August 31, 2022
by James Leonard Bautista
My loneliness is killin’ me
I must confess I still believe
When I’m not with you I lose my mind
Give me a sign
Hit me baby one more time
An iconic line from the iconic Queen of Pop, Britney Spears. Do you feel the heat starting to build up? Well, It’s a sign! It’s a sign for you to get those long weekend food trip buildups burned! Let me hit that body – ONE MORE TIME!
A game changer as we have progressed to the post-pandemic era of fitness. The HIIT or the High-Intensity Interval Training is once again claiming the top spot when it comes to convenient and “go-to” workout routines preferred by the always on-the-go professionals seeking some tweaks to their fitness routines, smacking the total package of “healthy living” in their tight schedules. Ready for some intense, body-awakening, heart-pumping boosts? No equipment needs. Only your dedication to start and sustain is what this ‘game changer’ needs. With the right set of workouts incorporated with sustained cycles, one can get the maximum result and the most satisfying feeling brought by the HIIT routines – the right intensity of movement and precise workout efficiency really is the hack for this.
Going beyond the “extra mile”
Too good to be true as others may say, but studies have exhibited results from one cycle of a 30-minute interval training (HIIT routine covering 10 to 20 minutes of warm-up and cool down; 10-minute HIIT conditioning routines) has the same benefit in the cardiovascular aspect of the human body with that of the 150-minute moderate aerobic activity. Not only that, but the muscles can also burn effectively deep-seated fats in the body, targeting sections that need burning as it utilizes the entire body upon executing the routines included in the HIIT. According to a physician assistant and certified athletic trainer with Redefine Healthcare, Dr. Evan Jay, the burning phase done through the workout extends. Not only that you will be burning fat and calories while doing the workout itself, but also extended up until the recovery period after the workout. Well, even if you are reintroducing recovery food to your system right after that pumping workout, the burning remains steady and progressing!
Aging? We all are! Incorporate HIIT into your daily routine to not only get that heart working well but also reduce the chances of being exposed to lifestyle-induced illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes. In terms of reducing fat deposits including belly fat that are present in our abdomen, HIIT preserves its reputation as it is favorable to do its job better than low to moderate exercise, as stressed by Flipping Fifty founder, Debra Atkinson.
Hitting the ‘sweet spot’
Is there a formula for a perfect HIIT? How to get pumped by HIIT’s sweet spot?
With the efficiency brought by HIIT, modification can be very easy and can make one make use of all available routines enjoyable. But to embrace all the perks such as the calorie-burning, heart-pumping requires a little “push to your very maximum” – feel the sudden rush of sweat exiting your pores. It may be a little uncomfortable at the beginning, but this signals the ‘sweet spot’ to sink into your system. With the high-intensity requirement of the routines included, expect that at some point in the cycle, you may find yourself catching your breath and feeling like giving up. That is the challenge here! However, with the length of time needed for this to work, surely, you will realize that the entire routine already has ended. According to a fitness coach and owner of eTONE Fitness, Erin Beck,
“All high-intensity workouts, no matter your fitness level, should last no longer than 30 minutes, including warm up and cool down. Anything longer than that and you are sacrificing intensity and power for the duration. Pushing the duration too long means you are not hitting the sweet spot of intensity.”
What now?
With the growing number of people immersing in the ballooning benefits of HIIT to the kind of lifestyle we are in today, some are having a hard time syncing the beat of HIIT with theirs. With the common mistake of brawling to everyone’s starting stage, HIIT can sometimes be confusing. Doing HIIT every day of the week reduces the benefits one can get HIIT. Recovery basically is the key to letting the maximum benefits of HIIT sink into your system. Without the recovery phase, muscles will be burned instead of the fats – repair and building muscles are what happens during this phase. The 30-minute routine is advised to be done three to four times a week for advanced athletes, according to a trainer and owner of Alesha Courtney Fitness, Alesha Courtney. Meanwhile, two to three days of HIIT workouts are enough for those starting/beginners. Courtney added that the recovery phase shall never be removed from your plan as you plot your HIIT map within your weekly schedule.
Recalibrating the motivation within
Atkinson spills two tricks that she finds effective, especially for those people planning to start their HIIT journey. First, incorporate an interval timer app into your HIIT workout guide. Many applications nowadays have their built-in interval timer app that tracks your routine – it can create a sense of urgency as you perform the entire cycle. Feel the burn! Get yourself pressured! Second, try some fast music. Bang those muscles and joints with some 160 to 180 beats per minute jams. Notice that your body adapts to the rhythm that your music gives – get those pre-made HIIT playlists on your devices and have your volumes on max.
Tips were given, and reminders were spilled. Try to give HIIT a try by incorporating these sequences and have some mix-and-match according to your capacity – upgrade to some more difficult routines when your feel that you already have the drive to push. Grab some five HIIT exercises and prepare to get your body burned! Remember to always incorporate warm-up and cool-down into your HIIT routine.
Cardio HIIT exercise: 30-60 seconds
Rest: 30 seconds
Upper-body HIIT exercise: 30-60 seconds
Rest: 30 seconds
Lower-body HIIT exercise: 30-60 seconds
Rest: 30 seconds
Core HIIT exercise: 30-60 seconds
Rest: 30 seconds
Cardio HIIT exercise: 30-60 seconds
Rest: 30 seconds
To remain motivated, get on track by measuring your progress – record your starting phase and include the workouts that you will be making use of. Include the modifications that you will be encountering along your journey.
“Train for a week, then check back on those numbers and see how much you have improved. The only way we will be able to see if we are getting stronger is if we know where we started. Then we can see how far we have come,” Beck added.
Already got that motivation to finally ‘HIIT’ your pending 2022 body goals? Christmas is again fast approaching! Come on and let’s burn and ‘HIIT’ that body – ONE MORE TIME!