Interval Training pt. 2

Hopefully after reading the first blog regarding interval training, some of you were inspired to try and incorporate HIIT into your workouts in some way, shape, or form. I know that without much information it can be difficult to implement new techniques into a workout, so here is a detailed explanation of the most common forms of HIIT workouts. 


- 30 Second HIIT - “The 30 Second HIIT workout is the ideal place to start with Interval training. If you are aiming at training above your lactate threshold you need to go fast enough to feel that the last few seconds feel almost impossible to keep running. Everything in your body should be burning.” - Elite Fitness During the 30 Second HIIT, the work period is only thirty seconds. If you are having a hard time getting to the point where you feel like your muscles are burning, you need to pick up the intensity and try to make it through the remainder of your sets.

Beginners: 6-8 sets 30 second intervals with 90 seconds rest total workout 15 minutes
Intermediate: 8-10 sets 30 second intervals with 60 seconds rest total workout 15 minutes. (If you are going all out and still having a hard time feeling a burn with 90 seconds rest, it is probably best to move into the intermediate range.)
Advanced: 10-12 sets 30 second intervals with 30 seconds rest total workout 15 minutes. (When the intermediate intervals become easier, it is most likely best to move into the advanced range.)

- 60 Second HIIT - “The 60 second intervals completely exhaust your muscles of their stored energy, this energy will take 24hr to 48 hrs to replenish. This HIIT training is superb for immediate fat burning and weight loss.” - Elite Fitness The difference between the 30 second HIIT and the 60 second HIIT is the length of time you have to work at a high level. It is best to begin the 60 second HIIT after a few weeks of 30 second HIIT.

Beginners: 6-8 sets 60 second intervals with 120 seconds rest total workout 22 minutes
Intermediate: 8-10 sets 60 second intervals with 90 seconds rest total workout 22 minutes. (If you are going all out and still having a hard time feeling a burn with 120 seconds rest, it is probably best to move into the intermediate range.)
Advanced: 10-12 sets 60 second intervals with 60 seconds rest total workout 22 minutes. (When the intermediate intervals become easier, it is most likely best to move into the advanced range.)

- Tabata Training - “Tabata interval training is the single most effective type of high intensity interval training, its also the most intense by far, and surprisingly its the shortest in duration, it only last for four minutes, but those four minutes produce remarkable effects.” - Dr. Izumi Tabata

Dr. Tabata came up with this technique of HIIT at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo. What he discovered is that the interval training burns more fat than aerobic training and builds as much muscular endurance as 45 minutes of normal cardio. The most important thing to remember is that Tabata training is EXTREMELY intense despite only lasting 4 minutes. It is very important to warm up before training with this method. If you are going to use weights, it is best to go lighter and be able to finish than going too heavy and ending up on the floor.

Tabata intervals are 20 seconds hard and 10 seconds rest for 8 sets.

Tabata intervals can be difficult to track, so it is best to do them with a partner or use a timer that is specifically made for Tabata training. You also want to focus specifically on larger muscle groups, you will see little results if you are focusing on smaller muscle groups. Finally, this type of training is not to be done every day. “If you can do this every day, you’re doing it wrong.” 


- Body For Life HIIT - “The Body for life HIIT Training routine comes from a workout made famous by Bill Phillips. The Body for life HIIT training routine has four sets of increasing intervals. Each of these intervals is 1 minute long. Each set is four minutes long.” - Elite Fitness

I had never heard of this type of training referred to as Body For Life HIIT, but I have done it several times in the gym and gotten a great workout from it. It starts at a level 6 (fast jog), after one minute you increase to level 7, after a minute you increase to level 8, and finally after a minute you increase to level 9. After a minute at level 9 you return back to level 6. The final set starts the same as the first 3, but your last interval is at a level 10. If you are doing this on a treadmill you can you the speeds to set your levels. Just remember to adjust the speed according to your ability and wear the safety lanyard in case you cannot keep up with the belt.

