The chances are fitness enthusiasts already know something about high-intensity interval training, or HITT. But why is it so popular right now?
Obvious benefits of training in this way can be seen in the fast burn of calories and the relatively speed increase in fitness, but there is more to it than that. HITT also lets you get the maximum benefit from the time you have for exercise. In short, it’s a ‘get fit fast’ method.
What exactly is HITT?
You’ve probably heard the term mentioned a lot, even if you’ve never done a HITT workout. If you’re not completely sure what HITT is, and why exactly it’s so good for you, here are the basics.
It’s a workout that combines bursts of high-intensity exercise with intervals of much lower recovery phases. The American College of Sports Medicine advises that each interval should be between a few seconds up to a few minutes, depending on your fitness level.
The type of exercise you choose to do as part of your HITT workout is entirely flexible. If you want cardio, then you can do a version of HITT out running, by alternating sprints with jogging. Or you can hop on the elliptical or treadmill at the gym. As long as you do 30 minutes of all out fast exercise, immediately followed by a 60 second slower recovery interval, then you’re doing HITT.
A full-body HITT workout will include all kinds of bodyweight and strength exercises as well as cardio. These could be lunges, mountain climbers, planks, squats, burpees and many others. Perform the exercise for 20 seconds and follow it with an immediate 10 second rest. Do the whole thing twice or three times, depending on your fitness level.
Benefits of HITT
There are various benefits in exercising this way, including:
- HITT will boost your cardio fitness
HITT workouts give more of a boost to your cardio-respiratory health in a shorter amount of time than other forms of exercise.
- HITT could boost your overall health
Cardio gains lead to other holistic health changes. A study in the Journal of Physiology in 2012 showed that HITT is just as effective as more traditional endurance training for overall health. Specifically, they found a link between HITT and statistically improved health outcomes across a range of people, including those with congestive heart failure and coronary heart disease.
- HITT is very flexible
While hard-core athletes and gym goers have enthusiastically embraced HITT, some less fit people are put off by the perception that you must be a gym bunny to do it. The great thing about HITT is that it is totally customisable to your own level of fitness. As long as you get your heart rate up, and work through intervals, you’re doing HITT correctly.
- HITT means you can exercise anywhere
It’s much easier to fit into your lifestyle than getting to the gym. HITT workouts can, of course, be done at the gym, but they can also be done at home. You don’t have to use any equipment at all, as there are plenty of exercises that use your own body weight as resistance.
- You burn more calories with HITT in a shorter amount of time
The combination of working hard and rest periods boosts the number of calories you burn in a short time. A study in the Biology of Sport published in 2017 claims that HITT burns calories and boost cardio fitness in half the time taken for endurance cardio workouts.
- Your metabolism stays higher even after the HITT workout is finished
You can feel HITT working while you’re doing it, but it also helps you burn more calories for hours after you’re done working out. Because your body is still going at top speed, your metabolism remains at a higher rate due to excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). And the more intense your workout, the longer it will take for your metabolism to drop back down to its resting level.
The ideal way to use HITT effectively is to do full-body workouts based on strength. Always include both your upper and lower body movements to get the most out of it. Your rest periods should also always be ‘active recovery’. This doesn’t mean stopping completely and sitting down. The rest period can include core work, such as planks.
HITT isn’t an easy form of exercise, but it is good for you, effective and a great weight loss tool in your exercise armoury.
About Surya G. Iacono
Surya Iacono is a fitness and wellness expert and blogger based in London, UK. Surya’s fitness blogs are aimed at keen gym-goers and exercise fans already well into their journey and looking for tips, tricks and ideas to take it to the next level.