High-intensity interval training has received more attention in recent years. This is mainly because it is said to be highly efficient, require little time, and allow many HIIT workouts to be completed at home or outdoors without equipment. The fat-loss effect of high-intensity interval training is also said to be optimal. But does the HIIT workout training method deliver on all these promises? What should be considered, and is HIIT training suitable for everyone?
What is HIIT training? What biochemical processes are behind it?
HIIT originally comes from English and stands for "high intensity interval training". The abbreviation works just as well in German, however, because high-intensity interval training is very close to the English explanation. At this high intensity, training is sometimes done at a maximum heart rate – at least for short periods.
So, the HIIT training method is about pushing yourself to maximum intensity with every exercise. The focus is not so much on the number of repetitions, but on the time the exercise is performed per set. This time is kept relatively short, followed by a – also very short – rest period. In classic HIIT training, this is usually 30 seconds of exercise time, although the exercise time can range from ten to a maximum of 60 seconds.
The rest period also ranges from only ten to 60 seconds, which ensures the maximum fat-loss effect. This will be explained physiologically at the cellular level in the next section. At this point, however, it should also be mentioned that a central role is played by the high total volume (the total time the muscle is under tension), which is maintained at a very intense level (high-intensity interval training), in creating such a good effect.
Physiological explanation of HIIT training
At the cellular level, the goal is to stay in the anaerobic range of energy production during the exercise time. This means that direct ATP, then creatine, and then glucose (sugar) from the stores is used as an energy source. These processes "burn" much more energy (calories) per second than when the cell is in aerobic energy production. This occurs with the addition of oxygen and is much more "energy-saving". The body needs it for longer exercise times, and it is especially important in endurance training. There is no maximum intensity there, because you could not maintain it for that long.
So it is a clever mechanism of the body. You can think of it like a car that consumes a lot of fuel per second during a fast kickstart, but consumes less fuel per second on a long-distance drive at a moderate speed.
So, to reduce body fat and burn many calories, the intense kickstart makes sense. The so-called afterburn effect is also very high in HIIT training and is almost more relevant than what is burned during the workout. By the way, it is physiologically correctly referred to as EPOC, which stands for "Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption".
Performing HIIT exercises correctly
Bodyweight exercises are wonderful for HIIT exercises at home and outdoors – that is, exercises for which no equipment such as weights, bands, or other devices are needed. The exercises are performed as quickly as possible and with a lot of strength (so-called explosiveness) in the HIIT workout.
Typical equipment-free HIIT exercises include push-ups, squats, wall sits, burpees, Superman, sprint drills, rope skipping, lunges, jumping jacks, various jumps, plank variations, hip hinges, sit-up/crunch variations, leg raises, and many others Abdominal exercises!
However, a HIIT workout can also be completed in other ways by using equipment and weights. Especially in CrossFit, but also in Modified Strongman Training and athletic sports, other variations are performed. There, exercises using equipment such as an Airbike, Ski Erg, rowing machine, Skillmill, sled sprints on artificial turf, goblet squats, weighted lunges, battle ropes, slam balls, Olympic weightlifting, and much more can be used. These provide an even higher intensity, which is created by the high mechanical tension generated with weights.
Your HIIT training plan – What an effective HIIT workout can look like
As already explained, there are numerous variations and forms of HIIT workouts. Supz Nutrition presents a very classic high-intensity interval training here, which requires no additional equipment (except possibly a training mat) and contains no exercises that are too advanced:
This HIIT workout is performed as follows:
1. Warm-up
Warming up is very, very important for HIIT workouts, because otherwise you can quickly injure yourself with the high intensity at which the exercises are performed.
The Supz Mobility Routine is ideal as a warm-up:
2. The HIIT workout
The exercises are performed here for 30 seconds per set as quickly, explosively, but still cleanly with conscious body tension as possible. After each 30-second exercise time, there is a 30-second rest period. 2-5 rounds of A1-A8 are performed. It is important that all HIIT exercises can be performed with high intensity and quality; as soon as this can no longer be guaranteed, you should stop, because the desired effect will no longer be achieved.
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A1 Push-ups (optionally on the knees or with elevated hands as an easier variation)
30s rest -
A2 Jump Squats (or regular bodyweight squats as an easier variation)
30s rest -
A3 Folded Knife (optionally with bent knees as an easier variation)
30s rest -
A4 Chair Dips
30s rest -
A5 Forward Lunges
30s rest -
A6 Sit-ups with arms extended upwards
30s rest -
A7 Jumping Jacks
30s rest -
A8 Plank Hold
30s rest then start over with A1
The Problem with HIIT Workouts
The problem with HIIT workouts is that a large part of the people for whom such workouts are advertised on social media platforms do not yet have the physiological foundations. To be able to put a really high intensity into an exercise, it requires a foundation of basic strength, power, and fitness. This should first be built up by beginners over a longer period through targeted strength training. Even with already relatively fit people, it is questionable whether enough conditioning and power are available to perform such workouts. However, it is advisable to first use so-called SIT sessions as a kind of warm-up extension in strength training instead of HIIT workouts. SIT stands for Sprint Interval Training. This involves, for example, three sets of fast sprint drills, treadmill sprints, sled pushes, or Airbike from 10 to 60 exercise time with breaks in between. Possible starter workouts for muscle building are under...
...and here the theory about the Home Workout and Body Fat Reduction can be found.
But anyone who wants to slowly work their way up to the HIIT workout can start with only four instead of eight exercises and then gradually increase. The important thing is that the exercise is really performed with maximum power and high quality. For this, it may also be necessary to start with easier exercise variations (e.g., elevated push-ups instead of regular push-ups). The number of rounds should also be adjusted. And anyone who wants a cool Outdoor Workout with Fat Burn Effect can click here!
HIIT Tabata – a look ahead
Tabata workouts are a variation of HIIT training. They are even more advanced, because they usually involve an exercise time of 20 seconds and a rest period of only ten seconds. More on the topic of Tabata workouts follows in the next Supz article…