Power of HIIT: The Best High-Intensity Interval Training
Its Benefits, and Effective Implementation
Introduction
Obesity is top disease in America. Next is heart and sugar diseases. Obesity is main reason for them. If you have obesity, you can get heart and sugar diseases. But if you control obesity, you can cut chance of getting both. Fit workouts can stop obesity. They should also help your heart. Boosting your resting metabolism can burn fat for hours. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is good for burning fat and helping your heart. This book has info about HIIT - training, Its Benefits, and Effective Implementation, and more.
Keep reading.
What is HIIT training?
High-intensity interval Training (HIIT) is a workout technique that comprises periods of quick intense outbursts of anaerobic exercises interspersed with periods of low less-intense aerobic exercises or even complete rest.
HIIT training has been devised with the following key primary objectives;
● To burn fat fast
● To optimize the heart function
● To minimize workout time while optimizing the outcome
● To be practically done anywhere, anytime
The rationale behind HIIT training;
● A persistently restful heart rate is dangerous to your cardiovascular health. Your heart needs to race to its peak at least once a day for it to be in good pumping form. HIIT workouts help to push the heart to a fast-paced pumping which helps to re-invigorate the entire cardiovascular system.
● Increased metabolism during high pace rate helps to burn fat fast. Studies have proven that during HIIT workouts, more adipose tissues are burned. Adipose tissues are the fatty tissues that store fat.
To keep cardiovascular ailments at bay there is a need to avoid fat buildup and accumulation in the cardiovascular vessels such as arteries by burning fat around these areas through increased rest metabolic heart rate. HIIT helps you achieve this.
● Production of new ATP to replenish the one used from reserve during anaerobic pathways
● Resynthesis of muscle glycogen from lactate
● Restore depleted oxygen levels in the blood including venous blood, myoglobin, and skeletal muscle blood
● Blend with protein to repair damaged and worn-out muscle tissue during HIIT workout.
● Bring down the body temperature to restive levels
The following are important facts that you need to know about EPOC
● Your body expends about 5 calories of energy to consume 1 liter of oxygen. A calorie is the amount required to heat 1 liter of water 1 degree centigrade. Thus, the higher the amount of oxygen consumed, the higher the calories are burned. Hence the higher the EPOC, the more you will burn calories (fat).
● EPOC is directly proportional to the intensity of your training rather than the duration. High-intensity training consumes more ATP through anaerobic pathways than through aerobic pathways. Thus, oxygen deficit (EPOC) will be higher after High-intensity workouts than would be after low-intensity (aerobic) workouts.
● HIIT workouts optimize the EPOC effect rather than running at a steady speed.
- HIIT contributes to improved insulin sensitivity in the muscles - Insulin is responsible for breaking down sugar in the body into energy. Higher insulin sensitivity means that the insulin becomes more efficient in the conversion of sugar into energy and getting rid of excessive sugar in the bloodstream rather than storing it as fat
- HIIT causes higher levels of oxidation in the muscles - oxidation is an important chemical activity that necessitates the transformation of calories in the muscles into energy. The higher the oxidation level the more calories in the muscles are converted into energy and thus the higher the capacity of your muscles to perform work.
- HIIT results in heightened spikes in growth hormone levels. These growth hormones help to induce fat loss. Growth hormone (HGH) is responsible for muscle growth and repair. A higher muscle mass requires higher levels of energy to keep and work.
- HIIT increases the production of catecholamine. Catecholamine refers to a set of chemicals responsible for fat mobilization.
What are the benefits?
HIIT training has gained unprecedented popularity due to its many great benefits. The benefits of HIIT training are many and varied. The following are just but a few of these benefits;
● Increased resting metabolic heart rate
● Boosted insulin sensitivity
● Higher levels of oxidation
● Increased growth hormones
Increased resting metabolic heart rate
The resting heart rate is the heartbeat when you are not moving. New research shows a link between higher heart rate and faster metabolism. Metabolism means how many calories the body uses for its activities.
There are mainly two ways by which body metabolism can be increased - increasing the body’s muscle mass and increasing the heart rate. Increasing the body's muscle mass increases metabolism in the sense that higher body muscles burn more calories. However, increasing muscle mass is a long-term endeavor. Thus, the easiest way to lose weight (burn more calories) is through increased resting metabolic heart rate.
