H.I.I.T - What It Is And Why It Works

HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. Recently HIIT has become a popular way to burn calories fast, increase endurance, build strength and shed fat, and the great news is, a solid HIIT session will only take you 10 minutes to 20 minutes maximum to complete. 

HIIT is designed around combining low to moderate intensity intervals with high intensity intervals as a way to quickly increase and then decrease the heart rate, which is a method shown to improve fitness levels in both the most effective and quick way. 

The training style can be applied to running or even exercises done in a circuit such as squatting, lunges, jumping jacks or crunches. HIIT is considered to be much more effective than normal cardio exercises as you're able to increase both your aerobic and anaerobic endurance while burning considerably more fat. 

High intensity training has been shown to create the highest level of EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption), also known as the 'after burn' effect, than any other exercise, which means your body will be burning calories at a heightened rate for up to 38 HOURS after your HIIT session! Now you can see why it's known as the number one the fat-burning workout! 

Try The Holistic Living Project's HIIT plan and feel the difference - not only will you notice your fitness increase within a matter of short sessions but you'll also notice the fat burning results in comparison to your usual cardio workout! I recommend doing a HIIT session 2-3 times a week depending on your fitness level. 

THE HOLISTIC LIVING PROJECT'S HIIT PROGRAM

These HIIT sessions consist of two intervals - 'rest' and 'work'. In this program you will be alternating between these two states at a 50/50 ratio. I recommend doing these sessions on a treadmill or a RPM bike at the gym. 

Remember, before any workout it is vital to WARM UP properly, so start this workout with a gentle five minute jog or cycle to get your blood flowing and to avoid injury to your muscles. Ok, so now that you're all warmed up, let the HIIT session begin!

For the entire 10 - 15 minutes of this workout (duration depending on your fitness level) you will be alternating between 'rest' intervals and 'work' intervals, each of which are 30 seconds each. On the treadmill, this means you'll gently walk (or stand still) for 30 seconds then you'll sprint at 90-100% capacity (approximately 12-17kmph) for 30 seconds, and then repeat for the duration of the program. On the treadmill I find that rather than continuously changing the pace it is easier to simply jump your feet to the side of the track for your rest period (always making sure you use your arms and are very careful when jumping on and off as it's going at an extremely fast pace!) 

That's it! At first HIIT can be very draining and quite challenging, but remember as you complete more sessions you'll rapidly get fitter and be able to sprint for longer! 

Comment below and let me know how you go! Train hard everyone and enjoy!

ML