All about HIIT training
Hiit is a new training method that combines short intervals at high intensity. This dynamic can be adapted to any sport, in order to achieve better results in each discipline. In addition, thanks to this type of exercise you can lose weight and, in turn, condition your body in a short time.
Perhaps you have heard about high intensity interval training (Hiit) or, in Spanish, high definition interval training, since it is currently a very popular method in the fitness world, used by many physical trainers.
However, this modality does not have a recent origin, since it really emerged in the 70s. Its creator was Peter Coe, a British athletics trainer, who decided to apply the technique of short and intense sprints with 30-second breaks, in the training of his son Sebastian Coe. Years later, the young man broke numerous world records, thanks to his high performance on the track, becoming considered among the best athletes in the history of athletics.
Over time, the Hiit routine underwent variations, such as the one performed by the Japanese Izumi Tabata, father of the well-known “Tabata Method”, but always preserving the essence of the methodology applied by Coe. In fact, currently, apart from Hiit for athletics, there is also Hiit cardio, Hiit training with weights and Hiit exercises focused on runners or for the full body.
Hiit Training: What is it and how does it work in the body?
Much is said in the fitness world about the Hiit training modality and its benefits for the body, but what is Hiit really? It is a methodology based on intervals of certain exercises, executed at high intensity and followed by very short breaks, to give continuity to the circuit, which generally does not last more than 20 minutes. Of course, at this time we must add the previous warm-up and the stretching at the end of the routine.
With the Hiit method you will not have to worry about how to speed up your metabolism to the maximum, since this is precisely the purpose of training. Thus, just by using the treadmill and completing 10 intervals of 30 intense seconds of work and 30 seconds of recovery, the body will be so accelerated as to oxidize accumulated fat and glucose, which allows the person to lose weight. In the same way, it will gain resistance.
The good and the bad of hiit
Every training modality has good aspects and less flattering ones, and hiit is no exception. Next, we present the good and the bad of his practice.
The good
Among the main positive aspects of training under the Hiit modality, we can start by mentioning the rapid acceleration experienced by the person’s metabolism, due to the intense, short and continuous intervals of the routine. This process increases caloric consumption not only during practice, but also after it, thanks to the post-exercise oxygen expenditure carried out by the muscles, known as the EPOC effect.
Another beneficial contribution of Hiit, in its modality of weights and gym machines, is the possibility of gaining muscle mass. Remember that the rapid pumping of blood to the muscle helps to widen it. Added to this, the use of weights and having a diet rich in proteins and grains are usually effective practices.
On the other hand, we save time when training, since with less than an hour of work, three times a week, it is possible to notice significant improvements at the body level. For this reason, Hiit is highly recommended for those who live a hectic life and, therefore, cannot have long periods of time to exercise daily.
The bad
A slightly negative aspect of Hiit is that the person requires a certain physical condition, which allows him to perform the exercises without causing injuries to the joints or ligaments. In this sense, you should keep in mind that if, for example, you are going to do cardio for beginners, but you are a sedentary person, the intensity of the intervals, however short they may be, could cause dizziness or minor injuries. Therefore, the athlete must have previous cardiovascular and muscular conditioning.
There is a misconception about Hiit exercises, as it is believed that their practice is sufficient as the only professional training. However, this interval method is not a substitute for the level of muscular impact that a cyclist or athlete can achieve with hours of riding or running. For this reason, it is indicated to use Hiit as a complement to the training of a specific discipline.
More than something bad due to the practice of Hiit, we could consider this third aspect as a reminder, valid for anyone who is interested in venturing into this type of training. It is about being honest with yourself, accepting the difficulty of the work method and understanding that there is always the possibility of not obtaining the desired results in a short time.
Know the types of Hiit
The Hiit methodology can be applied to several disciplines, which allows this interval system to be classified into several groups, which we will refer to below.
Tabata: This modality consists of a total of eight cycles with duration of 20 seconds each and rests of 10 seconds.
Timmons: It is a methodology used only for three cycles, in which the person will exercise with maximum intensity for 20 seconds and rest for two minutes.
Little-Gibala: To carry out this type of Hiit, you have to complete 8 to 12 cycles, whose duration is 60 seconds of intense exercises and 75 of less intensity.
Descending ladder: With the descending ladder, you will have to start with a series of 60 seconds, then 50 seconds, 40, 30, 20 and 10 seconds in succession. Thus, you will complete a total of six rounds.
100 meters: The 100 meters is a practice for athletes with a high level of resistance, since the person must do a 100-meter sprint, with a break corresponding to the time used, to return walking to the starting point.
Undoubtedly, the Hitt method offers an interesting way to perform high-impact interval exercise routines, adapted to different disciplines. Of course, for a better result you must have a good diet and monitor your performance with the help of one of the various models of smart bracelets on the market.
