HomeHIIT - The Best Way to Lose Weight and Improve Heart and Lung Capacity?
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HIIT - The Best Way to Lose Weight and Improve Heart and Lung Capacity?
Artur Tue Mar 13, 2012 4:19 am
Ever wonder why so many regulars in the "cardio" section of your gym never seem to lose the weight? Maybe you've tried all different forms of aerobic exercises yourself only to find you're still not fitting into the right pair of jeans? There is a growing camp that believes traditional "cardio" training and "aerobic" exercises, which typically entail hours jogging or jumping around, are not only fairly ineffective for weight loss but also fail to strengthen your heart and lungs.
According to Dr. Al Sears, who has now written four books on high intensity interval training (HIIT), the recent obsession with cardio workouts is "worse than a waste of your time; it's not natural to repeat the same movement continuously 10,000 times without variation or rest." Furthermore, he contends that doing aerobic exercises won't strengthen your lungs because "repeatedly exercising by staying within your aerobic limits will only shrink your lungs." [1]
What is HIIT?
High intensity interval training, as its name implies, is short bursts of intense exercise followed by intervals of rest. The basic idea is that it's not how long you exercise that matters, but how intensely you do it. The good news is that your exercise time will go down quite a bit; the bad news is that you’ll be earning that extra time.
The form of exercise can vary between sprints, biking, swimming, and a host of other routines. Regardless of the activity, the goal is to go all-out for a short spurt, rest, go all out, rest, repeat. The length of maxed exercise and rest periods can vary and what you choose should depend on your level of fitness.
An example of someone starting HIIT may be 10 seconds of sprinting, rest for 40 seconds (6 repetitions). Someone more advanced may go for 10 seconds of sprinting, 20 seconds rest (10 – 12 repetitions). Another example might be giving it your all on a stationary bike for 45 seconds, followed by 1 1/2 minutes rest (8 repetitions).
At the beginning you will discover that unlike traditional training, HIIT is not something to be done 4-5 times a week. There is nothing set in stone about how often a person should do HIIT, but because of the intensity of the workouts, you should not be doing this more than 2-3 times a week (at most). If you are doing it correctly, you shouldn’t be able to do it more than a few times a week.
People that are in decent shape and used to working out more than 2-3 times a week can supplement HIIT with weight training, bodyweight training (pull-ups, push-ups, etc), or yoga on "off" days.
In this video the woman does 30-second sprints followed by 90 seconds of recovery, 6 reps.
Why is HIIT more Beneficial than Endurance Training?
A key difference between standard aerobic conditioning and HIIT is that a person burns fat only while exercising with aerobic activity, whereas the body continues to burn fat for up to 24 hours after an HIIT workout. This is a result of an increase in metabolic rate from the spurts of intense activity. HIIT also conditions the body to keep readily available sources of energy on hand rather than fat. When you consistently perform cardio workouts that supposedly burn fat (which they do), you are also teaching your body that it needs energy in the form of fat to power these regular exercises, so you end up training your body to produce and store fat.
Apart from the fat-burn issue, endurance aerobics and extensive cardio workouts may condition your body for distance, but they do not help with lung capacity. Your heart and lungs were designed for short bursts of intense exercise followed by rest. This resting period is critical for the body's ability to strengthen lung capacity, quite the opposite of what many endurance athletes achieve. If your body isn't pushed hard enough to be gasping, the lungs never expand fully to reach reserve capacity.
There have been multiple studies comparing the traditional endurance training versus high intensity interval training. Some years ago, Harvard researchers published a study involving over 7,000 participants. The conclusion of the study found that preventing heart disease is based on the level of intensity, not endurance aerobic activity.
