High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a form of exercise program that is highly effective in improving your fitness level. These workouts involves short burst of high intensity exercises combined with with short periods of recovery. HIIT is becoming one of the most popular forms of exercise in the world.
The high-intensity nature of this workout helps in pushing your body to its limits. HIIT gives you an intense workout in a short time. Either you’re a beginner or an experienced lifter, HIIT will improve your strength and endurance.
In this article, you’ll learn about the benefits of doing HIIT workouts. In the end you’ll have some idea on how to use it in your workout routine.
Benefits of HIIT workouts
Here are the major benefits of doing the high intensity interval training exercises.
Efficient Than Standard Cardio
Compared to standard cardio workout that take hours to complete, HIIT workouts only last for 20-30 minutes.
The high-intensity nature of this workout helps in training your full body muscles in a shorter period. This type of workout is helpful for people who have a busy schedule and can’t visit a gym.
Helps in burning calories
While doing the HIIT workout, your body is performing at its limit due to the high intensity of the exercises. This increases your heart rate and helps in burning a large number of calories during and after the workout. Unlike standard cardio exercises that burn calories only while you’re working out.
HIIT also boosts your metabolism that helps in digestion and burns calories while resting after the workout.
Builds muscle mass
Mostly exercises that target multiple muscle groups are performed in a HIIT workout like burpees and plank jacks. This type of intense training pushes your muscles to work harder which results in better muscle growth.
These exercises also improves your athletic performance making them beneficial for athletes and lifters. Performing HIIT workouts regularly can improve your fitness level for other physical activities.
Fun and challenging way of training
HIIT is an engaging form of training that improves your overall fitness level and keeps you motivated.
The rapid nature of this type of workout keeps you focused and excited. There are many exercises that allow you to plan the workout according to your fitness goals. A fresh workout makes it challenging and interesting. HIIT is a great way to get fit whether performing at a gym or at your home.
Popular HIIT exercises
Here are the most popular high intensity interval training exercises that you can add to your workout routine.
Burpees
Burpees are multi-movement exercise that trains many muscle groups at once including your chest, triceps, quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. This full body exercise requires no equipment and can be done anywhere. Burpees are effective and convenient in improving your overall fitness level.
This move is highly efficient in burning large number of calories due to rapid movement in short time. Burpees develops cardiovascular endurance which is essential for athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers are a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) exercise that targets your legs, upper body and core. This move is known for its rapid dynamic movements between a plank position. Mountain climbers improves your cardiovascular fitness and burns large number of calories.
Doing this exercise regularly can develop better aesthetics and challenge your balance and stability.
Squat Jumps
Squat jumps are a plyometric exercise that are performed in a high intensity interval training workout. This move involves jumping explosively after performing a squat and landing back to the starting squat position. Squat jump isolates your lower body muscles and improves strength and agility.
This dynamic movement requires no equipment and can be done anywhere. It’s an effective way for toning your leg muscles and improving cardiovascular fitness.
Plank Jacks
Plank jacks are bodyweight exercises that are mostly performed in HIIT training. This exercise combines the benefits of a isometric plank with the dynamic jumping jacks. During this move, you jump from a plank position to a jumping jack position.
Plank jacks challenges the stability and flexibility of your full body. The primary muscles involved are your shoulders, core and lower body muscles.
Box Jumps
Box jumps are a plyometric exercise that are performed by jumping on a box or a flat bench with your feet hip width apart. This exercise targets your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps and core. Box jumps challenges your flexibility and balance which are crucial for improving athletic performance. This move also helps in building explosive strength in your lower body muscles.
You can always start with a small box and then keep increasing the height as you do the exercise regularly.
Skaters
The skaters exercise is a full-body exercise that is a part of high intensity interval training workout. This dynamic movement gets your heart rate up and helps in losing weight. Skaters engages your abdominal and lower body muscles while developing your cardiovascular endurance.
Jumping from side to side in a twisting and turning motion challenges your balance and muscle coordination. Skaters simulates the motion of a speed skater. This move can improve the flexibility and mobility of your joints.
Conclusion
High-intensity interval training (hiit) is an effective and fun way of training for people of all fitness levels. The exercises involved helps in burning fat, builds strength, endurance and muscle mass. Performing HIIT workouts also improves your athletic performance and helps in doing daily activities more efficiently.
This type of training makes your workout routine more challenging and exciting so why not try it today.