The greatest advantage of a HIIT workout is that it increases both resting metabolic heart rate and EPOC. This is because anaerobic workouts during high-intensity periods boost EPOC while aerobic exercises during low-intensity intervals increase resting metabolic heart rate. The double effect contributes to a higher magnitude of calorie burning.
To get maximum impact out of the resting metabolic heart rate, it is important to understand the various variables responsible for it. The following are the key variables you need to keep in mind;
● Exercises - exercises boost resting metabolic heart rate. Studies have shown the more intense the exercises the higher and long-lasting will be the resting metabolic
heart rate. In this regard, HIIT workouts have been proven to be the most effective workouts as far as boosting resting metabolic heart rate.
● Diet - sudden reduction in calorie intake such as fasting and starving can severely reduce resting metabolic heart rate by almost thirty percent. Also, low-fat weight loss diets can reduce resting metabolic heart rate by about twenty percent.
● Body-fat ratio – Those with a higher body-fat ratio have a lower resting metabolic heart rate.
● Weight – The more heavy a person is the higher the resting metabolic heart rate.
● Height – Generally, taller people have more lean body mass and more surface area. This means they have higher resting metabolic heart rate than their shorter counterparts
● Gender – Men generally have higher muscle mass and lower body-fat ratio. This means that they have higher resting metabolic heart rate compared to their female counterparts
● Age – Resting metabolic heart rate decreases with age
● Genetics – some genetic factors predispose someone to a lower or higher resting metabolic rate
● Glands – Thyroxin is an important hormone as far as resting metabolic heart rate is concerned. Thyroxin is produced by the thyroid gland. Thyroxin controls resting metabolic heart rate. Thus, the higher the amount of thyroxin produced in the body, the higher the resting metabolic heart rate. Adrenalin is also another hormone that increases resting heart metabolic rate but to a lesser extent as compared to thyroxin.
● Body temperature – An increase in body temperature triggers an increase in resting metabolic heart rate.
● External temperature – exposure to cold weather can increase resting metabolic heart rate as the body works hard to generate more heat.
● Physical activity – the higher the physical activity such as HIIT, the higher the resting metabolic heart rate.
Boosted Insulin sensitivity
Insulin plays a very important role in the conversion of sugar into energy. Higher insulin sensitivity means insulin becomes effective in this breakdown. Insulin sensitivity becomes important in ensuring that blood sugar level is regulated. High blood sugar levels are just as dangerous as low blood sugar levels. Excessive insulin released into the bloodstream due to impaired insulin sensitivity can result in the blockage of fat from being converted into energy. On the other hand, low insulin can result in over-utilization of energy from the tissues
which may result in the depletion of fat followed by the conversion of soft tissues into energy - a dangerous scenario.
Boosted insulin sensitivity ensures that there is a balance between the utilization of the two key sources of energy - glucose in the blood and stored glucose in the cells (fat). This results in fat being burned thus weight loss as opposed to fat being inadvertently blocked from the burning process.
Higher levels of oxidation
Oxidation has to occur for fat in the body to be converted into energy. Fat releases more energy than glucose per every atom. Fat is stored as triglycerides in fat cells. During HIIT workouts, these triglycerides are metabolized into fatty acids. The fatty acids are then oxidized to release energy.
During your normal activity, the body breaks down glucose in the bloodstream into energy since your body doesn’t require much energy. This leaves your energy reserves in the form of fat unutilized. When you consume more carbohydrates, the excessive glucose in the bloodstream is converted and stored as fat, thus, increasing fat accumulation in the body.
The best way to move past the available quick energy in the form of glucose and exploit the stored energy in the fat cells is to take up vigorously intensive activity such as HIIT training. HIIT workouts have the advantage of boosting your EPOC thus ensuring that oxidation of the fatty acid continues even after the intensive training thus enabling your body to consume more fat as opposed to glucose. This in turn helps you to lose weight as the fat continues to burn out.
Increased growth hormone
Growth hormone is responsible for the formation and growth of muscle tissues in addition to other tissues and bones. Muscles require both oxygen and energy to effectively function. That is why those with higher muscle mass consume more energy than those with lower muscle mass. The more you build your muscle mass the higher your capacity to burn fat.
