Have you seen GRIT on the timetable and wondered how just a half hour could be as good as your usual 45-60 min cardio sessions? Here are 5 reasons to ditch your regular cardio for HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) today: 1. It’s more efficient. Ive mentioned this before, but its worth pointing out again: HIIT is way more efficient than traditional steady-state cardio. That means youll get way more done in a short amount of time (think 10 to 20 minutes versus 45 to 60). With HIIT, youll basically be condensing your entire workout in a few short, intense intervals—meaning youll still have to work really hard, you just wont have to spend as long doing it. 2. It’s way less boring. No more zoning out on the treadmill: since HIIT workouts constantly keep your body working through all those burpees, tuck jumps and jump lunges, youll never have a chance to get bored. Heres a tip: if you can read a magazine during your workout, youre definitely not working hard enough. 3. You can do it anywhere. Since most HIIT-style workouts lend themselves perfectly for bodyweight training (think push-ups, jump roping and air squats), you can do them anywhere, rain or shine, in your tiny hotel room or at a nearby park. That means you have no excuses not to work even if you don’t have access to a gym (unlike, say, elliptical training or using the recumbent bike). 4. You’ll get in better shape in less time. Not only will you be spending less overall time working out, you’ll see results faster than with traditional cardio. A lot of people notice changes within just weeks of HIIT training, compared to a month or more for endurance training. HIIT also helps you burn more calories than traditional cardio: new studies show that tabata and HIIT-style workouts can burn anywhere from 15 to 20 calories a minute, compared to less than 10 when doing average paced cardio. 5. It’ll get you strong. Although regular cardio activities like running on a treadmill or hitting the elliptical machine will certainly help you burn fat and calories, neither does much in terms of muscle building—you have to have a whole other resistance building workout for that. HIIT training, on the other hand, allows you to combine it all in just one short, efficient workout. Mix high knees and burpees in with strength building exercises like push-ups and lunges and you’ll not only be dripping sweat and gasping for air by the end of your workout, you’ll also be getting stronger as well. See you in a GRIT session in the Group Fitness room soon!
Posted on: Tue, 27 May 2014 22:59:48 +0000
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