Attending gym sessions is one thing but doing your workouts the right way is another. It is especially the case with HIIT, which is an abbreviation for high-intensity interval training. While HIIT is arguably the most popular type of fitness training today, it is easy to get it wrong. While HIIT exercises are pretty simple, the concept of work-rest and repeat is easy to misunderstand. A full HIIT session involves more than a people’s anticipations.
If your workout routine is already planned but you would like to incorporate HIIT sessions, this post is for you. I will walk you through everything you need to know about HIIT workouts, including the benefits that you stand to reap. But before we start, an important caveat is that performing HIIT workouts every day is risky. It is a high-intensity exercise that may cause serious burnout or injury.
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Defining HIIT
Definitively, HIIT involves alternating intensive workouts with short rests. You only reap maximum benefits by pushing hard through your sessions. Most importantly, consistency helps one realize their fitness goals. Note that like every other gym activity, HIIT workouts help a person build a learner’s muscles. It is also a great way to lose weight.
You should also understand that depending on the duration of your HIIT workout and rests, endurance is only realizable with longer durations of workout. A good illustration is that there is a difference between training for 50 seconds then resting for 30 seconds and training for 30 seconds then resting for 50 seconds. The longer the workout duration, the more endurance one realizes.
Another important factor in HIIT workouts is your target heart rate. Fitness experts refer to it as the rate of perceived exertion, usually abbreviated as RPE. It means you should focus on a constant training interval to realize the targeted heart rate. Moreover, the type of rest is also important. While some people would stop training completely during the resting interval, others would choose to slowly pedal a gym bike. Pedaling is a great way to flush out lactic acid from your body before embarking on the next round of intense HIIT workouts.
The number of intervals between rest and intense workout is also crucial in HIIT workouts. It is also referred to as total volume. To get it right, start with a low volume and then increase the intervals bit by bit. However, note that with the addition of more rounds, you should work with less RPE. The bottom line is that HIIT workouts can be indoor cycling, jogging or weightlifting provided you keep the intensity high.
What Benefits Do You Reap From HIIT Workouts?
HIIT helps burn fats, both during training and post-training. After training, the body burns a lot of calories as it resumes a normal resting state. In the end, you should adapt to HIIT workouts. During rest, excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) helps your body burn more calories than it does when working out.
Another benefit of HIIT is cardio fitness. It increases the amount of oxygen your body uses. Cardio fitness is always known as VO2 max. The more VO2 max, the longer, and harder one trains.
Moreover, because HIIT involves shorts durations of intense training alternated with rests, you do not get bored while at it. You can always have your lunch break in between.
When to Avoid HIIT
The benefits of HIIT workout make it a vital exercise, especially for athletes. However, you risk pulling a muscle if you attempt it while fatigued. You should instead go for a steady cardio workout because it is safer even with a little fatigue.
There is also the danger of overtraining your muscles, especially if you do not supplement a HIIT workout with other exercises. While your aim could be having leaner muscles, limit HIIT sessions to a few times a week. It is the best way to guard against injury and loss of muscles.
The Four Major Types of HIIT Workouts
The categorization of HIIT workouts depends on the training level. There are ideal workouts for beginners, intermediate, and experts/experienced athletes. Let’s quickly explore four major types of HIIT workouts. Many gyms offer HIIT training classes or private session.
Timmons Method
Timmons method is an entry-level HIIT workout. It was developed by a team at Loughborough University. Timmons’s method advocates for an intense 20-second workout with a resting interval of two minutes. During the resting phase, you can walk around or freewheel. There are only three repeat cycles in the Timmons method and then you call it a day.
Reverse Tabata (Intermediate 10’-20’)
Reverse Tabata is an intermediate-level HIIT exercise that is more anaerobic than aerobic. It advocates for shorter workout duration with more rest. It is ideal if you need more power production. Start with a 10-minute warm-up and then 6-8 rounds of HIIT. 10 second working out and 20 seconds rest.
All-Out Tabata (Advanced 10-20-30)
All-out Tabata involves lots of HIIT volumes. You exercise at 30% intensity for 30 seconds, reduce to 20 seconds but at a higher intensity of 60%, and finally an all-out ten seconds. The intensity in advanced 10-20-30 is manageable because it involves many volumes.
Nasty: Tabata
Nasty Tabata involves an eight-cycle all-out workout for 20 seconds with 10 seconds of reset. It is the type of HIIT exercise that improves endurance and VO2 max.
Other HIIT Workouts You Should Try
There are lots of other HIIT workouts to try but I will explore only a few of them. Note that if you are a beginner, start slow as you improve the intensity. A fitness expert should walk you through to advanced training levels. The following are other types of HIIT to try:
- Kettlebell HIIT workout that was developed helps with weight loss.
- All-out HIIT workout using gym bikes to improve your fitness levels. It is an eight-round, 20-second HIIT with 10-second resting intervals.
- To improve your heart rate and energy output, a Battle rope HIIT workout is ideal. It is an 8-cycle exercise that involves 15-second one-arm waves followed by 15-second double-arm waves with 60 seconds rest intervals.
- Improve your endurance with a Burpee workout to improve endurance and increase VO2 max. It is a 6-cycle, 30-second all-out with 4 minutes resting intervals.
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