The term HIIT (HIT) means High-intensity interval training. This type of exercise is now on the top of the 2104 worldwide fitness trends. HIIT includes short and long sessions or circuits, of high intensity exercise. During this time, an athlete will bring their heart rate to possibly 90% max threshold. In technical terms, an athlete will spend several minutes at their Vo2max, which is their maximal oxygen uptake. It is said that by raising up ones’ heart rate and letting it decrease slightly, not to a full rest, the calorie burn is intensified by placing added focus on pushing cardio and muscular endurance to a new level. To find ones’ intensity level they can subtract 220-age x 40% for low intensity, 220- age x 60% for moderate and 220- age x 85 to 95% for vigorous. Mind you these calculations are merely a guide and a heart rate monitor is a good tool to have during an intense workout. The benefit to HIIT training is that you can easily self-monitor your own workout be changing the intensity level within the training session. For example, if you are working a Tabita which is 20 second on, 10 seconds’ rest, one might choose to perform at 90% intensity during the jumping squats, while working 60% during the sit-ups, thus giving yourself and active “rest”. Also, HIIT is available to all levels of athletes since the rep count or weight lifted during the specific time to be completely individualized. Lastly, a HIIT training session can burn a significant number of calories in a much shorter time periods because of the way it increases your VO2max and forces your energy system to create ATP at a higher rate. Those 2 hour sessions at the gym are going away now that HIIT has come into the fitness world. I will share more information regarding how to create your own HIIT workout in the upcoming blogs. Below is an article that might help shed some more light on this brand new fitness model and how it compares to other fitness models.
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AuthorStacie A. Zamperini M.Ed. Archives
February 2021
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