Your Body on HIIT
What is HIIT?
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has been gaining mainstream appeal in recent years as a quick way to burn more calories, but what is it exactly?
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HIIT is when you do short bursts of intense activity, followed by periods of lower intensity or even stages of rest. For example, if you were to do Russian twists with a kettlebell for two minutes, and then rest for one, that would be considered a HIIT exercise.
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Why Do a HIIT Workout?
There are a lot of reasons! HIIT has some of the most versatile and effective workouts that you can do. Check out some of the many benefits below!
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Quick
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Don't have a lot of time? No problem! HIIT workouts are designed to be completed in a short amount of time with maximum results. Whether you have 30 minutes to spare or only four, there is a workout that can achieved.
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Great Cardio
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HIIT pushes your body to its limits. HIIT exercises are anaerobic, which means that your heart will work overtime to keep you going. By consistently working out your heart muscle you will make it stronger. Within a few weeks you will notice that your endurance level is increasing across the board.
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Increase Metabolism
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HIIT workouts stimulate your body into releasing the Human Growth Hormone (HGH) up to 24 hours after your workout. HGH is one of the hormones that trigger your body into consuming more calories, thereby speeding up your metabolism to keep up with the demand.
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No Equipment
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Most HIIT workouts leverage your own body weight against you (i.e. squats, pushups, lunges, etc.). This is great if you don't have a lot of space to store extra equipment or can't afford a gym membership.
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Burn More Fat
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HIIT forces your body into an anabolic state because it needs energy fast and it stays there for longer. You will burn more fat for 24 hours after a 30-minute HIIT workout than you would from a 30-minute run.
HIIT has the added bonus of needing energy quickly, so it pulls from your fat storage instead of your muscles. Just make sure you are eating enough nutritious food after a workout to keep your body from tapping into your muscle supply for more energy.
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It Will Challenge You
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You will be sweating by the end of the workout for sure! Using different exercises each time will push your body to its limits. Change it up and have fun with each routine you choose.
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Try it out!
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5-Minute Workout
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Pushups
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Mountain climbers
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Jumping squats
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Plank
Do each exercise for 20 seconds, with 10 seconds of rest in between each one. Repeat the circuit four times.
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10-Minute Workout
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Burpees
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Tricep dips
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Lunges
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Mountain climbers
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Jumping squats
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High knees
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Crunches
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Russian twists
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Squats
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Pushups
Do each exercise for 45 seconds, with 15 seconds of rest in between each one.
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30-Minute Workout
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Jumping jacks
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High plank
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High knees
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Squat kicks
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Crunches
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Reverse lunge
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Mountain climbers
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Jumping squats
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Pushups
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Burpees
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Wall sit
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Russian twists
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V-up sit ups
Do each exercise for two minutes, with 30 seconds of rest in between each one.
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