Have you ever wondered what that person is doing who is sprinting and then resting a lot, but they look fantastic? They’re not crazy, they are doing HIIT!

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is all the rage at the moment in the fitness industry, and for a very good reason – it gets results, fast!

Exercise professionals, athletic coaches, personal trainers and group fitness instructors have taken the methods of HIIT and implemented these into cardio, circuit and strength sessions to increase fitness levels, increase metabolism and lose fat. Tabata classes are currently run at Aqualink Nunawading, and all cycle classes use this training protocol to get the best out of the participants. HIIT can be completed in many different ways, from cycling, treadmill, crosstrainer to running outdoors, swimming and circuit sessions.

So what is the secret? All you need is a short burst of maximal effort followed by a rest period and repeat.

Typical HIIT sessions last anywhere from 4 minutes up to 30 minutes. Work to rest ratios vary depending on fitness ability and experience of the person taking part in the workout. Beginning with a ration of work to rest of 1:2 is a good start eg. 20 sec sprint:40 sec recovery. Over time bring this to a 1:1 ration eg. 30 sec spring:30 sec recovery and then 2:1 eg. 20 sec sprint:10 sec recovery. In the end you can be in control of your workout and the time period for each maximal effort and recovery phases. The key is that the work phase is maximal effort and the recovery is a quick chance to catch your breath before going again. Watch the clock and don’t let the short recovery phase double or triple…

So why should I do it?

Increase in aerobic ability – your fitness will go through the roof. Studies have shown significant increases in fitness after participants completed as little as 7 interval sessions.

Increase in metabolism – Metabolism is your bodies “engine”, this is what burns energy throughout the day. The higher your metabolism, the more your body requires energy, the more energy you burn, the greater your weight loss capacity. Studies have shown that when HIIT is compared to steady state exercise (slow long distance cardio exercise) participants have significant reductions in total body fat and abdominal fat.

Decrease in cardiovascular disease – HIIT has been shown to decrease blood pressure and cholesterol which are key markers for cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, angina and heart attacks. Any exercise is good exercise for these risk factors, but HIIT decreases them at a faster rate (note safety guidelines below)

Improve insulin sensitivity – this decreases the risk of diabetes and also allows the body to effectively control blood glucose levels. Anyone who is prediabetic or diabetic needs to control their blood glucose levels, HIIT allows the body to control this through the release and use of insulin.

Decrease in fat –many  weight loss programs involve crash dieting and slow cardio, this will help to quickly lose weight, however a lot of this weight loss is water from muscle, not the dangerous fat around our vital organs. To increase health and appearance it is more beneficial to decrease fat and maintain muscle mass. HIIT produces hormones that maintain lean muscle, and also burn through fat not only during the exercise session but for up to 48 hours after the session has been completed.

Due to HIIT training being at a high intensity, people who have been living a sedentary lifestyle or are overweight may have an increased coronary disease risk. Family history, cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol levels and obesity will increase the risk. Medical clearance is advised for anyone prior to beginning an intense exercise regime, or any training for that matter.

HIIT is hard work, but nothing great was ever achieved without effort. Adding a couple of interval sessions into your exercise regime will increase your fitness, assist in increasing your fitness, and decrease fat – what do you have to lose?