High Intensity Interval Training

High Intensity Interval Training is becoming the new fitness phenomenon for do-it-yourself training styles.  The fast-paced, high intensity style of workouts takes strength training and conditioning exercises and amps up the pace to create a cardiovascular effect through an increase in heart rate.  This is the best of the both worlds: muscle-building strength training and fat-burning cardio endurance.

HIIT is an evolution of circuit training, which in and of itself, is a take on interval training done for cardio workouts.  Interval training breaks up the monotony of  traditional long duration, low intensity cardio exercise by mixing in high intensity sprints for a short duration.  This is done periodically throughout the workout at a 1:3 or 1:2 work to rest ratio.  Circuit training follows this same concept but mixes weight training exercises, usually done on machines, with interspersed forms of cardio.  Most fitness facilities have designated circuit area that alternates machines with something like steps.

HIIT goes a step further than this in that it adjusts the work to rest ratio to be heavier on the work and lighter, if any rest.  Work to rest ratios for HIIT are often 1:1, 2:1, or 3:1.  Extremely challenging HIIT eliminates rest completely.  HIIT is also made more challenging by the fact that it rarely incorporates machines.  Instead it relies upon barbells, dumb bells, and a person's own body for the resistance.  It also typically performs a given exercise for a defined time period instead of specific number of repetitions. Say for  one minute each a person would perform three different exercises than rest for exactly one minute than repeat the cycle. The completion of HIIT is defined as either completing a certain number of rounds of the workout as quickly as possible. Or it is defined as completing as many rounds as possible in a certain time period.  So you could complete five rounds of a given group of exercises as quickly as possible or you can complete as many rounds as possible in say, twenty minutes.

Several benefits to HIIT training:

1)  Time efficient- work at a hard enough pace and a person can burn more calories in 15 minutes of HIIT than jogging on a treadmill for an hour.  Some research has shown that it is possible to improve aerobic capacity (the efficiency of your metabolism and use of oxygen during exercise) as much or more than a person could in six to eight weeks of traditional cardiovascular exercise.

2) Like interval training does more calorie burn than steady-steady cardio, HIIT burns more calories than traditional weight-training.  Translation: faster fat loss.  From personal experience I would say that this is a faster way to lose body fat than doing cardio.  Oh, and because the intensity is so much higher your metabolism stays faster too.

3) An increase in Human Growth Hormone, a naturally occurring hormone of the body.  High levels of HGH are vital to achieving and maintaining weight loss.  Some research has shown that HIIT raises HGH levels by as much as 450% for up to 24 hours after a workout.

4) Fat loss is almost exclusive as the only type of weight loss with this training.  The reason is simple: because of the strengthening exercises done.  The recovery response of the body is primed to maintain and improve lean muscle.  This combined with the high intensity of the exercise melting off body fat results in quick fat loss.

5)Training the heart to maximum effect.  Most people do not train hard enough to have an anaerobic effect.  That is, pushing so hard that you are breathing to fast to carry on a conversation with a heart that feels like it trying to break out of your chest.  Training this at this intensity pushes the limits of the body, setting new levels of endurance while improving strength at the same time. Train hard enough and it is possible to double your endurance time for lower intensity exercise in as little as eight weeks.

6) Did I mention body weight?  As in body weight resistance, this type of training can be done using nothing but your own body for resistance.  Strengthening, conditioning, and endurance all improved with no need for equipment!  This makes for amazing convenience, no equipment needed! Just find somewhere with enough room to move,  an incredible challenge!  People who perform this style of training become fitter, faster than those who perform weight training only or cardio only.  Ever heard of Crossfit?  As in the Crossfit games? The brand name is famous.  The method is HIIT.

Now, how to put together a HIIT workout?  Here is a simple method.  Below you will find three different columns, A, B, C.  Column A are exercises that require dumb bells or barbells.  Column B are body weight exercises.  Column C are cardio vascular exercises.Take one exercise from each column.  Pick a time frame anywhere from thirty seconds to two minutes.  Perform each of those exercise for the chosen time frame.  Do not rest until you have completed each exercise for the specified time frame.  The rest period should be the same length of time, or shorter, than the time of each exercise.  Do not rest longer than the time period of the individual exercises. Pick any where from four to twelve exercises and one form a cardio exercise.  Note that column B and C can be interchangable exercises to really ramp up the intensity.  You can use any number of exercises these are some samples.  If you are unsure of how to perform one of these exercises ask a trainer or staff member at your fitness center.  Also www.nsca.com has good instructional videos for the exercises in Column A.  Good Luck!

Column A                                                          Column B                                               Column C
Back Squat                                                       Jump-squat                                            Jumping Jacks
Dead lifts                                                          Box Jumps                                             Mountain Climbers
Bench Press                                                        Burpees                                                  Knee Tucks
Shoulder Press                                                   Push ups                                                  Jump Rope
Dumbbell Rows                                                  Pull ups                                                   Run in place
Power Clean                                                       Plank                                                       Froggers
Squat-Press                                                      Crunches                                                     Sprint

Sample Workouts:

Perform each exercise for one minute, rest for one minute,  go all the way through the list before starting again, complete three rounds:
Workout one                      Workout two
Back Squats                       Power clean
Burpees                              Pull ups
Jumping Jacks                    Jump rope
Rest                                   Bench Press
Shoulder Press                   Plank
Jump-Squat                       Jump rope
Mountain Climbers            Box Jumps
Rest                                  Rest


Perform the given number of repetitions for each exercise before moving to the next exercise, complete as many rounds as you can in any time frame of 10-45 minutes

Workout one                           Workout two
pull ups 5                                 Power clean 4
jump-squats 10                        Squat-Press 5
mountain climbers 15               Bench Press 6
push ups 20                             Dead lift 7
knee tucks 15                         Shoulder Press 8
crunches 10                            Dumb bell Rows 9
box jumps 5                           Jump Rope 50