High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

High intensity interval training alternates short periods of intense exercise with periods of less intense exercise

The word "interval" means a pause in time or a space between things.

Interval training refers to those exercise routines that have pauses. When you do interval training you exercise, rest, exercise, rest.

For instance you might jog for five minutes and then sit down for a while. Then you would jog again. That would be interval training.

Interval training when you're out of shape

When would you use interval training? You use it when you can't exercise for long periods.

Rather than exercise for a short time and then quit, interval training can allow you to recover a bit after exercise and then continue when you are rested.

Advanced technique -- High Intensity Interval Training

In HIIT you exercise to your maximum for a short period. Then you slow down to allow yourself to recover. Then you exercise to the maximum again.

Why do HIIT? Because when your exercise is too slow -- when you're just plodding along -- you don't get much benefit from the exercise. Days go by. Weeks. Months. No results.

HIIT delivers results

There's nothing like HIIT to get you to the peak of development. Think that's not true? Look at a world class sprinter. What do they look like? Muscle on muscle. Gorgeous.

And sprinting is HIIT. Brief high intensity. Then rest.

Why not constant high intensity?

Constant high intensity? You can't do it. Nobody can. The 100 meter is a sprint. The marathon isn't. If the pace is too fast you'll just collapse.

HIIT is the perfect compromise. Not plodding-with-no-results. And not max-out-collapse.

The "exercise doesn't work for me" excuse

Have you had trouble with exercise? You put in your time and didn't see results? Why? Probably lack of intensity.

If the pace is too slow -- if you're not challenging yourself -- you don't build lean tissue. You don't stimulate your metabolism.

The treadmill trap

You see this all the time with people plodding on the treadmill. Look them up in a few months, if they haven't just given up by then.

You won't find any difference. No gains. No weight loss. Nothing. And they just plod along.

HIIT will break you out of a rut and rocket you off a plateau.

It will kick your metabolism into high gear. And that will let you finally lose weight when you couldn't before.

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