HIIT: little time, many results (including weight loss!)

Unlike conventional aerobic training, HIIT promises a greater effect on weight loss and helps improve runners’ endurance.

You may have already heard of HIIT, High-Intensity Interval Training, especially if you frequent gyms and have been trying to lose weight.

It has emerged as an alternative to conventional aerobic training to speed up metabolism, burning more fat. And, unlike walking or running which can last up to 1 hour, HIIT is usually fast. “The primary goal of this training protocol is physical conditioning and weight loss. The foundation of HIIT is quality of training, not quantity. Therefore, the exercises are designed to alter metabolism in profound ways in very short time”, underlines the physicist. trainer and coach Vinícius Possebon, creator of the training system Burns 48 hours.

How does HIIT work?

Vinícius explains that the intensity of the training is increased to the maximum, pushing the body to exhaustion, and can be adapted to different modalities. “For runners, for example, it can be incorporated into any workouts focused on increasing cardiorespiratory fitness and weight loss.”

The practice can also be done at home and the advantage is that no one needs a lot of time to do it. Have you trained in the gym and want to accelerate the changes in your body? Include HIIT in the free minutes you have left. There are already several smartphone applications that help with this type of training, such as Tabata (a protocol that consists of exercising for 20 seconds and resting for 10 seconds, for 4 minutes) and Queima de 48 Horas, made up of video lessons. “The 48-hour Queima HIIT workouts have no contraindications for healthy people. Three levels are available: beginner, intermediate and advanced. At each level, the complexity of the movements increases and the rest time between exercises decreases” , says the creator of the system.

But how does it work?

The physical education professional determines the duration, but HIIT lasts a maximum of 30 minutes. The idea is to practice as intensely as possible, increasing your heart rate, interspersing the practice with a recovery period (rest or low-intensity activity). Only body weight is used, so the exercise can be done outdoors, at home or on gym equipment. “The first studies on this modality were carried out with the aid of bicycles and it is possible to apply the same logic to treadmill training. To be a HIIT style workout it is necessary to follow the idea of ​​intense movement stimulation and rest”, says the athletic trainer.

More efficient?

In addition to aiding in weight loss, studies show that HIIT is an option for healthy aging. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic, a medical and hospital research center in the United States, divided young people aged 18 to 30 and older people aged 65 to 80 into groups subjected to different training routines for 12 weeks (HIIT, combined training strength training and interval training and strength training (weight training). At the end of the study, all groups improved their physical performance, had an increase in muscle hypertrophy and insulin sensitivity, but only HIIT or combined training brought greater benefits at the cellular level, increasing mitochondrial capacity. However, HIIT was the least effective at improving muscle strength, which progressively declines with aging. Therefore, researchers recommend combining HIIT with strength training throughout the week, always adhering to professional guidelines.

For those who run

“HIIT acts as an endurance enhancer, as it makes the heart work harder and with faster heart rate changes. Therefore, the person must learn to better control their breathing to get less tired and be able to complete the sequence of exercises with fears, difficulties, “explains Vinícius. To enjoy HIIT, don’t forget to work at or very close to maximum intensity. Discover a program prepared especially for runners:

Strength and running circuits

Perform a circuit with 4 overall strength exercises with body weight and jumps, combined with short sets of 30 to 40 m. Perform high-speed, high-intensity strength exercises for 30 to 40 seconds and run 30 meters non-stop. Combine each strength exercise with running until you complete the 4-exercise circuit. Then rest for 2 minutes and repeat the entire circuit, maximum 4 times (no more, because the training can be very aggressive).

Short series

Perform sprints between 50 and 100 meters, with a 30-second rest between sets. Perform 8 to 12 repetitions, depending on training time and your physical condition.

Staircase circuits

Go up and down at maximum speed and rest between 1 minute and 1 1/2 minutes. For a 20 meter flight of stairs, go up and down 12 to 15 times: the shorter the length, the greater the number of repetitions; the longer the length, the smaller the number (3 to 4).

Fartlek

It is a way of training HIIT, seeking active recovery at an intensity of approximately 60% of cardiorespiratory rate (HRR), combined with high intensity intervals, above 90% of HRr. In this case, the ideal would be to perform 1 minute at 60% HRr with 30 seconds at 90-95% HRr, with 4 repetitions of each.

Before training…

However, some advice before concluding: warm up! It is important to include a quick warm-up workout to prevent injury, consisting of joint mobility, basic running, stretching and activating the muscles that will be used.

Source: Terra

Ben

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.