Its great to see more and more people rejecting hours slogging away at a steady pace on a treadmill and getting on the gym floor, but with so much info out there its hard to make sure you're doing everything right.
There are many different methods to 'tone up' and trim fat, but for those out there who hate the gym and have busy lives HIIT will become your new best friend!
(Me after a sweaty HIIT session on the treadmill!)
What is HIIT?
Essentially HIIT works by playing with your heart rate, taking it to its max, letting it chill out and then taking right back up again! Not only do you sweat bucket loads doing it but unlike steady state cardio (running/rowing/cycling at one speed for a long period of time) you continue to burn fat after you step out of the gym, not just for a few hours but up to 48hours after!
So ignore how many calories it says you've burnt on the machine- because you'll be burning a hell of a lot more!
How to HIIT
HIIT workouts don't have to involve cardio kit, but its the easiest place to start. Simply choose your fave piece of kit (for me its either the treadmill or rower) and find a comfortable 'rest' speed and a comfortable 'sprint' speed.
Once you've played about with this next you need to choose your timing. I personally like to work at a work:rest ratio of 1:1 but if you're new to HIIT then i'd recommend 1:2.
For example 30second all out sprint on the treadmill followed by 30seconds of walking- continue this pattern for 15-20mins and if you've done it right then by the end of this you'll be ready for home!
How to be good at HIIT!
This bit is really important to so listen up! HIIT works according to your personal fitness levels and your heart rate!
If you have low fitness levels then to begin with a walk will be your rest and for your 'sprint' a fast walk or gentle jog will probably get your heart pounding. If you're super fit then make sure you're not slacking! Your rest period could be a gentle jog and sprint could be 15kph on a steep incline!
The key to doing HIIT right is making sure you work to YOUR maximum during your sprint.
Variations on HIIT
If cardio isn't your thing, then HIIT can be applied to other forms of exercise.
Simply pick out 5 of your fave exercises (bodyweight/kettle-bells/med balls etc normally work best for this), and work flat out for 30seconds and rest for 30seconds- rest for 1min after you've completed the circuit, then go again!
Your maximum workout time should be around the 20min mark- any more and you need to up the anti! Never up the time, you shouldn't be able to manage more than 20mins of HIIT if you're working hard enough.
A good example HIIT workout could look like this:
Jump squats
Press Ups
Burpees
V-sits
Overhead press with squat (med ball or dumbbells work best)
Work 30sec, 30sec rest. 1min rest between circuits. Repeat x 4
So what you waiting for? Get HIIT'in and get lean!
Kirsty x
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