Everyone loves HIIT, and the science behind the training method is great. Benefits include improved insulin sensitivity, blood glucose regulation and fat burning. However I’m seeing more and more women add HIIT into there training plans and not seeing the results they are aiming for. This is because the High Intensity part of HIIT often gets misunderstood.
For starters, HIIT should be short duration, never more than 20 minutes long. True High Intensity will automatically dictate shorter duration. If you are honestly going all out effort for 20-40 seconds and you repeat that 8 times you should not last very long. What I end up seeing is fairly high intensity training for 40 minutes which is not what the studies were carried out on and will not give the same result.
High intensity training should ideally be carried out on none technically challenging exercises. I don’t like seeing kettle bell swings, burpees, box jumps etc performed in high intensity sessions as they are often done with poor technique which will lead to injury.
I’m noticing a lot of social media stars pushing HIIT training and publishing workouts which include exercise such as planks, ab crunches, mountain climbers etc. These just simply are’t high intensity exercises and should not be done in a HIIT session. Choose exercises such as battling ropes, prowler, sled work, moderately heavy goblet squats (if you have good knowledge of the movement), loaded carries and cardio kit like assault bikes, rowers, bikes, versa climbers and treadmills. These are all generally easier to control form and can push you to your max in a 20-40 second work period, ideally 8-10 repeats. The rest period is one of the key variables. Depending on your start point you may need 90 seconds rest and as you get fitter reduce the rest period. The aim is to be able to work flat out so take enough rest to ensure you can really push it.
If you’re choosing a combination of exercises in a HIIT session try to make sure the exercise order does not place moves back to back that are too similar. Prowler push straight into goblet squats will push the lactic acid in your legs through the roof, try doing prowler into battling ropes to give your lower body a rest, that way you will be able to really hammer the next round on the prowler.
