If you haven’t kept up with the latest and greatest in fitness trends, you might’ve missed the boat on High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). HIIT workouts swap long stints under the bar for short bursts of maximum effort so that you’re rushing through each rep like you’re on deadline for a school project. You’ll snag breaks between ech set, but the goal is to push yourself to the point of exhaustion before tapping out.
Why is HIIT Effective?
Outside of helping you expedite your workout sessions by maxing out the health benefits in minimal time, there are other science-backed reasons to opt for a faster pace. For instance, because of the intensity of this method, you’ll burn far more calories in a shorter timeframe compared to other moderate-intensity workouts.
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A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that the big HIIT-ers torched between 25 to 30 percent more calories than other forms of exercise (i.e., running, biking and weight training). Additionally, other research has found that HIIT workouts might even spike your metabolism more than those same exercises for hours after you’ve bashed out your last set.
But does all this burn come at the cost of brawn? Well, no. Just walk into any CrossFit gym and you’ll see that this approach can forge some serious strength. You’ll just need to follow a HIIT programme that targets the muscles you want to grow because you won’t gain mass without putting those specific body parts under pressure.
Shorter Workouts Might Also Add Extra Strength
If you’re consistent, it turns out that stringing together three or four shorter sessions over the week could net you better results than logging infrequent monster workouts. A study conducted by ECU Perth University compared the results between a single longer training session versus regular shorter workouts.
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Over the course of four weeks, two groups were tasked with performing 30 contractions – think: bicep curls – per week. The first group was ordered to spread these contractions across five days, bashing out just six every day. The second group, however, was told to complete all 30 in the same day.
The result? Those who spread their reps evenly over the week increased their muscle strength by 10% more on average than those working through them all at once. While researchers found that both groups achieved the same growth in muscle mass, this 10% difference in pure strength gain could be a gamechanger.
Ultimately, muscle mass doesn’t always translate into strength as lean muscles can often pack more power than their beefier counterparts. The lesson: try out a HIIT programme (like our easy-start guide right HERE) to trim down your workout times and log more regular sessions. After all, research doesn’t mean anything without the reps to back it up.
