Let’s HIIT It

By Faith Barbare, Owner and Certified Personal Trainer at SimplyFit

Sweat pouring, heart pounding, give it your all training has become the latest craze in the fitness industry, which explains why HIIT style workouts have received a lot of attention. HIIT Stands for High-Intensity Interval Training. But before we dive into why it’s so popular, lets first understand what it is.

High-intensity interval training is where you give it your all through intense bursts of exercise, followed by a recovery period. These recovery periods can be either a lower intensity exercise or a period of no exercise. The recovery period is important because it allows you to perform at max capacity during the high intensity portion. In order for the workout to be effective, you truly have to push yourself to your max every set.

This style of exercise has taken off because it burns more fat in less time, and in today’s world, time is everything. Due to the high-intensity intervals, your body craves more oxygen, and increasing your oxygen intake causes you to burn more calories than regular aerobic and steady-state workouts. This is known as your Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption, EPOC. But its benefits don’t stop there; HIIT workouts:

1. Increase metabolism – This style of training gives you a metabolism boost for up to 48 hours, allowing you to burn calories even after your workout session has ended.

2. Are quick yet affective – Most are 30 minutes or less and are found to be more affective than longer durations of steady-state cardio.

3. Do not require equipment – While you can add in weights or bands, this style can be done with just your body weight. They’re great while out of town or when you don’t have time to run to the gym.

4. Can be done at all fitness levels – You don’t have to be an olympic athlete to reap the benefits of HIIT. You just have to give it your all, every set.

5. Improve cardiovascular function – It’s a great tool to improve both your aerobic training as well as muscular strength.

When done correctly, HIIT has a number of benefits for all fitness levels. Mention your interest to your trainer and see what they come up with! If you don’t have a trainer, no problem. All you need is a HIIT timer. I use the “Seconds” app on my iPhone. First, decide what time ratio works best for you. Beginners should start out with a 1:2 ratio. Meaning, if you do 30 seconds of a high-intensity exercise, then you would have a 60 second rest period. Once you get better, you can switch to a 1:1 ratio or a 2:1 ratio for more advanced athletes. Switch it up and find new exercises to add to your routine.

Here is a great HIIT leg, hotel room workout to get you started. There is no equipment needed, and this can be done from anywhere. Have questions? Contact Us!