High Intensity Interval Training: A Beginner’s Guide. How to burn fat and gain muscle: a HIIT workout guide

Hiit workout – what is it?

Hiit or HIIT workout stands for high-intensity interval training. This technique is based on the priority of more intense short workouts and less difficult periods.

An example of HIIT training: within a quarter of an hour, performing a combination that consists of sprints for 15 seconds, brisk walking for 10-15 minutes.

There are two options for HIIT training: cardio training or aerobic and strength or anaerobic training.

Basic principles of Hiit training

The main training program includes 5-15 programs. It is necessary to start a workout with a warm-up, and end with a hitch.

The main principles of HIIT include:

• the calculation of the possible load is based on the limiting heart rate. Maximum possible heart rate = 207- (07 * age). Based on your own feelings, it is possible to determine the heart rate in an easy and difficult period, but it is better for a coach to do it;
• for those just starting out, the ratio of heavy to moderate exercise is 1: 3. Then, over time, the duration of the severe phase increases and the recovery time decreases;
• before training, do not eat foods containing L-carnitine (coffee, chocolate, fat burners). They increase the number of heartbeats and increase blood pressure, which can negatively affect health;
• during training, it is forbidden to drink sports drinks that contain fast carbohydrates;
• after class, it is better to take a shower than to go to the sauna or bath;
• vigorous exercise is contraindicated with a low-carb diet.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantages of Hiit workouts are:

• Less time is spent on classes. Research has shown that a four-minute interval of HIIT is 10% more effective than running. In 16 min. training, you can get better results than if you run 3 times longer.
• Expending more calories. HIIT workouts burn 6 to 15% more calories than normal standard exercise. One portion of the calories is expended during exercise and the other during the process of excess oxygen consumption after exercise. Since HIIT training is intense, after it the body has to make an effort to recover. This requires additional energy consumption, in this regard, calories are burned for a few more hours after exercise.
• Athletic performance is getting better. These trainings are used to increase speed, agility, strength.
• Availability. There are special home workout programs. HIIT training does not require any additional special equipment.

Among the disadvantages of HIIT training, it is worth highlighting:

1. Full surrender of the body is required until complete exhaustion. Not everyone can withstand such an intense load. Many are not ready to give all their best for the sake of dropping a few pounds.
2. There is some danger. Excessive physical activity for a beginner can cause a disease associated with the destruction of skeletal muscle. To avoid this, the load should be increased gradually. Also, with intense exertion, the risk of injury increases.
3. The body takes longer to recover. The minimum time to recuperate is 24 hours between workouts.
4. The possibility of the appearance of hormonal disorders. When exercising with maximum efficiency, the production of a number of hormones increases: testosterone, endorphin, cortisol and others. Intense loads are stress for the body, and when other stressful situations are added to this (emotional stress, stress in the family), there is a risk of adrenal gland malfunction, which leads to a breakdown, sleep disturbance and other unpleasant consequences.

Effect

Finding out if interval training is really effective as they are said to be.

Endurance

In the active phase, work is going on at the limit of human capabilities. Moreover, the load must be constantly increased so that the body does not have time to adapt. Even beginners with such a system of classes become more efficient and less fatigued several times faster than with conventional schemes.

Fat burning effect

For one lesson, a fairly large number of calories is spent, since most often trainings are carried out at an intensive pace. It is difficult to say exactly how much to lose. It depends on the type of exercise, the number of repetitions and sets.

However, the fact remains – such programs allow you to quickly lose weight and pump up beautiful muscles. IT on the abs, for example, is useful for getting rid of abdominal fat. This aspect is actively used by professional athletes sitting on the dryer. With properly organized classes and appropriate nutrition, girls can lose up to 6 kg per month. Moreover, weight loss does not occur due to the elimination of excess fluid or toxins – it will be fat reserves that will be consumed.

Body shaping

With the help of IT, men perfectly pump all muscle groups, thanks to which beautiful muscles are formed. Girls get rid of fat deposits in problem areas, lose weight, but at the same time avoid the effect of a flat body. Elastic hips and buttocks with a thin waist make the female figure attractive.

Health promotion

A gradual increase in loads, the choice of training schemes and weights for resistance exercises exclude overtraining. The cardiovascular system does not need to work hard – on the contrary, it only strengthens. The risk of injury is minimized.

Each of the above effects can be enhanced by choosing the appropriate exercises. For example, men fill such exercises mainly with strength loads and cardio for endurance, and during drying they shift the emphasis on fat burning. Girls resort to fitness complexes for flexibility, to work out problem areas and lose weight.

How is high-intensity training different from low-intensity training?

High-intensity workouts differ from low-intensity workouts in the way they mobilize energy. Let's take a look at the examples:

During low-intensity training, the body birches energy from fat reserves – intramuscular fat. After exercise, these stores are recovered from subcutaneous fat.

For example, you walked for more than one hour, got tired and sat down on a bench. It is during rest that the body will restore some of the intramuscular fat. After that, fatigue will pass, and you will be able to continue walking again.

