High-intensity interval training is a term used by workout enthusiasts and athletes to perform a specific exercise regimen that is considered “intense” and include interval training.
I’m sure you heard about this training program and want to know more, that’s why you are here. Well, you are in the right place!
In this health article, I will discuss what is high-intensity interval training, its benefits, drawbacks and if it’s a ideal for your overall fitness program. Here’s what you need to know about this highly sought-after type of training.
What is High-Intensity Interval Training?
There are actually several terms for high-intensity interval training but it is commonly used simply as HIIT for short. Other terms include high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) or sprint interval training (SIT), though some professionals classified them as either aerobic HIIT or anaerobic HIIT (1).
HIIT is a form of interval training, specifically a cardiovascular exercise technique which performs alternating short periods of intense anaerobic exercise with less intense recovery periods, until you are too exhausted to continue.
Let that definition sink in a little bit.
Okay, I know you get it. This exercise program is designed to put yourself to the limit physically and mentally. And yeah, perfect for people who want to lose weight fast and get a ripped physique.
There is no blueprint or universal HIIT program out there, but most workouts last under 30 minutes. Remember that time varies based on the athletes current fitness capacity. The intensity also varies on the duration of each session.
High-intensity interval workouts combines short bursts of intense exercises with periods of rest or less intense exercises. People commonly use aerobic exercise followed by resistance training.
And if you experienced doing interval training before, then you know that most of the time, aerobic exercises are mainly used and HIIT is not and exception.
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As more and more people are becoming health conscious and the unlimited health information found online, having a regular exercise habit is one of the keys to a healthy body. As experts say, “exercise is medicine“.
It is true as HIIT provides significant improvement on weight, cardio, blood pressure and sugar levels, cholesterol levels and many others.
Why is high-intensity interval training such an effective training program?
Well the hallmark of HIIT is repeated, extremely intense bouts of exercises that are interspersed with periods of recovery. So during your intervals, you are putting yourself to your physical limitations which results to better overall physique and mental health as well.
How does HIIT Compare with Conventional Exercises?
If you are used to conventional exercises such as jogging, walking or some gym work, then HIIT is a whole different type of physical fitness program.
As its name suggest, the main difference is the intervals. Intervals are periods of heart-pounding intensity.
High-intensity interval training sample program include (but not limited to):
- Warm up routine
- Workout interval
- Each workout are infused with recovery period
- Concluded with a cool-down routine
Example would be a 10-minute jog as warm up routine, then followed by three, three-minute intervals of intense running, with two, two-minute intervals of brisk walking in between, and four-minute stretching routine as cool down routine at the end.
Other aerobic exercises that you can do aside from jogging include swimming, sprinting, jump rope, biking, rowing, skating, and many others.
Some high-intensity interval training found on fitness chains use a combination of cardiovascular workouts with strength training, which I considered as the more advanced type of HIIT.
The amount of exercise time and recovery will vary based on which activity you choose and of course, how intense you are working out. The important thing is that your heart rate speeds up from these intense exercise intervals with short periods of vigorous exercises (2).
What are the Benefits of HIIT?
A simple 10-minute workout will tell a big difference to your overall health. And if you are interested in doing a home workout specifically HIIT, then you are required to do either a similar 10-minute but more intense workout, or a more complete 30-minutes training regimen.
Either way, your body will surely reap the many health benefits of this type of exercise. Lets me discuss it to you one by one!
Lose Fat Fast
I can’t stress this enough. Any exercise routine will surely help reduce weight but high-intensity interval training isn’t just going to decrease your overall body weight, but it will help reduce your total body fat.
According to a weight loss study (3), HIIT generates more body fat and waist circumference reduction compared to traditional moderate-intensity workouts.
What makes this training regimen enticing is the fact that it can help reduce up to 18% of visceral fat. Visceral fat are body fat that negatively affects your health triggering development of diseases such as cancers, fatty liver and many others.
Studies also suggest that obese and overweight individuals are more likely to benefit for weight loss with high-intensity interval training (4).
Massive Muscle Mass Gains
If a particular exercise program can help reduce body weight, rest assured that it will also promote huge muscle gains! And high-intensity interval training is one of the best, exercise program that will give you both fat loss and significant muscle mass gain.
Don’t get me wrong, the best muscle building regimen is still weight lifting though HIIT can help you gain more muscle mass especially if you are a type of individual who are less active (5).
High-intensity interval training usually promotes muscle gains in the trunk and leg areas, because these are muscle groups that are used the most (6).
If you love bodybuilding and want to try HIIT, then I suggest you take pre-workout supplements to get the most out of your training program.
Improves Heart Rate and Blood Pressure
Again, any exercise can help improve your overall cardiovascular health, particularly when it comes to your heart rate and blood pressure.
According to experts (7), HIIT is one of the best training regimen to help reduce heart rate and blood pressure levels in both overweight and obese individuals. As you know, these groups often have these health issues and are also at higher risk of developing these problems.