Studies have found that high-intensity workouts such as HIIT trigger the release of growth hormones as opposed to low-intensity workouts.
Other benefits of HIIT;
● It saves time and thus can easily be done by busy people
● It is very effective in burning out abdominal fat
● It triggers the onset of powerful anti-aging hormones
● It boosts your body’s endurance faster
● It suppresses appetite
● It helps in weight loss without resulting in muscle loss
● It reduces the risk of stroke, heart disease, and diabetes
Form over everything
Like any other exercise, it is important to take precautions to avoid body injuries while carrying out HIIT workouts. Due to the intensity of HIIT workouts, it is even more important to take necessary precautions since the higher the intensity of training the higher the likelihood of injury and its severity.
Most of the injuries sustained due to HIIT workouts are a result of a lack of proper body form prior to undertaking them.
To ensure proper body form prior to HIIT;
● Ensure that the environment you wish to train in is conducive.
● Ensure that you have the right attire and workout kit
● Ensure that you have no known injury. If you have an injury, make sure that you have been okayed by your physician to undertake HIIT training
● Organize your training in phases such that the intensity and its during go up gradually over time
● Make sure that you have warm-up and stretch-up sessions prior to undertaking HIIT workouts
The importance of warm-up session;
The warm-up session is the session you undertake prior to starting the intensive activity. Warm-up serves to;
● prepare your mind for the workouts you are about to take
● increase your blood circulation in the tendons, ligaments, and muscles. This makes them more flexible thus reducing the chances of injury
The importance of stretch-up sessions;
There is a difference between warm-up and stretch-up. While warm-up sessions endeavor to increase the heart rate and body temperature, stretch-up sessions endeavor to prepare the muscles for the intense activity about to be carried out.
Stretch-up exercises serve to;
● expand the muscles thus making them flexible enough for the work at hand
● prevent injuries necessitated by muscle pool, hamstring strains
It is important to do warm-ups prior to stretching. Warm-up will enable muscles to be flexible enough to withstand stretching. Otherwise, chances of injury are highly likely.
Application
HIIT training is characterized by high-intensity anaerobic intervals interspersed with low-intensity aerobic intervals and rests.
There are two types of rests to be undertaken during HIIT workouts, each with its own unique purpose.
- Long rests between high-intensity intervals – these are specifically purposed to help your body recover enough to build the required speed during the high-intensity interval.
- Short rests between high-intensity intervals – these are specifically purposed to just allow you enough time to recover your breath and get back as quickly as possible to the high-intensity interval such that the fat-burning anaerobic session gets lengthened.
Preparation – the warm-ups
As we have seen before, it is important to have a warm-up prior to taking up intense activity such as HIIT.
Pre-HIIT warm-ups
Some of the best warm-up exercises prior to HIIT workouts are;
Option 1:
- 12 straight leg kicks (hold on to a chair if you can’t balance quite yet)
- 12 crab walks
- 12 side to side twists
- 12bear walks
- 45 jumping jacks. Alternatively, 45 jumps with a jumping rock
Option 2:
- Jump Over
- Prisoner Squat Jumps or Jumping Jacks
- Scissors – 3 reps
- Heel Kick – 4 reps; plus Step Back – 4 reps
- Knee Touch - 4 reps; plus Bum Kick – 4 reps
You can choose either of the two warm-up sessions to start with as a precursor to your HIIT workout sessions.
HIIT sessions
HIIT sessions vary depending on whether you are a newbie, intermediate or advanced trainer. It is important if you are starting off HIIT for the first time to start off as a beginner. Then you advance slowly to the intermediate before going full-blown into the advanced level. This gradual shift will enable you to prepare your body for the required adjustment and avoid injuries and burnout.
Start the session!
Starting the HIIT sessions varies depending on whether you are a beginner, an intermediate, or an advanced trainer. If you’ve never done HIIT sessions before, then, start off as a beginner. If you are simply a few weeks into HIIT sessions, then you are an intermediate. Those who have persistently carried out HIIT workout sessions for several months can be considered as advanced trainers.
HIIT Sessions for newbie trainers
If you are a beginner in HIIT workouts, it is important to consider the following tips before starting;
● Hydrate yourself before starting - It is easy to get thirsty during your intense workouts. However, it is not recommended to drink water during your intense workout session. This increases the chances of stomach cramps. Thus, it is advisable to drink water some 30 minutes prior to starting your workouts. Five to ten ounces of an electrolyte-rich sports drink is ideal.
