MINDBODY
Photo by Nicole De Khors from Burst
By: Jess Appel, ACSM Certified Master Level Personal Trainer, CrossFit Level 1 Trainer
HIIT workouts are all the rage and have been gaining popularity for a number of years. All the way back in 2014, HIIT workouts made the American College of Sports Medicine’s list of fitness trends. This highly efficient training modality continues to hold steady for top fitness trends in 2018. If you haven’t tried this fun and effective method of training, here’s everything you need to know.
What is a HIIT Workout?
HIIT or high intensity interval training just means short, intense or all out bursts of exercise. The workout interval is then followed by short active or passive recovery periods. There are a number of ways to execute HIIT workouts. You can try it Tabata style or as simple as one minute on one minute off. You can utilize any type of exercise. Running, rowing, plyometics, body weight movements, olympic lifts and traditional strength training exercises are all common choices. The possibilities are endless and that’s exactly what makes HIIT workouts so exciting and easy to incorporate into your fitness routine.
Why are HIIT Workouts So Popular?
- It Works!
HIIT will increase your metabolic rate and reduce insulin resistance. This means fat loss comes easier and more quickly. The increase in metabolic rate continues long after your workout is complete. So, later in the day when you’re sipping cocktails, your oxygen consumption (i.e. caloric expenditure) remains elevated while working muscle cells restore themselves to pre-exercise levels. Cheers to that!
- It’s Quick!
Ever dream of getting in and out of the gym in 30 minutes or less? Start utilizing HIIT workouts and that dream can become your reality. When working at max effort levels for short intervals you burn more calories in a much shorter period of time.
- It’s Flexible!
Want to get in a quick workout while traveling for work and the hotel gym only has dumb bells? No problem. Gotta train during your kid’s nap time and the only equipment you have is a yoga mat? Sure thing. Always bored with your fitness routine or craving diversity and exciting new moves? HIIT is for you! This is one of the most adaptable training styles. It is easy to adjust duration, interval length, movements and equipment used. Most exciting, you can literally design a calorie scorching workout with ZERO equipment! Goodbye excuses, hello six pack abs.
How Do I Do a HIIT Workout?
Designing your own HIIT workout is easy. First, decide how long you’d like your work out to last. Most high intensity workouts are relatively short in overall duration. Think 15-40 minutes max. Second, choose your interval work to recovery ratio. Popular options include 20 seconds on to 10 seconds off, 1:1 ratios where exercise to rest time is equal and 1:2 ratios where the rest interval is twice as long as the exercise interval. Finally, choose which movements you’d like to include.
With all these options HIIT workouts can get a little overwhelming. If designing your own workout makes your head spin we can help! Drop in to one of the following HIIT focused fitness classes.
- Amid’s TABATA REMIX | Mondays 6am or Wednesdays 6:15pm | Downtown location
- Tonja’s CAMP TABATA | Mondays 9:30am or Fridays 8:30am | 360 location
- Keith’s TOTAL TABATA + ABS | Mondays 5:45pm or Wednesdays 5:45pm | 360 location
- Chad’s CLASSIC TABATA | Mondays 6:30pm | Downtown location
- Chad’s ULTIMATE HIIT | Sundays 11:15am or Tuesdays 6:30pm | Downtown location
Jess Appel is excited by fitness because of its ability to truly transform lives. Carefully building a physically strong, well fed body changes the way you feel and interact with the world. After 15 years in the fitness industry, Jess has witnessed and directed a multitude of physical transformations and is an expert at helping clientele break through plateaus. Not only will Jess transform your physique and ignite your metabolic engine, she will radically revolutionize the way you feel in your body.