High-intensity training burns muscle glycogen and energizes the body, resulting in hormones released after training that accelerate weight loss. During rest, glycogen is actively restored using energy from subcutaneous fat.

The mechanisms of energy expenditure are different, but the end result is the same – the burning of subcutaneous fat.

Types of interval training

So, you now know the basic principles of organizing interval training. Next, we will talk about the most popular types, including the Tabata protocol, Gerschler's method, Fartlek and others.

Tabata Protocol

This interval training program was developed by Japanese doctor Izumi Tabata and has gained widespread popularity in the fitness environment. According to the Tabata protocol, the time under load should be equal to four minutes, while alternating between heavy and light loads. After one such four-minute approach – a little rest. This mode of operation leads to a crazy calorie expenditure. But you need to thoroughly follow the recommendations for load distribution developed by the doctor:

1. First, there is a period of high-intensity training: 1 period lasts 20 seconds, during which time you need to do about 30 repetitions in an explosive manner.
2. This is followed by a rest period, it lasts 10 seconds, during which time you can catch your breath a little and concentrate on the exercise.

We repeat all this for four minutes. As a result, you get 8 approaches, after which you can fully rest and recuperate. There can be several such cycles in total, depending on the level of training.

Light exercises like push-ups or body-weight squats, as well as heavy basic exercises with a barbell or dumbbells are suitable. Bench presses, deadlifts, two-handed kettlebell swings, or a barbell jerk are great. It all depends on the level of the athlete.

Waldemar Gerschler's method

Designed specifically for track and field athletes, this method can easily increase your sprint record. For its full use in practice, a runner needs to know his record time in the hundred meters. Workouts take place with a heart rate monitor.

First, the athlete must run 100 meters, deliberately showing the result 3 seconds less than the maximum. After that, a two-minute break is taken. During this time, you need to completely relax so that your heart rate drops to 120 beats per minute. Then the race is repeated again.

The workout continues until the pulse manages to recover to 120 beats per minute during a two-minute rest. As a rule, the time for such a lesson does not exceed 20-30 minutes.

Fartlek

This program is also designed for running. Its essence lies in the fact that two or more people compete for speed in interval running. The entire competition process consists of 6 periods:

1. 10 minutes of slow jogging.
2. 10 minutes of fast, intense jogging.
3. 5 minutes brisk walking to restore breathing.
4. Race 100 meters in a straight line.
5. 100 meters of race uphill.
6. 5 minutes of slow walking to restore breathing.

What is more effective for weight loss – Hiit workout or cardio?

Several studies have shown that HIIT training is more effective in terms of weight loss than moderate cardio exercise. After intense exertion, the body needs more strength to recover, as a result of this, more calories are consumed.

However, research has also indicated that HIIT training has only a few advantages over cardio. This is due to the fact that HIIT requires a lot of effort and pain, which not everyone can do.

For those who do not have a lot of time, HIIT is the best results, while for the rest, calmer cardio exercises are suitable, which have a longer path to weight loss, but less safe.

Therefore, it all depends on personal preference. The main thing is that the exercises are not dangerous to health and do not cause negative feelings.

Excellent HIIT Benefits

Now you know that HIIT turns your body into a fat burning machine, but there are other amazing benefits as well.

Most importantly, you increase your human growth hormone (GH) levels up to 450% within 24 hours, which is necessary for better fat burning, muscle growth, and it also helps you look younger.

Don't worry about getting huge muscles if you are a woman. The most you can expect is to get leaner and more attractive with a new toned body. Unlike regular cardio at constant intensity, during HIIT, lean muscle mass will not disappear. Your hard-earned muscles will help you burn more calories while toning and shaping your body at the same time.

One thing I really love about high intensity training is that you can do it anywhere, even at home. When the weather is good and I want to change something, I go outside.

This is a great way to get some sun and enjoy your workout, instead of sitting in the gym all the time.

You will love HIITs as they are complex and varied.

In most cases, running on a treadmill can be very boring. And so, you will have fun every time you challenge yourself to a new HIIT.

The perfect combination of HIIT

High-intensity workouts should be done about once a week on their own or within 10 minutes after strength training.

For weight loss, it is best if you do them after strength, always make sure you warm up properly for 5-10 minutes by jogging before exercising and cool down for another 5 minutes at a very low pace afterwards.

Ideally, you should do a high intensity workout in a natural environment where you can run fast, such as a school stadium or hills in a park.

If you don't have access to an open area, such as an outdoor track, you can easily use a treadmill or, if you have bad knees, a bicycle.

Another benefit of high-intensity workouts is that you can do them using just about any type of cardio, including swimming, jumping, stair running, etc.

You could even do a brisk run interval and then hit the rope a few times in the next interval. Or perform burpees, kettlebell swings, box jumps, or medicine ball throws.

All the tools and exercises you can use during these workouts make them fun and literally endless.

Just remember to alternate them so that they don't become monotonous, otherwise you will just get bored doing the same thing every time.

The more fun the workout, the more chances you have to do it.

As long as you can change your heart rate with alternating periods of intense exercise, you will be doing a good interval workout.

Make sure to use a recovery drink such as a protein shake after high intensity activities.

