High Intensity Interval Training Workouts
 |
| A challenging hill can serve as an ideal setting for a HIIT workout whether walking, running, or biking uphill |
These three workouts presented below are meant to accompany an earlier post on HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING (HIIT). While there are a variety of HIIT workouts, these three are selected to accommodate beginners to seasoned veterans. Also these workouts will likely work well with: a) time-crunched athletes and b) athletes who have plateaued in their training and need a nudge forward.
The Beginner
If you are just beginning your fitness journey, this workout is a good place to start and will add variety. In a previous post on WALKING WORKOUTS, interval walking is mentioned. The Beginner is a great example of an interval walking workout.
The Workout
1 Warm up by walking at an intensity of 1 (Very light) for 3 minutes
2 Increase your effort to intensity 3 (Moderate), so you are breathing deeply but can still hold a conversation. Hold that pace for 3 minutes.
3 Ease back to intensity 2 (Light) for 3 minutes.
4 Repeat steps 2 & 3 another 4 more times (33 minutes total duration).
5 If you are just beginning, you may not be able to do over 30 minutes of interval walking right away - start with as many repeats as you can manage and work your way up.
Research
This Beginner HIIT Workout was used in this RESEARCH STUDY with participants four times per week over a three-month time period. After this time period, researchers reported participants increased their cardio fitness and lowered their systolic blood pressure (the higher number of a blood pressure reading - went from 127 to 119 on average), both to a statistically significant degree.
The Ten By One
The Ten By One workout provides versatility. Both newbies and veterans seem to be able to get something out of this workout. It can be done using different activities (running, biking, swimming, etc.) in different settings (track, gym, trail, etc.).
The Workout
1 Warm up at an intensity of 2 (Light) for 3 minutes.
2 Increase your effort to a sprint at intensity 9 (almost max), to the point of gasping for breath for 1 minute.
3 Ease back to intensity 2 (Light) for 1 minute.
4 Repeat steps 2 & 3 another 9 more times for a total of 10 sprints.
5 Cool down at an intensity of 2 (Light) for 2 minutes (for a total duration of 25 minutes).
Research
This RESEARCH STUDY used the Ten By One format with a group of sedentary participants 3 times a week (M, W, & F) over 6 weeks. Results showed reduced body-fat percentage and improved cardio fitness to a statistically significant degree. Also, professional athletes have used the 1 minute “on” / 1 minute “off” protocol to good effect. As mentioned in the post, LEARNING FROM A PROFESSIONAL RUNNER’S TRAINING SCHEDULE, men's marathon Olympic gold medalist, Eluid Kipchoge, uses this protocol for some of his training runs. Albeit he runs 25 intervals of 1 minute “on” / 1 minute “off”. Calling it a fartlek workout, Kipchoge runs the “on” portion faster than his race pace.
Swedish Basic Training
The Norwegian Four By Four is currently generating lots of interest online. Before this workout, there was Swedish Basic Training. As running is my primary sport, I like this Swedish Basic Training because it targets that 3 to 5 minute high-intensity interval that running coaches, like Jack Daniels, recommend for working on VO2 Max.
The Workout
1 Warm up at an intensity of 2 (Light) for 3 minutes.
2 Increase your effort to a sprint at intensity 7 (Very Heavy) - where breathing is rapid and forceful and you are not wanting to talk - for 3 minutes.
3 Ease back to intensity 2 (Light) for 3 minutes.
4 Repeat steps 2 & 3 another 4 more times for a total of 5 intervals (for a total duration of 30 minutes).
Research
This workout is from the book, The One Minute Workout. In the 1970s researchers recruited three platoons of young male conscripts starting basic training in the Swedish military. Rather than putting them through calisthenics and running drills common to military boot camps, researchers had one platoon run 15 minutes a day in 15-second “on” / 15-second “off” bursts. The other two platoons ran in cycles of 3 minutes “on” / 3 minutes “off”; with one platoon training 3 times per week and the other 5 times per week. The biggest boost to cardio fitness, with a 20 percent increase in a month, was the platoon that trained for 3 minutes “on” / 3 minutes “off” three times per week - a basic and easy-to-remember workout that can be done using a variety of activities and locales.
* * *
Thanks for reading! Check out the sidebar of the homepage where this article and other training resources are located.
QUESTION?
info@experiment1coaching.com
FOLLOW
If you enjoyed this post, never miss out on future posts by following Experiment of One Coaching and "like" us on Facebook.
WEBSITE
Experiment of One Coaching covers topics ranging from running, strength training, health & wellness, sports nutrition to travel. I usually post once or twice a month.
Comments