High Intensity Interval Training – Make Your Metabolism SoarIf you've been looking for a better way to do cardio, then high intensity interval training may be the answer. Before I get into that, let me talk about the traditional cardio people are doing. When I starting out learning about exercise and fitness, I was always told that doing 20-30 minutes of steady-state cardio, at least three times a week, was the way to burn fat and loose weight. This steady cardio is done at about 60% of your maximum heart rate. Doing anything more intense will make you burn out much sooner, and the reason why you want to go for 30 minutes or longer is because it takes that long to for your body to use all the glucose from your muscles and start using your fat for energy. The Problem With Long, Steady CardioThere is a problem when you've run out of glucose to use for energy. Your body will not just take its energy needs from fat stores. It will release the cortisol hormone which will break down muscle tissue and convert that to glucose as well. When doing long cardio workouts all the time, you can lose muscle. If you look at Olympic sprinters and compare them to marathon or long-distance runners, you'll notice that the sprinters look very well-built, toned, and vibrantly healthy, but the marathon runners look much older than they really are: they look aged and withered. High Intensity Interval Training does not have this problem as you'll find out later. I am not saying that if you do 30 minutes of cardio at an aerobic level of intensity, 3 to 5 times a week, that you are going to look old and loose all your muscle. If you are doing more than 30 minutes, like 45, 60, or especially 120 minutes, then it is certainly possible. Make sure you get enough protein in your diet to build and repair your muscle tissue. What Is HIIT?HIIT, or High Intensity Interval Training, is a form of anaerobic training that switches from intense exercise to moderate exercise in intervals. The moderate level can be compared to jogging (60-70% of your max heart rate must be reached) and the intense level would be a fast run or sprint (80-100% of your maximum heart rate must be reached). So, you sprint for a time, then drop to a jog to recuperate. Repeat. What Are The Benefits Of HIIT?When you perform a High Intensity Interval Training session, you create an EPOC, or an excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. High Intensity Interval Training is a very intense and demanding training routine and so the body has to expend much more energy in repair the damage incurred. This requires more oxygen and fuel. As a result, your metabolic rate will go up sharply after the exercise and gradually decline to normal levels after a day or two. High Intensity Interval Training routines are normally no longer than 20 minutes, and if you're just starting out, it maybe as little as 5 minutes. That is much better than 30+ minutes with regular aerobic exercise. Short Answer:
How To Do HIITEvery workout requires a proper warm-up and cool-down. 5 minutes for each is about average. Warming up is especially necessary when you are performing a high intensity exercise, since you are at higher risk of injury if you are too demanding of your body when it is not ready. The cool-down is also very important to allow your body to gradually return to a steady state. If you stop too suddenly, blood can pool to your extremities. Warm-Up : 5 minutes There are several timing intervals when doing the actual exercise. One is 30 seconds high intensity and 30 seconds low intensity. Another is 1 minute high intensity and 3-4 minutes moderate intensity. When first starting out, you will want to start with only a few sets and gradually add more sets over other week. In addition, you can start with only 2-3 HIIT sessions a week and add a session every other week up to 5 sessions a week. You don't have to eliminate your regular cardio in place of High Intensity Interval Training. In fact, mixing up your cardio routines is probably a good idea. It may be too difficult for most people's body to recuperate in time to do a HIIT session the next day. Three times a week is just fine for most moderately-athletic people. Example Beginner Workout: Add 1 set every week for a maximum of 15 sets (15 minutes + 10 minutes of warm up and cool down). Example Intermediate/Advanced Workout: Add 1 set every 2 weeks for a maximum of 5 sets (15-25 minutes + 10 minutes warm up and cool down). You may want to add 1 set every 4 weeks instead of 2 if you need more time to adapt. Other Ways To Do HIITBesides sprinting, you can use any type of exercise or workout equipment that will allow you to do both low and high levels of intensity and switch between the two quickly. Such things could be:
Words of CautionIf you can't do 30 minutes of running or fast-paced jogging without being too winded or worn-out, then HIIT is not for you. Since this is a very physically demanding training program, your body needs to be able to handle and recuperate quickly from the tissue damage that will incur. Also, your cardiovascular system needs to be able to carry enough oxygen and pump enough blood to the body when you keep peaking at the high-intensity part of the training. If you start to experience being light-headed, seeing stars, or having chest pains, stop immediately and go to a brisk walk. Your cardiovascular system may not be able to handle this level of intensity yet. Increase the time between your high-intensity intervals to allow more time to recuperate, and/or do fewer sets. High Intensity Interval Training is not for everyone. Other people who should avoid this type of training are diabetics, people who are very overweight or lack moderate athletic ability, people with any kind of heart disease, blood disorder, or any other kind of heart problems. As always, please consult a medical doctor/physician before performing a new exercise program or diet change. Useful Links Go to Home Page from High Intensity Interval Training Return to Workout Routines
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