HIIT - A better way to burn fat?
So, I revisited John Stone’s website the other day. It’d been a few years since I last saw it, and I was just as amazed as the first time I stumbled across it. The guy has truly transformed himself (although I have to say I think he looked best before the “bulking” he’s done.).
One thing I noticed while looking at his site was he talked about HIIT training. I looked it up and it stands for High Intensity Interval Training. I also noticed that he said he only did cardio 12-20 minutes a few times a week. 12-minute cardio workouts? I’m in!
So, even though I’m very interested, and I’ve been running, I still haven’t done any real research to see what it’s all about. And every morning as I stroll out the door for a run, I kick myself and try and remind myself to look it up as soon as I get a chance. Well, finally, after two weeks of running and forgetting, I finally sat down and learned. Here’s a little of what I found out.
1. HIIT increases your body’s metabolism for over the following 24 hours, causing you to continue to burn calories at a higher rate. It has been suggested that for maximum benefit, it should be done in the morning on an empty stomach, and if possible, food should be avoided for 60 minutes afterwards to increase the amount of energy burned from fat stores. (Read here.)
2. HIIT is up to 50% more efficient in burning adipose tissue (fat) than low-intensity exercise. (Read here.)
3. Exercising at 65% your maximum heart rate will burn a higher percentage of calories from fat versus carbohydrates, but HIIT exercise will burn more calories overall, resulting in more fat burned, even if it’s at a lower percentage. (Read here.)
4. While exercising at the same pace for prolonged period of time, your body goes into what’s called “Steady State” and begins to adjust itself. It then attempts to preserve energy (calories) while maintaining the same effort. HIIT causes your body to continually change its exertion levels which prevents your body entering the “Steady State.” This causes your body to continue to use maximum calories for its energy needs. (Read here.)
The site bodybuilding.com has a great page on HIIT that had many sources and information. Here’s the direct link to the page. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wotw40.htm
I’ll continue to write more as I learn more.
Feb 21st 2008
hi how long should hiit last on a bike?
May 10th 2008
I use to be just like that. I talked to this personal trainer one day and he said the best way to stay motivated is to make a journal of exactly what you do every single day. Honestly it really work when I looked at it on paper it was different. When you see no improvement on paper in terms of reps, sets, and distance and haven’t done anything you feel like a lazy asshole that day then get motivated to get on them running shoes and pull out the wieghts.
Aug 14th 2008
Hi, I did a google on HIIT as I want to add it to my routine. Like you, I hated running. Notice the past tense. I now like running because I’m now on a hormonally balanced diet called the Zone Diet. You can google it for more information, but it is a moderate, balanced diet that yields amazing results. Joslin Diabetes Centers recommends a diet that is almost identical. Dr. Sears, the creator, has worked with athletes that have brought home 24 gold medals. Jenny Thompson was the most prolific Zoner medalist and her count was just surpassed by Michael Phelps a day or two ago.
Christian Vande Velde is a Zoner - he recently finished 5th in the Tour de France.
I’d also recommend spending some google time on “pose running.” It has helped me a lot, but takes some time to get your calf muscle strong enough to support the work load.
I’m a decade your senior and I feel better than ever - and I mean this factually. I really really do feel better than ever. I effortlessly lost 25+ lbs of fat while adding ~70 lbs to my bench press - I started pretty weak.
My foundation is the Zone Diet, pose running is a great tool and I hope to add HIIT as another tool in my arsenal.
Best of luck in your exercise adventures.