HIIT

So if you guys follow the fitness world at all you have probably heard of HIIT, or High Intesity Interval Training. For those of you who havn't heard of it, i'm going to break it down for you. HIIT is great for shredding fat, and for those who are limited on time. The basics of HIIT are basically sprint, walk, repeat. the most basic regimen is a 2:1 work to rest ratio. This, however, can only be sustained for a short period of time if you are truly sprinting, say like 4 minutes. This option is great to throw at the end of a workout as a "finisher." For cardio days, jogging or otherwise, a 1:1 ratio or a 1:2 ratio can make a workout more challenging, and puts you more in the 30 min range. (The reason I mention putting 2:1 at the end of the workout is that the ACSM recommends exercise be divided into a min of 10 minutes, so the 2:1 ratio may not count as a workout on its own). Adding any sprints to an endurance session can break up the time and boost your heart rate. In any event, HIIT is a good option for those looking to burn fat, but may not have time for an endurance session, or are not looking to stress the aerobic (endurance) metabolic system. Some suggest that HIIT burns more fat in half the time of a traditional endurance run as when during a steady-state cardio session, the body starts relying in fat 30 minutes into the session. I am skeptical about this as an endurance run is more likely to burn overall calories. Whichever is the case, HIIT is very popular, because it is a great workout that will yield results and can be done in a time crunch. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Good Luck!

J