● Start off at your pace - when you are a beginner it is important that you start. But, don’t start a full-scale war. Begin at a level that your body can easily adapt to. This will save you from injuries, muscle worn-outs, and chronic fatigue.
● Focus more on your form rather than the number of reps -HIIT workout is more about quality rather than quantity.
● Keep on improving gradually - No matter where you start, you need to keep on improving. You can gradually increase your workout intensity and duration while gradually reducing your rest time. But, your rest time should not go below 30 seconds as a beginner.
● Rest is a must - Resting is important in keeping your heart rate down so that you can embark on the next workout session.
The following are some of the sessions you can do;
Option 2
As a beginner, you can choose either of the options to start with or alternate them every other day you choose to do a HIIT workout. These are just but a few of the many kinds of HIIT workouts that you can do as a beginner.
HIIT Session for Intermediate Trainers
Take the same moves just as for the beginner except that you shorten the rest period.
Option 1
Recovery time per round = 1 minute
Total Recovery time = 1 x 3 = 3 Minutes
Overall HIIT Workout time = 11.25+3.75+3 = 18 Minutes.
HIIT Sessions for advanced trainers
Take the same moves just as for the intermediate trainers except the rest period is much shorter.
Recovery time per round = 1 minute
Total Recovery time = 1 x 3 = 3 Minutes
Overall HIIT Workout time = 15.75+5.25+3 = 24 Minutes.
Body weight- dynamic moves
Body weight-dynamic moves are those natural moves that are designed to optimize your metabolism, boost your resting metabolic heart rate, and burn fat faster.
To start off on body weight dynamic moves, the following are some of its important components that you need to incorporate;
1) Dynamic Warm-ups
2) Explosive push-ups
3) Weighted compound moves
Dynamic Warm-ups
Dynamic warm-ups are those kinds of warm-ups consisting of a series of movements designed to activate the nervous system, heighten body temperature, widen the range of motion, and correct limitations. They are good to undertake prior to engaging in high-intensity body weight-dynamic moves.
Some of the popular dynamic warm-ups include;
Jumping Jack
Reps: 10
Instructions;
- Stand up straight positioning your hands at your sides and your feet together.
- Raise your arms over your head while jumping up to spread your feet stride. Reverse the process as fast as possible. Pull your toes up to lock your ankles and then bounce on your feet’s balls.
Gate Swing
Reps: 10
Instructions;
- Position your feet hip-width apart as you stand up straight ensuring that your hands are at your sides.
- Position your back straight up and then push to extend your hips back to squat. While pointing your toes outwards, lightly press your palms against the inner parts of your thighs. Hop back to the start position.
Seal Jack
Reps: 10
Instructions;
- Extend your arms in front at chest height while you stand upright with your feet together.
- Position your arms to spread out to the sides and simultaneously jump up to spread your feet wide. Reverse this movement quickly without a pause. Lock your ankles as you land on your feet’s balls.
Side Lunges
Reps: 10
Instructions;
- Take an athletic standing posture, keeping your hips and knees slightly bent, your feet shoulder-width apart, and your chest and head up.
- While low, take a gradual, lateral step to the right. Ensure your toes are pointed forward and remain low. Extend the left knee, pushing your weight to the right, flexing the hip knee, and knee into a side lunge.
- Pause for a while at the bottom of the motion. Then, extend through the working leg into the standing position thus moving into a lunge in the opposite direction.
Pogo Hop
Reps: 20
Instructions;
- Ready yourself in an athletic position while placing your arms bent around 90 degrees ensuring that your feet are at hip-width astride and your upper body straight up.
- Position your body upright and jump up repeatedly, letting your feet move at least some inches off the ground. Lock your ankles, flex your toes, and place your foot contact on your feet’s balls.
Lunge and Rotate
Reps: 10
Instructions;
- Stand upright as you extend your arms in front of you and position your feet hip-width apart.
- Put your right leg forward and lower your body gradually until your knee bends at least 90 degrees as you simultaneously rotate your torso to the right. Pause for a moment and then quickly push your body to the starting position as you rotate back to the center. Repeat the process with your left leg while twisting to the left.
