Have you been reading magazines or watching videos about people who have got in the best shape of their lives with short workouts that are 30-minutes or less? These workouts are typically done by using the HIIT method also known as High Intensity Interval Training.
Many people feel that they don’t have enough time to exercise or they have to be exercising for an hour or more when you don’t! This is an unpopular and uninformed theory. In fact, with HIIT workouts you can get in phenomenal shape in 30-minutes or less.
What Is High-Intensity Interval Training?
HIIT is performed by completing a high-intensity exercise for a predetermined amount of time, followed by a short period of rest. Relative to our Myzone heart rate zones, the work phase would typically take place in the YELLOW or RED zones, and the recovery phase would take place in the GREEN or BLUE zones. The duration and heart rate zones of your work and recovery phases are dependent on your fitness level.
Now that you have an overview of HIIT it’s time to breakdown the benefits! Here are 7 Benefits of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).
#1 – HIIT Your Target Zones
When our Fitzone members perform HIIT workouts the goal is to push you into the YELLOW or RED zones during the work phase of the interval and recover into the GREEN or BLUE zones during the recovery phase of the interval.
When we HIIT the target heart rate zones we know we are working out effectively. When in those YELLOW and RED zones we are igniting the metabolism and burning stored fat.
#2- Burn More Calories in a Shorter Amount of Time
According to research you can burn calories quickly with a HIIT workout. Research shows HIIT burns 25–30% more calories than the other forms of exercise.
More calories are burned during and after a HIIT workout as opposed to a steady-state cardio exercise like running, where your heart rate remains relatively stable. HIIT workouts allow your heart rate to stay up in the YELLOW and RED zones for the majority of the workout which is optimal for burning additional calories, making this an effective option for weight loss.
“Although each workout session was 30 minutes long in this study, it is common for HIIT workouts to be much shorter than traditional exercise sessions. This is because HIIT allows you to burn about the same amount of calories, but spend less time exercising,” Myzone.
HIIT is an effective way to burn more calories than traditional exercise, or burn the same amount of calories in a shorter amount of time.
#3- The “After-Burn” Effect
HIIT workouts also offer an “after burn” effect which means your metabolic rate Is higher for hours after your exercise is finished.
This phenomenon is called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) which helps the body burn calories well after the workout is done. EPOC occurs when the body burns more calories after an intense workout. EPOC is common with HIIT workouts because of the intensity level which is also linked to effective lean muscle growth. When we build lean muscle we also have the opportunity to burn more fat at rest. Even on the days you don’t workout, having sculpted lean muscle will ignite your metabolism allowing you to naturally burn more fat even while in a rested state.
#4- HIIT Helps Ignite Fat Burn
High-intensity intervals can ignite fat loss even with a much smaller time commitment. While HIIT burns more calories because of EPOC, it can also be a more efficient way to help you burn stored fat.
“HIIT was also found to shift the body’s metabolism toward using fat for energy rather than carbs,” Myzone.
Several studies indicate that body fat can be reduced with HIIT due to the intensity and work to rest ratio implemented. One study showed that HIIT can help you burn stored fat and reduce visceral fat, or the disease-promoting fat surrounding your internal organs, by 17%” Myzone.
#5- Build Lean Muscle
In addition to helping with fat loss, HIIT could help sculpt lean muscle. HIIT workouts incorporate bursts of energy but they are not merely cardio.
You can incorporate exercises such as squats, presses and curls to tone and lengthen lean muscle mass. If you are not very active, you may gain some muscle by starting HIIT but not as much as if you performed weight training.
#6- Improves Oxygen Consumption
“Oxygen consumption refers to your muscles’ ability to use oxygen, and endurance training is typically used to improve your oxygen consumption. “Traditionally, this consists of long sessions of continuous running or cycling at a steady rate,” Myzone.
HIIT has proven to produce similar benefits in a shorter amount of time. A 2020 study published in the journal of the Federation of American Societies found that merely one HIIT session improves blood flow to the brain. The experimental group also improved their cardiorespiratory capacity, the ability of the heart and lungs to deliver oxygen to the body.
#7- HIIT Reduces Blood Pressure & Lower Blood Sugar
HIIT workouts can also help to lower blood pressure and blood sugar level, both of which are risk factors for heart disease.
A 2017 study published in Experimental Gerontology performed a HIIT workout five days a week for six weeks. The group had “clinically relevant improvements in blood pressure” and on average a reduction of about 5.5 mm/HG by the end of the study. The study also found that performing HIIT workouts resulted in a more immediate reduction in blood pressure as opposed to a steady-state cardio session.
Getting Started With HIIT
There are many ways to add high-intensity intervals to your workout regimen. Whether you want to build lean muscle, burn more fat or just switch up your mundane routine, our 30 Day HIIT Challenge is a great place to start.
Click Here to Join or Fitzone30 30 Day Challenge!
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