Most people would think that you only train the way that you compete and they would be forgiven for doing so! This is another big misconception with training and in fact your body responds far better when training is mixed between varying sessions of sport specific training.
Using HIIT to train for a marathon for example doesnt seem to make a lot of sense however when you consider what HIIT actually does to your body, it does – if used correctly and if the participant is pushed hard enough for long enough.
HIIT allows your body to work above and below your anaerobic/lactic acid threshold – simply put this is the point that your body’s ability to perform at higher levels begins to decrease due to the build up of lactic acid in the muscles. This threshold varies from one individual to another and is greatly affected by their fitness. With fitness levels considered and due to the intensity of HIIT this type of training shouldn’t be undertaken by beginners and if you consider yourself in this bracket then you should ask a qualified personal trainer (much like myself 😜) for alternative exercises to get you to the basic fitness level required.
By pushing your body to, and beyond, this threshold regularly like most things, your body will start to get used to being here and the stresses this causes. Your body will adapt and improve itself in anticipation of next time you train and it is these adaptations that occur that we are interested in…
- Greater cappilarisation of muscles meaning greater oxygen levels are able to reach and be used by these muscles. Also a benefit whether you are exercising for shorter or longer periods of time due to the constant need for oxygen.
- Raise your bodies tolerance to lactic acid and therefore allow your body the ability to work harder before failure to continue to exercise is ensued due to lactic acid build up.
- Your heart becomes a stronger and more efficient muscle which in turn allows it to beat slower to perform the same job. This equates to a lower resting heart rate and consider this … even if it drops by 5 beats per minute due to a healthy training programme with the addition of HIIT, if you only live for another 30 years that adds up to saving your heart the effort of 78,624,000 beats!!
- Performing HIIT stimulates muscle growth more than many other forms of exercise. This enables the nutrients that you do consume to be put to good use by repairing muscles. All- in this allows the Cardiovascular System to be worked and if the intensity is controlled correctly fat will be burnt and muscle maintained, no more losing weight through the loss of muscle.
- Increased fat burning due to a raised metabolism both during and after exercise – because of the intensity of the workout your body will take longer to repair itself than a steady state run and will therefore be using more calories even when you get home and put your feet up for a well-earned rest
- With increased muscle tone (loss of fat and the maintenance of muscle as a minimum – providing diet is also on point) your body will be burning more calories at rest even after the effects of exercise have subsided. Muscle takes more calories for your body to maintain than fat so this increases the resting metabolic rate of our bodies, increasing overall calories used on a daily basis!
All-in, HIIT is an insanely effective way to get the results you want quickly and efficiently in the time you spend in the gym. It has many benefits that can be applied to also any sporting scenario. If you are unsure if you are doing HIIT correctly and you have time to stop and think about it, you probably aren’t. It needs to hurt for you to benefit…
What are you waiting for?
Good Luck
