When people think of cardio, they think of long bouts of running. Well if this isn’t for you, now there is a new trend that is more beneficial for you. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has become a popular way to burn fat. It's a training method that has been effective for many people. In research, HIIT has been shown to burn adipose tissue (fat) more effectively than low-intensity exercise - up to 50% more efficiently. It has also been shown to speed up your metabolism, which helps you burn more calories throughout the day.
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| muscleandfitness.com |
What is HIIT? High Intensity Interval Training involves alternating between very intense bouts of exercise and low intensity exercise. For example, sprinting for 30 seconds, then walking for 60 seconds is high intensity interval training. HIIT can be used both anaerobically (in the gym with weights) and aerobically with cardio.
- HIIT trains and conditions both your anaerobic and aerobic energy systems. You train your anaerobic system with brief, all-out efforts, like when you have to push to make it up a hill, sprint the last few hundred yards of a distance race,
- HIIT increases the amount of calories you burn during your exercise session and afterward because it increases the length of time it takes your body to recover from each exercise session.
- HIIT causes metabolic adaptations that enable you to use more fat as fuel under a variety of conditions. This will improve your athletic endurance as well as your fat-burning potential.
- HIIT appears to limit muscle loss that can occur with weight loss, in comparison to traditional steady-state cardio exercise of longer duration.
The major goals of most endurance exercise programs are to improve cardiovascular, metabolic, and skeletal muscle function in the body. For years, continuous aerobic exercise (cardio) has been the chosen method to achieve these goals. However, research shows that HIIT leads to similar and in some cases better improvements in shorter periods of time. Try it and you shall notice results!
Reference
Anderson, D. (2013, October 25). High intensity interval training. Retrieved February 7, 2015, from SPARKLEPEOPLE: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=621
Talanian JL, Galloway SD, Heigenhauser GJ, Bonen A, Spriet LL. Two weeks of high-intensity aerobic interval training increases the capacity for fat oxidation during exercise in women. J Appl Physiol. 2007;102(4):1439-47
HIIT training is definitely a great workout to throw into your rotation. From experience, HIIT training workouts are very intense and are a great way to shed body fat. The best part about HIIT training is that you can switch up the format. You can use body weight exercises, throw in some dumbbell and barbell, or even go straight cardio. I would recommend this type of training to anyone.
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