HIIT it Real Good

Let’s be real – none of us have time to spare. You might even skim this article (it’s fine, I’m not offended!) because you feel like you don’t even have 3 minutes to read it thoroughly. 

You’re probably the same with your workouts – you want to get in, get ‘er done, and get out. Me too!

I’m gonna let you in on a secret – If you’re looking for the biggest bang for your buck, the biggest return on your time invested… HIIT is king. 👑

The problem is, there’s a lot of confusion out there about what exactly it is and how to do it.

Let me quickly break down the WHAT, WHY, and HOW of HIIT, so you can start reaping the benefits right away. 

WHAT EXACTLY IS HIIT?
HIIT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training. It’s a type of cardio where you alternate short bursts of very intense effort with periods of recovery. For example, 30 seconds of all-out running followed by 2 minutes of slow walking, repeated for several rounds. 

It’s not just “hard exercise,” it has a specific format. The intensity needs to be high enough that you can’t go for much longer than the work period – around 85-100% effort. And the recovery period needs to be chill enough that your heart rate and respiratory rate come down and you feel ready to go again. The whole workout should be relatively short, 15-30 minutes. When I do it, I alternate 90% effort sprints and slow walks. 

WHY SHOULD YOU DO IT?
The benefits we get from doing HIIT regularly are wide and deep.

⌛Efficient: Incredible benefits for body composition, metabolism, heart health, hormone function, and more – with as little as 15 min per workout. 

💥Revs up metabolism: It burns TONS of calories. We burn some during the workout, but what’s really awesome is how much we continue to burn for the next 24h, as our bodies work in overdrive to return to baseline. 

🏃Improves aerobic and anaerobic fitness: Even though the workouts are short, studies show that they improve aerobic (endurance) capacity. 

🎖️Improves insulin sensitivity: The intense bursts of activity stimulate muscle cells to take in glucose without relying solely on insulin, which makes your body better at regulating insulin over time. 

💪Muscle-sparing: Preserves muscle mass while in a calorie deficit and helps build muscle while in a calorie surplus. Traditional cardio generally does not protect your muscle tissue – when done for long stretches, some muscle mass is lost along with the fat.

🎯More adapted nervous system: It trains your body to shift more efficiently between “fight or flight” and “rest and recover” modes. This improves heart rate variability, which is a marker of stress resilience and recovery. Your body gets better at calming down – in and out of the gym. 

😍Releases endorphins: It causes a flood of “feel-good” chemicals that reduce stress and improve mood, mental clarity, and sleep.

✅Favorable hormone effects: leads to increased testosterone (major player in trading fat for muscle) and reduced chronic cortisol levels.
 

HOW DO YOU DO IT?
Choose any exercise that lets you push close to max effort and then quickly drop to very low intensity. Good options include: running (treadmill or outdoor), stationary bike, rowing machine, kettlebell swings, battle ropes, or stair sprints.

Start with a few minutes of low-intensity cardio to warm up.

When ready, begin your first high-intensity interval and go hard (around 8-10/10 effort) for as long as you can safely sustain it. This might be 20 seconds or 90 or more, depending on your fitness level. When you need to stop, reduce to 1-2/10 effort and stay there until you feel recovered; typical is anything from 1 to several minutes. Repeat this pattern for 15–30 minutes.

Cool down with light cardio to return to baseline. As your fitness improves, experiment with longer/more intense work intervals, shorter rests, or overall longer sessions.

THE BOTTOM LINE
I’m all about efficiency. I don’t have time to do anything in the gym that’s not giving me serious benefit – and neither do you. So if you’re serious about trading fat for muscle and optimizing your metabolism and your health, HIIT should be a staple in your workout plan.