What is HIIT?
HIIT, or High Intensity Interval Training is a form of cardio exercise that is proven to burn 9 TIMES more fat than regular cardio, in less time! Learn how to get started here.
The guys at Gymboss have been kind enough to offer up 3 of their popular interval timers to some lucky new members of the HIIT Forums.
All you have to do is sign up and post 1 new thread (no 2 worders!) relating to HIIT and you are automatically entered into the draw!
The HIIT Forums are brand new after a recent server crash and software update so let’s get the ball rolling on some great HIIT discussion and make it a great resource for everyone.
*Winners will be notified by email so don’t forget to sign up with an email address you check often.
This video from Jim Stoppani is a great visual demonstration of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Like myself, Jim chose jump rope for his exercise of choice, and uses the programmable Gymboss to track his work/rest intervals.
If you have a video of a different way to do HIIT, contact me using the contact page and I’ll post it here for other HIIT freaks to learn from!
I’ve added a new page to the site that has some HIIT videos that I feel are useful for people wanting to get a visual tutorial on how to HIIT. Sometimes you can read for hours but not fully understand what is being said until you see it in video. Check out the new page here.
You will also notice a paragraph on the page that relates to making your own HIIT videos and earning a little pocket money for doing so! I am in the process of creating a database of HIIT videos, tutorials, timers, ebooks, charts, calculators and whatever else can help you on your HIIT quest, and as a result I will pay good money for exclusive (that means it can’t be on youtube already!) videos of you doing your HIIT, on any cardio machine, for any interval ratio, any country, anybody!
The quality of your HIIT video will determine it’s value (i.e: price). If you have any questions, or want to send through your videos use the contact form or email me directly: mark@hiitsource.com
You get a great workout and some cash, nobody loses!
Here is a scenario that is often encountered when getting into HIIT and weightlifting, it hurts!
Hey guys, i’ve found your site extremely helpful. I’m going to begin interval training soon. But i’ve been resistance training for quite awhile and im sore on my “off days.” But i’ve been told to do the interval ttraining on my off days. Would it be okay to still be sprinting when sore?
I also imagine i wouldn’t been sprinting my full potential because of the soreness, so i probably wouldnt be reaping as many benefits as if i had done it without being sore. Thank you in advance!Read the rest of this entry »
I am prone to all sorts of nausea. Poor camera work, first person shooter games, car sickness and a particularly horrible susceptibility to sea sickness often result in an art form I like to call reverse eating. For the sake of my typing lets just call it what it is, vomit. It should come as no surprise then that my first ever HIIT session ended abruptly, face down in the toilet.
I get many emails a week asking about HIIT (I can’t reply to them all, but please use the forums, we have some extremely helpful members), and often people will tell me of their first HIIT experience that resulted in nausea and vomiting.
First of all we must establish that exercise induced nausea does not affect everyone, but it is a perfectly normal and common response to exercise. Although you may feel like it, vomiting after HIIT will not kill you and it will be over usually quite quickly after vomiting and some rest. Read the rest of this entry »
If you’re not lucky enough to have yourself a Gymboss interval timer, you might be struggling to keep track of your intervals during your HIIT sessions. I’ve created a little mp3 which has interval notifiers for a 8:12 HIIT protocol.
In other words, my little computer generated lady voice will let you know when it’s time to start your high intensity intervals, and when it’s time to begin your active rest intervals. Just load the mp3 onto your iPod and plug your ears into a guided workout, simple!
The mp3 is only 4 minutes long, with an intro that means its around a 3:40 workout – so it’s only brief. The 8:12 interval ratio is suited better for people with some HIIT experience. Really fit people may want to go for longer, but if you’re advanced in HIIT you should have yourself an interval timer by now anyway!
There are other interval ratios coming soon, including 10:20 and 30:60 splits. Future mp3’s will also go for up to 10 minutes.
I get a few emails a week (via the contact form) asking about what and when to eat for optimal HIIT results.
I tend to reply to this kind of question with a list of pro’s and con’s and no concrete advice either way. I do this because it is a heavily debated topic and you will find a million people who will say eating before hand is good and another million who say that NOT eating (fasted cardio) gives best results.
The problem with this debate is everyone is different, not to mention everyone has different goals. Bodybuilders are generally more concerned with keeping their hard earned muscle, whilst people with weight loss goals and cardiovascular health in mind are typically worried about burning fat.
I’ve seen both work for people, and I’ve had both work for me, and I still can’t say for sure which way was better. Read the rest of this entry »
HIIT with a jump rope is a really good workout, especially if you are already handy with a jump rope. If you’re new to working out with a jump rope you probably aren’t going to look like Rocky Balboa the first few times – but you will get the hang of it.
The basic principles of jump rope high intensity interval training are exactly the same as any other HIIT. You need to alternate between high and low intensity (active rest) intervals and you can monitor your intervals via time, heart rate or number of jumps.
Personally I find it difficult to count the number of jumps for HIIT so I use my Gymboss to monitor intervals, along with a heart rate monitor with a chest strap. Read the rest of this entry »
A decent interval timer is an essential tool for anyone half-way serious about HIIT and interval training. In the past I have reviewed the Gymboss Interval Timer which I used for months before I was sent a new timer by Vladimir from a company called Inventico. Interval Workout Timer (model TMR03) does what you would expect it to, track intervals, but it has a few key features that make it stand out from any other timer I’ve used.
The Low Down
The Fitness Timer is a fist-sized gadget with a large digital display and an easy to use interface. It comes in 3 colors, black, gray and off-white and sells for $22.99 through the Fitness Timer website.
To operate you simply set the number of rounds, set the duration of interval one and interval two, then press start. If you wish you can also save up to 3 interval settings to use later using the MY TIME button. 3 beeps indicates the end of interval one, while 1 beep means the end of interval two. 3 sets of 3 beeps means that your workout is over! Cleverly, this gadget also flashes the interval round you are currently in during the beeps. You are given all the information you need for a perfect HIIT workout. Read the rest of this entry »
In an effort to cut down on the time it takes for me to reply to everyones questions by e-mail, I have added a forum to the site. You can view the forum here or access it using the left navigation
The forum is extremely simple to use, and should be a great place to share HIIT ideas and methods.
The forum is brand new and still being tested so some browsers may not render the style properly, if you are having problems just email me using the contact form.
What is HIIT?
Here is a scenario that is often encountered when getting into HIIT and weightlifting, it hurts!
I tend to reply to this kind of question with a list of pro’s and con’s and no concrete advice either way. I do this because it is a heavily debated topic and you will find a million people who will say eating before hand is good and another million who say that NOT eating (fasted cardio) gives best results.
The basic principles of jump rope high intensity interval training are exactly the same as any other HIIT. You need to alternate between high and low intensity (active rest) intervals and you can monitor your intervals via time, heart rate or number of jumps.