What Is High Intensity Interval Training?

Voted as one of the two top fitness trends and hasn’t shown any sign of stopping. HIIT is all the rage and for good reason, it works. Not sure what it is? TRAIN for HER is here to help.

What is HIIT?

Short for High Intensity Interval Training, HIIT is a training technique. It involves alternating between very intense bursts of exercise and short, slower recovery periods.

Give 100% effort for each active exercise you do and active rest should be at around 20% and must only be done up to three times a week.

Does it work?

Yes! Countless studies have shown that HIIT works really well at burning calories and improving your fitness level. A study published in the journal Obesity concluded that these types of exercises significantly increase aerobic (with oxygen) and anaerobic (without oxygen) fitness.

Other studies have also found that it can increase your intelligence and Colorado State University found that just 150 seconds of intense exercise can burn 200 calories over the next 24 hours, boosting your resting metabolic rate.

– RELATED: What Is LISS Cardio Training? –

Why should I do it?

Most people excuse themselves from exercise due to lack of time. Most HIIT workouts are 30 minutes or less and involve no equipment so, integrating it into your work/gym schedule isn’t a problem.

It’s also great at getting your heart rate up and burning more fat in less time than steady state endurance cardio like LISS. The American College of Sports found that two weeks of HIIT is just as good as 6-8 weeks of treadmill jogging on your aerobic capacity.

Who can do it?

HIIT isn’t for the fainthearted or beginners. If you exercise on a regular basis and have a good fitness level then you can do it. If not, build up your strength and fitness first with training techniques such as LISS and once you feel you have a good base level, you can jump in.

How do I do it?

Try these HIIT workouts from Olivia Cooney’s that can be adapted for every workout ability.

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