Hello fitness friends! I’m sure many of you keep wondering what this trendy exercise term “HIIT” means and what does it have to do with Performance TEAM Training? Well, get excited, because today I’m here to let you in on the benefits of TEAM and HIIT.
So what exactly is HIIT?
HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training which means repeated short periods of intense anaerobic exercise with short periods of rest. The key in that sentence is ANAEROBIC. While you are in your Anaerobic zone, you are at 80-90% of your maximum heart rate. That means you are unable to speak full sentences and pretty much are gasping and barely spitting out each word. So for a social butterfly like myself, this stinks because we all know part of the fun of the gym is being social! I kid of course!
But seriously, getting your heart rate up into that Anaerobic Zone over and over and in a short period of time with little rest is seriously good for you even if it hurts at the time. Here are some of the many benefits to HITT workouts:
- You burn 6-15% MORE calories after your workout is done! WAH???!! Your post-exercise period is called EPOC (Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption) for anyone that wants to spit that out in everyday conversation. EPOC is the time period after your workout is done that your body takes to recover. Your body uses more energy and oxygen to recover after a HIIT workout thus burning more calories. Awesome!
- It can boost your endurance/V02 Max – which carries over to all workouts. In HIIT you are constantly pushing your body’s Anaerobic Threshold up which improves blood pressure and leads to higher counts of mitochondria (which fuel your body and brain). So the next time you work out, your body remembers and is able to recover more quickly and keep pushing just a little harder.
- It’s great for your heart! HIIT increases the flexibility and elasticity of arteries and veins better then steady-state cardio. Your blood vessels and veins are getting a workout while your lungs and muscles are. Bonus!
- You will cut your workouts in half. HIIT workouts are crazy efficient and studies have shown you can get the same if not GREATER results in half the time of steady-state lower intensity workouts. More time for socializing, am I right???
So how does HIIT relate to TEAM programs at Performance Health & Fitness? Well, TEAM is HIIT!! All of our TEAM classes base themselves on the principles of HIIT. We want you to feel uncomfortable, we want to challenge your bodies and we want you to get fitter and stronger faster. Our TEAM classes are designed to be smaller in size so each instructor can coach you more one-on-one versus a larger group class. The classes change every week and are different every day.
Personally, and I know I speak for all the TEAM instructors, I love getting to know everyone that comes to my TEAM classes. Getting to know their strengths and weaknesses is essential so I can push them beyond their comfort levels in order for them to achieve fitness levels and skills they never thought they could do.
So why not come visit TEAM and give it a try! I promise you, you’ll thank yourself for it!
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