There are plenty of training techniques to try out if you wish to lose fat and build muscle rapidly. One that has been gaining popularity among fitness enthusiasts for years is high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Let’s take a closer look at HIIT, it’s benefits, and how you can build an effective workout regimen around it.
What is High-Intensity Interval Training?
The term “high intensity interval training” refers to a training technique that focuses on short periods of intense exercise with limited resting periods in-between. This type of training doesn’t require a specific setting. It can be performed at the gym, or without specialized equipment outdoors.
This training technique’s main draw is its intensity. The high intensity of these workouts elevates your heart rate to levels at which the body rapidly burns calories and builds muscle.
Benefits of HIIT
Fitness enthusiasts often get into HIIT due to the numerous benefits it offers. Some HIIT training benefits include:
- Rapid Calorie Burn Rate
The most notable benefit of HIIT is rapid calorie loss. As mentioned earlier, this training technique is performed at a very high intensity, which results in a large number of calories burnt in a short amount of time.
In fact, studies have found that HIIT training burns more calories than other cardio exercises such as cycling. This makes it a great option for people that wish to lose weight without spending more time at the gym.
- Afterburn Effect
In addition to helping you burn more calories at the gym, HIIT also enables you to burn calories after the workout is over. This “afterburn” period is believed to last for several hours, during which your metabolism remains slightly elevated. One study found that participants lost an estimated 200 calories in the 14 hour period following a HIIT workout.
- Fat Loss
The calorie loss benefits of HIIT also leads to rapid fat reduction. This means you can lose a significant amount of weight in a short amount of time by following the right HIIT regimen. Studies have also found that this rapid fat loss occurs most prominently for individuals who are already obese or over weight.
- Improved Heart Health
HIIT gives your heart and lungs an intense workout. This often leads to participants feeling worn out after their training regimen. However, these workouts may actually strengthen your cardiovascular system and enable you to perform longer and/or more intense workouts in the future.
This claim is backed up by one study that found that participants who practiced HIIT were able to perform other cardio exercises such as cycling for longer than before.
- Short Workout Time
HIIT training stands out from other training techniques due to its short duration. You can complete a full HIIT session in just 30 minutes, which makes it preferable to other workout regimens that take close to 2 hours to complete.
Some HIIT followers extend their workouts to 60 minutes in length once they have built up enough stamina. However, a lengthy workout simply isn’t necessary to reap the rapid fat loss and muscle building benefits of HIIT.
- Healthier Blood Pressure Levels
HIIT is also believed to promote healthier blood pressure levels. Studies have found that this training technique creates a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure for individuals with existing hypertension. This effect has been noted for moderate-intensity exercises as well. However, the blood pressure reduction from these exercises is not as significant as those observed following HIIT exercises.
High blood pressure has been linked to problems such as heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure. Therefore, adopting a HIIT regimen may help you live a longer and healthier life.
Muscle Groups
Circuit training attempts to target all muscle groups through a sequence of between 8 and 12 exercises. This approach helps prevent any one muscle group from being overused, as overexertion can lead to injury.
HIIT workouts on the other hand don’t necessarily target all muscle groups. However, you can create your own custom HIIT regimen that focuses on different groups for more balanced results.
Intensity
HIIT workouts generally have a higher intensity level than the cardio in circuit training. If you compared the two on a scale of 1 to 10 in terms of intensity, HIIT exercises would average an 8 or higher, while circuit training cardio would have an average intensity of 5-6.
This also means HIIT brings your heart rate higher than circuit training does, which results in more rapid calorie burning.
Rest Periods
HIIT workouts stand out from other training techniques due to the short duration of its rest periods. After an intense rep session you can rest for only 20 to 30 seconds. For lower intensity exercises, this rest period may be as short as 15 seconds.
By contrast, other training techniques such as circuit training allow for up to 90 seconds rests in-between exercises. HIIT’s short rest period offers the bonus of helping keep your metabolism high for an extended period of time, resulting in additional calorie loss.
Workout Length
A typical HIIT session can be completed in 30 to 60 minutes. However, this may seem like a relatively short workout. However, the intensity of each exercise and the short duration of the rest periods means you can burn enough calories to match a longer and less intense training technique.
Circuit training workouts generally vary in length, but often take longer than HIIT workouts.
Is HIIT Safe?
Anyone that is interested in starting a new training technique should be aware of the risks it involves. HIIT offers great rewards, but it also comes with additional risks compared to other workouts. This includes:
Injury
The most obvious risks of HIIT are overexertion and injury. These high intensity training sessions give you very little time to recover in between exercises, and this may cause you to push your muscles beyond what they can handle.
