stairs, jumping jacks, etc.
- A typical HIIT session can range from 20 to 45 minutes but start at the lower range of the spectrum if you are just starting out.
- Don't over do it! Just like with resistance training, HIIT workouts should not be done more than three times per week (with days of moderate cardio in between and rest).
- Because of the high-intensity nature of HIIT, be sure to check with your physician before starting any workout plans.
- If weight loss is the goal, make sure you are supplementing HIIT along with your other training and eating a healthy diet. This is when you will really start seeing results.
HIIT workouts are also great for those that don't have a whole lot of time to dedicate to fitness. The name says its all... its workouts that are intense, done quickly and in intervals.
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