Daily tip #23| HIIT

High Intensity Interval Training. You might have heard of it, you might have not, I'll explain what it is and what it does..



First of, what is it? It is basically performing at near your maximum speed for a few minutes, and then at an average speed for another few minutes, then near your maximum speed again, so on and so on.


What is near max or average? Let's make a scale, 1 being 'this is so easy I'll fall asleep' and 10 being 'OH GOD I am going to pass out'. Near max would be 8-9, and average would be 5-6. I think it's clear now? Alright, good.


Now, why choose HIIT? Research has found that normal cardio burns the same amount of calories like HIIT. But here's the catch, HIIT continues burning calories after you're done. HIIT also increases fat burning in muscle fibers. So? It burns more calories, it increases the burning of calories, how do you do it? Well, I'll have to let some hopes go, because HIIT should only be performed by medium-to-advanced joggers/runners/swimmers, whatever cardio you do, you can't be a beginner and do HIIT. HIIT really puts a lot of stress and demand on your body, if you're not used to it - you can easily get injured. Also, if you have joint problems, high heart pressure or some kind of heart disease you must talk to a doctor. You should have known to talk to him already if you have a good doctor though.




Let's get into how to do it. If you're just about to start HIIT, you should do a total of 20 minutes. 2 minutes intensively, 2 minutes moderately/lightly. It's very simple.

Run fast / 2 minutes
Run slow / 2 minutes
Repeat.

Swim fast / 2 minutes
Swim slow / 2 minutes
Repeat.

Cycle fast / 2 minutes
Cycle slow / 2 minutes
Repeat.

It's pretty simple, isn't it? Once in a while you can also attempt to do it like this once it a while:


Cycle/Run/Swim fast 1 minute
Cycle/Run/Swim slow 2 minutes
Cycle/Run/Swim fast 1 minute
Cycle/Run/Swim slow 1 minute 30 seconds
Cycle/Run/Swim fast 1 minute
Cycle/Run/Swim slow 1 minute
Cycle/Run/Swim fast 1 minute
Cycle/Run/Swim slow 30 seconds
Cycle/Run/Swim fast 1 minute
Cycle/Run/Swim slow 1 minute
Cycle/Run/Swim fast 1 minute
Cycle/Run/Swim slow 1 minute 30 seconds
Cycle/Run/Swim fast 1 minute
Cycle/Run/Swim slow 2 minutes
Cycle/Run/Swim fast 1 minute


Yeah? You've got the idea. Always make sure to keep the fast at 8-9 and slow at 5-6, or it simply will not work!


Before you run off to do HIIT, always remember to warm up, that is a must! Your goals should also be down to earth, always keep in mind the next day! Today you might feel fine, but after an intensive workout, the next day you will feel completely beat, not allowing you to exercise properly, maybe have a light day then? To continue improving with HIIT you should increase either intensity or duration, never increase both at the same time!




If you have no idea on how to make a routine, here you go. You want to do HIIT once or twice a week, not more - atleast while starting out HIIT. Remember - you can overtrain with HIIT, if you feel like you've gained nothing in a really long time, or you're getting weaker, ease off a litte.


Rest is key, water is factor and a good post work out meal is a must! A little bit more motivation wouldn't hurt either! Sleep well, eat well and rest well!

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