I try to include High Intensity Interval Training into my weekly workouts at least a few times. It’s one of the most effective and efficient ways to exercise. Instead of always doing steady-state cardio, try some HIIT. It keeps your body guessing and is a great fat-burner. I put together an HIIT treadmill run, did it this morning, and think it’s worth sharing.
So here ya go! Some days I just don’t feel like I can do such intense intervals. So, I lower some of the speeds to get a good workout without…dying, basically. Try it out and let me know what you think. 🙂
This run took me 2.73 miles.
If you’re not familiar with the details of High Intensity Interval Training, I’ve put together a summarized version of info I found. I ended up learning more in the process! Good stuff.
So, HIIT is composed of two parts: high intensity and interval training.
High Intensity
With high intensity workouts, you’re fatiguing your muscles and increasing oxygen use. Muscles are working harder, which requires more oxygen. By pushing your body to such a high intensity, it continues to use more oxygen even when you’re done working out. The more oxygen your muscles use, the more calories are burned.
Voila! Your body is an efficient fat-burning machine. You just have to push it!
Interval Training
When you alternate between high intensity and a lower intensity, you’re doing intervals. Your heart rate skyrockets and then calms. By incorporating interval training into your workouts, you are burning more calories than you would in the same amount of time spent on a steady exercise level. Your metabolism works harder for a longer period of time as well. Intervals prove to be a great way to gain lean muscle.
Combine the two, and you get the ultimate fat-burning workout. Yay for less time working out and better results!
That’s the gist of the HIIT dealio. If you’d like to learn more, check out this amazing infographic for more details! It really helped me understand things better. Thank you Pinterest for showing me the light!
[…] hard workout in preparation or after the weekend. I guess it just makes me feel better. Doing an HIIT workout is a great way to go extra hard even if you have a limited amount of time to workout. I did this […]