What Is HIIT?

I found this post on another website, BriRaeFit.wordpress.com. This lady is fun to follow. She always has something interesting to say and this subject, HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training is the best way I found to lose body fat. I tried lots of different routines but HIIT along with a low-fat diet helped me lose the last of my fat. And your doctor will be happy you’re getting in the cardio workout doctors want.

Now HIIT isn’t for everyone. But to encourage you to try, Run, Walk is not the only way to do this workout. I did this same routine on a stationary bike. But you do have to be able to get your heart rate elevated. If you’re not used to a workout of any kind. You might check with your doctor and ask what would be your target heart rate for workouts. If you’re not used to competing in sports or even speed-walking when you first start training it’s easy to get your heart rate over 200 BPM. That’s very dangerous. Some people have trouble walking up a couple flights of stairs. For these people, I’d encourage them to use a stationary bike to build up stamina before they started a walking routine. If you can’t start by doing a 20-minute workout, you’re just wasting time. Read the following blog to see the benefits.

HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training, is a great cardio variation to get your heart elevated and burn fat. HIIT workouts have been proven to burn 9 times as much fat as regular cardio, if done properly & if the exerciser really pushes to their maximum levels of effort. Intervals can be anywhere between 30 seconds to 5 minutes and you should not be able to pass the talk test when finished for optimal results. Rest periods can be between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. The entire workout is usually 15 – 45 minutes.

What is it?

Short periods of high intensity (~45 seconds) like a run, walk routine.

Longer period of moderate intensity (~90 seconds)

Short Rest Period (Optional ~30 seconds)

(Just as an example)

Keeping rest periods short is the goal of this type of workout. You want to still be winded when starting the next interval for maximum results. This engages the physiological stages of energy usage and burns optimal fat. Insanity is a popular HIIT workout program and if you’ve ever completed one workout you know you’ll be dripping sweat by the end.

Benefits

Increased performance and cardiovascular health – HIIT aids in training your maximal oxygen consumption levels therefore by conditioning your body to take in more oxygen when performing more exercise you are increasing your cardiovascular ability to perform cardio exercises for a longer duration of time. Increased cardiovascular performance increases overall performance because you can train longer without becoming winded.

Less fatigue due to lower blood lactate levels. If you are doing a HIIT run, meaning sprinting for a time and walking for a shorter time, then in 15 minutes you will go the same distance as you would at jogging at a stable state. However, because of the intervals, you are burning more calories from your internal systems working to catch up. This allows time for your pumping blood to clear lactate, the stuff that makes you sore, faster than stable jogging, which results in less muscle fatigue.

Larger oxygen deficiency throughout your workout which results in more metabolic energy used. Metabolic energy is either carbohydrates or fat, to keep it simple. Therefore once your body runs out of carbs energy (body’s preferred energy source) your energy will start to come from stored fat. Therefore HIIT workouts get you to your peak metabolic rate in the fat burning stage faster and keeps you there longer, than regular stable cardio.

Keeps metabolism boosted throughout the rest of the day! Oxygen consumption remains high after you complete a HIIT workout because you perform at the highest levels of oxygen consumption repeatedly, therefore oxygen consumption levels need to stay elevated until muscles are fully oxygenated. This increased EPOC (excessive post-exercise oxygen consumption) yields a faster metabolism long after your workout. To get optimal results, HIIT workouts are great in the morning so you burn more calories throughout the day!

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.