Here’s Why You Should Consider HIIT Training

Summertime is vastly approaching.

…and as restrictions ease up & we begin to return back to a sense of normalcy, a lot of us are in the aggressive pursuit of our summer bodies, which usually involves stepping up our cardio game!

It’s not a coincidence that elite athletes across all disciplines perform high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, to improve performance, better their health, and keep their bodies in peak physical condition.
But you don’t have to be an elite athlete to take advantage of the amazing, fat-destroying benefits that HIIT brings to the table.

What is HIIT?
High-intensity interval training by definition is a form of interval training where an anaerobic exercise or exercises, are performed for alternating short periods of time with shorter recovery periods. True HIIT cardio typically lasts anywhere between 8:00 – 20:00, depending on the exercise performed and intensity invested.

Examples of common exercises performed as HIIT cardio are battle ropes, kettlebells, ball slams, wall balls, burpees, sled push, assault bike or even sprinting on a treadmill…
Basically, you’ll perform a 20-30 second interval at maximum intensity, followed by a recovery period equal to, or greater than the working period.

For example:
At the end of your resistance/strength training workout you could perform the following:

1. Burpees: 30 seconds max effort followed by a rest period of: 30 seconds. Repeat x 4
Followed by…
2. Battle Ropes: 20 seconds max effort: 30 seconds rest. Repeat x 4

HIIT provides massive upside and those who do it in conjunction with a consistently healthy, high protein diet, can expect significant results with both fat loss & lean muscle gains in a relatively short period of time…

Here are 6 reasons you should be doing HIIT cardio!

1. It Offers Maximum Efficiency As Far As Getting More Done in Less Time
Which as the busy, productive people we are, is a very attractive benefit! HIIT DESTROYS steady-state cardio as far as fat loss goes. With HIIT, you burn more calories during and after a workout than steady-state aerobic (cardio) training like the elliptical, walking on a treadmill and even the stair stepper. The explosive bursts of increased intensity simply amplify caloric expenditure; thus more total calories are burned in shorter periods of time.

Performing 10-12 min of true HIIT, meaning work intervals where you’re giving a maximum effort , has the potential of burning significantly more calories than a full 40 minutes of steady-state cardio!

2. Burns Fat More Effectively Than Any Other Form of Exercise
The impact HIIT has on your metabolism allows you to burn fat for up to 24 hours after the workout, not just while training!!

3. Improves Aesthetics & Body Symmetry
By performing intense functional movements you improve on body composition by melting fat away, but also targeting muscles that traditional weight training may not hit. This results in an increase in lean muscle tissue, improved symmetry, and an overall healthier, more attractive, aesthetic physique…

4. You’ll Never Get Bored!
All too often people complain of hitting plateaus, losing motivation, or getting bored of their workouts – Which of course is going to happen if you do the same thing all the time! HIIT is fun, challenging, and never monotonous! Often times motivation fades in the gym due to a lack of variety within our workouts.

5. Improves Mental Toughness & Discipline
HIIT forces you to push yourself well beyond your comfort zone. It’s hard. Which the harder something is, usually, the better it is for you – and the more hard things we do in life, the easier the rest of life becomes! By incorporating HIIT into your fitness, you’ll not just level up your physical fitness, but you’ll gain the confidence/discipline you never knew you needed, that can then be applied to your other goals in life.

6. You’ll Feel Amazing Immediately After!
Intense exercise triggers the release of mood-enhancing endorphins in the brain. This results in an improvement in focus, mental acuity, alertness and overall puts you in a more positive state of mind to attack the day from!

Words: Chris Cavallini
Nutrition Solutions C.E.O/Founder
“Stay Disciplined & Live With Passion”