Plus, according to this research, HIIT has been found to be more effective in reducing blood pressure compared to moderate-intensity exercise (8).
Reduces Blood Sugar Levels
Various research (9) suggest that high-intensity interval training can effectively reduce blood sugar levels, while also triggers insulin resistance improvement, compared to other conventional exercises.
This only means that following at least 12 weeks HIIT program can significantly reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes and other health issues related to abnormal blood sugar levels.
Other Notable Health Benefits of HIIT
I mentioned above that high-intensity interval training promotes massive fat loss. Well, one reason is because of its ability to increase metabolic rate after exercise (10).
This triggers thermogenesis which leads to fat and calorie burning.
HIIT also helps increase VO2 max (the amount of oxygen you use during workouts), burn more calories, improves mental function and gives you that healthy feeling everyday.
What are the Things to Avoid?
Though this training regimen is quite beneficial in almost all aspects of our health, it is also not perfect.
Some people are huge fans of HIIT without knowing the possible adverse effects, yes there are possible adverse effects. People tend to workout more and pushes themselves to the limit just to attain or finish HIIT course.
This lead to a condition called “afterburn effect” (11). This is effect lead to elevated calorie burning even at a post-exercise period. This means that your metabolic rate is still increasing long after your training is over.
Afterburn effect triggers minimal weight loss. So if you think that continues calorie burning leads to continues body weight reduction, that isn’t the case. That’s why HIIT isn’t good in decreasing overall body weight, but only body fat.
However, afterburn effect may promote more muscle gains according to some studies.
High-intensity interval training also increases your risk of injuries during workouts. As you do sprints, running or intense weight lifting, not focusing on safety can mean disaster for you.
This training regimen is also not for people who have underlying conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, bone issues, respiratory problems and many others.
Bottom Line
Okay, now you know that high-intensity interval training is one of the best training program that you can do to help improve your overall health.
Of course, I suggest you seek a professional trainer and a dietician before you embark yourself into an intense and serious body workout.
I also recommend that you talk to your doctor first before you do HIIT programs.
Overall, I highly recommend HIIT both for your weight loss and bodybuilding program. It also promote dozens of health benefits that you can enjoy.
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References:
High-Intensity Interval Training for Health Benefits and Care of Cardiac Diseases – The Key to an Efficient Exercise Protocol
by: Shigenori Ito
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6763680/
American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Quantity and Quality of Exercise for Developing and Maintaining Cardiorespiratory, Musculoskeletal, and Neuromotor Fitness in Apparently Healthy Adults:L Guidance for Prescribing Exercises
by: Carol Ewing Garber, Bryan Blissmer, Micahel R Deschenes, Barry A Franklin, Michael J Lamonte, I-Min Lee, David C Nielman, David P Swain, American College of Sports Medicine
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21694556/
The Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training VS. Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training on the Body Composition in Overweight and Obese Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by: M Wewege, R Van Den Berg, R E Ward, and A Keech
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28401638/
High-Intensity Interval Training and Isocaloric Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training Result in Similar Improvements in Body Composition and Fitness in Obese Individuals
by: Catia Martins, Irina Kazakocva, Marit Ludviksen, Ingar Mehus, Ulrik Wisloff, Bard Kulseng, Linda Morgan, and Neil King
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26479856/
A Review of Resistance Training-Induced Changes in Skeletal Muscle Protein Synthesis and their Contribution to Hypertrophy
by: Felipe Damas, Stuart Phillips, Felipe Cassaro Vechin, and Carlos Ugrinowitsch
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25739559/
The Effect of high-Intensity Intermittent Exercise on Body Composition of Overweight Young Males
by: M Heydari, J Freund, and S H Boutcher
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22720138/
Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Cardiometabolic Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Intervention Studies
by: Romeo B Batacan Jr, Mitch J Duncan, Vincent J Dalbo, Patrick S Tucker, and Andrew S Fenning
https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/51/6/494
Effects of High-Intensity Aerobic Interval Training vs. Moderate Exercise on Hemodynamic, Metabolic and Neuro-Humoral Abnormalities of Young Normotensive women at High Familial Risk for Hypertension
by: Emmanuel G Ciolac, Edimar A Bocchi, Luiz A Bortolotto, Vitor O Carvalho, Julia MD Greve, and Guilherme V Guimaraes
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20448634/
The Effects of high-Intensity Interval Training on Glucose Regulation and Insulin Resistance: A Meta-Analysis
by: C Jelleyman, T Yates, G O Donovan, L J Gray, JA A King, K Khunti, and M J Davies
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26481101/
Oxygen Consumption, Substrate Oxidation, and Blood Pressure following Sprint Interval Exercise
by: Huan Hao Chan and Stephen Franis Burns
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23438230/
Acute Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training and Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training Sessions on Cardiorespiratory Parameters in Healthy Young Men
by: Gustavo Zaccaria Schaun, Cristine Lima Alberton, Stephanie Santana Pinto, and Diego Oliveira Ribeiro
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28488137/
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