The Most Effective Workout: High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
With a limited number of hours in the day, what type of workout will help you achieve your fitness goals, in the least amount of time possible? The answer is actually quite simple – HIIT to the rescue!
Discover the Most Efficient & Effective Workout
In the fast-paced hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, time has become an even more valuable commodity. Many of us find ourselves asking how we can save time, and how we can make the most of our time on a daily basis. This is especially relevant when it comes to planning your weekly workout routine. With a limited number of hours in the day, what type of workout will help you achieve your fitness goals, in the least amount of time possible? The answer is actually quite simple – HIIT to the rescue!
According to the Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2021, published by the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal, HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, was voted as one of the top five fitness trends this year. In fact, HIIT has ranked in the top five trends identified by this survey since 2014.
So, what exactly is HIIT? High-intensity interval training typically includes short bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by a short rest period.
“HIIT involves explosive or intense exercise movements for roughly 20 to 45 seconds, with short rest periods of 10 to 15 seconds between each exercise,” says Turhan Douglas “Turbo,” CEO and founder of fitness app TurboFit.
In this informational report, the American College of Sports Medicine reports that the work periods should range from five seconds to eight minutes, and should be performed at 80 percent to 95 percent of your maximum heart rate.
Could HIIT be the fast-paced workout you’ve been searching for? Discover the top reasons you should try this popular fitness solution.
It’s efficient and effective
“HIIT is for everyone who wants to maximize their output with a minimal amount of input,” Douglas explains. “It’s great for people who don’t have a lot of time to workout, because it’s been proven that 15 minutes of HIIT can have the equal calorie burn of 50 minutes of aerobic exercise.”
Douglas began incorporating HIIT into his own workout routine more than 20 years ago, and continues to tout its benefits to this day. In order to experience the best possible results, Douglas recommends incorporating HIIT classes or routines into your workout schedule three days per week. In his TABATA Turbo-HIIT class on the TurboFit app, Turhan uses the power of music to help users give 100% effort to this quick, intense workout.
“We select music that is 110 to 160 beats-per-minute to keep you moving fast and feeling motivated to put in the energy,” Douglas says.
Mission accomplished for TurboFit user Amy Herrick, who has been using the app since February.
“I like fast-paced, quick workouts that really get my heart rate up and make me sweat,” she says.
That’s why HIIT was the perfect fit for her first workout on the TurboFit app. According to Herrick, HIIT provides the best results by integrating full-body toning plus cardio in one simple, efficient workout. Now, she incorporates HIIT workouts into her schedule between one and three times per week.
The workout that keeps on giving
One of the biggest benefits of HIIT is that the workout doesn’t actually end when you stop moving. Douglas explains the science behind this popular workout trend.
“One of the top benefits of HIIT is burning high amounts of calories in a short period of time,” he says. “The nature of high-intensity exercise recruits your type II, fast-twitch muscle fibers, causing lean body mass development.”
As a result, HIIT is also an effective method for users seeking weight-loss results, since your body continues working even after you complete a HIIT workout.
“After HIIT, your body continues to burn calories at rest for up to 48 hours, unlike aerobic exercise,” Douglas explains.
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, this post-exercise period is called “EPOC”, which stands for excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. This is typically about a two-hour period where the body is using more energy to restore itself to pre-exercise levels. With HIIT workouts, the EPOC tends to be greater than other workouts, adding up to 15% more calorie burn.
No equipment required
One of the many advantages of a HIIT workout is that it can be performed virtually anywhere, at any time of day. Every HIIT exercise from burpees to jump squats, Russian twists, plyo push ups, and plank jacks can be performed in your living room, backyard, or even the beach.
Now that you’ve been inspired to embark on this heart-thumping fitness journey, check out these helpful tips to get you on your way:
Top 5 Tips for Starting HIIT
- Fuel up ahead of time, warm up properly, and stay hydrated.
- Participate in a HIIT workout up to three times per week.
- Try the TABATA Turbo-HIIT class on the TurboFit app.
- Take it easy – HIIT workouts are intense! When starting out, push yourself, but know your boundaries, too.
- Pump up the volume to help you achieve 100% effort!
