By Nathan Shantz
HIIT Hits Two Birds with One Stone
Everybody wants to burn their belly fat off (and keep it off) while limiting the amount of time they need to spend at the gym. People nowadays are extremely busy, and don't have time to spend endless hours on the treadmill or elliptical. This is where High Intensity Interval Training comes in - it is extremely CONVENIENT (does not take up a lot of time), and EFFECTIVE (beats any other type of cardio - especially boring, regular cardio). However, before I get into it, I must make a disclaimer: it won't be easy. Don't tell me I didn't warn you!
So What is High Intensity Interval Training? (HIIT)
High Intensity Interval Training is a training method that is performed on the tread mill. Before you smite me for telling you to get back on the treadmill when it never has worked for you before, know that HIIT is much different from regular cardio. During regular, boring cardio you jog at a moderate pace for 30 minutes to an hour. With HIIT on the other hand, you perform a number of intervals which consist of jogging at a very slow pace, followed by short bursts of intense sprinting (hence the name). Here's what an interval could look like:
A Typical HIIT Interval
-Slow jog for 1 minute
-SPRINT (or go at a very fast pace) for 20 seconds
Sounds easy enough right?
Unfortunately You Don't Just Perform One Interval
During an HIIT work out for optimal results, you must perform 8 - 12 intervals. So following the interval template I laid out above, you would slow jog for a minute, then sprint, slow jog for a minute, then sprint, and repeat for 6 - 10 more times. This may seem like a pain, but it is essential for the fat burning processes to occur that I will talk about below.
Time Efficient, But Requires Focus
In terms of time, this is not much of a sacrifice - you should be able to hop on the treadmill and be done in under 20 minutes (even with a 2 minute cool-down). But in terms of effort, HIIT is a killer. After each successive interval, your body becomes more fatigued. The minute long "slow jogs" go by in what seems like a second. You start to breath very heavy, and will probably end up gasping for air after the last interval.
Why HIIT is So Effective (It Has Something to Do with Hormones)
Due to the amount of effort that you must expend during each sprint in an HIIT session, your body is forced to release a ton of natural human growth hormone (HGH). This release of hormones will help your body retain muscle mass AND rev up your metabolism. What this means is you are not only burning calories during the work out (like with regular steady-state cardio), you are also burning extra calories for up to the
next 48 hours!
A Note on Equipment
Although treadmills can be used with great results, HIIT can be performed on many different types of equipment. Bikes, ellipticals, and even running outside all work. Just make sure that the equipment allows you to perform the "sprint" portion of the interval with a flat-out intensity. Unfortunately, you might have to cross the Stair Masters off the list. Also, to make timing the intervals less of a pain, investing in a high quality interval timer is a great investment. I like Gym Boss's - they have a vibrate option to not draw attention to yourself, and they have a wide variety of intervals you can experiment with.
How Often Should I Perform HIIT?
Depending on your fat burning goals, you may want to perform HIIT anywhere from 2 - 4 times per week. Due to HIIT's inherent intensity, I would not recommend performing it more than 4 times per week.
Prepare to Get Your Best Fat Loss Results Ever
This is a powerful cardio technique, but there's a reason why most people don't do it. It's tough. But persevere through it for a few weeks and I promise you will be more than satisfied with the results!
Everybody wants to burn their belly fat off (and keep it off) while limiting the amount of time they need to spend at the gym. People nowadays are extremely busy, and don't have time to spend endless hours on the treadmill or elliptical. This is where High Intensity Interval Training comes in - it is extremely CONVENIENT (does not take up a lot of time), and EFFECTIVE (beats any other type of cardio - especially boring, regular cardio). However, before I get into it, I must make a disclaimer: it won't be easy. Don't tell me I didn't warn you!
So What is High Intensity Interval Training? (HIIT)
High Intensity Interval Training is a training method that is performed on the tread mill. Before you smite me for telling you to get back on the treadmill when it never has worked for you before, know that HIIT is much different from regular cardio. During regular, boring cardio you jog at a moderate pace for 30 minutes to an hour. With HIIT on the other hand, you perform a number of intervals which consist of jogging at a very slow pace, followed by short bursts of intense sprinting (hence the name). Here's what an interval could look like:
A Typical HIIT Interval
-Slow jog for 1 minute
-SPRINT (or go at a very fast pace) for 20 seconds
Unfortunately You Don't Just Perform One Interval
During an HIIT work out for optimal results, you must perform 8 - 12 intervals. So following the interval template I laid out above, you would slow jog for a minute, then sprint, slow jog for a minute, then sprint, and repeat for 6 - 10 more times. This may seem like a pain, but it is essential for the fat burning processes to occur that I will talk about below.
Time Efficient, But Requires Focus
In terms of time, this is not much of a sacrifice - you should be able to hop on the treadmill and be done in under 20 minutes (even with a 2 minute cool-down). But in terms of effort, HIIT is a killer. After each successive interval, your body becomes more fatigued. The minute long "slow jogs" go by in what seems like a second. You start to breath very heavy, and will probably end up gasping for air after the last interval.
Why HIIT is So Effective (It Has Something to Do with Hormones)
Due to the amount of effort that you must expend during each sprint in an HIIT session, your body is forced to release a ton of natural human growth hormone (HGH). This release of hormones will help your body retain muscle mass AND rev up your metabolism. What this means is you are not only burning calories during the work out (like with regular steady-state cardio), you are also burning extra calories for up to the
next 48 hours!
A Note on Equipment
Although treadmills can be used with great results, HIIT can be performed on many different types of equipment. Bikes, ellipticals, and even running outside all work. Just make sure that the equipment allows you to perform the "sprint" portion of the interval with a flat-out intensity. Unfortunately, you might have to cross the Stair Masters off the list. Also, to make timing the intervals less of a pain, investing in a high quality interval timer is a great investment. I like Gym Boss's - they have a vibrate option to not draw attention to yourself, and they have a wide variety of intervals you can experiment with.
How Often Should I Perform HIIT?
Depending on your fat burning goals, you may want to perform HIIT anywhere from 2 - 4 times per week. Due to HIIT's inherent intensity, I would not recommend performing it more than 4 times per week.
Prepare to Get Your Best Fat Loss Results Ever
This is a powerful cardio technique, but there's a reason why most people don't do it. It's tough. But persevere through it for a few weeks and I promise you will be more than satisfied with the results!
Nathan Shantz is an avid fitness enthusiast who gives advice to men who want to achieve the sexy underwear model look that attracts women. For men who want to totally transform their body, Visit his Website by Clicking this link... Lean, Muscular Physique Blog [http://www.nathanstrength.com]
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nathan_Shantz
No comments:
Post a Comment