Are you one of those people that avoid cardio like the plague?
Yeah, that used to be me. You still won’t see me on and cardio equipment for extended periods of time; however you will definitely find me rocking out some high intensity intervals. I love HIIT cardio because it’s short, intense, and effective. If you have a short attention span and long periods of steady state cardio sound like mind numbing
torture, add in some HIIT cardio workouts to strengthen your heart and improve your endurance instead of dismissing cardio altogether.
HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) can be beneficial regardless of your goals. If you’re looking to boost your metabolism HIIT is the way to go. It is most commonly used for fat loss, but is also beneficial for conditioning while building strength and muscle, and improving endurance and athletic performance.
The frequency you include HIIT workouts into your training week will depend on your goals.
Fat Loss:
2-3 Strength sessions per week
2 HIIT sessions per week
Strength/Muscle Gains:
4 Strength sessions per week
1 HIIT sessions per week
Endurance/Athletic Performance:
3 Strength sessions per week
3 HIIT sessions per week
To construct a killer HIIT workout:
- Choose your equipment. Treadmill (or if you prefer an outdoor workout head over to the track or field), exercise bike, step mill, elliptical, rower, assault bike, jump rope.
- Set your workout time. Base your workout on your current fitness level. 5-20 minutes is usually all you need. If you’re able to train for longer you aren’t pushing yourself as hard as you should.
- Choose your interval ratio. 1:1-1:4 (high intensity:rest). I personally prefer interval times that add up to 1 minute as it makes calculating the number of rounds simple.
Your target heart rate for high intensity periods should be 90-95% of your maximum heart rate. Go all out! “All out” can look very different from person to person based on your level of fitness. For lower intensity or rest periods your target heart rate should be between 60-65% your maximum heart rate. Using a heart rate monitor is
recommended for optimal results.
The type of equipment you are using and your training ratios will determine your rest periods. If you are using a treadmill, bike, step mill, or elliptical you can easily drop your speed and intensity for active recovery, where you are still in motion. For sprints, jump rope, or rower, your recovery may include minimal movement. Coming to a full
stop can be problematic as it causes a rapid drop in your heart rate. Shifting your weight side to side, walking slowly, or rowing at a slow pace slows improves your transition from high to low intensity protecting your heart and preventing you from feeling lightheaded or dizzy.
Important things to remember:
Do not skip your warm up and cool down. Warm ups are essential for preparing your body for more intense activity and preventing injuries. It increases the temperature of your muscles, improves joint and ligament flexibility, and slowly brings up the heart rate reducing stress on the heart. Your cool down provides the same benefits, but
in reverse.
Too much of a good thing is not better. Limit the number of HIIT workouts you incorporate into your training program. For the average person you don’t need more than 2 HIIT workouts per week. Exercise is an important component to stress management, however exercises is still stress
on the body. If you are already experiencing high levels of stress you don’t want to add to that by over-training.
Steady State Cardio has its place. Longer lower intensity cardio sessions are vital to stress management and active recovery. These workouts help to condition and strengthen your heart decreasing your heart rate both at work and at rest. For a healthy heart it’s necessary to combine HIIT training with steady state
cardio.
Are you pumped? I challenge you to add in a HIIT workout to your routine this week! Start simple!
5-10 rounds
30:30 intervals
Equipment of your choice
Let me know how it goes!
Have an amazing week!
