What is HIIT & why is it so good for us?
High-Intensity Interval training is intense bursts of exercise followed by short recovery periods. When we exercise at high intensity our body demands more oxygen during the effort creating an oxygen shortage.. this causes our body to demand more oxygen whilst we rest which keeps our heart rates higher for longer…
Intense burst of energy = large oxygen demand = higher heart rate = post-exercise oxygen consumption= higher calorie and fat burn!
Winner winner yummy chicken dinner…
When we do steady cardio such as a 50 minute run at around the same tempo are heart rates rise… our body finds a rhythm and consistent flow of oxygen which equals a more steady calorie and fat burn… even if we are exercising for twice as long as we do HIIT workout.
My favourite fact about HIIT training = It increases our metabolism:
When we do short bursts of intense exercise intervals we cause a our bodies an oxygen shortage which means we have an after burn … we have an ‘excess post-exercise oxygen consumption’… which means we are still burning calories and fat even when we have finished our workout and are sat on the sofa like a sack of potatoes!
Why HIIT training works for me = It is a quick but effective workout:
You don’t have to spend hours in the gym or doing of endurance exercise to get very similar fitness results. A 20 minute HIIT workout will increases your fitness and sculpt your body as well as a steady continuous 1.5 hour bike ride… What a way to save those precious joints!
I love mixing HIIT into my workout schedule because I know it will keep my fitness levels up, I will get my body fat burning and most importantly I enjoy it… it gives me a buzz… especially after!
My Experiment
This is what I did:
Month 1:
Running 3-4 times a week, 4-8 miles each run (35- 80 minutes) at moderate pace. Heart rate average 74-82% each run.
Month 2:
Metabolic and body weight HIIT 3 times a week, 30 – 50 minutes each workout, heart rate average 78-90 %
Running 2 times a week 4-5 miles each run at moderate pace, heart rate 74-83%.
Each month I ate similar, keeping my calories around 2200 each day
In Month 1, I found my knees got sore a lot. My fat % was 22%. My fitness and energy levels were great but my running time was getting slower as I became more comfortable with ‘tooterling along’.
In Month 2, my knees weren’t as painful but I experienced more DOMS (delayed onset muscle sorriness). My body fat was at 21%. My fitness levels felt the same as Month 1, however I found my running time was getting quicker!
Conclusion:
This is no totally accurate was to do an experiment, but I wanted to do it for myself to see how my body responded. The continuous impact of running isn’t a positive on my body and I end up with all sorts of leg injuries. I found that mixing running up with HIIT has reduced my injuries, my fitness levels have stayed good, my running time is getting quicker rather than slower and my body fat % has started to reduce! I feel more powerful when I combine HIIT into my workout schedule!
Try this HIIT workout:
20 seconds High-Intensity Exercise / 20 seconds Rest
Do each of the following exercises 3 times: 20 seconds on, 20 seconds rest and then move onto the next exercise.
Lateral Touch Down
(Full Body)
Set your self two marker points eg. edge of a sofa. Starting in the centre of the markers side step to your right side bending your right knee into a lateral lunge. Make sure you keep the weight through your heels and chest tall as bend down and touch the marker with your left hand.
Rise tall again and side step to your left marker, bending your left knee into a lateral lunge, touch the marker with your right hand and repeat to the opposite side.
Squirrel Jumps
(Full Body)
Start in push up position with your hands wider than your shoulders.
Hop your feet forwards so they land just outside your hands, keep you weight through your heels and lift your hands of the floor so you look like a little squirrel. Hop your feet back out and then repeat.
Arm Sprint (Shoulders, Abs, Legs): Start feet hip width apart and knees soft
With feet grounded imagine you are sprinting up a hill just using your arms, driving them backwards and forwards keeping your core engaged and focus upwards.
High Knees (Gluteus, Quads, Hamstrings, calves, Abs): Standing feet hip width apart, hold hands at hip height in front of you. Lift your right knee to your right hand then the same with your left knee to left hand repeat keeping a straight back and landing on your toes. The faster and higher you drive your knees the more intense.
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