High Intensity Interval Training or "HIIT" is a great way of getting your cardio in. It can last between 4 minutes and 30 minutes and creates an after burn that can continue between 12 to 24 hours after finishing - meaning more calories burned!
But...
Are you HIITing it right? Here are some of the rules to make sure you are really getting the most out of it:
1. Mantra - "Give it all you've got!" Or go home. Half-arsed hiit sessions aren't hiit.
2. Leg it - Choose exercises that use your legs to really get your heart rate soaring!
3. Start/Stop - Make sure you can accelerate and decelerate quickly. There's no messing around here :p
4. Fuel Up - Pre Workout nutrition is just as important with hiit training. Go for fast digesting carbs and proteins. If you don't want to throw up in the middle of a power thruster then I suggest eating 90 mins before.
5. Less is More - If your hiit workout is more than 30 minutes it's unlikely you are doing it properly. Remember you have to give it your all! It's not called low intensity interval training...
5. Warm Up - Jumping straight into it full force is just going to cause an injury so make sure you've limbered up good 'n' proper before you start those burpees!
How to know if you're HIITing it right...
1. You're exhausted after the first 3 minutes
2. You need help peeling yourself off the floor at the end
3. You need 'safety' signs so people don't slip on your puddle of sweat
HIIT Mistakes:
1. Hiit is great for losing fat and improving fitness but not for muscle growth. If your goal is to bulk up then stick to lifting big and eating bigger.
2. Consider your current diet. Hiit workouts require energy and if you are on a low carb or just a low calorie diet you will not have the glucose in your system to help you work at your peak.
3. Overtraining can be as negative as under training. Apart from possible injury, consider your other workouts and how much stress you are putting on your CNS.
So, for only 4 minutes of the day you can remove the sentence "I don't have time to workout" from your list of excuses.
IMPORTANT - Just because they are short and sweet doesn't mean you should do hiit workouts every single day. If you've done a hiit workout properly you should be a broken mess on the floor so you need to give yourself adequate recovery. 4 hiit sessions a week should be enough with a days rest in between to avoid over training and cause injury.
Keep your eyes peeled for my next Workout Video featuring my favourite HIIT exercises!!
xxx
