The Ultimate Guide to High Intensity Interval Training

Anyone who wants to lose extra pounds is usually recommended to do cardio training.

If you work on them at an average pace, the source of energy for the muscles is fat, which is burned in significant quantities during exercise.

Moreover, the results become more significant if you combine training with diet.

However, for those who want to lose extra pounds quickly, it would be better to turn to interval training.

This method allows you to start the process of burning excess fat to the maximum; its effectiveness is several times higher than cardio exercise.

What is High Intensity Interval Training?

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) involves alternating intense periods with less intense ones.

For example: running for 20 seconds at maximum speed and 60 seconds at a calm pace. These intervals alternate a certain number of times, which depends on the training goals and level of physical fitness of the person.

Visualization of interval training

Maximum effort is performed in the pulse range of 80-95% of the maximum heart rate. Recovery period - 50-60% of max. Heart rate.

For example, you are 20 years old. The pulse zone for maximum load is 172-190 beats per minute, and for the recovery period - 130-156 beats/m.

We calculated this using a special heart rate calculator.

Calculate your heart rate zone

The duration of the workout and each interval depends on the athlete’s training experience. A typical interval workout takes 30 minutes.

Professional athletes use a heart rate monitor in their training to work more accurately in pulse zones, but amateurs can do without it. Start from your feelings and after a few trainings you will understand how to distribute forces.

Effect

Let's find out if interval training is really as effective as they say.

Endurance

In the active phase, work is carried out 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 training system become more efficient and less tired several times faster than with conventional training schemes.

Fat burning effect

A fairly large number of calories are spent in one lesson, since most often the training is carried out at an intense pace. It is difficult to say exactly how much you can lose. It depends on the type of exercise, number of repetitions and sets.

However, the fact remains that such programs allow you to quickly lose weight and build beautiful muscles. IT on the abs, for example, is useful for getting rid of abdominal fat. This aspect is actively used by professional athletes while drying. Girls, with properly organized exercise and appropriate nutrition, can lose up to 6 kg per month. Moreover, weight loss does not occur due to the removal of excess fluid or toxins - it is fat reserves that will be used up.

Figure correction

With the help of IT, men perfectly pump up 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 exercises with weights eliminate overtraining. The cardiovascular system does not need to work hard - on the contrary, it only gets stronger. The risk of injury is minimized.

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

How are high-intensity workouts different from low-intensity workouts?

High-intensity training differs from low-intensity training in the way it mobilizes energy. Let's look at examples:

During low-intensity training, the body draws energy from fat reserves—intramuscular fat. After training, these reserves are restored 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 this, the fatigue will pass and you can continue walking again.

High-intensity training burns glycogen in the muscles and greatly excites the body, resulting in the release of hormones after the workout that accelerate weight loss. During rest, glycogen is actively restored using energy from subcutaneous fat.

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

Warm-up

Before starting a weight loss workout, it is recommended to warm up.

This may include light cardio exercises that will slightly increase your heart rate and body temperature. You can even use exercises that will be included directly in the workout itself. For example, you can do a light jog before a sprint race, or even a dance warm-up.

After this, you need to perform dynamic exercises. They will develop all the muscles that the training will focus on.

Warm-up is a great way to shake up your nervous and muscular systems, as well as boost your energy reserves for the upcoming workout.

It's worth noting that musculoskeletal injuries are no more common during high-intensity training than with other forms of exercise, so it's not something to worry about too much.

If you have a significant injury or illness, then you should consult your doctor before doing HIIT.

Benefits of High Intensity Interval Training

1. Save time. High-intensity interval training can save you a lot of time. One 20-minute interval workout is equivalent to an hour of low-intensity activity in terms of energy expenditure.
2. Increased metabolic rate. Interval training gives the body a stimulus to produce hormones that speed up metabolism. After a workout, your body speeds up your metabolism to repair your muscles.
3. Intense fat burning. After training, the body uses subcutaneous fat, which serves as energy for muscle recovery.
4. Increased muscle mass. Research shows that HIIT increases muscle mass in beginners, but the gains are only noticeable in the short term. Only strength training gives permanent muscle growth.

