Spring has arrived at last and as we transition from heavy winter coats and cold winter days – everyone starts to daydream about how to achieve that toned sleek figure for the beach.
The thought of exercising for hours at the gym to achieve a slimmer figure is easier said than done for most people. New year’s resolutions about diet and weight loss have been tossed out the window and the motivation to revisit these goals has diminished.
But all is not lost. It is possible to achieve maximum results in less time than a regular workout. This type of workout is known as high intensity interval training.
There once was a time when this kind of training was only reserved for athletes. Nevertheless, studies have been tested on non-athlete performers. What makes interval training so effective is that you push your body outside of its comfort zone for a few minutes and then you have a recovery period. Fitness experts say this kind of exercise is more beneficial, as it increases the amount of calories you burn during your workout and also helps to increase the recovery time for your body after a workout. It also promotes the use of fat while you are exercising and this you cannot achieve with traditional exercise methods.
As most traditional fitness experts would say, the average person would need to exercise a minimum of four times a week to see results. But with high intensity training – you can reduce your time at the gym.
“High-intensity interval training is twice as effective as normal exercise,” said Jan Helgerud, an exercise expert at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. “This is like finding a new pill that works twice as well … we should immediately throw out the old way of exercising.”
This is good news; still interval training requires a lot of work because you are pushing your body to the limit and in a shorter period of time. However, many experts have been reluctant to recommend this kind of workout for fear it may be too demanding for some people.
But Helgerud rejects this concept. He says, “I’m much more afraid of people not exercising at all. Inactivity is what’s killing us.”
The gratifying thing about this type of workout, it does not reduce muscle mass and it creates fat loss, stronger cardiovascular fitness and endurance. With this type of training, it is important to warm-up the muscles for at least five minutes before your routine.
There are many ways to practice high intensity interval training. A few ways you can do a high intensity workout is on a treadmill, stair climber or stationary bike. For instance, on a treadmill you can run and push your body to the limit for a minute and then recover for 30 seconds or so. Repeat this pattern, increasing your high intensity time gradually.
This type of training takes a lot of hard work; however, results will be noticeable in a shorter period of time.
A typical, beginner HIIT workout looks something like this (sprinting can also be performed on the treadmill, stairmaster, elliptical, bike, etc.):
Dynamic Warm-up – 5 Minutes
Jog at 50% effort
Interval One – 1 Minute
30-second sprint at maximum effort
30-second jog/walk
Interval Two – 1 Minute
30-second sprint at maximum effort
30-second jog/walk
Interval Three – 1 Minute
30-second sprint at maximum effort
30-second jog/walk
Interval Four – 1 Minute
30-second sprint maximum effort
30-second jog/walk
Cool Down – 5 Minutes
Jog at 50% effort
Total workout time = 14 minutes
As you progressively get better and better, increase your number of intervals to a maximum of 10 – usually every two weeks.
A more advanced HIIT workout looks something like this:
Dynamic Warm-up – 5 Minutes
Jog at 50% effort
Interval One – 30 Seconds
20-second sprint at maximum effort
10-second jog/walk
Interval Two – 30 Seconds
20-second sprint at maximum effort
10-second jog/walk
Interval Three – 30 Seconds
20-second sprint at maximum effort
10-second jog/walk
Interval Four – 30 Seconds
20-second sprint maximum effort
10-second jog/walk
Interval Five – 30 Seconds
20-second sprint maximum effort
10-second jog/walk
Interval Six – 30 Seconds
20-second sprint maximum effort
10-second jog/walk
Interval Seven – 30 Seconds
20-second sprint maximum effort
10-second jog/walk
Interval Eight – 30 Seconds
20-second sprint maximum effort
10-second jog/walk
Cool Down – 5 Minutes
Jog at 50% effort
Total workout time = 14 minutes
Make sure you monitor your heart rate during the training to make sure you’re hitting your peak training rate. Plan to do this HIIT program 3 times a week in addition to your regular strength training program.
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Tags: HIIT
