You're truly committed to succeed this time. You're going to get in shape this time, and you're going to do it within the next few months. You will tone your body and in excellent condition. The only question is what do you need to do to get there. How can you achieve real fitness in just a few months?
You need to find a new approach. Running is boring as heck and it really never worked that well for you anyway.. Spending hours each day in the gym with a personal trainer doesn't appeal either. There's got to be some way to get fit and sexy without giving up on having a life. Well you're in luck. There is a way to do all of the above. It's a workout approach called HIIT.
What in the World is HIIT?
HIIT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training. A HIIT workout involves cycles of short, high-intensity exercises, followed by short low-intensity recovery periods. When you do a HIIT workout, your heart rate is always changing, rocketing from a relatively low level to near your maximum heart rate, then back down again. As you can probably imagine, HIIT workouts are tough, but fortunately, they're short.
Typically, a workout entails a warm-up period, several cycles of high-intensity work, and a cool down period. The entire program normally takes less than an hour to complete. You will only work out three times a week in order to give your muscles enough time to recover.
Compare the HIIT approach to more traditional approaches that feature fun things like jogging for hours, swimming endless laps, and heavy dieting. Short intense HIIT workouts look pretty enticing compared to all that and are more likely to fit into your already overcrowded life.
But does HIIT work?
Scientists have shown that the ever-changing intensity levels associated with HIIT are an extremely effective way to burn fat and maintain or even add to your muscle mass. These results hold true despite the fact that HIIT workouts are shorter than traditional workout programs and even though your body is most efficient at burning fat during long slow aerobic workouts like jogging. The answer to this seeming paradox is that HIIT workouts cause your metabolism to run hotter during the times between workouts as your body recovers from the intensity of the workouts.
What is a high-intensity interval training workout like?
Are you wondering what a HIIT workout is like?. The specifics differ depending on who designed the particular program, but they generally have some characteristics in common. On particular commonality is the use of multi-joint movements.
That is, you do exercises like deadlifts that require the use of multiple muscle groups, instead of curls, which involve a single muscle group. Exercises that involve more than one muscle groups help you to move more weight in each repetition thereby making it possible to get a lot done in a short time.
Perhaps the ultimate high-intensity interval training is sprinting. A sprinter's frequent short bursts of extreme effort followed by rest periods is high-intensity interval training in a pure form. Have you ever looked at the physiques of sprinters? If so, you know what this kind of training program can do for you.
More and more, short, high-intensity workouts are being recognized as the best way to develop and maintain a strong, fit, sexy body while you strengthen your heart, and burn fat. If you want to hit all your fitness goals and do it fast, developing a flat belly, solid muscles, and a healthy heart, try a HIIT workout plan.