You will be throwing the results of hard work out the window if you are not giving your body the nutrients it needs to recover properly.

Interval training example

Consider interval training using an exercise bike as an example.

Interval	Time	Load level
Warm up	5 minutes	Calm pace. Pulse – 50-60% of the maximum.
Acceleration	20 seconds	Pulse – 80-90% of max.
Recovery	60 seconds	Pulse – 60% of max.
Acceleration	20 seconds	Pulse – 80-90% of max.
Recovery	60 seconds	Pulse – 60% of max.
Acceleration	20 seconds	Pulse – 80-90% of max.
Recovery	60 seconds	Pulse – 60% of max.
Hitch	5 minutes	Calm pace. Pulse – 50-60% of the maximum.

The duration of this workout is 15 minutes. It is perfect for beginners. Warm-up is performed first, followed by three acceleration intervals, alternating with recovery. After training, a cool down is performed to gradually bring the body out of an excited state.

Interval training can be done anywhere without special equipment. For example: running, squatting, jumping out.

6 Weeks HIIT Workout Plan

Warm up by running on the treadmill for a few minutes, take a few jumps, or ride a bike to relax your muscles and tendons while increasing blood flow, pushing your body to begin your workout.

Conduct classes 2-3 times a week, every other day. If you combine them with strength, then do high-intensity work at the end.

A good rule of thumb is to find your running intensity at a 9/10 difficulty level, this will be the High Intensity (HI) portion. Then find one that feels like 5/10 for the medium intensity (SI) portion of the workout.

If you can still continue the conversation in the sprint section, then you probably won't be diligent enough.

Here's an example of HIIT on a treadmill:

• Week 1: 20 minutes; 20 seconds VI / 40 seconds SI;
• Week 2: 20 minutes 30 seconds VI / 30 seconds SI;
• Week 3: 20 minutes 45 seconds VI / 30 seconds SI;
• Week 4: 20 minutes 60 seconds VI / 60 seconds SI;
• Week 5: 20 minutes 60 seconds VI / 45 seconds SI;
• Week 6: 20 minutes; 60 seconds VI / 30 seconds SI.

Here's how to properly use the treadmill to burn massive amounts of fat in a healthy way.

Interval training tips

Beginners often make mistakes when doing interval training. This section contains basic tips to help you start exercising correctly.

1. Keep a training diary. It will help you correctly calculate the load. Record how long the workout took, how many intervals you made, and how it felt. All this data will help control overtraining and gradually increase the load.

2. Build up the load gradually. It should not be so that on the first workout you did 20 minutes, and on the second – all 60.

3. Don't overdo it with the amount of exercise. The ideal number of lessons per week is 2-3. Don't do interval training every day, as your body won't recover.

4. Do not neglect the warm-up. Before training, do a 3-5 minute warm-up at a calm pace to smoothly bring the body into working condition and prepare for high-intensity activity.

Frequently Asked Questions About Interval Training

• Is interval training effective for weight loss?

  High-intensity interval training burns 25-30% more fat than low-intensity training.

• How many times per week can I do HIIT?

  Perform HIIT no more than 3 times a week, as muscles take about 24 hours to recover.
  Also, for example, if you had a leg workout in the gym, then you shouldn't do HIIT the next day. This time is not enough for the muscles to recover.

• How to Combine Interval and Strength Training?

  Exercise on different days. Ideal: 3 strength and 2 interval workouts per week.

• Which is better, high-intensity interval training or low-intensity interval training?

  There is practically no difference. The only significant difference is time. An interval training session of 20 minutes is equivalent to 60 minutes of low-intensity activity. This will burn the same amount of subcutaneous fat.

Ending a HIIT Workout

Again, make sure you have a few minutes after exercising to cool down and gradually lower your heart rate.

I would recommend doing these workouts in addition to strength training. It would probably be best if you did them every other day.

Based on my research and personal experiences with clients, HIIT will outperform daily, long, regular aerobic exercise.

When it comes to belly fat loss, aerobic training just isn't as effective. I'm not saying that traditional cardio won't burn fat, it will.

It's just that HIIT will work better, take less time and be more fun.

But every person is different, so in the end, if you really enjoy running long distances and cycling, you'll end up being better off doing just that. And, after all, any workout program will not burn all the fat. which you want if you do not follow the proven nutritional system.

Therefore, it is absolutely imperative to watch what you saturate your body with.

Then select and combine some of the best HIIT workouts above to turn your body into a fat burning machine.

Output

High-intensity interval training is a great way to add variety to your workout routine. They effectively burn calories and increase metabolism for several hours after exercise.

In general, interval training provides all the same benefits as other activities. However, the main plus is time saving. HIIT takes one-third less time than regular workouts for the same energy expenditure.

Sources used and useful links on the topic: https://keeprun.ru/programs/hiit-trenirovki.html https://hudeyko.ru/intervalnaya-trenirovoka.html https://athleticdaily.com/interval-training/ https: //cross.expert/programmy-trenirovok/intervalnaya-trenirovka.html https://zazozh.com/fitnes/trenirovki-hiit-dlya-szhiganiya-zhira.html