If your workouts feel tedious and never-ending, switch to HIIT – the high-intensity cardio option. In this article, we will tell you how to prepare and do your maximum. You can experience truly intense training anywhere, even at home. With HIIT workouts, you can reach maximum health benefits in a minimum time. You say you have no time at home and are not interested in doing an endless number of reps? Well, we promise it will take 30 minutes at most, and you will definitely not be bored. In this article, we will advise you on how to prepare for HIIT and how to maintain your motivation.
What is HIIT?
In general, HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) is defined by short bursts of intense exercise, alternated with breaks for rest. A good example is the Tabata programme, where you put in your maximum effort for 20 seconds and then take a breather for 10 seconds.
You have probably already heard about the benefits of high-intensity interval training. Besides effective fat burning and a massive dose of endorphins, it will do so much more for you:
- Speeds up the metabolism for several hours after training
- Decreases the unhealthy visceral fat
- Increases the capacity of your cardiovascular system
- Increases muscle endurance
- Supports the growth and the size of mitochondria, the energetic centres of cells
- Increases the volume of muscle glycogen
- Supports insulin sensitivity
In a nutshell, with HIIT cardio, you will be thinner, faster, able to breathe easier, and simply, just more fit overall. And yes, 10-30 minutes, 3 to 5 times a week, will be enough.
Prepare for intensity!
We don’t always want to, and we don’t always feel like it, and it doesn’t always go as planned, but we always can give it our maximum. That is why we offer you a few pieces of advice that will help you prepare for your intense training.
- Planning
First, set your goals and plan the steps to reach them. Once a week, write down a schedule of exercises for the following 7 days. You know what they say – if something is not set down in writing, it does not exist. Apart from HIIT, think about your usual strength exercise as well as rest days.
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- Imagine
The power of visualisation is tremendous. Thanks to a focused effort to imagine a specific situation all the way to its tiniest details, we can prepare for the given moment so well that when the time is ripe, our brain will know what to do. Imagine your motion, focus on the technique of every exercise, think about the fatigue that you are fighting and beating. The same will happen in reality.
- Food and caffeine
Do not have a larger meal less than 2 hours before HIIT. Of course, you can have a banana even 30 minutes before the workout, depending on your habits. Try to stay well-hydrated. You can give yourself a boost with coffee or a pre-training stimulant as well.
- Arrange the environment
Prepare any equipment you might need, your water bottle, a towel. Put on your favourite leggings or shorts. Music is also an important factor, as it has been proven to increase output significantly. Turn this part into a pre-training routine, which will enable you to focus for the next 30 minutes.
How to carry out a HIIT exercise effectively?
Even the aforementioned preparation will help bring quality and efficiency to your training. But there is much more. Follow our tips and get the most out of your exercise!
- Start by going step-by-step.
Trained people already know how to give the training their maximum. For 20 seconds, they will bring out their all. However, if you are a beginner in intense training, you have to learn to produce maximum effort in a short time. For example, start with 45 seconds of exercise followed by 45 seconds of rest. Keep decreasing the rest time and improve your effort during the workout interval.
- Warm-up
Do not underestimate the pre-workout warmup. During these few moments, you will prepare your joints, tendons and muscles for a high effort. Your mobility will improve, and you will drop the stereotype you have after spending 8 hours behind the computer. Focus especially on warming up the hips and shoulders, activating your core, warming up your muscles with a foam roller, or a short burst of cardio.
- Mind the hypertrophia
HIIT can attract you to the thought of burnt calories and a sweaty shirt. However, do not forget about growing your muscles. Add various intervals combining strength, speed, dynamics, and endurance into your workout programme. For example, after 30 seconds of a weighted sledge push, lean against the wall, grab a 14-kg kettlebell and stay in the squat for 30 seconds.
Even if you are short on time, think about perfecting the technique. Focus on every rep and feel every muscle. That way, you will engage a large number of muscle fibres, boost the testosterone level, and support muscle mass growth.
- Stretching and active rest
After the stopwatch beeps after your last interval, you know you made it again! You can stretch right after or a few hours after the training. Do not forget the active rest, such as swimming or walks in the countryside. Yoga can be another good addition to HIIT training, as it can help you calm your mind after the occasional insane workout.
Feeling good is key
High-intensity interval training will turn you into a fat-burning machine. What is more important, however, is that it will help you feel better and healthier. And those are values we believe in at NEBBIA.
Looking for home workout tips? Have a look at our Home workout – Tips for burning calories and shaping your figure by Viktor Vincze.
