High Itensity Interval Training (HIIT) Basics

One of the most effective way to get in shape and burn fat is through interval training.  Interval training is a type of workout which the focus is on the intensity of the workout and not how far you ran or how many repetitions you did of an exercise.  High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts are a way to get an effective workout in less time than you normally would by running on the treadmill for three miles. 

The thought process behind HIIT is that through doing a workout more intensely than an average workout you increase the heart rate, lessen the rest between exercises and burn extra calories and fat.  When you are done with a HIIT workout you will be hot, sweating and know that you just got a good workout. 

HIIT Treadmill Workout
HIIT treadmill workouts are great because you can do them even if you are just beginning to get back into shape or are just beginning to try these types of workouts.  Start out with a nice jog and then increase the speed by 1.5-2 miles per hour and try running at the new speed for 45 seconds - one minute.  Then go back to the previous jogging speed.  Then after 30 seconds increase the speed again for a 2- 2.5 miles per hour increase.  Continue doing this for 10-15 minutes or so.  The key is to vary the speed to keep your body confused about what is coming next. You should do a warm up and a cool down period with the workout.  You can also increase the angle while running to make it even more challenging.  Here is an example of a HIIT workout on  the treadmill from Trainer Josh .

HIIT At Home Workout
The same type of workout can be done at home.  Again the advantage to these exercises is that the time it takes to get a good workout is deminished and the workout is a good way to burn fat and get your heart rate up.  When doing exercises at home make sure all furnature or other objects are out of the way so you don't injure yourself or break anything. This would be similar to P90X or Insanity .  One guy that does a lot of HIIT routines at home is Mike Chang. Below is a video he did of a sample HIIT workout.

Try these exercises at have and see if you find these more effective at getting a good workout. Please let me know what you think.

I Think I'm Going to be Sore Tomorrow

Today I went to the gym and did an upper body workout.  I started with bench press.  I warmed up with 135 lbs and then did 10 reps each at 155 and 165.  It wasn't the most I've ever lifted but I am just starting to work out consistantly after not weight training for a while. 

After doing bench press I moved to inclined bench press with 35 lb dumbells.  I did 3 sets of 10 with those and then moved to working out my shoulders. I did front raises and shoulder presses and finished off with doing some work on a machine that works out the rear deltoid muscle.

I also did some work on tricep pull downs using a rope.

I then did some cardio work on the treadmill.  I started off slow and then did a small HIIT workout.  What is HIIT?  That is an acronym for High Intensity Iterval Training.  One of the best ways to burn fat and get your cardiovacular system in shape is interval training.  HIIT is the principle that the popular workout systems Insanity and P90X use and it is quite effective.  It is hard and if you're not in shape it won't take long to figure that out.

After 15 minutes of cardio work I then moved downstairs to the basketball court and practiced some shots.  Even though I was only shooting baskets and not playing an actual game I still could feel it in my legs when I jumped around and a little bit in the shoulders when actually shooting the ball.

I will probably be sore tomorrow but that will be a good thing.  I will do a lot of stretching to prevent injuries and keep flexibility so the muscles don't tighten up too much.