High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, has been all the rage for the past few years but what are the pros and cons of this form of fitness. Is this for you?
Pros/Cons of HIIT with Cardiovascular Intensity
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Increases VO2Max | May Be Too Strenuous |
| Can improve performance beyond plateaus | Requires a foundation of fitness before beginning. You should be able to exercise at 85% to 90% of your estimated maximum heart rate for your age for 20–30 minutes without issues or exhaustion. |
| Less Demanding than longer steady state workouts on the heart | Requires conditioning so your body can recover during the rest period |
Research:
Pros/Cons of HIIT with Fat Burning
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Burns more fat with lower energy cost. | |
Okay, so I struggled to identify fat loss cons for HIIT. The primary focus of the research related to HIIT is on the added benefits of fat loss when compared to steady-state exercise.
Research:
- A practical model of low-volume high-intensity interval training induces mitochondrial biogenesis in human skeletal muscle: potential mechanisms.
- Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism
Pros/Cons of HIIT with Workout Duration
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Done in 4–20 minutes | No excuses about not having time to workout. |
| After-burner: HIIT boosts your metabolism for 1.5–2.4 hours after the workout | Possible risk of injury with higher intensity during the shorter workouts. |
Research:
Is HIIT For You?
High Intensity Interval Training delivers lots of benefits, but it isn’t for anyone. Take time to review the pros and cons to weigh out decision before jumping into HIIT.
In my opinion HIIT is a great addition to your exercise programs once you’ve developed a base level of fitness. Use HIIT to help push through plateaus, increase performance, or just add some variety.
Ten Tabatas – Free For Three Days
Ten Tabatas There are many forms of HIIT workouts. One form is called the Tabata protocol, this style of HIIT is very intense and very brief. It packs a workout into just 4 minutes total time.
This is my birthday weekend and to celebrate I’m giving away my Ten Tabatas kindle book. But I don’t want to hold anyone back if you want to make this a two-way street – feel free to send in Birthday gifts. 😉
Grab a copy of my book to get started, I’ll walk you through how to ramp up to the intensity of the Tabata Protocol and give ten different examples of workouts you can use.
The book is free March 1–3, 2013. Grab your copy and help spread the word that it is free this weekend.
You don’t need a Kindle to read it. You can read this on your computer, tablet, or even your smart phone using the Kindle app.
What Do You Think?
Have you tried HIIT?
What form of HIIT do you like best? (sprint, bodyweight, cycling, swimming, kettlebell, or something else)
If you haven’t tried HIIT, why not?
Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.
About Troy Pesola
Troy is the founder of Cube.Dweller.Fitness. He's an innovation catalyst in several areas of life including business, marketing, and process improvement. Outside of work he's actively involved in fitness, health, and living vibrantly in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
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