• Also called High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise (HIIE) or Sprint Interval Training (SIT), is an enhanced form of interval training, an exercise strategy alternating periods of short intense anaerobic exercise with less-intense recovery periods.

    HIIT is a form of cardiovascular exercise. Usual HIIT sessions may vary from 4–30 minutes. These short, intense workouts provide improved athletic capacity and condition, improved glucose metabolism, and improved fat burning.

    Growing Body of Evidence

    HIIT has crossed over to the fitness industry due to beneficial results established through both anecdotal reports and published research studies.   In fact, studies comparing HIIT to continuous steady state exercise have shown that HIIT is far superior for fat loss, despite requiring less time to complete.  

    One of the first studies to discover that HIIT was more effective for fat loss was done in 1994 study by researchers at Laval University (Ste-Foy, Quebec, Canada). They reported that young men and women who followed a 15-week HIIT program lost significantly more body fat than those following a 20-week continuous steady-state endurance program. This, despite the fact that the steady-state program burned about 15,000 calories more than the HIIT program. The research has continued along the same lines:  

    Drop 2% Body Fat In 8 Weeks

    A 2001 study from East Tennessee State University demonstrated similar findings with subjects who followed an 8-week HIIT program (subjects dropped 2 percent in body fat) as compared to those who followed a continuous steady-state program (subjects had no percentage drop in body fat) on a treadmill.

    Lose 6 Times More Body Fat

    A study from Australia reported that females following a 20-minute HIIT program, consisting of 8-second sprints followed by 12 seconds of rest, lost six times more body fat than the group who followed a 40-minute cardio program performed at a constant intensity of 60 percent of their maximum heart rate.

     

    The Following Program Will Take You From HIIT Beginner To HIIT Pro In 8 Short Weeks.

    • It starts with a 3 min warm up and a work: rest ratio of 1:4 in Phase 1 for a total workout time of just 15 minutes making sure to have 3 min cool down at a frequency of 5-7 times per week.
    • Phase 2 bumps up the amount of time in the “work” phase, bringing the ratio up to 1:2 and the total workout time to 18.5 minutes.
    • In Phase 3, the rest ratio is cut in half, bringing the ratio up to 1:1. The total workout time increases to 20.5 minutes.
    • Finally, in Phase 4, the rest ratio is cut in half again, raising the ratio to 2:1 and the total time at 23 minutes. This will put you in the advanced ranks for HIIT.
    • Once Phase 4 is completed up your level and re-set yourself, if you start at level 5 on the bike once you completed Phase 4 put the level up to level 6 and go back to Phase 1

    The suggested time of each phase is just that—suggested. If you need to spend more than two weeks at a particular phase before moving up, go for it. The same goes if a phase seems too easy and you want to jump right up to the next phase. You can do these workouts using tools, such as a jump rope, or simply doing star jumps, or sprinting, or working on a stationary bike. Use your imagination. Just follow the work-to-rest intervals as indicated.

    Phase 1 (1:4): Weeks 1-2

    • 15 seconds: High-Intensity Exercise
    • 60 seconds: Rest or Low-Intensity Exercise

    Repeat another 12 times, followed by a final 15-second high-intensity blast.

    Total time: 15 minutes

    Phase 2 (1:2): Weeks 3-4

    • 30 seconds: High-Intensity Exercise
    • 60 seconds: Rest or Low-Intensity Exercise

    Repeat another 12 times, followed by a final 30-second high-intensity blast.

    Total time: 18.5 minutes

    Phase 3 (1:1): Weeks 5-6

    • 30 seconds: High-Intensity Exercise
    • 30 seconds: Rest or Low-Intensity Exercise

    Repeat another 20 times, followed by a final 30-second high-intensity blast.

    Total time: 20.5 minutes

    Phase 4 (2:1):Week 7-8

    • 30 seconds: High-Intensity Exercise
    • 15 seconds: Rest or Low-Intensity Exercise

    Repeat another 30 times, followed by a final 30-second high-intensity blast.

    Total time: 23 minutes