Did you just hear the word "cardio" and your heart rate was racing? Most athletes and people who go to gyms regularly would prefer never to have to do cardio. For you, it's probably the same.
And I wouldn't blame you for that. Who wants to tire out every week for hours without seeing results? Is it possible to get results much faster?
There is indeed a way to burn fat with cardio in a more enjoyable, healthier and faster way. This is called interval training, or HITT ( High Intensity Interval Training ) in English. In this article, I will tell you exactly what it is and give you 9 reasons why you should start today.
What is interval training (HIIT)?
HIIT training is a form of endurance sport that does not require prolonged effort. It is characterized by the alternation of short but intensive moments of effort and even shorter moments of rest.
While traditional cardio involves jogging or walking at a constant pace for prolonged periods, interval training is characterized by short bursts of explosiveness. It is generally recommended to run at a maximum of 70-80% of your capacity. With HIIT training, we give ourselves 100% (both literally and figuratively), then we take a short break to catch our breath.
Several studies indicate that interval running seems much better for your health and for the body than running through the prairies for hours at a moderate pace week after week. I'll share with you the reasons for this later in this article. But first I want to issue a warning.
HIIT isn't for everyone
Unfortunately, it is not possible for everyone to practice interval training. A HIIT session requires you to give 100%, which is very taxing for the whole body. This is of course a good thing when you want to burn calories. The more calories you burn, the more fat you will lose, and the faster you can downgrade to size.
In addition, HIIT training helps the body to function better.
But for a certain number of people, it is best to give up interval training or, at the very least, to go very gradually:
People with hypertension
People with heart problems (congenital)
People with arthritis
People with reduced mobility
The conditions listed above are not to be taken lightly. It goes without saying that you need to be extra careful when practicing HIIT. Giving yourself 100% during a cardio workout is great, but the most important thing, it goes without saying, is to survive your training.
If you suffer from any of the above conditions, there are several options for you to approach interval training:
Practice it under supervision
Practice it in a group
Warm up and / or stretch
Don't aim for 100% (80-90%, for example)
Practice training in such a way as to limit lesions (cycle instead of running for example)
Never increase the duration and intensity simultaneously. Stick to one or the other.
This will allow you to practice interval training without injuring yourself. It would be a shame to discover this excellent form of cardio, all to find yourself off-track for six months after just one workout. Or even worse, of course.
But why practice HIIT? Let me now detail the reasons one by one:
9 strengths of HIIT
The fractional has many advantages, both in terms of budget and the time to devote to it. If you are not yet completely convinced, I have listed the 9 main strengths.
Asset # 1: HIIT improves endurance
There is little that scientists agree on when it comes to nutrition and sports. It is therefore not surprising that there are different diets on the market, from high carbohydrate diets to low carbohydrate diets… And the same goes for fat and protein. Luckily, there's one thing all scientists agree on: vegetables are good for you.
However, this article is obviously not about vegetables, but interval training. All I can tell you is that HIIT sessions are the vegetables of the sports world.
HIIT training is beneficial for almost all aspects of health. Your endurance as an athlete is one of them.
This might surprise you, but explosive little efforts improve endurance. You read correctly :
You don't need to wear out your ankles on the pavement every day to improve your fitness and endurance.
At issue: improving your VO2max.
VO2max is the amount of oxygen that can be transported and used per unit of time during physical exertion. The higher it is, the better, of course. We can then draw more from each breath.
According to the conclusions of a large meta-analysis (a study that brings together several studies to draw a conclusion) dating from 2013, it seems that the longer the interval training is long, the more the VO2max improves.
A separate study showed that after 6 workouts in Split, VO2max is even doubled. And this through sessions of only 10-20 minutes each. What talk about a good cost-benefit ratio.
Besides, endurance is very useful in everyday life.
When you have to take a sporadic sprint to catch the bus, you subconsciously do interval training: you do a short sprint before you rest. Depending on your degree of success, the rest takes place at the bus stop or on the bus.
Do you want a slimming menu, along with the recipes and the shopping list?
Click here to get .
Asset # 2: HIIT preserves muscle mass
There's only one real reason we see people doing cardio. This is particularly the case in the gym:
People who are seen running on the treadmill or riding an elliptical trainer want to lose weight. By that I mean losing fat and not muscle.
