HIIT: The Quickest, Most Effective Way to Get Fit and Improve Your Health

Want to improve your health by more than 10% within 6 weeks with less than 5 minutes per day? This is not a scam, gimmick or fad. Let me show you how!

‘I have no time’ is no longer an excuse with newly proven and researched science that has in fact been around for decades. It’s only recently that scientific specific studies around HIT have come to light.

So exactly what is HIT and what is the most effective and time-saving way to do it?

Advanced trainers have been doing HIT for years and if you’re not aware of HIT, it’s time you arm yourself with this now officially recognised method that will improve your health with no time wasted.

This is not a fad or a gimmick, and you can personally see the amazing benefits yourself if you only spare, on average, a total of 5 minutes a day and commit to increasing your health and quality of life…So are you ready? Ok let me explain further!

HIT stands for High Intensity Training. HIIT is another form of hit but the second ‘I’ is for ‘Interval’. Today I am going to discuss HIIT and show you the absolute best ways to tackle this time-efficient method of exercise that can be done just about anywhere at any time.

There are many forms of High Intensity Interval Training but the one I’ll be discussing is the most time efficient and effective method. Anyone can do this!

HIIT – High Intensity Interval Training

Today I’ll outline my favourite form of HIIT which involves a stationary bike in the gym.

You can, however, do the exact same HIIT workout on a push bike on the road, or you may select running, swimming, rowing or just about any other pure ‘aerobic’ activity that you can apply these principles to…and all will only require 10-12 minutes 3 days a week!!!!

Personally, I have been doing High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts for over 20 years and I know first-hand that it is a highly effective way of increasing your metabolic rate, losing weight, increasing your oxygen input/output and overall health. My clients have also experienced the benefits and many of them still perform HIIT on a weekly basis.

Human beings adapt very quickly. As long as the desire is there, we are all able to change our routine rapidly and become comfortable with that new change in a short amount of time.

In fact, this is one of the main reasons we stop progressing in our workouts…. we adapt too quickly and find ourselves getting used to the new environment in a short period of time.

The body is very clever at adaptation and consequently it quickly becomes comfortable with its new environment until it is placed under stress again, or is forced to change in order to survive.

What if we were to place a constant stress on ourselves both physically, and to a lesser degree emotionally? What do you think would occur? The body and mind would always be changing in order to keep up with the demand.

This may sound a little brutal but it’s not; its progressive, satisfying, rewarding and extremely effective…I will stress this again…EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE.

If we don’t evolve, progress and change it’s difficult to prevail and move forward.

This is fundamentally what HIIT is about. Let me explain how this version of HIIT actually works so that you can try it for yourself.

How to perform HIIT

Recently I read a book by Dr Michael Mosley and a similar method was mentioned. It’s unfortunate that it will take scientific proof to sell this idea.

Anecdotally this has been around for many decades and many top athletes have been using HIT and HIIT, some knowingly and others subconsciously. There is a big difference between science and real life but that’s an article for another day…

Just like Dr Mosley I also choose to perform HIIT on a stationary bicycle in the gym however you can apply the same principles to other forms of aerobic activity. I enjoy using the bike as it is convenient and excellent for my joints (mainly my knee and ankle joints due to the lack of impact), and as mentioned I’ve done HIIT on stationary bikes for over 20 years.

It’s quite simple to apply! Let’s get started…

Firstly, you start on the bicycle (I prefer the upright as opposed to the recumbent bike but you can use either, it’s just a personal choice).

Pedal at a rate that is not difficult, but at a decent enough intensity to get your blood pumping a little quicker so that you feel warm within a few minutes. Once you are at this stage, you then increase the intensity up a few notches to prepare for the next 30 seconds and remain on that slightly elevated level for no longer than 10-15 seconds before you unleash the magic pill!!!

The magic pill I am referring to, if done correctly, really is that! The benefits are amazing and I will go on to explain that shortly but now let’s continue on.

