HIIT or miss: How to effectively perform interval training

Make every workout count, maximise time & get your workout done in 20 minutes.

We are all short of time and when you’re pulled in lots of different directions it is easy to let things like exercise slip. Here’s how to get maximum benefit from your workout in the shortest possible time.

High intensity interval training (HIIT) has become increasingly popular over the last few years and for good reason. HIIT is a training technique where you give one hundred percent effort through quick, intense bursts of exercise, followed by short recovery periods.There are many variations of HIIT and a popular, quick and easy to perform type of HIIT is Tabata. Named after Japanese researcher Izumi Tabata, Tabata consists of performing an activity all-out for 20 seconds, resting for 10 seconds, and then repeating this sequence 8 x ( four minutes total.)

The benefits of HIIT are well studied, reported and documented. They include:

• Burn body fat: HIIT burns body fat while preserving muscle mass. A study in the Journal of Obesity showed that 12 weeks of HIIT reduced body fat and increased muscle mass. There were also substantial reductions in visceral fat, and increases in lean body mass and aerobic power. Interestingly the subjects diet did not change. HIIT also leads to a phenomenon called excess post exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) meaning you could burn an extra 150 calories in the 12 hours after exercise

• Increased muscle mass which increases strength and also the amount of calories you burn at rest.

• Improved cardiovascular fitness & increased VO2 max

• Increased metabolism. In addition to increased fat burning and more muscle preserved, HIIT stimulates production of your human growth hormone (HGH) by up to 450 percent during the 24 hours after you finish your workout. Good news as HGH is not only responsible for increased calorie burn but also slows down the ageing process.

• Increased insulin sensitivity which may help protect against type II diabetes

• Time efficient. The whole workout can be done in 20 minutes

• No equipment required: can do it anywhere! And versatile, you can chose which exercise you want to do e.g., burpees, sprints, skipping etc depending on goal, location and equipment available.

How to perform Tabata

After a short warm-up and mobility exercises, select an exercise, see below suggestions. Perform one round of Tabata (8 x 20 sec with 10 sec rest in between), rest for 1-2 minutes then repeat. Try to match the same number of repetitions of the exercise (or distance travelled) each time, don’t let the effort drop. Remember, maximum effort for the whole time! Once you are used to Tabata do 2-4 sets back to back with a short rest in between. For variety I would suggest doing 2 lots of 2 different Tabata sets, i.e. 2 x rowing Tabata then 2 x burpee Tabata. Remember each Tabata set consists of 8 x 20 sec sets of the same exercise.

What exercises can I do?

Basically anything that works your whole body/ as many muscles as possible is good. Here are some of my favourites

rowing

sprints

hill sprints

burpees

kettlebell swing (ensure you can perform a kettlebell swing with good technique before attempting Tabata)

Skipping

Can anyone do it?

yes if you are healthy and are used to do exercise. If you are completely new to exercise I would suggest a graduated exercise program starting with some more gentle exercise and building up to HIIT after at least 4-8 weeks. ‘All out’ maximum effort HIIT of less than 1 minute may not be suitable for deconditioned older people or those suffering from disease. If you have hf you have high blood pressure, or a history of cardiovascular problems, or you’re pregnant, you should consult your doctor before starting any form of HIIT

How often should I perform HIIT/ Tabata?

HIIT is hard! It takes a lot of energy and pushes your body to it’s limit. It is not recommended (or necessary) for most people to perform HIIT more than 1-2 x per week. I normally suggest 2 x/ week (for 20 minutes) if fat loss is your goal. The central nervous system is primarily affected by this high-intensity work and takes a minimum of 48 hours to recover to schedule at least 48 hours between HIIT sessions.

Variations

There are many variations of HIIT with different work times, work:rest ratios and number of intervals. There are lots of studies trying to identify the most effective and efficient work:rest ratio and interval duration and number of sets. Depending on your goals you may want to try some different forms of HIIT. especially if you are training for an endurance running or cycling event then why not try these variations…

Running, cycling or rowing. Continue to walk/cycle/row gently for the rest

90 sec work, 90s rest repeat 3 x

60 sec work, 75 sec rest, repeat 4 x

30 sec work, 60 sec rest, repeat 5 x

Key points

The effort must be 100%, you should be giving it absolutely everything during the work periods, working to your absolute maximum for each interval, your heart rate will rocket and you’ll feel like your lungs are going to explode!

If you are new to exercise build up gradually, try slightly longer intervals first with effort levels of nearer 80% than 100% and give yourself longer rest periods.

There are several free ‘Tabata timer’ apps available to time it for you.

Try it and let me know how you got on and what you tried.

This is how you should feel after HIIT!