Fat burning supplements for men

Weider | Super Nova Caps?

• The fat burner significantly accelerates the fat burning process with regular training and belongs to the class of thermogenics. Created on the basis of plant extracts.
• Category: Fat burners More about the category

Take 2 capsules daily.

Does not contain ephedrine, which is banned in most countries due to its extremely dangerous biological activity. As an analogue of ephedrine, “Super Nova Caps” uses synephrine, which is completely devoid of the side effects of ephedrine, despite the fact that its action is very similar to the action of ephedrine. The drug also contains caffeine to stimulate the nervous system, create concentration and increase endurance; salicin (willow extract) with other components helps burn fat; green tea extract, which, like synephrine, provides a thermogenic effect. Weider's "Super Nova Caps" formula also includes additional components - quercetin, chromium and ascorbic acid. They act as adaptogens and help maintain the health of the immune and nervous systems. In addition to fat burning, Super Nova Caps improves the tolerance of a low-carb diet, increases activity, suppresses appetite, helps concentrate, speeds up metabolism and stimulates the central nervous system. Can be used both on rest days and during the training process to speed up the body’s adaptation to various loads.

Red Star Labs | S-BCAA Powder 2:1:1 ?

• balanced complex of BCAA amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine) with a branched side chain in the traditional ratio of 2:1:1
• Category: BCAA More about the category

Mix 1 serving of product with 250 ml of water or milk. Consume 1-2 servings per day based on your needs and diet. Use before and after training. On non-training days, consume between meals.

BCAA amino acids are essential and are not synthesized by the body, entering it from the outside with food. The more often and intensely you exercise, the more BCAAs you need. Not all of this amount can be obtained from food, so additional intake is often required. A sufficient supply of these amino acids improves protein synthesis in the body, promotes fat burning and stimulates the effective gain of high-quality muscle mass, as it prevents catabolism. When you take BCAA during workouts, you will be able to exercise more intensely because these amino acids provide a kind of energy for physical activity. Each serving of S-BCAA powder from Red Star Labs will provide you with 8.6 g of BCAA amino acids in the ideal classic ratio of 2:1:1.

Trec Nutrition | Isolate 100 ?

• ISOLATE 100 is a premium nutritional protein product based entirely on the unique whey protein isolate CFM.
• Category: Whey Protein Isolate Category details

mix 1 scoop with 250-350 ml of water or milk and drink after training 30-40 minutes later

This product is considered the ideal and most valuable source of proteins and is used as a supplement to a sports diet. ISOLATE 100 supplies the body with quickly absorbed building components of the highest quality, which stimulate the processes of growth and regeneration of muscle fibers. Whey protein isolate is characterized by an optimal content of the most important amino acids with an anabolic effect and active micropeptides. The unique production technology allows us to obtain a record high concentration of pure proteins. As a result, the protein is virtually free of unwanted components that could reduce its nutritional value.

Olimp Sport Nutrition | Knockout 2.0?

• New formula for an excellent pre-workout complex. Benefits: 2g beta-alanine and 1g el-arginine for impact training!
• Category: Pre-workout supplements

Take one serving (6.1 g of powder or ½ scoop) 30 minutes before training mixed with 250 ml of water

Ingredients: L-citrulline, beta-alanine, citric acid, L-arginine hydrochloride, taurine, L-tyrosine, silicon dioxide, flavors, caffeine, guarana seeds, barley extract, acesulfame K, sucralose, sodium cyclamate, cayenne pepper seed extract , black pepper seed extract, ramus serrata leaf extract, carotene, carmine, riboflavin, E150c, E150d, E133, indigo, chlorophyll and chlorophyllin, curcumin, anthocyanin, paprika extract, betanin, plant carbon.