After your 10-15 seconds is done at a slightly higher intensity to prepare you for the last stage, you then up the intensity to a point where you have to go as hard as you possibly can and maintain that for 30 seconds.

This means you will need to find this point (it may take 1 or 2 sessions to get this down pat).

Remember it is only for 30 seconds which is easy to monitor on a stationary bike as the time is in front of you.

If you were cycling, running swimming, skipping, doing push ups, burpees etc. a watch is fine to use or a fitness monitor or even your phone in some circumstances.

Once you hit the 30 second mark, and not before that point, you drop the intensity right back to a comfortable and much slower pace.

To create a full HIIT workout you repeat this exact process with 2-3 minutes between each 30 second peak, providing you with a total of 3 rounds.

The entire workout should not take you more than 10-12 minutes including a 2 minute cool down at a very slow pace.

Its counter-productive to do this more than 3 times a week so that’s a total maximum of 36 minutes per week or 5 minutes per day if you were averaging it out.

Tips for performing HIIT

To be most effective, here are some very important tips you need to be aware of when performing this type of HIIT:

1. It will take you 1-2 sessions to understand your absolute maximum threshold (of intensity/level) allowing you to continue to go as fast as possible even in your third round, however, if you come to a complete stop during any round then you must lower the intensity/slow down for next time so that all three rounds can be completed correctly.
2. Your second and or third rounds are most likely not to be as fast or intense as your first round but the absolute key is to push yourself as hard as you possibly can during all 3 rounds!!!As long as you are pushing as hard as possible for the 3×30 second intense periods then you are performing this method correctly.
3. It’s paramount that you do not complete this type of workout more than 3 times per week.It’s not just your muscles, heart and lungs that are being placed under stress (positive stress forcing adaptation of beneficial consequences) but your neurological system (nervous system) is also being tapped into.The more efficient you become at it, the more your nervous system will require rest and recuperation to be able to perform to this level and recover in time.
4. During your round, if you can continue to keep riding/running/rowing etc. (an assault bike is particularly beneficial for advanced trainers) after your 30 seconds is up, and you can continue to keep pushing at that intense rate, then you are not performing this system of HIIT correctly.This method requires that you put 150% effort in so that you are going as hard as you possibly can for the 30 second period. That means if you have to pretend to be running for your life whilst being chased by a lion in the jungle then that’s what it takes.You have to put yourself in Usain Bolts shoes running for Olympic gold and when the 30 second commences, imagine that the starter’s gun has fired and you have to go as hard as possible and run like you have never run before and repeat that for all 3 rounds.

   Get the idea. I cannot stress this enough; it is the most important principle of this method of training – you have to go as hard as you possibly can during those 3×30 second phases!

   Once you can completely understand the concept required to make this work for you, it will in fact start working.

   For most beginners it may take a week or 2, but that’s ok, it’s well worth it.

It does not matter if you perform HIIT like an athlete or like a newcomer to exercise.

Try not to get hung up on the idea that you have to do HIIT at a certain advanced level.

What is important is that you go at a pace that is extremely tough for you personally to perform during those 30 second cycles, not what an elite athlete may perform at.

One thing is for certain and that is that everyone and anyone that commences using HIIT will commence from a starting point.

Whatever that starting point is just isn’t relevant because it is exactly that…a starting point.

Health benefits of HIIT

If you stick with this method of HIIT and perform it for at least 4-8 weeks you will become very aware of the benefits it will have on your oxygen intake, energy, focus, metabolism, blood pressure, cholesterol and general outlook.

When we see results, our entire vision, energy and outlook can change for the better. All those positive changes manifest into creating more energy, focus, better nutrition choices and more of the good stuff.

HIIT taps into our inner, deep physiology which for the most part is not completely understood by science.

I know one thing for certain, irrespective of any study, science or otherwise, HIIT is not a fad; it is here to stay, has been around for decades and it works!!

Why not try it for yourself. You have little to lose and everything to gain.