A study at McMaster University in 2006 demonstrated that just 2.5 hours of sprint interval training can yield similar biochemical muscle changes to 10.5 hours of endurance training and similar endurance performance benefits. [2]
The results of another study claims HIIT increases the resting metabolic rate (RMR) for the following 24 hours due to excess post-exercise oxygen consumption and may improve maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) more effectively. [3]
It has been demonstrated that many endurance athletes have irregular electrocardiograms which should be a warning as to the "benefits" of their exhaustive training and exercise. Many of us have heard about endurance athletes suddenly dropping dead from a heart attack. This is due to the fact that endurance athletes have very low reserve heart and lung capacities. Reserve capacity is what allows your heart and lungs to pump enough oxygen to handle high exertion, not running on a treadmill for an hour.
Also worth mentioning is that studies have shown a correlation between long distance running and sudden cardiac death. One study found that 35 percent of marathoners had significant levels of arterial plaque, compared to just 22 percent of non-marathon-runners. [1]
HIIT isn't for Everyone
Having promoted the benefits of HIIT, it should be noted that high intensity interval training is not something to rush into. The high intensity approach to exercise is very physically demanding and not appropriate for everyone. If you have any cardiovascular issues or other health complications that limit your ability to exercise at very intense levels, HIIT is not for you. Also, if you are new to aerobic exercise or not already in good shape, HIIT is not for you —at least for now.
If you have any doubts or concerns about your safety, consult your medical professional. If you are cleared, absolutely give it a try – you will only be losing 10 minutes of your life if it doesn’t work out. But if it does work for you, you will enjoy higher fat loss benefits, superior lung and oxygen capacity, and have a more muscular physique to boot. Not bad for a 10-minute workout!
References
[1] Sears, A. Progressively Accelerating Cardiopulmonary Exertion. Wellington: al Sears Publications; 2006. Section 1:2.
[2] Gibala, Martin J; et al. Short-term sprint interval versus traditional endurance training: similar initial adaptations in human skeletal muscle and exercise performance. 2006 Sept 15. J Physiol 575 (3): 901–911. doi:10.1113
[3] Tabata I, Nishimura K, Kouzaki M, et al. Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity and VO2max. 2006 Oct 28. Med Sci Sports Exerc 28 (10): 1327–30.
The information presented is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure disease. Please speak with your doctor before starting any diet, exercise, or supplement program.
http://healthyfixx.com/36/hiit-the-best-way-to-lose-weight-and-improve-heart-and-lung-capacity
According to Dr. Al Sears, who has now written four books on high intensity interval training (HIIT), the recent obsession with cardio workouts is "worse than a waste of your time; it's not natural to repeat the same movement continuously 10,000 times without variation or rest." Furthermore, he contends that doing aerobic exercises won't strengthen your lungs because "repeatedly exercising by staying within your aerobic limits will only shrink your lungs." [1]
What is HIIT?
High intensity interval training, as its name implies, is short bursts of intense exercise followed by intervals of rest. The basic idea is that it's not how long you exercise that matters, but how intensely you do it. The good news is that your exercise time will go down quite a bit; the bad news is that you’ll be earning that extra time.
The form of exercise can vary between sprints, biking, swimming, and a host of other routines. Regardless of the activity, the goal is to go all-out for a short spurt, rest, go all out, rest, repeat. The length of maxed exercise and rest periods can vary and what you choose should depend on your level of fitness.
An example of someone starting HIIT may be 10 seconds of sprinting, rest for 40 seconds (6 repetitions). Someone more advanced may go for 10 seconds of sprinting, 20 seconds rest (10 – 12 repetitions). Another example might be giving it your all on a stationary bike for 45 seconds, followed by 1 1/2 minutes rest (8 repetitions).
At the beginning you will discover that unlike traditional training, HIIT is not something to be done 4-5 times a week. There is nothing set in stone about how often a person should do HIIT, but because of the intensity of the workouts, you should not be doing this more than 2-3 times a week (at most). If you are doing it correctly, you shouldn’t be able to do it more than a few times a week.
