We’re nearing the end of 2019 and you know what that means – the huge push to get fit heading into the New Year. In the coming months, advertisers will throw around all sorts of trendy lingo to pull at your emotions and push you to give their workouts a try.
Having sampled many of the fitness class options on the market, the one word that basically describes them all is HIIT. HIIT classes and training sessions are being advertised everywhere and for good reason – they (for the most part) get results.
So, what’s all of the fuss about?
Put simply, HIIT means High Intensity Interval Training. Short bursts of incredibly intense exercise followed by small rest periods put your heart on a roller coaster and sets your body up to lose weight while creating that lean, toned look. Most busy adults with whirlwind schedules like HIIT classes because they burn as much fat and calories as endurance activities in half the time.
Now that we understand what HIIT classes are and why they’re so effective, what makes up the bones of a truly great HIIT experience? More importantly, how do you know which one fits your needs?
The nuts and bolts of HIIT Classes
When a prospective clients calls i.e. Fitness about our boot camps, the ten-second elevator pitch goes something like this: our fast-paced, high intensity classes (HIIT) are centered around the basic foundational movements of the human body that create the basis for long-term strength gains and fat loss.
The foundational movements – squat, lunge, push, pull, hinge, and carries – provide the pseudo backbone of all of our HIIT classes. When done correctly, those six movements will safely put your body in a position to build muscle and crush fat.
The tempo, intensity, load and time allotted for each segment of exercise throughout each workout can make for an incredibly diverse set of structures to work from. i.e. boot camps work around these parameters to form an endless amount of workouts that keeps the body guessing on a daily basis.
What does a good HIIT Class look like?
Need an example of a workout? All of our workouts start with some sort of cardio to get a sweat going. Waking up the central nervous system starts with a little cardio followed by a dynamic warm-up that includes some stretching and slow strength movements. The ten to 12 minutes of warm-up time greatly reduces your injury risk while also making sure the body is in prime position to attack a workout.
Thereafter, the real fun begins. Remember earlier when we talked about the foundational movements? We pluck one or two of those to start each segment to form the basis of each circuit. From there, auxiliary movements (core, plyo-metrics, bodyweight and mobility exercises, etc) make up the rest of each circuit. Each circuit can have a different structure, time allotted, weight allotted or tempo allotted to make it vastly different from workouts. This makes for a new experience during each workout that is fun and exciting while super-challenging for your body.
The last ingredient of an i.e. boot camp class is the environment in which the workouts are done. Your trainer will make sure to understand any restrictions you might have going into each workout. They will also maintain open communication throughout the session to ensure your form is correct while answering any questions you might have. From there, get ready to work hard and have fun!
Whatever HIIT class you try, we hope it’s safe, effective and fun! If you want to learn more about i.e. Fitness boot camp classes, contact us today.