Bodyweight Squat
Reps: 10
Instructions;
- Position your feet spread width apart as you stand upright.
- Lower your body to squat by pushing your hips to extend backward as you bend your knees. Pause for a while and then gradually push back to the initial position.
Reverse Lunge
Reps: 5 on each side
- Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart.
- Make a backward step with your right leg, and gradually lower your body bending your left knee at least 90 degrees. While in this position, raise your arms and back towards your left shoulder. Press back to an upright position. Step back with your left leg, so that you can repeat the process but towards your right.
Explosive push-ups and related workouts
Plyometric Push-Up to Squat:
- Set yourself in a push-up position. Push through the hands as quick and as hard as you can to maximize momentum.
- As the body rises, simultaneously tuck your knees to the chest as you bring your feet to land under the body. Your landing will be in the form of a deep squat. Stay put for a moment and then jump back into a push-up position again to make another rep.
Kneeling Squat Jump:
- Kneel on the ground and spread the legs hip-length apart.
- Draw the arms back and then swing them forcefully forward to invigorate sufficient momentum for a jump into a squatting position. Get back into a kneeling position and make another rep.
Single-Leg Jump Squat:
- Balance your body weight on one leg, focusing more of it on the heel, and then gradually lower into a single-leg squat.
- Improve your balance by extending your arms front-wise. Momentarily hold up at the bottom of the squat. Then, throw the arms downwards to invoke momentum and jump up rapidly off the standing leg. Lightly land on the very leg and then move on to the next rep.
Horizontal Tuck Jump:
- Stand straight and position your feet together
- Slightly bend your knees and then make the farthest jump to one side. Immediately upon landing, make a tuck jump. Do the same again in the opposite direction without making a pause between reps.
Plyometric Deadlift:
- Stand on the right leg and bend forward at the hips until the left leg and chest are almost parallel to the ground.
- In a quick thrust, swing your arms front-wise, raise your chest, and catapult up off the ground. Land softly on the right leg again and gradually lower yourself back into the starting position. Make several reps alternating the legs.
Full-Body Plyometric Push-Up:
- Set yourself into a push-up position with elbows at 90 degrees and wide apart.
- Explosively catapult your body through the hands and maintain your body tightly floating in the air. Maintain that lateral tightness as the body lands so that the hips do not slant toward the floor. Make several reps of the same.
Weighted compound moves
Weighted compound moves are those moves whereby the weight is strategically used to exert force on various types of muscles as you make a move. This is designed to make the muscles work more in burning fat fast.
Notes;
- Have at least 2-3 days break for a beginner prior to the next day of training. For intermediate, at least 2 days break, and advanced at least 1-2 days break.
- Gradually increase the weight on each set of squats and deadlifts with every rep and/or every next session.
- For a crunch, lay on the floor while holding a small weight above your head. Next, position your legs and arms up until they are almost touching each other. Finally, gradually lower down to 1 inch of the floor.
How often?
HIIT exercises are divided into three key levels; beginner, intermediate, and advanced. For a beginner, it is important to have more rest than intermediate. For an intermediate, it is recommended to have more rest than that for an advanced trainer.
Nonetheless, the rule of thumb is that, whichever level you are in, it is important to have 2-3 days of rest from the last training session. This is very important because muscles take about 24-48 hours (depending on your unique body metabolism) to regenerate and fully re-energize. Thus, if you take less than 24-48 hrs, to start off a new training session, your muscles are likely to chronically burn out.
Chronic muscle burnout can have adverse effects on your HIIT workout. This is because;
● The muscle mass will shrink, thus, less EPOC and less fat-burning
● Muscles will weaken due to insufficient rejuvenation which means that your capacity to carry out intense HIIT workouts will decline
● Risks of injuries will go up, thus, reducing your chances of carrying out HIIT workout
Conclusion
HIIT training has continued to draw accolades in the health and fitness industry due to its many immense benefits. Time is no longer an excuse for lack of fitness. Losing excessive weight can simply be a two to three-times-a-week affair with less than an hour spent each time, yet it is much more effective than long hours of aerobic training. HIIT training is definitely the best training for those who desire to experience maximum fitness and weight loss impact within a short time. Try it today! Checkout more articles on HIIT Training Below.