HIIT workouts or high-intensity interval training is one of the most effective workout plans that can help burn fat, improve the cardiovascular system, increase the metabolism, and improve muscle endurance. That is to say, the workouts boost endurance, energy levels and promote a perfect body. Indeed these workouts are superb. They are short in nature and people who are short on time can easily enjoy it.
Origin
Important to realize, in 1964 Georges Hébert invented HIIT. He was a Canadian track coach for the Olympic team. This was done as an approach to maximize the performance of his athletes. Thereafter, the method became a practice by the Olympic teams of many countries, including the USA, to maximize their results. Consequently, many other sports teams also used it.
How It Works
Although there’s a breather session between each interval, the idea is to work at maximum capacity for the entire workout. Whether 20 seconds or 5 minutes. The gist of HIIT Workouts is to move quickly through work intervals. And there should be a steady pace between intervals. Hence, this method is based on the fact that high-intensity work intervals alternate with easy recovery periods. Therefore, these intervals occur at very high intensity workloads, which are above an individual’s anaerobic threshold.
The speeds of HIIT workouts are usually between 70-85% of your maximum heart rate. As a result, that helps in burning more fat in less time. Remember, high intensity interval training is a cardio exercise. For that reason, it requires you to push your body to the limit. But only by performing short but strenuous exercises at full force. It can be difficult to start doing HIIT workouts, but the key is to not give up.
Make HIIT Effective
To maximize the benefits, HIIT workouts should take 20-30 minutes, two to three times per week. One of the advantages of HIIT workouts is that they do not require much training time or equipment. Interestingly, HIIT workouts typically yield results faster than other types of workout routines.
In fact, high-intensity interval training has been reported to result in greater losses in body fat than the other methods [aerobic exercise and resistance training] combined. In particular, one study showed that people who performed HIIT for 25 minutes lost more body fat. Yet, those who performed 40 minutes of continuous exercise at a low intensity lost less fat than their counterparts.
The fixed nature of interval training means that it doesn’t cut corners. You’ll get an efficient workout without having to kill yourself in the process. Nor getting out early for fear of not maximizing your time. Some studies have shown that intervals may lead to muscular gains. So if building mass is your goal, HIIT might be worth giving a shot instead of just weightlifting.
Strong post-exercise appetite control:
Upregulation of Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) activity following exercise helps promote feelings of fullness. This allows you to keep hunger at bay after achieving such impressive feats! Hence, helps prevent overindulging and overeating. That is to say, a lighter tummy equals to satisfied muscles.
HIIT has been found to be very beneficial in the lowering of blood pressure and reducing insulin resistance. There is still a lack of scientific data for this, yet some studies show phenotypic benefits like:
– more mitochondria (organelles that make energy)
– more energy production
– less fat deposition
– more white and red muscle fibers
There are also proven acute effects such as:
– Rapid loss of body weight through caloric expenditure a rapid drop weight via caloric expenditure – about 100 calories burned per minute
Therefore in general, are HIIT workouts good for you? According to a new study, High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) may be the secret to burning fat and keeping it off. Researchers at the University of New South Wales and the National Institute of Complementary Medicine in Australia conducted a meta-analysis of 31 studies on HIIT. They found that HIIT not only burns body fat during and after the workout, but also improves the body’s metabolism. Research also showed that HIIT can help prevent obesity. It does so by improving the amount of oxygen the body uses while working out.
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