By Hannah Powling
HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) exercise is becoming one of 2015’s biggest exercise trends and the most effective way to workout, tone up and lose weight – all in one.
A lot of us dedicate plenty of time and expenses to our exercise regime by going to the gym, joining classes, attending events – but the training technique HIIT allows those of you who don’t have so much time to work out in fewer minutes. There is no equipment required, it’s super quick, burns calories fast and can be done in the comfort of your own home… and it’s free. What more could you want?
So how does it work?
HIIT consists of short, explosive periods of what we call ‘maximum effort exercise’ followed by quick rest periods in between, making this a really quick and more efficient way of burning more calories than an average cardio session.
Amazing right? Well the rewards are great; but you must make sure you get your technique spot on. It’s all about getting the performance right so your body can get maximum output from your sessions.
This is perfect for the busy and time-poor people out there – or for those of you that just don’t enjoy going to the gym (you are not alone!). Because of it’s practicality and short time dedication – you’re so much more likely to carry it on. Just grab your phone, set the timer and get started.
Each HIIT circuit varies – but on average they last about 5 and a half mins each – and you are encouraged to try to do 3 circuits.. That’s just 15-20 mins for a workout. Amazing.
Noom App Coach expert Susanne Wechsler, says:
“HIIT is an intense type of training, which is not for the faint-hearted, however, it is a type of exercise that you can build up to. Incorporating body weight exercises, such as burpees and squats into your current routine enables you to perfect the techniques before including them in a HIIT workout.
Beginners are recommended to start with shorter bursts of maximum effort combined with resting periods that are two to three times longer. For example – 20 seconds of high intensity exercise followed by a 1 minute rest. As your fitness increases, the rest period can decrease. For example – 30 seconds of high intensity with a 10 second rest.
An example HIIT circuit:
30 seconds work, 10 seconds rest, repeat circuit three times:
• Burpees
• REST
• Squat
• REST
• Mountain climbers
• REST
• Bicycle crunch
• REST
• Box jump
• REST
• Tricep dips
• REST
• Jumping Jacks
• REST
• Push ups
• REST
It is important to manage the work to rest ratio based on your own fitness levels. Make sure to start slow and build up, but make sure you are always challenging yourself a little more each time you do a HIIT session.”
Go on, give it a go when you get home… Nothing is stopping you.
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