Micro Bursts a.k.a "High Intensity Interval Training"

High Intensity Interval Training, HIIT… maybe some of you have heard of it. And maybe some of you have used this type of training without even realizing it. It replaces your 30-40 minute typical aerobic exercise such as walking or jogging, with a quicker and more effective routine instead. It can play a part in supercharging your physical fitness by boosting your basal metabolic rate (bmr) and helping to burn off extra fat.

Although it has a long, fancy name, it really is easy. First off, you need to find your weapon of choice. You have a lot of flexibility in deciding, so just choose what you are comfortable with- a treadmill, the elliptical, a bike, jump rope… almost anything will do. Then you need to spend about five or so minutes warming up gradually, letting your joints loosen up and getting your heart rate slightly elevated. Then the intervals begin. For example, a workout might consist of a 30second/90 second series. What this means is that for 30 seconds, you are going to exercise at a high intensity, as hard as you can manage to go. Then followed by 90 seconds of a steady, moderate pace. You complete this series between 8-15 times. Simple, right?

Now this is obviously not formulaic. It does not have to be a 30/90 series. Maybe you prefer running for one minute then walking for two. Or you might say to yourself, I am going to sprint to that tree up ahead and then walk to that sign… Anything to keep your body guessing. Now although it sounds easy, truth be told, it’s not. It provides for an intense, few minutes.

Maybe you are feeling skeptical and wondering how fifteen minutes could ever be both more effective and more efficient. Now I am not trying to say long duration activities the 30-60 minute consistent pace workouts are bad for you on the contrary, they should be incorporated into your fitness routines. However, they cannot be the stable of your fitness routines our bodies both know and understand what fuels we need to perform certain tasks. When we do long duration activities at a constant pace the body does burn fat but it takes much less caloric expenditure to do this type of work! Also if we tell our body to do this over and over it will make more of the fuel it needs to do what you ask, which is fat. So by shocking your body with the sprint type workouts your body knows it needs sugar. Therefore, instead of converting the sugars we eat into fat for fuel your body stores it in the muscle for your next sprint instead.

The big benefits of this type of training are:
1. Burn more calories by elevating your metabolism causing you to burn fat faster
2. Increase your power
3. Increase your speed
4. Increase your endurance

Many studies have shown that with this type of training, people burn up to nine times more fat than with traditional steady pace long duration training. I don’t know about you, but I like the idea of burning more fat and doing less work.

If you want to learn more about Body-N-Motion’s personal training services please click here, or the logo in the upper-left.

Let me know what you think. Leave comments and/or questions here or on our FaceBook page.

by Mike White (Owner, Trainer @ Body-N-Motion)