Talking HIIT: The basics
HIIT is all the rage right now. I mean, like everyone is doing it 😉
But seriously, HIIT training is definitely the best bang for your buck if you are looking to promote lean mass while torching as much fat and calories as possible for long after your workout.
WHAT IT IS EXACTLY: HIIT protocol is pretty basic. Plain and simple, you spike your HR up and drop it back down, then repeat. Over and over. These intervals can be cardio or weight focused.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR WORKOUT HIIT: My personal opinion and what I have seen get the best results with myself and my clients is spiking their heart rate into the bottom of Zone 5 and then doing an active recovery or complete rest until they drop into the bottom of Zone 3 and then repeat.
I always practice Zone 5 to Zone 3 method with active recovery in between. By no means am I saying this is the only way, but this is what I have seen to work the best with my experience. I don’t recommend resting for time in between (30,60,90 seconds) because everyone will be different and have different recovery times. To make it authentic, once your heart rate gets back to the bottom of Zone 3 (however long it takes) then you know it’s time to do your next interval! Make sense?
I do recommend using a HR monitor (preferably PEARsports where you can also get tons of HIIT workouts for free on their APP along with the heart rate strap (www.pearsports.com)). If you are not using a HR monitor then yes, you will need to work and rest for timed intervals. I would say rest or do an active recovery for 30 seconds – 2 Minutes in between intervals depending on your fitness level.
HIIT INTERVAL EXAMPLE:
A) Dumbbell Burpee Row to Pushup (Until you hit Zone 5)
B) Bicycle Crunch (Until you hit Zone 3)
THE AFTERBURN EFFECT: By spiking and dropping your heart rate in this manner your body will be demanding energy and oxygen from your body. It will be demanding oxygen so fast that your body will not be able to keep up, and this is what we want! This will cause our bodies to go in to what we call “oxygen debt”. You know you are in oxygen debt when you are feeling the lactic burn and fatigue and you are breathing heavy! This is going to keep your body working hard long after you have completed your workout so it can ‘repay’ this oxygen debt. Sometimes more than 24 hours after your workout.
The Fit Life...Knocked up! 