Such intensity promotes better muscle growth, but in some situations it could result in nerve damage, muscle sprains, or dislocations. It is important to be aware of these risks and know when it is best to slow down during your workout.
Long Term Problems
In addition to causing short-term injuries, HIIT may lead to long-term wear of certain joints. This training technique can be especially hard on the knees, and could lead to the onset of conditions such as osteoarthritis.
It is possible to reduce the severity of this risk by warming up properly before your HIIT sessions, and also being careful about your form during each exercise.
Improper Recovery
HIIT pushes your body’s ability to recover in between sessions. For this reason, it’s not uncommon for your body to still feel worn out from your session the day prior. To avoid long-term muscle fatigue, you should limit HIIT to three or four times a week.
Starting a HIIT Routine
Now that we have discussed the benefits and risks of HIIT training, you may be wondering how to get started with this training technique. Building a custom HIIT regimen takes time, but this guide should be helpful in getting you started.
- Determine Which Muscle Groups You Want to Target
There’s no set guide for what muscle group you need to target in a HIIT workout. However, you should generally aim to work your upper body, core, and lower body to keep your muscle groups in balance.
- Choose Your Exercises
The next step is to decide which exercises you want to include in your HIIT sessions. Some effective exercises you may want to include are:
- Jumping Jacks: This is a great full body cardio exercise to get your heart pumping.
- Push-ups: A staple in most workout regimens. Push-ups target chest muscles, shoulders, the back of your arms, and abdominals. You can make this exercise more intense by using modified variants, such as hand-release push ups or plyo push-ups.
- Planks: Planks are great for working out your core muscles. This exercise offers an already-intense workout using your bodyweight, so it doesn’t require any modification when being included in a HIIT regimen.
- Squat Holds: Another great exercise that relies on your bodyweight. This exercise works out your thighs, calves and buttocks.
- Renegade Rows: Renegade rows can be high intensity due to the combination of body weight, and the weight of the dumbbells you are lifting. Choose the highest weight with which you can complete 15 to 20 reps.
- Lunges: Lunges are great for working out your abdominal and back muscles. This exercise can be performed using your body weight, or with the help of dumbbell weights. Again, you should choose a weight where you can just about manage 15 to 20 reps.
- Arrange Your Exercises
You will be alternating between different exercises during your HIIT session. Since each exercise targets different muscle groups, you should sequence each one to work out a different muscle group than the preceding exercise.
So a typical HIIT circuit would look like:
- Jumping Jacks
- Renegade Rows
- Squat Holds
- Push-Ups
- Renegade Rows
- Squat Holds
- Push-Ups
Remember to find the right balance of exercise and rest times in your circuit. You should ideally spend under 45 seconds on each exercise, with 15 to 20 seconds rest in-between them. For more intense exercises, you can extend the rest time to 30 seconds.
4. Choose Your Workout Days
As mentioned earlier, HIIT followers sometimes run into the challenge of not having time to recover between workouts. To get around this issue, you should limit your HIIT sessions to three to four times a week.
Many HIIT followers workout on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with rest days on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and weekends. You may be able to incorporate extra cardio on one of the rest days, however, you should be mindful about your body’s limits and make sure that you are leaving enough rest days for a full recovery.
HIIT Tips
Some tips that may be useful for people starting HIIT include:
Warmups
You can lower the risk of injury during your HIIT sessions by warming up beforehand. This could be as simple as performing a few stretches to get your limbs ready for the upcoming exercises. You should avoid spending too long on the warmup, as it may reduce the energy available for exercise.
Eating Right Beforehand
HIIT workouts require a lot of energy. For this reason, you should eat a meal consisting of mostly carbohydrates and proteins 1 to 3 hours before your workout. These carbohydrates will offer the energy needed for each exercise, while the protein should get your muscles ready for the workout intensity.
Keep Exercises Short
You should remember to keep your exercises short, as longer exercises can’t be sustained at the level of intensity HIIT requires. As you build up strength and muscle with your HIIT routine, you should aim to increase the intensity of each exercise rather than their length.
Is HIIT Right for Me?
HIIT can be a great option for people that are interested in losing weight rapidly, and do not want to spend a large amount of time at the gym. However, this training technique should be avoided if you are injured, are pregnant, or suffer from a heart condition. Such individuals should try less intense forms of exercise with lower injury risks.
If you are healthy and want make a change to your workout routine, consider giving HIIT a try and see if it is right for you.