High Intensity Interval Training
Boost your metabolism and burn calories.
High Intensity Interval Training.
What is High Intensity Interval Training?
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) consists of (you guessed it) high intensity bursts of 100% effort followed by short recovery periods. By utilising this method of working out, you can keep your heart rate in the perfect ‘zone’ for burning more fat in less time. By working out in this way, your body is effectively experiencing a shortage of oxygen therefore creating an ‘after burn’ effect during your recovery periods, referred to as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).
A highly effective workout, our High Intensity Interval Training sessions cater for both beginners looking to start their fitness journey as well as athletes wanting to take their progress to a higher level. If you are aiming to feel good, strengthen your body and burn calories, even on a busy personal schedule, then HIIT is an ideal workout for you.
It’s important to note, if you are just beginning to try HIIT, that you remember it is an exhaustive workout. Knowing your limits and to what level to exert yourself will make for a far more efficient workout than having no structure to your sessions. At Go-FitUK our personal trainers have years of experience of using HIIT to benefit different body types and level of fitness and assisting people in burning calories effectively.
What Are The Benefits of HIIT?
Boosts Your Metabolism
Thanks to EPOC, you’ll be burning fat even after you have completed your workout for up to 48 hours.
Fast and Convenient
You can complete your HIIT workout in about 30 minutes or less, allowing for flexibility during your busy personal schedule
No Equipment Necessary
If the thought of using weights or tackling workout equipment doesn’t quite get you motivated, don’t worry! HIIT can be done using your own body weight and focuses on increasing your heart rate.
Flexibility
High Intensity Interval Training can be modified and scaled for different fitness levels and medical conditions. It can include a variety of workouts such as bodyweight exercises, cycling, swimming, walking, running and much more.
With Go-FitUK, you will have a personal trainer on hand to guide you through the most efficient and safe techniques when doing High Intensity Interval Training. This will ensure your risk of injury is minimal and that you are getting the most out of your HIIT class. You will have a far better experience and a fun workout with a Personal Trainer, which will have you hooked on High Intensity Interval Training in no time!
More About HIIT
High Intensity Interval Training, as the name suggests, is any “training” program that are performed in “intervals” at a “high intensity.” High intensity interval training, also called HIIT for short, are alternating periods of short high intensity activity with periods of low intensity recovery. The most popular exercise for HIIT is alternating sprinting with walking. Each sprint interval lasts between 5-30 seconds and each walk interval will also last between 5-30 seconds. The more fit you are, the higher the work to rest ratio will become. For example, if you’re really fit, you might be sprinting for 30 seconds and walking for 10. Someone that is less fit might be sprinting for 10 seconds and walking for 30. The total session length varies between 5-20 minutes, and because of the intensity, should only be done 3 days a week. When added together, that’s a maximum of only 60 minutes of exercise per week!
So what’s the science behind this? When the body goes through intense activity, it needs to be able to keep up with the energy demand. One way of doing so is by secreting high levels of fat-releasing hormones known as catecholamines into the bloodstream. The more catecholamines, the more quickly fat is broken down into free fatty acids. Free fatty acids are then used to replenish energy stores. Studies have also shown that HIIT creates a strong EPOC effect. EPOC, short for excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, is the extra oxygen your body needs in order to recover after an intense activity. The more oxygen you take in also means more calories are being burned. This effect can last up to an amazing 24 hours after the workout. However, other studies have shown that the amount of calories being burned during EPOC isn’t all that much, where at most an extra 60 calories being burned.
There are also a few drawbacks. High intensity interval training is extremely strenuous. People might drop out of low intensity cardio because it’s long and boring, but people can just as easily drop out of HIIT because it’s just too hard. High intensity interval training might also cause joint pain due to the high impact, and over time, might lead to serious injuries if performed incorrectly. Also, low intensity cardio can actually be done every day. HIIT, however, requires ample recovery time, which can interfere other exercise routines.
