One of the biggest excuses for not exercising regularly is a lack of time. HIIT training is so time-efficient that, when done right, it could give you the same health benefits in 30 minutes as you can get from 60-90 minutes of steady-state training.
HIIT training is any exercise that alternates periods of high-intensity work followed by periods of rest. For a HIIT workout to be effective, exercise should be performed to the point of breathlessness or at least an eight on a scale of one to 10, and rest should be long enough to recover control of your breathing.
There are many different kinds of HIIT training such as Tabata, Fartlek (running) and AMRAP (as many reps/rounds as possible).
Tabata timing is very specific in that it is eight rounds of an exercise done all-out for very short periods: only 20 seconds with 10 seconds of rest between each exercise. A complete Tabata is equal to four minutes. After four minutes, rest for at least one minute before doing a second round of Tabata. When doing a Tabata workout, you can choose the same exercise and repeat it eight times, or choose two to eight different exercises to vary the workout. For example, alternating between two high intensity exercises like burpees and mountain climbers for four minutes in 20/10 intervals should leave you breathless and your body should need the minute (or longer) to recover.
Fartlek means to play with different speeds. This type of interval training is typically on longer runs and simply means mixing in periods of faster speeds mixed with slower running. For a beginner, this might mean alternating between a jog and a walk. For others, it might mean alternating periods of sprinting with jogging. Fartlek is non-specific, meaning the length of the intervals are up to the runner. For example, you may choose to sprint to the next corner or jog to the lamppost. Although this type of training is common amongst runners, it can apply to any kind of exercise. You can turn up the speed on a Stairmaster or the resistance on a stationary bike for just as long as you decide before going back down to a lower intensity, turning any workout in to a HIIT workout.
In an AMRAP workout, the goal is to get in as many rounds or reps as possible of a specific exercise in a given time. It is easy to track progress. If you start out with doing 10 push-ups in one minute, you may find yourself able to do 30 push-ups in that same one-minute time period after a few weeks. Another example might be a series of four exercises done in succession for a specified number of repetitions. As you get stronger and fitter, you will be able to complete more rounds in the same amount of time. It is important to note that you should not sacrifice form for speed. You will get much better results doing the exercises properly rather than rushing through them.
HIIT training, like any other form of training, requires a warm up of five to seven minutes. Warm-up exercises should include moves that mimic how your body will move in the actual workout, should build in intensity, and get your heart rate up. Always follow your workout with a cool-down and a stretch of the muscles you worked.
Angela Fulgieri is a Program Director for the Tampa Metropolitan YMCA. Write her at observerfitness@ gmail.com.