By Matt Sweeny, MS, CSCS Awant Excellence

Interval training involves performing high- intensity bouts of work with periods of recovery or complete rest. Examples: Sprints (30 sec sprint, 60 sec walk, 30 sec sprint, etc…) Awant Metabolic Classes Running stairs Resistance training with limited rest HIIT is not only for traditional cardiovascular training.

Interval training has proven to be MORE EFFECTIVE than traditional lower intensity cardio: Improving fitness conditioning (even for endurance exercise) EPOC (Burn more calories for up to 48 hours post- workout!) Increasing work capacity Increasing ability for fat mobilization Anaerobic Threshold Time A 27 minute HIIT workout averaging 80% of your max heart rate equals a 40 minute workout averaging 60% of your max heart rate (300 calories). (Rozenek, et. al., 2007; Franch, et al., 1998; Esfarjani & Laursen, 2007; Helgerud, et al., 2007; Westgarth-Taylor, et al., 1997; Denadai, et al., 2006) al., 2007)

4 to 8 weeks of HIIT is a powerful stimulus to increase aerobic endurance performance Increased VO 2MAX Increased power output Increased anaerobic threshold Increased running economy Increased time to exhaustion at VO 2MAX (Perry, et al., 2008; Tanisho & Hirakawa, 2009; Franch, et al., 1998)

Many people have been told (and machines say) that exercising at a lower intensity is more effective for fat-loss. If this were true everyone would be fit! Why this was said: A greater PERCENTAGE of your energy comes from fat than carbohydrates when you exercise at lower intensities. The Problem: At higher intensities you still burn a greater TOTAL AMOUNT of fat.

At 60% max heart rate (easier intensity) Approximately 50% of calories come from fat (50% from sugars) Approximately 8 kcal/min are expended 480 total calories60 minutes x 8 kcal/min = 480 total calories 240 fat calories50% x 480 kcal = 240 fat calories At 80% max heart rate (more vigorous intensity) Approximately 40% of calories come from fat (60% from sugars) Approximately 11 kcal/min are expended 640 total calories60 minutes x 11 kcal/min = 640 total calories 264 fat calories40% x 640 kcal = 264 fat calories

In a Nutshell: The more intense your workout (higher heart rate, higher respiratory rate) the more calories you burn and the more benefit you get. Ultimate Goals Weight loss: Maximize the amount of calories you burn to maximize your fat loss. Fitness: The more intense your workout the fitter you get.

Simple Answer: Your workouts should consist of periods of ALL OUT EFFORT and active recovery. You should always push yourself. You shouldnt be reading… Best ways: Utilize a heart rate monitor to make sure your heart rate is at or above 80% of your maximum heart rate the majority of your workout. Utilize Metabolic Conditioning Classes Get out of breath!

Start Easy 4:1 ratio for lesser trained people Better for aerobic training Example ~ 30 seconds all out: 2 minutes active recovery 3:1 ratio next progression Example ~ 30 seconds all out: 1:30 active recovery 2:1 ratio next progression Maximizes benefit for both aerobic & anaerobic development Example ~ 30 seconds all out: 60 seconds active recovery 1:1 ratio or less (the goal!) Example ~ 1 minute all out: 1 minute active recovery (Rozenek, et al., 2007)

In a word……No Why? If you always make your workouts high intensity your body will eventually not be able to recover enough between workouts (overreaching/overtraining). What to do: Perform a lower intensity workout 1-2 days/week Make sure you are getting 1-2 rest days/week

Printouts available for implementing more HIIT into your training For more information: Contact us! Awan (253) Matt (509) Thanks for coming!