HIIT for the Holiday Season

Published in the Annapolis Sunday Capital December 19, 2010

If you’re planning on waiting until New Years to face the scale and get back on track due to a busy holiday schedule I have the perfect workout for you.  With high intensity interval training (HIIT), you can get a head start on your fitness goals for 2011.

This workout can assist you in burning off excess calories, help you look and feel great for all the social events on your calendar this month, and best of all it only takes 20-30 minutes.

After all, it’s tough to find the time for a lengthy workout session this time of year and it can be even more difficult than ever to deny all the sweet temptations, fancy cocktails, and indulgent meals.  Swapping a few steady state cardio sessions for a quick blast of high intensity intervals could be just the change your body needs.

What’s HIIT?

HIIT is a combination of high intensity exercise followed by short recovery periods. By alternating between high and low intensity intervals your heart rate remains at a higher rate for the entire workout meaning you burn more calories overall. Performing intervals at 80-90% maximum effort for 30-90 seconds gets your heart racing, but even during the brief recovery periods when you let your heart rate drop down to about 60-70% of your maximum heart rate your body is desperately trying to play catch up.

Therefore, the calories are still sizzling. 30 minutes of HIIT training can burn anywhere from 350-500 calories depending on your size and fitness level.

Multiple studies have shown that HIIT is beneficial for it’s fat burning effects. One of the first studies on HIIT was conducted at Laval University in Canada. For 20 weeks, one group performed steady state cardio working at a moderate intensity for an extended period of time, while the other group performed HIIT.

The HIIT group burned a significant amount of body fat compared to the steady state group.

A 2007 study in the Journal of Physiology reported that females who performed 7 HIIT workouts over 2 weeks increased their fat burning capabilities by 30%. One of the reasons for HIIT’s fat burning effect is the higher amount of human growth hormone (HGH) released during training. This hormone helps regulate metabolism, burn fat, and build lean muscle.

One of the most reassuring benefits of HIIT is that you can continue to burn more calories for up to 24 hours after the quick session is done. The American College of Sports Medicine reports that subjects who performed HIIT training burned nearly 10% more calories in the 24-hour period after the workout session compared to those who did steady state cardio.

HIIT makes you more efficient and improves endurance. The higher intensity level of the intervals calls upon the recruitment of more fast-twitch muscle fibers. These muscle fibers are better equipped for burning fat. By calling upon these muscle fibers more often you not only increase your fat burning abilities, but also improve your cardiovascular efficiency so you have more energy and endurance for all of life’s activities. 

HIIT FOR EVERYONE

Sounds like the miracle workout you’ve been in search of, huh? Well, despite HIIT’s tremendous fat-burning effects, it’s not always performed regularly by most, because it can be uncomfortable.  I see a lot more people walking at a steady pace for 40-60 minutes on the treadmill at the gym in hopes of losing weight than I see them sprinting or performing plyos with sweat dripping from their forehead. 

I have great news, though! HIIT can and should be done at your own level. I recommend performing HIIT according to your rate of perceived exertion (RPE). By working on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being so easy it feels like you’re sitting on the couch in front of the television and 10 feeling like you’re running for your life you can increase your fitness level and get all of the effects HIIT has to offer.

How to Perform HIIT

One thing I’ve learned as a trainer is that there are a lot of people out there who don’t want to run. With HIIT you don’t have to. It can be performed on any piece of cardio equipment. You can even use it in strength training by mixing in quick bouts of high intensity exercises like plyos or cardio intervals.

HIIT may be easier to do with a friend or within a group program. You have motivation to push yourself and get through the intervals. Plus, it makes any form of exercise more enjoyable. Try working out with a friend or join a class or program that features intervals.

Perform HIIT on non-consecutive days or with varying intensity. Working at a high intensity stresses the body, therefore you’ll need time to recover in order to get fit and reach your goals.

Now HIIT IT!

Below is a sample HIIT workout for you to mix into your training routine. This workout only takes 20-minutes making it perfect for the holiday season when you may be short on time. If you’re feeling the stress that the holidays can bring don’t turn to the sweet treats. Burn the fat instead and get stress out of your system during your working intervals. I guarantee you’ll feel better in no time!

20-minute HIIT Cardio Workout:

• Perform this workout in the gym on any piece of cardio equipment or outdoors
• Remember to work at your level following rate of perceived exertion
• To increase the intensity increase your speed, incline, or both