by Kerry Taylor

So you aren’t sure what H.I.I.T is and what the benefits of this training style are? Let me see if I can give you a little insight on this style of training and why you may want to add it into you training program.

First, H.I.I.T stands for High Intensity Interval Training. A H.I.I.T workout, done properly, should not last longer than 40 minutes. A workout is made up of alternating intense bursts of work for a designated time with an allotted time for rest before going into the next intense interval. This is why I said earlier, if done properly, a session should only last a maximum of 40 minutes. You should be giving 100% of yourself for the time frame given for your work interval. You must be willing to get uncomfortable while working out. There is always a limit to what you can give, but you want to get as close to that as possible. That is what we are striving for to get the physical adaption that a H.I.I.T session can give you. Even though you are pushing it to your limit for a certain amount of time, if your form in an exercise suffers at all, then stop. There is no longer a benefit of doing that exercise because you cannot perform it safely and properly.

Some of the benefits of doing a H.I.I.T workout are:

Fat Loss
One of the top reasons people workout is to drop their body fat percentage. A H.I.I.T workout is a great tool to help you on your way. It does this because it increases your RMR-your resting metabolic rate is the amount of calories you use up while at rest. If we can increase your RMR, then we will increase your caloric overall expenditure. Some studies have shown a H.I.I.T session will increase your RMR for 24 hours.
Time efficient
You can get a great H.I.I.T session in as little as 4 minutes. We are all strapped for time in life, being in shape and healthy is also important. But we are faced with the dilemma of what to do with our time. Unfortunately, sometimes our workouts and health take a back seat because we are always on the go. The fact that a workout can be done anywhere helps us to be able to fit it in. With limited time, you may not be able to get to the gym and that’s fine. You can perform versions of H.I.I.T right in your living room. If you can cross out 4 minutes in your schedule, you can still make great progress in your journey of becoming and staying a fit person.
Improve performance
Whether it is performing in life or in sport, your capabilities will increase because your work capacity will increase. And the amount of energy expended to do the same task will decrease. Therefore making you capable of outlasting your opponent in a competition or being able to do more in your life.

Here are some examples of a quick H.I.I.T session:

Hill Sprint repeats (10 minutes)
Sprint up a hill at a designated distance and walk down to the start for your rest. As soon as you get back to the start, go again.
Medicine Ball Slams, Jumping Jacks, Alternating Waves w/ Battling Ropes
Perform each exercise for 20 seconds with a 10 second rest. Repeat the cycle 2 – 4 times
Push-Up, Body Weight Squat, Renegade Row, Stability Ball Leg Curl
Perform each exercise for 30 seconds with a 15 second rest. Repeat the cycle 2 – 4 times

Although I have listed some great benefits of H.I.I.T, make sure that you are physically and mentally ready to make it through one of these sessions. If you are a beginner, start with a 1:4, work:rest ratio. That would look something like this; for every 20 seconds of work interval, rest for 1 minute and 20 seconds. As you progress, you can bring it down to 1:2 ratio.

We do offer a H.I.I.T session once a week at 212. Every Thursday 12-12:30pm, come hang with us at lunch time and experience a H.I.I.T session.