Hello everyone! This is a guest post written by Ron Fritzke.
Have you ever noticed that the techniques used by people pushing the limits of human performance are often later incorporated into the public consciousness…benefiting just about everyone?
Some of the innovations used by the astronauts come to mind. Everything from various water filtration strategies to what is now known as ‘PosturePedic’ mattresses had their roots in the NASA programs.
What was previously cutting edge technology is now part of everyday living.
Along these lines, there’s a style of exercise that runners, cyclists, and swimmers have used for decades, and it’s now being recognized as one of the best ways to maximize the exercise component of a healthy weight loss program.
Just to remind you, merely cutting back on what you eat without incorporating an increase in exercise is not conducive to the type of weight loss that is sustainable…or for that matter, healthy.
The style of ‘cutting edge’ exercise I’m speaking of is called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), and while it’s been used since the 1950s by long distance runners, it’s only now being used by those seeking to lose weight.
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Defined
HIIT is different from cardio training.
Rather than filling up your exercise time moving at an effort that can be sustained for the entire session, HIIT consists of alternating hard efforts – far above what could be endured for much more than a few minutes – with ‘rest’ intervals.
Before we go on much further, I’ll include the obligatory warning to consult your doctor before initiating any exercise program.
And you know what?
Because High Intensity Interval Training is much more of ‘shock’ to the system…the warning has more merit than ever before.
Here’s An Example Of A HIIT Workout
I’ll use a workout performed on an indoor bicycle trainer as an example of a HIIT workout:
- Easy 15 minute warm-up
- 30 seconds hard pedaling followed by 30 seconds easy pedaling.
- One minute hard pedaling followed by one minute easy pedaling.
- Two minutes hard pedaling followed by two minutes easy pedaling.
- Three minutes hard pedaling followed by three minutes easy pedaling.
- Two minutes hard pedaling followed by two minutes easy pedaling.
- One minute hard pedaling followed by one minute easy pedaling.
- 30 seconds hard pedaling.
- Easy 15 minute warm-down.
That example would be categorized as a ‘pyramid’ style workout. There are variations of the same type of workout…if you’d like to leave a request at the end of this post, I’ll be happy to supply a few more examples of HIIT workouts.
Why HIIT Beats Cardio Exercise For Weight Loss
Let me give an example of the benefits of using HIIT for losing weight by relating some personal experience in my transformation from a competitive runner to an everyday exerciser.
When I was running upwards of 120 miles a week, keeping my weight down wasn’t much of an issue. There was a lot of volume in my training, but there was also a good amount of high intensity intervals.
After transforming myself from ‘crazy long distance runner’ to ‘normal citizen’ I noticed that my weight was migrating upward, even though I regularly ran 5 to 10 mile runs.
It wasn’t until my kids started competing that I discovered the magic of intervals for weight loss. I joined them in running very high intensity hill repeats (nearly ‘all-out’ up a one and a half-minute hill, followed by an easy jog down…repeated somewhere between 6 to 9 times).
Here’s what I noticed…my heart-rate was elevated 20 to 30 beats per minute for hours after the workout, indicating a metabolism that was burning up body fat for much longer than the workout itself.
And the bottom line? My weight started slipping downward.
Use The ‘Hard-Easy, Hard-Easy’ Style To Lose Weight
So there you have it. A short primer about High Intensity Interval Training as a very effective means to maximize your exercise efforts.
Not only will you be burning calories while you’re working out, but you’ll also be burning up those chocolate chip cookies for a few hours after you get off your feet.
About Author: Ron Fritzke reviews cycling gear for his website, Cycling-Review.com. His latest focus has been on indoor bike trainers. A former 2:17 marathoner, he now directs his competitive efforts toward racing his bike and looking for good cycling products.
I love using HIIT, i find a great approach is to perform HIIT to release the free fatty acids into the bloodstream and then perform some steady state cardio after for 15-30 minutes to burn these free fatty acids before they get restored again. I also wait an hour or two before taking my post workout meal. Check out this post to see why http://www.somebodylied.com/what-to-eat-after-a-workout-the-best-post-workout-meal
Michael- I read your article and it sounds interesting. Keep spreading the word about good fitness.
I love HIIT so much, it is fast and it gives great results. I’ve been training with HIIT for over 15 years. I use to be a figure skater and our trainer made us train this way for our pre skating workouts. At the time I didn’t even know it was interval training, but now that I am not skating anymore to keep my self in shape I do 3 HIIT a week, I love it! Thank you for this great post.
Tatianna
Hi Tatianna,
After taking a tour of your site, I can see that you know a whole bunch about fitness. Thanks for the comment, and I encourage readers to check out your workout site, http://www.lovingfit.com
Ron
Jupitor,
What more can be said?…except that I’d maintain that cycling and other exercises are ‘essential’ for healthy weight loss.
I’ve seen people who’ve lost weight without exercising and they look like a smaller version of their former selves…still soft and giggly. And as you’ve pointed out in your reply, keeping the weight off without incorporating healthy exercise is herculean.
Thanks for your response, your blog has a lot of good material.
Ron
Cycling and other exercises are good for weight loss. It is difficult to maintain lost weight unless exercise is continued. And finally what matters is the number of calories you consume less.
What a treat to wake up and see Ron’s guest post. We are huge fans of him and his wacky sense of humor. We even interviewed him for our radio show and had a blast poking fun, I mean “discussing” his love of life and cycling. Great article, Ron! Evelyn, you get the most interesting variety into your posts!
My oh my, I ran all the way over to Evelyn’s blog… and the wild and crazy twins from FunandFit.org find me here!
I just watched your youtube video demonstrating the right and wrong way to do Oblique Ab Crunches. I strained my eyes looking for the hidden wires that enabled you’all to do even one crunch, but alas, the new Hollywood technology was too sophisticated for me to detect the cables.
But…I know enough to know that there’s something fishy about Kymberly doing close to 500 crunches. Of course, the fact that she was doing them incorrectly somehow struck me as appropriate. 🙂
All in good fun,
Ron
Hey Alexandra,
I didn’t know you knew Ron and interviewed him on your radio show. That is so cool! Do you have the interview in the archives? I would love to listen to it if it is available.
I enjoyed this post and I learned something new too. I actually am inspired and determined to do something and stick with it.
Thanks, for the compliment. 🙂
Hi Evelyn,
Yes, you can apply this approach to many forms of exercise.
It needs to be an exercise that involves enough muscle mass to get your heart rate elevated (doing only biceps curls wouldn’t put enough of a load on your cardio-vascular system to get an elevated metabolism).
This approach mostly applies to any exercise that you’ve been doing for the cardio effect. Bursts of effort that are more intense than what you could sustain for the entire session are what this approach is all about.
Ron
Thanks!
It’s a privilege to be able to write this guest post for Evelyn. If you have any comments or questions, leave them here… I’ll be notified and will respond as quickly as I’m able.
Hi Ron,
It is a pleasure working with you!
This post peaked my curiosity about HIIT. I think I have done this before (on my rebounder) and I had no idea that I was doing HIIT. Now I know that it’s a good strategy to help with weight loss.
Can we do this with any exercise: push-ups, crunches, lunges, etc?
Take care,
Evelyn