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15 October 2011
HIIT Me One More Time:
High Intensity Interval Training
and Weight Loss
Susan Rodriguez
Trust me; this isn't what Britney Spears sings about: HIIT. No, this is the latest acronym in the weight loss and fat burning section of your Internet news. And it stands for high intensity interval training.
Perhaps you've heard this new language spoken, but you're not quite sure what it's all about. Let's start with that last weight-loss plateau you experienced on your journey towards a healthy weight and living.
You remember that don't you? You kept singing, "I can see clearly now!" because you were at the top of that plateau for so long. Advocates of HIIT say that plateaus like that could be only memories of an extinct way of exercising, if only everyone tried this approach.
In fact, advocates of HIIT think it's the best thing ever invented -- next to sliced 100% whole wheat bread, that is! Not only does HIIT help your body avoid that temporary quicksand of slow or no weight loss, it drastically reduces the time you need to work at your exercise activity in the first place. Sound too good to be true?
According to Mike McKovich a USA Cycling Level I coach, it's been a "dirty little secret" of cyclists for years. He labeled it "rest and recovery." Interval training is nothing more than the combination of an intense work out -- in the case of cycling high-speed pedaling -- combined with periods of lower intensity work, McKovich explained.
The key to improvement in your activity, McKovich said, is recovery.
In a nutshell, HIIT requires you to push yourself beyond what you previously considered the upper end of your aerobic exercise zone for short bursts. By doing this you achieve several advantages that the traditional aerobic workout can't offer.
First HIIT not only provides you with your aerobic workout for the day, but it also gives you the anaerobic exercise your body needs as well. This area is used in the more intense portions of the activity -- when you push your limits.
HIIT also helps your body to burn more calories during the activity. Again, this may sound too good to be true. But advocates explain that you not only burn more calories during the workout, but because of the vary nature of HIIT, you keep burning calories while you recover from the workout.
But more than that, this form of training actually limits the amount of muscle you lose while you're dieting, compared with the traditional cardio workout.
Of course, there is a catch. (Everything seems to have a catch these days, now doesn't it?) To actually experience the benefits of this high intensity workout, you need to push yourself beyond the upper end of what you consider your current aerobic zone. What does that mean in plain English? You have to go all out, flat out and exercise like the cavemen who ran for their lives from those woolly mammoth? Got it?
Then you can allow your body to replenish by dropping the speed and the intensity.
Where do I begin?
Good question. Let me say first that HIIT was not created for the person who is taking the first steps of the aerobic fitness journey. If this is you, then just keep working at your cardio routine. You should be at least a month or more into training before even attempting this approach.
No, HIIT is designed for those individuals who have at a minimum several months of serious cardio training under they belts. And it's especially created for those who want to boost their general cardiovascular fitness, endurance and fat loss. And they want all this without losing the muscle mass they've already created.
If you decide that you need to try it, you should always start your routine with a minimum of a 20 to 30 minute aerobic workout at 70 to 85 percent of your target heart rate. And you should be able to do this without exhausting yourself or experiencing any problems.
Keep in mind that high intensity interval training is, indeed, physically demanding. So don't overwork your body. Let me put it this way: HIIT is potent stuff! Don't overdo it! In fact, be careful to slowly build on your progress. Keep in mind part of the beauty of HIIT is that it greatly reduces the time you need to spend exercising while still reaping all the health benefits.
Before and after each burst of intensity, be sure to cool down. Cool down from the first session completely before you hustle into the next.
Once you're in those high intensity sessions, though, work your heart as hard as you dare. In fact, advocates of HIIT explain that you should push your body until your feel your muscles begin to burn. This feeling indicates that you've actually entered your anaerobic zone. Those in really good shape can usually keep this pace up for three to five minutes.
Those of us -- the weekend exercisers -- won't be able to sustain this pace as long. Athletes in good condition take at least four minutes to recover from a high intensity interval. You may not need to take quite that long. However, don't push your body into the next one if you don't think it's ready. There's absolutely nothing wrong with starting slowly.
And this next piece of advice should actually not have to be given, but it's always good to remind individuals. Should you feel any chest pain or experience any breathing problems during your HIIT workout, cool down immediately. Don't completely come to a halt, but slow down as quickly as possible.
That's HIIT in a nutshell. If you think you're up to the challenge, give it a try. It can reduce your time exercising -- and it can eliminate your next stay on that diet plateau. That's what they say. But only you can say if high intensity interval training is right for you.
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