Shore Fit
By Bonnie Miller
Less time in the gym doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice fitness if you know this secret: interval training! Interval training-workouts or HIIT, (high intensity interval training ) is when you alternate periods of high-intensity exercise with low-intensity recovery periods. It increases fitness and burns more calories over a short period of time than steady-state cardio (you know: just doing the same thing for your whole workout time). So how do you get the most out of interval training, and how long should each push and recovery be? One of the many great things about interval training workouts is that there’s no single rule. Different lengths of work and recovery bring different benefits-and alternating keeps it fresh. I personally like to do timed intervals and intervals with reps. What do I mean by that? One day, a workout may be 40 seconds of work and 20 seconds of rest with multiple rounds or 10 reps of each exercise moving through it quickly for for an allotted time of say 4 mins with a one minute rest at the end before repeating it again or having a whole new set of exercises with the same format. It’s a fun way to switch it up. It’s my go to for my personal training clients. It kicks their butts and it’s effective. Results happen quickly especially if paired with an equally effective diet. How much recovery you take between intervals depends on your goals. Short intervals are usually paired with equally short or even shorter recovery periods so your body can adapt to repeated maximal efforts. And because your heart rate stays elevated during the recovery periods, your aerobic energy system gets a training benefit, as well.
Just know this: Interval training is challenging so if you’re just starting to work out, spend a few weeks to a month building your stamina with cardio workouts before adding them to your routine. Once you’re ready, add these interval training workouts or exercises to your gym routine once a week to burn more calories, boost your overall fitness level, and get in and out of the gym faster. That’s a win-win-situation.
H.I.I.T training is outstanding for your cardiovascular system. It boosts your VO2 max (in simpler terms just means how much oxygen you can use) and it also lowers your resting heart rate, significantly! Your body becomes a furnace for fat burning. HIIT jacks up production of your body’s growth hormones that help you maintain muscle and burn fat for hours after you’re done, and it lowers insulin resistance for better blood sugar control.
It does even more than benefit your body, it’s beneficial for your brain. Cognitive output and memory retention also improve. Another great thing about adding interval training to your workout routine is that you can build both strength and endurance fast, this is particularly helpful when training clients because they want to see results quickly and you want to keep them happy and coming for more. You can put together a 20 to 30-minute routine that mixes and matches these great interval exercise options.
For a quick and effective workout, start with a 5 -8 minute warmup, and then dive right into your interval training. Each interval can last from 30 seconds to two minutes, with a minute of easy walking between reps. Go for about 20 minutes then cool down. You can really create anything you want. I like to get creative with my clients and students and keep them guessing. They typically love this format. I also teach spin class and if you’re spinning with me, be prepared to do some high-intensity spin intervals. You can also do this on a stationary bike on your own. Combine the bike with some other bodyweight exercises and the workout will fly by. I love to take my class through a 30 minute spin class and fuse it with 30 minutes of weights. You have everything you need and you’re done in an hour. Weights are an easy way to add intensity to an exercise, especially a compound exercise that incorporates multiple muscle groups. Think about combining a dumbbell squat with an overhead press to create a full body workout. This challenges your shoulders, arms, quadriceps, glutes and core. You get more bang for your buck. Keep in mind that too much HIIT is definitely not a good thing and I’ll get to overtraining in my next article. Overkill will prevent you from working at your true maximum capacity. Do not schedule high intensity interval training every day of the week. 3 times per week is sufficient. HIIT isn’t for everyone, either. Just like anything else. I personally love it but that’s why they make chocolate, vanilla and strawberry protein powder ( not ice cream!). The bottom line is to be informed on all your options of exercise. Find what you love and fits for you.
