Intensity and duration of HIIT

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Advice on the right intensity and duration of HIIT workouts for different fitness levels.

HIIT Basics: This topic covers the basics of HIIT training, including the principles, benefits, and differences between steady-state cardio and HIIT.
Intensity: Intensity refers to the level of effort required during HIIT training. It is important to understand how to gauge and manipulate the intensity of HIIT to gain the most benefits from the workout.
Duration: Duration refers to the length of time a person performs HIIT exercises. It is important to understand how to gradually increase the duration of the workout to prevent overexertion.
Workout Structure: This topic covers the structure of a HIIT workout, including rest periods, work intervals, and recovery intervals.
Warm-up/Cooldown: Proper warm-up and cooldown routines are critical for preventing injury, increasing flexibility, and improving overall fitness.
Nutrition: Nutrition is key for any fitness program, but it is especially important for HIIT due to the high intensity of the workouts. This topic covers the importance of a well-rounded diet that includes adequate amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats.
Recovery: HIIT is a demanding workout that can lead to muscle soreness and fatigue. This topic covers strategies for recovery, including rest, active recovery, and proper hydration.
Equipment: HIIT can be done with or without equipment, but certain pieces of equipment can help improve your workout by enabling you to change the intensity and duration of your exercises.
Techniques: Proper technique is important to prevent injury and maximize the effectiveness of your workout. This topic covers the correct form for popular HIIT exercises like burpees, planks, and mountain climbers.
Tracking Progress: Tracking progress is essential for improving performance and staying motivated during HIIT training. This topic covers different ways to track progress, including using the timer on your phone, a wearable fitness tracker, or a heart rate monitor.
Tabata: This type of HIIT involves 20 seconds of high-intensity exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated for eight rounds.
Little Method: This HIIT program involves cycling between high-intensity exercise for 20 seconds followed by low-intensity exercise for 40 seconds, repeated for 4 minutes.
Fartlek: This HIIT method involves varying the intensity of exercise throughout a workout, with short bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by longer periods of lower intensity.
Wingate: This form of HIIT is known as a sprint interval training workout, which involves cycling at maximum intensity for 30 seconds, followed by recovery for 4 minutes, and then repeated.
10-20-30: This type of HIIT training involves 10 seconds of maximum intensity exercise, 20 seconds of moderate intensity exercise, and 30 seconds of active recovery, repeated for 5 minutes.
Gibala: This HIIT program involves alternating between 60 seconds of high-intensity exercise and 75 seconds of recovery, repeated for 10 minutes.
Crossfit: Combines various exercises performed in quick, high-intensity bursts.
Pyramid Training: This type of HIIT involves building up intensity as you work through your routine and then decreasing in intensity.
One-Minute Workouts: HIIT sessions comprise of a one-minute round of any exercise performed at high intensity, followed by 20 seconds of rest.
Cardio HIIT: This HIIT program involves high-intensity cardio training, such as sprints or lunges, for short intervals, followed by fast recovery intervals.
"The method thereby relies on 'the anaerobic energy releasing system almost maximally'."
"The very high level of intensity, the interval duration, and number of bouts distinguish it from aerobic (cardiovascular) activity."
"...maximal effort, duration, and short rest periods (thereby triggering the anaerobic pathways of energy production) materially differentiate it from being considered a form of cardiovascular exercise."
"A HIIT workout typically lasts under 30 minutes in total... The times vary, based on a participant's current fitness level."
"Intervals of exercise effort tend to range from 20 to 45 seconds but no longer than 75 seconds."
"HIIT workouts provide improved athletic capacity and condition as well as improved glucose metabolism."
"Compared with longer sessions typical of other regimens, HIIT may not be as effective for treating hyperlipidemia and obesity, or improving muscle and bone mass."
"Research has shown that HIIT regimens produced reductions in the fat mass of the whole-body in young women comparable to prolonged moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT)."
"Sprint interval training (SIT) is an exercise conducted in a similar way to HIIT, but instead of using 'near maximal' effort for the high-intensity periods, 'supramaximal' or 'all-out' efforts are used in shorter bursts."
""Near maximal" means reaching 80–100% HRmax."
"SIT regimens generally include a lower volume of total exercise compared with HIIT ones as well as longer, lower activity recovery periods and creates a greater homeostatic disturbance."
"Both HIIT and SIT fall into the larger class of interval training."
"Distinction between the two is not always maintained, even in academia."
"Traditional HIIT initially had been designed to be no longer than 20 seconds on with no more than 10 seconds off."
"Some researchers also note that HIIT requires 'an extremely high level of subject motivation' and question whether the general population could safely or practically tolerate the extreme nature of the exercise regimen."
"HIIT involves exercises performed in repeated quick bursts at maximum or near maximal effort with periods of rest or low activity between bouts. The body significantly recruits anaerobic energy systems (although not completely to the exclusion of aerobic pathways)."
"HIIT workouts provide... improved glucose metabolism."
"HIIT's crucial features of maximal effort, duration, and short rest periods materially differentiate it from being considered a form of cardiovascular exercise."
"HIIT workouts provide improved athletic capacity and condition."
"Though there is no universal HIIT session duration, a HIIT workout typically lasts under 30 minutes in total."