Whatever Works

A toolkit for self optimization

4.1 High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

Exercise in short, highly intensive bursts.

Motivation

For many people, time is one of the biggest impediments to working out. They feel that they cannot find thirty to sixty minutes, plus travel time, to exercise. Others struggle to find the energy and motivation to be physically active

An easier alternative to long training sessions comes in the form of HIIT—highly intense workout sessions lasting just a few minutes that can fit into almost any schedule. HIIT sessions are generally no more than ten minutes long; if you’re terribly short on time, even regular one- to two-minute sessions can be beneficial.

HIIT as a general exercise methodology, as well as several of its variants, have been studied extensively and found to provide significant health benefits, including improvements in cardiovascular health, insulin sensitivity, body composition, and aerobic and anaerobic fitness.

Benefits

A great way to create a new workout habit—it’s easier to commit to seven minutes than to thirty.
HIIT is designed to be accessible in your home or office and doesn’t require a visit to the gym.
Provides all the regular benefits of exercise: increases muscle strength, burns fat, improves cardiovascular health, and boosts mood.

Challenges

Like any new habit, it takes effort to start and maintain.
While the exercises may be done in short bursts, they are still tough, especially if you’re not used to exercising.
May not be suitable for some people; you should discuss with your physician whether you are a good candidate for this style of exercise.

Application

Probably the best way to explore HIIT is to browse YouTube and find a workout video to try out. There are many options of varying lengths aimed at everyone from beginners to more advanced athletes. HIIT comes in many guises and subcategories, such as Tabata, EMOM (every minute on the minute), AMRAP (as many reps as possible), and more. You might want to experiment with a few different styles until you find one that matches your goals, stamina, and allotted time, and either pick one type to focus on or mix them up. You can even pick a single video you like and exercise with it every time. Don’t spend too much time debating this; just try out a few and see what works.

Fundamentally, all these forms of HIIT follow a similar pattern: a set time performing reps of a particular exercise, followed by a brief rest period, and then by another exercise, and so on. Tabata, for example, comprises twenty seconds of work, then ten seconds of rest, etc. The exercises vary from strength training techniques like squats and crunches to aerobics techniques like jumping jacks and jogging in place. Regardless of the specific style, the goal of this type of training is to work your body as hard as you can during the exercise intervals and then rest in between, squeezing a lot of intensity into a brief time period.