People that are in decent shape and used to working out more than 2-3 times a week can supplement HIIT with weight training, bodyweight training (pull-ups, push-ups, etc), or yoga on "off" days.
In this video the woman does 30-second sprints followed by 90 seconds of recovery, 6 reps.
Why is HIIT more Beneficial than Endurance Training?
A key difference between standard aerobic conditioning and HIIT is that a person burns fat only while exercising with aerobic activity, whereas the body continues to burn fat for up to 24 hours after an HIIT workout. This is a result of an increase in metabolic rate from the spurts of intense activity. HIIT also conditions the body to keep readily available sources of energy on hand rather than fat. When you consistently perform cardio workouts that supposedly burn fat (which they do), you are also teaching your body that it needs energy in the form of fat to power these regular exercises, so you end up training your body to produce and store fat.
Apart from the fat-burn issue, endurance aerobics and extensive cardio workouts may condition your body for distance, but they do not help with lung capacity. Your heart and lungs were designed for short bursts of intense exercise followed by rest. This resting period is critical for the body's ability to strengthen lung capacity, quite the opposite of what many endurance athletes achieve. If your body isn't pushed hard enough to be gasping, the lungs never expand fully to reach reserve capacity.
There have been multiple studies comparing the traditional endurance training versus high intensity interval training. Some years ago, Harvard researchers published a study involving over 7,000 participants. The conclusion of the study found that preventing heart disease is based on the level of intensity, not endurance aerobic activity.
A study at McMaster University in 2006 demonstrated that just 2.5 hours of sprint interval training can yield similar biochemical muscle changes to 10.5 hours of endurance training and similar endurance performance benefits. [2]
The results of another study claims HIIT increases the resting metabolic rate (RMR) for the following 24 hours due to excess post-exercise oxygen consumption and may improve maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) more effectively. [3]
It has been demonstrated that many endurance athletes have irregular electrocardiograms which should be a warning as to the "benefits" of their exhaustive training and exercise. Many of us have heard about endurance athletes suddenly dropping dead from a heart attack. This is due to the fact that endurance athletes have very low reserve heart and lung capacities. Reserve capacity is what allows your heart and lungs to pump enough oxygen to handle high exertion, not running on a treadmill for an hour.
Also worth mentioning is that studies have shown a correlation between long distance running and sudden cardiac death. One study found that 35 percent of marathoners had significant levels of arterial plaque, compared to just 22 percent of non-marathon-runners. [1]
HIIT isn't for Everyone
Having promoted the benefits of HIIT, it should be noted that high intensity interval training is not something to rush into. The high intensity approach to exercise is very physically demanding and not appropriate for everyone. If you have any cardiovascular issues or other health complications that limit your ability to exercise at very intense levels, HIIT is not for you. Also, if you are new to aerobic exercise or not already in good shape, HIIT is not for you —at least for now.
If you have any doubts or concerns about your safety, consult your medical professional. If you are cleared, absolutely give it a try – you will only be losing 10 minutes of your life if it doesn’t work out. But if it does work for you, you will enjoy higher fat loss benefits, superior lung and oxygen capacity, and have a more muscular physique to boot. Not bad for a 10-minute workout!
References
[1] Sears, A. Progressively Accelerating Cardiopulmonary Exertion. Wellington: al Sears Publications; 2006. Section 1:2.
[2] Gibala, Martin J; et al. Short-term sprint interval versus traditional endurance training: similar initial adaptations in human skeletal muscle and exercise performance. 2006 Sept 15. J Physiol 575 (3): 901–911. doi:10.1113
[3] Tabata I, Nishimura K, Kouzaki M, et al. Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity and VO2max. 2006 Oct 28. Med Sci Sports Exerc 28 (10): 1327–30.
The information presented is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure disease. Please speak with your doctor before starting any diet, exercise, or supplement program.
http://healthyfixx.com/36/hiit-the-best-way-to-lose-weight-and-improve-heart-and-lung-capacity
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