7 Reasons You Need HIIT

7 Reasons You Need HIIT

High-intensity interval training burns batches of fat but the good times don’t stop there.

Extensive science and research validate that total body workouts, with intervals of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) that include both resistance and cardio, are highly effective. HIIT involves performing an all-out, exhaustive physical effort for a short time followed by a short, sometimes active, recovery.

The main emphasis for someone new to HIIT should be a routine that goes hard for 60 seconds and then breaks for 1-2 minutes, depending on the exercise involved. As you get accustomed to HIIT, you can lower the work to rest ratio from 3:1 to 2:1 and eventually even 1:1. During the high intensity interval, your goal should be to have your heart pumping at 85 percent of its maximum rate, or in simple terms on a scale of 1-10 of ease of breathing, you want to be at 8-9.

With this type of training, the benefits are plentiful, including increased metabolic rate, optimal muscle building and muscle retention coupled with fat loss and increased calorie burn during and after the workout. But there’s a lot more to HIIT that can benefit you as a physique-minded athlete.

Arena District Athletic Club offers a variety of HIIT training options from Personal Training, Group Fitness classes and our fitCAMP group training program.

HIIT works because burning fat requires oxygen and the more oxygen that gets inside your body, the more fat your body burns. A high-intensity workout increases your body’s need for oxygen during the effort and creates an oxygen shortage, causing your body to ask for more oxygen during recovery. This “afterburn” effect is referred to as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) and is the reason why intense exercise will help burn more fat and calories than regular aerobic and steady-state workouts.

So, one of the awesome effects of all that hard work from HIIT is that it will kick your body’s repair cycle into hyperdrive, meaning you will actually continue to burn fat for 24-48 hours after interval training, not just during your workout.

Click here to learn more about the benefits of High Intensity Interval Training

The Arena District Athletic Club is more than just a gym, it’s a premier fitness facility located in the heart of the Arena District in downtown Columbus. We provide convenience and quality, featuring top-of-the-line equipment, top-notch personal trainers, spa-like locker rooms and a wide variety of free group fitness classes daily including Cardio, Spinning, Barre Fusion, Yoga, Boot Camp and more. We offer free 2-hour parking and convenient contract-free memberships, to fit your healthy lifestyle needs. Don’t just join, belong