Hopefully, with this information you will be able to make your workout shorter and much more effective. I know that I am noticing far greater results in the gym with both strength and endurance after implementing HIIT into my workouts. The biggest benefit is no longer being in the gym for over an hour. Remember, it is very important to warm up before any of these workouts. Also keep in mind the other suggestions from the previous interval training blog.

Interval Training pt.1

Working in different gyms as a personal trainer has exposed me to many different approaches to working out. In terms of increasing strength and burning fat, high Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is vastly superior to other forms of exercise. It is extremely effective at burning calories because the heart rate is increased to a level optimal for fat utilization (burning fat!). Also, when you are in a resting period during the workout, the heart is given a chance to decrease its beats per minute (BPM). Increasing and decreasing your BPM makes the heart much more effective at pumping more oxygen per beat (VO2 max). One of the greatest benefits of interval training is that it makes your body burn calories for hours after your workout. HIIT is sometimes referred to as Surge or Burst Training and involves both cardio exercises as well as exercises with weights. Although HIIT is an approach to working out that has been around for a while, has not really caught on. Spending an hour walking on a treadmill is certainly better than doing nothing at all, but in terms of exercise, it definitely wastes a lot of valuable time. The most important distinction between HIIT and other forms of interval training is the amount of time needed for a workout. Excluding warmups and cool downs, HIIT lasts no longer than 20 minutes.

Some key points to make HIIT as effective as possible:

• Keep it under 20 minutes - 20 minutes may not seem like a long enough time to get an effective workout in, but keep in mind that “the goal of HIIT is to keep an anaerobic state (without oxygen) for a long cumulative time.” During a 20 minute workout an average person would spend maybe 10 to 12 minutes at a hard pace, beginners would start at about 6 to 9 minutes and work their way up.
• Know how hard you need to be working - During your sprint stages you should be working at a level 10 out of 10, beginners would want to start at about an 8 and work their way up to 10. During your rest stages you will want to drop down to around a 3. To get an idea of what each number would be think of it as 1 is pretty much standing still, 5 is a light jog and 10’s running as if a lion was chasing you for dinner.
• Use major muscle groups - When doing HIIT, it is best to use larger muscle groups because the workout aims "to tap the energy sources found inside the muscle. The larger the muscle group being exercised, the more the benefit.” Muscle groups from largest to smallest are legs, back, core, chest, and arms.
• Do HIIT every second day - It is important to allow your muscles to recover after a HIIT workout. Remember, your are working your muscles as hard as they can go for an extended amount of time. If your muscles are not given the opportunity to replenish all of the energy they lost, your next workout will be ineffective.
• Remember to eat right - For a long time, it was thought that the most effective way to burn fat was to do HIIT on an empty stomach, but research has shown that those assumptions are totally incorrect. It is best to eat something light and easily digestible 30 minutes before training. I like a protein shake or a piece of grilled chicken.
• Warm up - Warming up is extremely important when training. I cannot stress this enough. Imagine grabbing a rubber band that has been sitting in the freezer for a few hours. What would happen if you stretched the rubber band to its limits. SNAP! Now imagine what would happen if you stretched the rubber band lightly for a few minutes before going to its limits. Your muscles are the just like that rubber band. If you do not give them enough time to warm up they too can snap. Also, save stretching for when your workout is finished. Stretching when you’re cold will only lead to pulling a muscle.
• Cool down - When I was younger, I never really understood the importance of a good cool down. It wasn’t until after a track practice my junior year of high school that I realized how valuable it was. We were doing 800 meter interval sprints with 400 meter rests. After we finished I just sat down without stretching. When I got up, my legs were like bags of cement and because my heart rate dropped too fast, I got sick. A cool down only takes 5 minutes and it will really help decrease soreness.
• Alternate interval routines - Like all types of workouts, the routine needs to be changed after 6 to 8 weeks. There are several types of HIIT programs and changing them up will keep the muscles guessing and achieve greater results. The routines include 30 second intervals, 60 second intervals, tabata training, and Body for Life HIIT. These routines will be discussed in depth in future blogs.

References:

1. http://www.intervaltraining.net/Interval_training_for_beginners.html
2. http://www.intervaltraining.net/highintensityintervaltraining.html