Muscle mass is an essential component of overall fitness. You don't need to flaunt 100kg of muscle, but having too little is definitely not good either. These days, however, this is not the greatest danger facing us.
The biggest problem is excess fat. Visceral fat is a particularly important risk factor. The more abdominal fat you have , the more likely you are to suffer from:
Cardiovascular illnesses
Cholesterol
Cancer
Type 2 diabetes
This is where interval training comes in. It turns out that HIIT helps you lose fat without losing muscle mass. And if, however, a reduction in muscle mass is observed, it is much less important than with traditional cardio.
Take a look at the photos below. One is a long distance runner (traditional runner) and the other is an explosive sprinter (interval cardio).
Although the two practice “running”, their physique is very different. And you have to have a hell of a problem with your eyesight to say that one of them is overweight.
If I asked 100 people which figure they would like to have, 90 would choose the sprinter figure. Why ? Because he has a fair amount of muscle and little fat.
The difference is related to the type of combustion the body undergoes during training. Here are two variants: There are 2 types:
Aerobic combustion
Anaerobic combustion
Explosive exercises (weight lifting and interval training) are anaerobic exercises. This means that the combustion uses little or no oxygen.
Traditional running is aerobic exercise only. During this type of exercise, the body has enough time to supply oxygen and draw its energy from fat… but also from muscle mass. This is why runners are rarely muscular. With interval training and weight lifting, the body simply does not have time to break down muscle mass.
If you want to look like a sprinter, you have to train like a sprinter. And if you want to keep your hard-earned muscle mass, you need to practice interval cardio.
Asset # 3: HIIT increases metabolism
There are different ways to increase your metabolism. Just eating the right foods can make your body burn more energy.
This can be due, on the one hand, to the fact that the body is receiving the right vitamins / minerals and, on the other hand, to the fact that digestion requires a lot of energy. This is the case with proteins, for example.
Another great way to increase metabolism is to practice HIIT.
And here's why. A study carried out in 1994 led to some truly remarkable results. In this study, the participants were divided into two groups.
A group practicing HIIT for 15 weeks
A group doing cardio for 20 weeks
You don't have to be a math genius to see that the traditional cardio band has been training 5 more weeks. It is therefore not entirely surprising that this group burned an additional 15,000 kcal throughout the study.
“But Hugo, you said the split was more effective. "
Indeed. Even though the cardio group had burned an additional 15,000 kcal, the HIIT group had lost more body fat in less time.
In other words:
The cardio group had to put in more effort for lesser results. Not exactly my goal in life.
In a similar study conducted over just 8 weeks, the normal cardio group did not lose body fat at all. Participants in the HIIT group, meanwhile, lost two percent of body fat. Two percent, it might seem minor, but in 8 weeks, it's not bad at all.
The remarkable differences observed in this study are due to the occurrence of metabolic changes.
Asset # 4: HIIT takes little time
You read it above but it's definitely worth repeating it loud and clear:
With interval training, you can get as many results (if not more) in less time than with regular cardio. Who would say no to that?
You and I have a schedule full of all kinds of activities. It's true, playing sports prolongs life expectancy. But if you have to spend 2 hours a day on a treadmill, aren't those extra years of life wasted?
Be aware that an interval training session lasts only 20 minutes on average. If you don't hold out that long, 10 minutes is fine too.
Canadian McMaster University has shown that an 18-minute interval workout gives the same result as a traditional 90-minute workout.
You read correctly. By training just a little differently, you can train for an hour less. If you like sports, then go wild. However, most people see sport as an obligation. And if one can spend less time on this obligation without compromising the results, then of course, that's all bonus.
Asset # 5: HIIT increases growth hormone production
Hep, hep, hep! No worries: just sprinting a few sprints won't make you look like an oversized bodybuilder. But if that's what you want, HIIT will help.
It is very important to have enough muscle mass and hormones. Having enough muscle mass slows down age-related physical decline.
The less muscle mass older people have, the shorter their life expectancy. This is one of the many reasons that sport (especially weight training) is important in old age.
In addition, having good testosterone levels is important for both men and women. Low levels of sex hormones in the blood have been linked to conditions such as depression.
