High-Intensity Interval Training basics

A while ago, I heard about something called High-Intensity Interval Training. Then recently, I heard about it from another source and looked into it more seriously. It sounds promising. Here’s the rundown.

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT for short) is both an exercise philosophy and a “program.” The specifics vary a little depending on who you talk to, but the idea is that you can use short bursts of exercise to get stronger and burn more fat than with traditional aerobic exercise.

The key point (the thing that makes a program a HIIT program) is that you work very hard for a short amount of time, usually 30-60 seconds, and then recover (while still moving) for a similar amount of time. You do this several times, according to the plan you’re following—work, recover, work, recover…

I’ve seen this idea directed at both weight lifters and (hopeful) weight losers, but even when pitched to body builders, it’s typically promoted as a way to take the body fat percentage down and reveal the muscles that they work so hard to develop.

It’s not just a hype thing, either, as far as I can tell; the proponents run a rather remarkable gamut from heart doctors to muscle-heads. The story is that alternating between intense work and active rest brings up the metabolism—and keeps it up, for hours and hours after the workout ends.

Here’s the next great feature: the workouts themselves are short. The only real downside to this is that sometimes it makes it too easy to put the workout off—you tell yourself, “It’s only a few minutes. I can squeeze it in later.”

I’ve seen different program outlines, most ranging from about five to fifteen minutes. One doctor recommends ten minutes. The plan I like best (from looking at it!) is one that starts out at four minutes and works up to fifteen minutes over eight weeks.

In my next post, I’ll be discussing actual implementation. In the meantime, if you’re interested in learning more about the results of HIIT, take a look at this chart showing a comparison of HIIT vs. endurance exercise

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