HIIT exercise: When it comes to buffing up and looking great, there are no easy ways or sustainable shortcut. Do you have the drive to train hard, the fortitude to maintain healthy eating, and the grit the repeat?
Am I talking about the grit to repeat the process day after day (well at least 3-4times/week)? Yes!
HIIT involves repeated bouts of high-intensity exercise lasting between 10secs to 4mins, followed by 10-30secs rest period.
The goals of HIIT is to engage the whole body, using the combination of resistance, cardio and jumping exercises.
Check out the beginner’s videos exercises of high-intensity interval training below.
HITT advantages over traditional cardio workout.
Unlike traditional cardio workouts such as using a stationary bike, treadmill, or an elliptical machine.
HITT involves repeated bouts of high-intensity exercise lasting between 10secs to 4mins, followed by 10-30secs rest period. The exercise duration(i.e 10secs-4mins) difference will depend on the fitness level of the athlete.
The intensity component of HIIT means you must work at a near maximum effort. This is critical for you to improve your fitness and enjoy the benefits the HIIT promises.
However, if you’re new to high-intensity interval training or you have not exercised for a while or your fitness is not good?. You could start 10-20-30 exercise version of high-intensity interval training and then gradually increase intensity.
An example of HIIT exercise is, alternate 30 seconds of sprinting with 30 seconds of walking, or you could engage in a series of bodyweight exercises, such as push-ups, doing each for 30 seconds with 10 seconds of rest in between.
How to do: 10-20-30 Version of HIIT
10-20-30 HIIT training means, from right to left, repeated bouts of 30 seconds of easy exercise, followed by 20 seconds of moderate-intensity exercise, followed by 10 seconds of intense exercise. Then after a couple of weeks, change the direction from left to the right.
The Good of High-Intensity Interval Training.
Compared to traditional cardio workouts, High-intensity interval training maximises “after burn” effect. This means you continue to burn calories and fats long after your workout is complete.
High-intensity interval training by design is to increases maximal oxygen consumption, reduced blood pressure, increases mitochondrial density, maximise cardiac output, reduced vascular endothelial growth factor and maximise stroke volume faster than moderate intensity continuous training (i.e., traditional cardio workouts).
