Introduction to High Intensity Interval Training also known as HIIT

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An intro to High Intensity Interval Training also known as HIIT.

by Sara Elizabeth Montolio Liberato

How are you feeling today? I’m Sara and up until 3 years ago I always felt unhealthy with very little confidence. Thankfully I took my power into my own hands and committed to getting in the best shape of my life, and so I did! I’m here to share with you details on how I went about doing that and what I currently do to stay healthy and happy.

The health of your mind, body and spirit are essential to quality of life. I will be touching base on the ‘body’ portion of the three areas pertaining to healthy self and Living Healthier Ideas. For myself, a particular exercise style that has allowed me to connect with all three areas is High Intensity Interval Training also known as HIIT.

About HIIT

The most common kind of exercise seen in gyms, parks, and neighborhoods is cardio . Whether it’s a treadmill, running on a sidewalk or riding a bike, cardio is very popular in fitness culture. However, we overlook an essential part of a healthy body: building muscle. With HIIT style workout I am able to receive both desired benefits: cutting body fat and building muscle.

The big difference between HIIT and traditional steady state workouts is the “climax and drop” effect it has on our heart rate. Steady-state cardio is aerobic: It requires oxygen and is fueled mostly by stored fat. HIIT, by contrast, is anaerobic: The work intervals don’t rely exclusively on oxygen, and are fueled mostly by stored carbohydrates (Heffernan, et al. 2014). HIIT is essentially short bursts of high intensity (90%-100% max) usually 2 minutes or less and short rests with low intensity (50%-69% max) usually 3 minutes or less. A complete HIIT workout is about 20-25 minutes long yet the caloric effect is greater than that of an hour long workout.

Due to the high intensity aspect of HIIT, our body’s VO2max increases which is our body’s measure of the maximum amount of oxygen we can process. Because of this increase in our oxygen consumption post workout, HIIT burns calories for up to 21 hours after the workout has been completed.

An example of a HIIT exercise looks something like this: repeat this pattern for 20 minutes!

● 2 minutes of jumping squats

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● 1 minute of regular squats

● 2 minutes of jump rope

● 1 minute of jogging slowly

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Ready to get in shape? This exercise style has potential to burn maximum calories in a minimum amount of time. 

by Sara Elizabeth Montolio Liberato

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