Learn how to exercise properly to develop endurance and gain lean muscle at the same time. HIIT in Russian means high-intensity interval training (HIIT). This is not a new training system. After all, it was created several decades ago, but today it has gained immense popularity. In this article we will tell you in detail hiit training - what it is and introduce you to the principles of their organization.
There is nothing surprising in the popularity of HIIT, since in the course of numerous studies its superiority over other training systems has been proven. You may have heard of such an international organization as the Sports Science Association (ISSA). In one of his articles, its president, Dr. Hatfield, admitted that he had no idea how effective HIIT could be. This happened after visiting a military base, where high-intensity interval training is used in training the marines. Now Hatfield is one of the fans of the system and popularizes it with all his might. Let's take a look at what this system is and how the training process should be organized.
HIIT workout - what is it?
If you study the brochure of the American College of Sports Medicine, you can find the following definition of HIIT - a training technique that involves replacing short intense training cycles with less intense ones for recovery. An example of HIIT training is sprint races for 25 seconds, followed by slow walking for a minute. The total duration of this cycle is 10 minutes.
It must be said right away that HIIT can be used not only for cardio loads, but also in strength training. Most often, cardio exercises (running, walking, etc.) with a heart rate of 60 or 65 percent of the maximum are used to increase endurance. The duration of such classes is about 45 minutes and even more.
If HIIT is used, then it is assumed that there is a different, directly opposite approach to the construction of the training process. After high-intensity loads with a heart rate of 80–95 percent of the maximum (the duration of the stage can be from five seconds to several minutes), a recovery period follows. The duration of the second stage can be equal to intensive work or exceed this time.
Note that at the second stage, the athlete most often works with a heart rate of 40-50 percent of the maximum. The total duration of a lesson is from five minutes to an hour, although most often such workouts take 15-30 minutes.
How does the HIIT workout program work?
We told hiit training what it is, but not everyone still understood how this technique works. Here you just need to look at the body of a sprinter and a marathon runner. The second athlete runs long distances, but his body is not as attractive as many would like.
When you look at sprinters, they have powerful muscles and are very similar to the fitness models that appear in sports print media. When training short-distance runners, it is the HIIT system that is used. According to representatives of the ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine), HIIT is popular due to its superior results compared to classical cardio training.
Moreover, to achieve similar results when using HIIT, you will need much less time. The thing is that during training on this system, fat burning processes are more active. Note that most of the energy is burned not during the training itself, but after its completion, since the body actively consumes oxygen in order to recover as quickly as possible. Scientists call this process EPOC.
Let's note the main advantages of the HIIT system:
- Endurance increases and muscle mass is gained at the same time.
- Adipose tissue is utilized with minimal risk of loss of muscle mass.
- Insulin sensitivity increases and the body can use carbohydrates more efficiently for energy.
- The blood pressure decreases.
- The lipoprotein profile is normalized.
Is HIIT more effective for weight loss than classic cardio?
The answer to the question, hiit training, what is it, was received by us. Now we should turn to science and find out why HIIT is more effective in comparison with conventional cardio. Aerobic exercise has been used for many years by pro-athletes and amateurs to burn adipose tissue and increase endurance. However, if you understand the essence of the problem, then hourly cardio loads are not the most effective and quick way to fight excess weight. At this point in time, many research results have been published in which scientists compared the effectiveness of HIIT and classical cardio. Fitness experts agree that prolonged aerobic exercise forces the body to use fat stores for energy.
At the same time, they draw attention to the fact that if we consider the long-term perspective, then in terms of the final energy consumption, HIIT is significantly ahead of long-term cardio. As we noted above, this is due to the EPOC effect.
In the course of a large number of scientific studies of these two training systems, it has been proven that HIIT is the best way to fight fat. Add to that less time to achieve similar results and the choice of training system will be obvious. Among all the studies, the most revealing is an experiment conducted by Canadian scientists.
For this, two groups of subjects were selected, the first of which used classical cardio for five months, and the second HIIT for 15 weeks. As a result, scientists stated the fact that due to HIIT approximately twice as much energy was expended. After measuring the fat mass, it was found that the representatives of the second group lost nine times more fat in comparison with the subjects from the first.
Well-known sports medicine scientist Jim Stoppani in one of his articles refers to the results of another study, which gave almost similar results. The experiment was carried out two years later and women took part in it. The subjects were divided into two groups and trained as follows:
- Long-term cardio (duration 40 minutes) with a heart rate of 60 percent of maximum.
- Sprint races (duration 8 seconds) were followed by 12-second rest. The entire workout lasted 20 minutes.
After completing the study, it was found that in the second group, the subjects lost six times more fat and at the same time their workouts lasted half as much. The results obtained may seem fantastic to someone, but scientists have managed to establish the cause of what is happening.
They are confident that HIIT activates certain changes in metabolic processes, which leads to rapid lipolysis. Note that Stoppani claims that it is possible not only to get rid of excess fat using the HIIT technique, but also to gain muscle mass. As an explanation for this phenomenon, a well-known specialist speaks of an increase in testosterone concentration.
Examples of lessons on the HIIT program
The answer to the question, hiit training, what is it, will not be complete without explaining the basic principles of organizing classes according to the HIIT system. Fitness professionals have created training programs that take into account the duration, intensity and frequency of high-intensity stages.
You should be working at a heart rate of 80 percent of your maximum. If you rate the high-intensity stage as “hard” or “very hard”, then the loads were selected correctly. In the recovery phase, the intensity should be 40-50 percent of the maximum heart rate. Normal conversation in the absence of shortness of breath can be used as a subjective assessment of the load during the recovery period.
However, you should not rely on subjective assessments to get the best results. We recommend carrying out the following calculations using the famous Karvonen formula. The essence of the formula is a simple calculation of 220 - "age".
For example, the formula looks like this:
HR = [(220 - age) - HRp] x ITN + HRp
Where:
- HR is the recommended heart rate during cardio training;
- ITN is the planned intensity of the load. For the process of fat burning, it should be 60-80% of the maximum heart rate. In the ratio, this figure will be 0.6-0.8%;
- HRp - heart rate at rest.
And now in numbers, if you are a girl of thirty, the formula for you will look like this:
- HR = [(220 - 30) - 70] x 0.6 + 70 = 142 beats / min. This option shows the lower limit of the heart rate for the process of burning fat.
- HR = [(220 - 30) - 70] x 0.8 + 70 = 166 beats / min. This number shows the upper permissible heart rate limit.
Note! It is most effective to measure your heart rate 3-5 minutes after starting a cardio workout. In order not to calculate a whole minute, it is enough to measure the pulse in 15 seconds, then multiply it by four. As you can see, everything is quite simple and you can easily make all the necessary calculations yourself. Today there are many HIIT training programs. As an example, work on a stationary bike:
- 0.5 minute high intensity work.
- 1 minute recovery stage.
Repeat this cycle three to five times, which will be enough for beginners.
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