"WHEN CHASED BY LIONS YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE THE FASTEST RUNNER,
JUST NOT THE SLOWEST"
WHAT ARE HIITS ?
High Intensity Interval Training is not new, although to many people it is the latest craze and a panacea for quick fitness gains. I am not being negative here, on the contrary I'm a big believer and regard them as highly effective but it is always important to have a balanced perspective when looking at your fitness methods. HIITS, as they are known, are a relatively simple idea, quick bursts of energy followed by short rest and then repeated for periods of anything from 4 to 20 minutes.
Examples would be a Tabata, 20 seconds of full out sprints or cycle sprints for example, followed by 10 seconds rest, and then repeated 8 times - total workout time 4 minutes.
Another example would be an exercise done at intense speed and effort for 30 seconds with 15 seconds rest, and then a different exercise at the same speed with 6 different exercises, one minutes rest and repeat 3 times in total. (Total time 16.5 minutes). There are a myriad of different permutations but the idea is straightforward and when I say not new, even 40 years ago people would often run the straights on a 400 metres track and jog the bends, many times, which is essentially the same idea.
So why do HIITS ?
Well, Cardiovascular improvements are quicker and you burn more calories than long slow endurance running, this is due to something called EPOC or Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption. Essentially your oxygen consumption is increased after this anaerobic (without oxygen) exercise. This exercise has created an oxygen debt or deficit and over many hours the body's natural processes such as cellular repair, hormone balancing and energy stores have to be restored, as do ATP and creatine levels . Furthermore the temperature has increased quickly during the HIIT and this too increases the body's metabolism, all these systems have to return to a natural resting state. Studies have shown that this can take up to 38 hours !
Simply put you burn more fat and calories doing this type of exercise than jogging on a running machine for 45 minutes and its much quicker and more importantly, you are continuing to burn fat long after the exercise is over.
HIITS are a must for athletes and for anyone wanting to cut fat quickly. The other benefit is that due to the nature of the workout you lose none of the muscle gains from weights or bodyweight exercises whereas in long slow distance running you do ... and I should know having done both types in very large degrees. HIITS burn fat whereas running 'long' burns a small amount of fat ... and muscle. Look at a marathon runner and a 100 metre runner, who has the best physique?
But a note of caution, you can't just jump straight into HIITS as they are very intense. It is therefore always recommended that you see your doctor before starting this type of exercise program if you're older than age 40 and have never exercised, a smoker, overweight or have a chronic health condition.
Otherwise, as many of my clients will testify, go for it and watch your fitness explode and the fat drop away....
Examples would be a Tabata, 20 seconds of full out sprints or cycle sprints for example, followed by 10 seconds rest, and then repeated 8 times - total workout time 4 minutes.
Another example would be an exercise done at intense speed and effort for 30 seconds with 15 seconds rest, and then a different exercise at the same speed with 6 different exercises, one minutes rest and repeat 3 times in total. (Total time 16.5 minutes). There are a myriad of different permutations but the idea is straightforward and when I say not new, even 40 years ago people would often run the straights on a 400 metres track and jog the bends, many times, which is essentially the same idea.
So why do HIITS ?
Well, Cardiovascular improvements are quicker and you burn more calories than long slow endurance running, this is due to something called EPOC or Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption. Essentially your oxygen consumption is increased after this anaerobic (without oxygen) exercise. This exercise has created an oxygen debt or deficit and over many hours the body's natural processes such as cellular repair, hormone balancing and energy stores have to be restored, as do ATP and creatine levels . Furthermore the temperature has increased quickly during the HIIT and this too increases the body's metabolism, all these systems have to return to a natural resting state. Studies have shown that this can take up to 38 hours !
Simply put you burn more fat and calories doing this type of exercise than jogging on a running machine for 45 minutes and its much quicker and more importantly, you are continuing to burn fat long after the exercise is over.
HIITS are a must for athletes and for anyone wanting to cut fat quickly. The other benefit is that due to the nature of the workout you lose none of the muscle gains from weights or bodyweight exercises whereas in long slow distance running you do ... and I should know having done both types in very large degrees. HIITS burn fat whereas running 'long' burns a small amount of fat ... and muscle. Look at a marathon runner and a 100 metre runner, who has the best physique?
But a note of caution, you can't just jump straight into HIITS as they are very intense. It is therefore always recommended that you see your doctor before starting this type of exercise program if you're older than age 40 and have never exercised, a smoker, overweight or have a chronic health condition.
Otherwise, as many of my clients will testify, go for it and watch your fitness explode and the fat drop away....
