Every year and often around January the media is awash with the latest diets and fitness crazes, often celebrity endorsed. These articles carry on throughout the year and are very often misleading at best and dangerous at worst. In recent years High Intensity interval training, HIIT or sometimes just HIT (Easier to remember as it HITs the spot) for short, has been a popular exercise training technique. This blog will help to guide you in deciding whether HIIT is for you, or whether it’s better to give it a MISS.

What is it & how will it help me?

The clue’s in the name: HIIT is high intensity cardio-vascular exercise performed in short bursts followed by periods of lower intensity activity or rest. This is generally the way elite athletes train whether running, cycling, rowing or in the gym and has been for a long time – so it’s nothing new at all.

It can be very beneficial and can accelerate your fitness gains substantially quicker than by doing longer periods of less intense exercise. The added benefits are that many of the exercises will build strength and explosive power, as well as coordination. As a former UK decathlon champion I am a big fan of this type of training for fitness or weight loss. Most of my clients will use this exercise technique as part of their gym or personal training programmes.

How to start?

The key to success is to start gradually whilst your fitness improves, then increasing the intensity of the high intensity segments. It all depends on your level of fitness initially – You need to progress gradually at a pace that you can sustain. You can use HIIT with any cardio-vascular exercise including:

•    Running
•    Cycling/Spinning
•    Rowing
•    Cross-Training
•    Circuit training

What should I do?

Start with an exercise that you’re comfortable with and aim for ten minute stints. Like the examples below using an indoor cycle you can break your workout into 20-30 second bursts of near maximal effort followed by a minute of low intensity exercise. Here are two examples:

Sprint intervals on  a spin bike

•    Warm-up and stretch as normal before starting the main body of your workout
•    Start pedalling at 80 RPM for 60 seconds in a low gear (7-8 using Keiser M3)
•    Accelerate to 120 RPM for 20 seconds
•    Slow to 70-80 RPM for 60 seconds
•    Repeat for 8-10 minutes
•    Increase the gear and/or speed when you feel more able

Hill intervals

•    Warm-up and stretch as normal before starting the main body of your workout
•    Start pedalling at 70 RPM for 60 seconds in a low gear (7-8 using Keiser M3)
•    Increase the gear to 12-14 and maintain 70 RPM for 30 seconds
•    Take a seat and reduce the gear for 60 seconds
•    Increase the gear to 12-14 and maintain 70 RPM for 30 seconds
•    Repeat for 8-10 minutes
•    Increase the gear and/or speed when you feel more able