subject: High Intensity Interval Training [print this page] Anyone who routinely peruses my website knows that I frequently promote high intensity interval training workouts. In order to get your best body ever, I would prescribe a very intense round of HIIT with shorter intervals, and then a series of cardio, and complete with a round of HIIT for longer intervals. Though I still believe this to be a great way to lose fat, I am also interested in exploring a different type of advanced HIIT training advocated by Rusty Moore (of Visual Impact fame) on Fitness Black Book.
Not too long ago, I wrote about a USA today article that showed people who were "fit" actually burned more fat than people who weren't "fit" after a workout. While the result itself is interesting, there are practical implications for advanced HIIT training. This research determined who was fit and who was not based on VO2 max, which is the amount of oxygen utilized during a minute of physical exertion. Fit people have higher VO2 max levels than out of shape people. Therefore if you can increase your VO2 max level, you can theoretically increase the amount of fat burned after a workout.
Furthermore, based on this study, a short interval session of HIIT would release fatty acids into your blood. When you follow that with a round of cardio, you burn these fats off. Brief interval HIIT work further works to lower glycogen levels and also facilitates the release of HGH, which is a fat burning hormone that enables simultaneous muscle preservation. Then, in closing your workout with longer intervals of HIIT, you continue to reduce the glycogen in your body which results in EPOC or after burn.
Rusty's theory is that if you do your high intensity interval training workouts with longer intervals at the beginning of the week and your shorter interval HIIT workouts later in the week, you can increase your VO2 max effectively. My HIIT workouts are a great place to start, but once you get going on them and get your body pretty lean, it may be helpful to follow Rusty's tips in order to get past plateaus.
The running for long interval HIIT workouts on the first two days should be about the pace you could sustain for 8 straight minutes. The short interval HIIT workouts later in the week should be more intense sprints. Be careful not to overtrain, because very difficult intervals can result in rapid leg fatigue or injury. I generally only recommend 3 non-consecutive days of HIIT per week, so the above program should probably only be used for a month at a time before taking a 4-5 days off. Furthermore, you ought not engage in targeted leg training routines while engaged in this type of program.
Novices should begin with the initial HIIT workout plan discussed. However, as you burn more fat and get in better shape, you might want to shift your focus to the advanced HIIT training program in order to increase VO2 max and further improve your fat burning potential. The bottom line is that both of the aforementioned high intensity interval training workouts provide substantial fat burning capabilities, the initial system working solely by HGH release, and the second functioning primarily through raising one's VO2 max at the start of the week with an HGH release toward the end of the week.