Sports nutrition recommendations are indicative only. Before purchasing, we recommend that you consult with a specialist in the store.

By adding L-carnitine to the diet and following the proposed fat burning program, girls will quickly lose excess weight and tone their body in the shortest possible time.

On the website you can find information on products from different manufacturers, for example, L-carnitine from Optimum Nutrition or effective L-carnitine Dymatize and choose the right sports supplement for yourself.

Interval training example

Let's look at interval training using an exercise bike as an example.

The duration of this workout is 15 minutes. It's perfect for beginners. First, a warm-up is performed, then three acceleration intervals, which alternate with recovery. After training, a cool-down is performed to gradually bring the body out of its excited state.

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

Interval Training Recommendations

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

1. Keep a training diary. It will help you correctly calculate the load. Write down how long the workout took, how many intervals you did, and how you felt. All this data will help control overtraining and gradually increase the load.
2. Increase the load gradually. It shouldn’t be that you worked out for 20 minutes in the first workout, and all 60 in the second.
3. Don't overdo it with the amount of training. The ideal number of classes per week is 2-3. Don't do interval training every day as your body won't recover.
4. Don't neglect warming up. Before training, do a 3-5 minute warm-up at a calm pace to smoothly get your body into working condition and prepare for high-intensity exercise.

Answers to popular questions about interval training

• Is interval training effective for losing weight? High-intensity interval training burns 25-30% more fat than low-intensity training.
• How many times a week can you do high-intensity interval training?
  Do HIIT no more than 3 times a week, as muscles need about 24 hours to recover.

  Also, for example, if you had a leg workout in the gym, then you shouldn’t do high-intensity interval training the next day. This time is not enough for muscles to recover.

• How to combine interval and strength training?
  Exercise on different days. Ideal: 3 strength and 2 interval training sessions per week.
• Which is better - high-intensity interval training or low-intensity training?
  There is practically no difference. The only significant difference is time . 20 minutes of interval training is equivalent to 60 minutes of low-intensity activity. At the same time, you will burn the same amount of subcutaneous fat.

Weight loss program at home

Interval training allows you to “lose” up to 30 kilograms in three to four months. Constant and technical performance of all exercises is a guarantee of creating an ideal and pumped up body.

Examples of short programs for home

The home training system is that all movements are performed for 7-10 minutes, and breaks between active actions take at least half a minute.

Squats are performed for a minute, they can be varied with lunges or jumps. Then deep springing steps are taken forward, also for 60 seconds. The last exercise is the upper press. The cycle is repeated several times.

The second training method is applicable during morning or evening runs. The time to cover the route is 10 minutes, the rest period is half a minute.

Start with light jogging, after a minute you need to switch to an accelerated pace with jumping forward. Repeat the cycle throughout the lesson.

The Tabata system is also perfect for home interval training.

Thanks to regular exercise, you can keep your muscles toned without spending all your free time on it. Intensive classes will allow you to stay in the normal rhythm of life and look great at the same time.

Exercises to burn fat

You can do a large number of exercises at home without using any additional sports accessories. Of course, in the gym you will have more motivation to work on yourself: there are various interesting exercise machines installed there, and each athlete is watched by the watchful eye of a trainer. However, to go there, you need to allocate not only time, but also money. You can see a lot of reviews about interval training on the Internet, but to find out the truth about the system, you need to try it yourself.

To do fat burning workouts at home, all you need is a gym mat, a heart rate monitor and willpower.

The following exercises are suitable for creating an individual program:

• Crunches: a simple exercise that even a beginner can do. Lying on the floor with your hands behind your head, your right elbow needs to touch the floor on the left side, and vice versa.
• Knee push-ups; plank, from the bench.
• Squats with a load, with leg throws to the sides, with jumping.
• Jumping rope.
• Abdominal exercises.
• Pull-ups.
• And much more.

There are a great many exercises for burning fat that are applicable in interval training. However, you should always start your classes with simple and familiar sports movements.