Hormonal deficiencies in both men and women lead to feelings of depression. You feel bad about yourself, with all the negative consequences that this implies.
The third and significant advantage is that sex hormones also contribute to fat burning. Are you wondering why a lot of older people have stomachs? It doesn't have much to do with their diet - it's all about the amount of hormones in their body.
You probably saw it coming, but I'll say it anyway:
Interval training increases the level of growth hormones. This goes for hGH as it does for testosterone. A phenomenon which, by the way, is not observed with traditional racing.
This is one more explanation for the fact that a marathon runner looks like someone who has not eaten for 4 weeks and a sprinter has a lot of muscle.
Asset # 6: HIIT is good for the heart
You know where the word "cardio" comes from, don't you? No, this is not a synonym for the word "hell" or "physical torture".
Cardio comes from the Greek kardía , which means "heart".
No wonder your heart paces when you do cardio, then. It also comes as no surprise that cardio is good for the heart and blood vessels.
However, there is a big “but”.
Physical effort is beneficial as long as it does not last too long. Explosive and intense exertion is not as bad for the body (especially the heart) as running for hours at a slow pace.
The first men had only two ways of getting around:
Walk slowly but long
Running quickly but briefly (HIIT!)
If traditional running is so bad, it's because it combines two types of activity that are bad for the heart. Traditional running is about running long and fast. Ideally, we do either one or the other. Not both at the same time.
A 2003 study showed that any form of exercise is good for you as long as you don't overload the body for too long. HIIT is perfect for this.
Asset # 7: HIIT is not boring
Let me be clear: I have respect for people who run for hours on end day in and day out. It's just that I'm looking for a little more excitement and variety. That goes for everything I do, by the way. You might be like me.
You don't want to eat the same thing every day. You don't want to watch the same things on TV. You don't appreciate your favorite movie so much after seeing it 5 times.
Human beings love variety. More exactly, they need it.
Traditional running is the complete opposite of variety.
It is nothing more or less than pretending to be chased by a lame lion for an hour a day. You have to run, but no need to go to great lengths.
Listening to music helps, of course, but it only proves how boring running is: you need distraction to motivate yourself.
With HIIT it's a whole different thing. A HIIT session can include a variety of exercises, from skipping rope to abdominal exercises. You can make your HIIT session as crazy and varied as you want.
Asset # 8: HIIT can be done anywhere
.We can very well practice HIIT at the gym ...
… But it is absolutely not necessary!
It is theoretically possible to run in your living room. Just put the sofa in the middle and run around it at full speed. Are you going to sweat a lot and get short of breath? Without a shadow of a doubt.
Does that mean that running around your living room is a good idea? Not so sure.
On the other hand, you can very well practice HIIT in your living room.
You can easily do 3 minutes of jump rope followed by 3 minutes of jumping jacks and 3 minutes of high knees on a single square meter.
In addition, you can do HIIT at any time of the day. We can train regardless of the weather.
In addition, there is no need for clothes, shoes or fancy gadgets. You can do HIIT very well with what you are wearing right now. Unless, of course, you're wearing stiletto heels.
Asset # 9: HIIT strengthens the mind
Running requires very little mental strength. Just put your brain in sleep mode and survive the first 20 minutes. You will then notice that running does not get much more difficult: the level of difficulty remains the same.
Conversely, HIIT will teach you how to deal with fatigue, muscle pain, and the burning sensation in the muscles due to the build-up of lactic acid.
At first it will be hell. And probably afterwards too, if you increase the intensity of the training. Fortunately, you will reap many rewards, in addition to being in better physical shape.
HIIT will test and strengthen your persistence.
The more you learn not to give up during training, the more willpower you have outside of training.
Indeed, when we train at one level, we reap benefits at other levels.
If you do decide to go for extremely cold showers, you will need a lot of willpower. At first it will be very trying, but the more often you do it the better off you will be. You will have strengthened your will.
You will also find that you hold HIIT sessions better, for example. Of course, it also works the other way around.
The more strenuous your HIIT sessions, the more willpower you will have on other levels.
Besides sport, you will find it easier to observe a healthy lifestyle, for example. Your greater willpower will help you say no to junk food more easily.
Comments