What is HIIT?
High-Intensity Interval training (HIIT) is a workout routine that combines high, medium, and low-intensity exercises. Some HIIT workout plans include short periods of breaks. The combination and the ratio of exercises can vary, depending on what you want to do.
The basic example could be sprinting up the stairs and then walking back down. It seems easy, but once you repeat the exercise or combine more exercises, it gets tougher. You need to push at the maximum level of effort and rest on the breaks or the low-intensity exercises.
But what the HIIT hype all about?
HIIT is not just a hype. It actually works. From improving your cardiovascular fitness to burning fat, HIIT proves to be the most efficient of all.
The fitness industry has been talking about it for a few years. It’s fast and intense, which gets your heart racing. Research also shows that it is the best way to burn fat in the shortest amount of time. In other words, it might be the fastest way to make your clothes soaking wet.
Why HIIT Works?
As HIIT involves some short bursts of physical work, it forces the individual to work at their full capacity. For this reason, HIIT is considered VO2 Max – the maximum rate of oxygen consumption while exercising.
VO2 MAX triggers the afterburn effect, which means the body continues to burn and consume oxygen even hours after the workout. Some research suggests that the body burns fat for at least 48 hours after the HIIT session.
HIIT gives results faster than your conventional and prolonged cardio and aerobic exercises. Moreover, it does not even need equipment for the best and most exercises.
It has become a popular method in the fitness industry because it can be done anywhere without equipment, takes less time to finish a session, and burns fat quicker than any other workout.
Who should do HIIT workout?
HIIT is simply for everyone. Particularly, for those looking to shred fat and achieve a leaner body. You also gain muscle strength and strengthen your core.
Research shows that HIIT is a great anti-aging workout. Mitochondrial activity declines as you age, which is required to generate energy within cells. Declining mitochondrial leads to more fatigue and an inability for the muscle to burn fat and blood sugar. Studies show that HIIT not just halts the declining mitochondrial activity, but reverses it.
A research team at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota headed by Dr. Sreekumaran Nair held a test on HIIT. The test showed that interval training boosted mitochondrial activity by 49 percent in younger volunteers, and 69 percent in the older age group.
HIIT has significant benefits for every age group. However, it may also come with some risks for people prone to injuries.
How will HIIT benefit you?
1. Improve your cardiovascular fitness better than aerobic and anaerobic exercises.
2. Burn fat faster for a leaner body and strong core while you retain lean body mass.
3. Work out anytime and anywhere without any equipment.
4. Burn calories while resting, even 48 hours after your HIIT session.
5. Condition your body for greater athletic endurance.
6. Increase your stamina and get conditioned for long hours of intense workouts.
7. Condition your body faster for sports requiring greater intensity.
8. Boost your metabolism for greater weight loss.
9. Mix up your HIIT exercises and prevent the boredom of monotonous exercises.
10. Save lots of time compared to regular aerobic and cardio workouts.
How do I get started and prevent injury?
HIIT is a strenuous workout and may have some exercises which may cause injuries for people who are not so physically fit. Due to its intensity, there might be a chance of straining yourself if you overwork.
1. Best Practice is to get started with the easier workouts to prevent any injury.
2. Make sure you are wearing proper gym clothes for the best results.
3. Start at a medium pace for the first week. If sprinting is fast-paced, then we suggest you jog.
4. Due to its high intensity, give at least one day gap to your HIIT workout. We advise HIIT sessions a maximum of four times a week.
SquatWolf HIIT Workout Plan
SquatWolf HIIT Beginners is the best way to get started on your HIIT workout. It is designed to give you the lowest impact on your joints with maximum results.
SquatWolf HIIT Encore is designed for people who are prepared for greater intensity. We highly recommend starting with the beginner workout. Any injury may cause you to rest for an extended time.
Once you find your rhythm, then you may jump to Encore.
Please note: Our workouts are designed to give you a whole body experience which aims to give you muscle strength, burn fat, strengthen the core, and boost endurance plus stamina.
FAQs
What type of HIIT is most effective?
HIIT isn't one exercise - it is a routine you design combining several different exercises. Based on your age, weight, and fitness level, the most effective HIIT for you will vary. For instance, if you're an absolute beginner, then doing 30 seconds of jumping jacks will have you breathless. But if you're a seasoned pro, you're probably going to feel nothing and would have to do 4-5 sets of 30 seconds of jumping jacks to get your heartbeat up.
Based on what works for you, you can come up with a highly tailored HIIT program that combines resistance training and cardio exercises. This could mean adding jogging, running, swimming, cycling, etc. for cardio and adding squats, deadlifts, bench presses, rows, curls, etc. for resistance training.
What HIIT exercise burns the most fat?
You can't just do one exercise to burn fat - you need to create a 10-20 minute long HIIT routine for this. For a beginner-friendly routine, go for mountain climbers, bodyweight push-ups, squats, Russian twists, spiderman planks, and jumping jacks. You can also add resistance to your exercises with free weights or resistance bands to build muscle and burn fat. In addition, if you're working out at the gym, you can also add battle rope exercises to your routine.
Remember, you can't just burn fat with HIIT or any other type of workout. You need to pair this up with the right diet that's protein-rich and wholefood-focused to help you build lean mass and give you energy throughout the day. You also need to maintain a slight calorie deficit in order to burn fat.
What are the 4 types of HIIT?
There is no HIIT workout routine that's etched in stone - it's a combination of different exercises and varying training styles that get you in the high-intensity mode. However, here are the 4 main types of HIIT:
- Cardio HIIT: To do Cardio HIIT, you can add treadmill hill sprints, assault bike, and rower sprints into your routine.
- Weighted HIIT: For this, you can do some of the resistance training exercises with a twist. This includes power presses, dumbbell or barbell snatches, weighted squat thrusters, med ball slams, kettlebell swings, etc.
- Bodyweight HIIT: If you don't have access to dumbbells, resistance bands, or gym equipment, you can also do HIIT without weights. You can add jumps to your squats and lunges. You can also do box jumps, tuck jumps, burpees, high knees, and jumping jacks.
- Full body HIIT circuit: To hit every muscle, you can instead go for a complete top-to-bottom workout circuit. Add burpees, pushups, lunge jumps, and power presses in a circuit, giving 60 seconds to the exercise and 30 seconds of rest in between.
Are 20 minute HIIT workouts effective?
Yes, a 20-minute HIIT workout session is effective. In fact, if you're hitting the full range of motion in every rep and consistently working out with high intensity, despite a short period of time, you will see positive results such as burning fat and losing weight. This is because if you really want to see results, you have to focus on contracting your muscles (especially during resistance training) rather than how many reps or sets you can do. As long as you're working out regularly, consuming a protein-rich and low-fat diet, and maintaining a calorie deficit, you will see great results.
