Pages

Thursday, November 3, 2011

HIIT Me!


So you want to be lean but you’re having a hard time getting the results you want. I’ve heard that before! There is a multitude of things you can change in your program but aside from changing your nutrition (I’m calling out all you carb-junkies out there!) this may be just the ticket for you!

I am talking about High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT-geared more towards the cardio aspect of training) and High Intensity Training (HIT-geared more towards the weight lifting and strength training aspect).

HIIT involves things such as sprints – ideally outside but on a treadmill, or any piece of cardio equipment for that matter. You are basically alternating between high and low-intensity ranges usually with a short period of rest. This can be running up a few flights of stairs as fast as you can and walking down. This can also be doing burpees with bodyweight rows in-between. If you have ever participated in HIIT you know that you will be gassed by the end, which should last no longer than 12-15 minutes in my opinion – MAX!

HIT is a little different because you are dealing with weights, iron, resistance, loads, etc. This is more along the lines of lifting a heavy weight for a few repetitions rather than “toning the arms by doing light weight FOREVER”. Perhaps doing a few compound exercises like a deadlift, press and pull-up then resting until you’re ready to hit it hard again.

BUT STEPHEN, WHY IS IT COOL TO DO THIS KIND OF STUFF AND WILL I GET RIPPED??!

The answer is, maybe. Assuming that you have all your ducks in a row and you are eating a highly nutritious diet, getting enough rest, lifting some heavy weights and possibly doing some HIIT. My guess is yeah, you’ll be ripped and lean!

But more onto why this is a beneficial way of training.

If I were to tell you to go run as fast as possible for 20 minutes outside you would start strong for the first 10-20 seconds and then your body would be burning like crazy because of the acidic buildup in the blood pH and you will start to slow – 20 minute sprint challenge FAIL! But it’s okay… because you don’t need to run for 20 minutes to be lean and lose body-fat. You have a quick burst of powerful energy for a few seconds then you change energy systems within the body when you “sprint”. Oxygen is the key player here and after that hard sprint you have now created a debt in the body – but a good debt, not like the one our nation is in. An oxygen debt that now the body has to repay. And while the debt is being replenished, your body is working over-time to repay that oxygen and when your body is working in over-time, YOU benefit! Higher metabolic rate.. more calories expended… good stuff. If you work hard enough, a mess of hormones are released through the body (in a good way) that create awesome results in terms of body composition (the amount of fat and muscle in the body) and anabolism (muscle/lean tissue growth).

So get out there and try something different, you never know – it may actually WORK!

In Optimal Health & Wellness,

SMS




I know this quote has nothing to do with what I just wrote … actually it has everything to do with it because nutrition is KEY!

“…grass-fed beef costs WAY less than diabetes, obesity, heart disease and all those medications…” –unknown