Just What Is High-Intensity Interval Training?

June 23rd, 2010 posted by Guest Author

Modern-day scientists and researchers have come up with so many different types of exercise routine that they believe can help to contribute to a healthy and fit human body. The range of theories is so wide and vast as it relates to getting the best results from exercise that people sometimes get confused about which type of exercises to do. To clear up any doubt, one of the most significant and effective methods of exercise is high-intensity interval training. As you read on, you will realize that this type of training program has been proven for many people to provide very good calorie burning during a workout.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is known by many as sprint interval training. The intention behind the strategy of this routine is for your overall performance to be improved with much shorter exercise sessions. HIIT is a type of cardiovascular workout routine that gives your body a chance to burn fat using short and high-intensity workout sessions.

A normal HIIT workout session could range from 9 to 20 minutes in total. The theory behind this work would routine sets a 2 to 1 ratio for workouts leading into recovery periods. This means, for example, that a runner who does hard sprinting for 15 to 20 seconds will then end up jogging or walking for 10 seconds after each stint.

With most HIIT sessions, there are warm-up exercises that are done first, which are then followed by 6 to 10 repetitions of high-intensity workout exercises. It is important to note that the high-intensity reps are broken up by medium intensity reps of different exercises, and it all comes to a stop with one session of cooling down exercises. The recommendation is for high-intensity exercises to be done at near maximum intensity, while the medium intensity exercises should be done at about 50% intensity.

HIIT is thought to be a great way to get the most results from your workout if time is limited in your case. The idea is to at least accomplish six cycles of exercises and ensure the entire program lasts between 15 and 20 minutes. Try not to go less than 15 minutes or exceed the 20 minute mark. People have noted that doing HIIT sessions has been able to significantly improve their overall athletic performance. If you are the type of person who has reached your maximum level in terms of fitness, you can still continue to use high-intensity interval training to improve your endurance performance.

From the information provided, you should be able to realize that high-intensity interval training is not a technical type of routine. The exercises are very simple and in many cases have been proven to result in maximum burn and overall fitness. If you are someone who hates going to the gym or if you really have time constraints, you should definitely consider this type of exercise routine.

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