What does it take to develop lean sculpted body – fast ? Is there an exercise that give you 2x results in same amount of time. Read on to find out how HIIT can help you achieve your fitness goals quickly
If you are even a tad bit fitness 💪 conscious, you would have definitely heard about the new kid on the block.
This popular kid even has a nickname – a 4-lettered acronym called “HIIT” and is making even the fittest people huff and puff.
Meet High-Intensity Interval training (HIIT) – The sweaty 😅 weapon is being talked about by fitness professionals and general enthusiasts alike. Yet, not understood even by people who use it.
Her saying that made my day. And I would like to believe that she meant it. She soon boarded her bus and left for school, but thoughts lingered on.
It is in the repository of any and every kind of fitness class – right from personal fitness trainers to any sophisticated gym. HIIT has gained a lot of traction as it has emerged as one of the most effective ways of exercising your body in a limited amount of time. It promises almost instant results 📈 (as instant as possible in the world of well-sculpted lean bodies)
So is HIIT here to stay or is it just another passing fad?
What is HIIT 🤷 – Let’s Warm-up To it
HIIT is a specific type of workout where participants are expected to push extremely hard and exercise intensively for a short duration of time. This short burst of killer workout🥵 is followed by a rest/ recovery period and then a repeat of intensive exercise. The cycle continues for multiple rounds.
AT its core, an intensive workout is designed to ramp up your heart rate to 80 to 90% of your maximum capacity and then bring it back to 40 to 50% during the rest/ recovery period before pushing it up again.
The benefit is that your metabolic rate remains high not only during the period of the exercise but also afterward. The advocates of this extreme form of exercise say the benefits you reap from 30 minutes of HIIT routine are comparable to what you would get from 2 hours of less intense routines.
An example of a HIIT workout could include a few seconds of sprinting at maximum pace and then walking/ jogging for some time and then sprinting again. The idea of in-between slow walk/ jog is to bring down the heart rate as you prepare to pump up again
Some of the other examples of HIIT routine can include:
- 40 – 50 Sit-ups
- 20 – 30 Jump Squats
- 27 – 30 Push-ups
- 30 – 45 second burpees
Whatever you choose, you should ensure that you work your hardest – give close to 100% of your energy and rest as little as possible between each cycle.
You could choose one of the above or any combination thereof. You can come up with your own variation/ combo too.
Possibilities are endless. Mix and match your workout – just remember that the focus of any HIIT program is intensity. You push yourself really hard for a short duration of time, rest, and recover just enough to push hard again.
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Before we talk about the benefits of the HIIT routine, let us set the expectation right. Here are some of the things you should and should not expect if you are contemplating introducing a HIIT circuit in your fitness routine:
1. Building Muscle Mass ❌
- HIIT routine would definitely help you own a flauntable lean and toned body, but it is not known to help you get jacked ripped muscles.
So you might want to give the HIIT routine a miss if your goal is to become bigger by adding loads of muscle mass.
However, HIIT is known to help you develop strength, muscle tone, and a well-defined sculpted body
2. Bit of Soreness ✔️
Bit of soreness ✔️- A bit of body soreness is part and parcel of any new routine.
Given the high intensity of HIIT training be prepared for little aches, pains, and a bit of soreness, at least initially.
Usually, a light walk, jog rest, and a bit of stretching should take care of soreness/ stiffness. Consider taking a day off if need be. A good idea would be to build it up slowly so that your body gets time to build the endurance level.
Rest assured, the journey will become much easier if you bear the initial discomfort and stick on .
3. Risk Of Injury ✔️
Given the high impact of some of the HIIT routines like burpees, and jumping jacks the risk of injury and recovery time is higher. You might want to take expert help, at least initially to guide and keep you safe.
Increase the Pace ❤️🔥 – What are the Benefits of HIIT
Here are just a handful of reasons why you might want to incorporate HIIT into your fitness routine:
1. Keeps boredom at bay –
You might be surprised to know 90% of the people quit exercising within 3 months of joining a new routine. Boredom is among one of the top reasons cited by people to quit working out, no result, lack of time, etc. With HIIT there’s never a dull moment because :
- A fast-paced workout ensures you are challenged
- Quick results keep you motivated – as someone has rightly said “nothing succeeds like success”
2. Keeps your body on its toes
HIIT format throws constant surprises 😲. This prevents the body from hitting a plateau. For those of you who don’t know what it means – “hitting a plateau” in the fitness world means not getting results in spite of working out with the same intensity.
Ever seen a weighing scale refusing to budge even though you are working out just the same? Try different HIIT routines and see the result.
3. Helps lose weight ⚖️ and Fat
HIIT is one of the most time-efficient ways to not only get your adrenaline pumping but also to lose weight and burn loads of calories.
And that too just committing 20/30 minutes, a couple of times a week.
HIIT can greatly be helpful to reduce the weight and circumference of the waist. You lose faster with less work because of the high intensity of the routine.
Need evidence – a study on overweight and obese adults proved the efficiency of HIIT over traditional forms of exercising to reduce fat.
A word of caution here though – different people would see different results as weight and fat loss is dependent on other factors as well like diet, genes, and hormones
4. Higher Metabolic rate for a longer duration
A study further proved that metabolic rate post HIIT session continues to remain high even after exercise.
5 . Overall Health Benefits 💓
Benefits of HIIT are more than what meets your eyes ( a lean well-sculpted body). One HIIT study cites the following benefits to overall health:
- Reduction in heart rate at rest
- Better sugar levels
- Improvement in blood pressure
- Reduction of weight and obesity
You are sure to notice a significant improvement in endurance level if you do HIIT workout a couple of times a week. You will get a tremendous boost of energy from which you will definitely benefit in your day-to-day life as well.
6 . Kicks in happy hormones
Like any exercise, the benefits of HIIT transcend from just physical aspects. A study into HIIT by Texas university revealed what makes HIIT truly unique is that it boosts a mood elevation protein in the brain called BDNF. Shor period of intense workout encourages the production of serotonin – the happy hormone
7 . Do It Anywhere Workout
HIIT is a sure-shot way of burning excess fat as it creates a calories deficit far more effectively than other traditional exercises. Added bonus is that all you need to do a good HIIT routine is willpower. You can do it anywhere. In fact, you must have come across loads of youtube videos on HIIT routines – most of them are do-it-home routines.
Cool Down – Conclusion
HIIT is not for the weak-hearted. Don’t let the short duration misguide you. It is extremely intense.
Having said that, introducing a HIIT workout can motivate you to stick to your fitness routine as the likelihood of getting quick results is quite high. Try the HIIT routine 2/ 3 days a week and within a month you will see significant improvements.
You no longer have a “lack of time” as an excuse for not exercising. It is also a good way to start exercising if you haven’t been exercising for a long time.
So what is your take – do you think all the hype and talk around HIIT is worth it. Why don’t you try and check for yourself?
