{"id":8064,"date":"2018-11-02T08:38:31","date_gmt":"2018-11-02T08:38:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uk.inbody.com\/?p=8064"},"modified":"2021-05-12T08:10:48","modified_gmt":"2021-05-12T07:10:48","slug":"how-to-use-hiit-to-improve-your-body-composition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ro.inbody.com\/ro\/how-to-use-hiit-to-improve-your-body-composition\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use HIIT to Improve Your Body Composition"},"content":{"rendered":"
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If you\u2019ve been trying to get in shape recently and you\u2019ve been scouring the Internet for effective workout styles, chances are you\u2019ve stumbled upon something called HIIT, which stands for high-intensity interval training.<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the years, professional athletes and fitness buffs alike have sworn by this training method.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s lowering fat mass or increasing muscle gain, you\u2019re probably wondering if it\u2019s the right workout type that will help you attain your body composition goals as quickly as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read on below for a closer look of this popular workout style and how you can use it to effectively attain your desired body composition outcomes.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Lowdown on HIIT<\/h2>\n

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High intensity interval training (HIIT) is based on the premise that short, explosive burst of activities can have a huge, lasting impact on your body composition<\/strong>. In a nutshell, it\u2019s not about how long you\u2019re exercising but rather how intense you\u2019re performing the workouts within a certain period of time.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a typical HIIT routine, you alternate between intervals of quick, intense bursts of exercise and short, sometimes low intensity, periods of rest. Here\u2019s how the American Council on Exercise (ACE) <\/span>describes HIIT<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n

M<\/i>ost endurance workouts, such as walking, running, or stair-climbing \u2014are performed at a moderate intensity, or an exertion level of 5-6 on a scale of 0-10. High-intensity intervals, on the other hand, are done at an exertion level of 7 or higher, and are typically sustained for 30 seconds to 3 minutes, although they can be as short as 8-10 seconds or as long as 5 minutes; the higher the intensity, the shorter the speed interval. Recovery intervals are equal to or longer than the speed intervals.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Running HIIT-style involves intervals of 30 to 60 seconds of <\/span>running<\/span><\/a> near your peak of ability. You follow this almost breathless (but definitely not winded) running with a comparable <\/span>cool-down period of walking<\/span><\/a>. For instance, you can do a short sprint upstairs and walk back down four times in a row.<\/span><\/p>\n

While there\u2019s no specific set of guidelines as to how often you should do HIIT,  alternating periods of high-intensity and low-intensity activities at least three times a week as part of your exercise routine is a good rule of thumb<\/strong> to reap its benefits. One study in the <\/span>European Journal of Endocrinology<\/span><\/a> reported that male subjects following an 8-week HIIT program experienced muscle gain and lost a significant amount of abdominal fat mass, even though the program included no weightlifting.<\/span><\/p>\n

The great thing about HIIT is you can apply interval training to almost any type of workout \u2014 from interval running to doing explosive laps at the pool to your twice-a-week kettlebell routine. This means that you can continuously mix things up in your routine so you won\u2019t get bored and give up on our <\/span>body composition goals<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

HIIT and Its Impact on Body Fat<\/h2>\n

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Let\u2019s look at HIIT\u2019s impact on body fat.<\/span><\/p>\n

HIIT has been shown to be effective in torching body fat more than other types of exercise<\/strong>. In terms of belly fat, studies found that HIIT workouts help reduce both <\/span>visceral (fat mass around the organs) and subcutaneous (under the skin) fat<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another <\/span>study<\/span><\/a> compared the results between a group of participants who committed to three days a week of high-intensity exercise routine and another group who did five days a week of low-intensity exercise. After sixteen weeks, the researchers discovered that the participants who committed to high-intensity exercise routine for three days a week lost more fat than the group who showed up for low-intensity steady-state exercise.<\/span><\/p>\n

HIIT\u2019s significant role in reducing fat mass is good news if you\u2019re not seeing consistent results in reducing your <\/span>body fat percentage<\/span><\/a> (particularly that stubborn belly fat) despite your regular workout routine.<\/span><\/p>\n

HIIT and Its Impact on Muscle Mass<\/h2>\n

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As for HIIT\u2019s possible role in building <\/span>lean muscle mass<\/span><\/a>, let\u2019s take a look at the findings of a <\/span>study<\/span><\/a> published last year in the<\/span> Journal of Diabetes Research<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The researchers compared the effects of five weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) among overweight and obese, young women in terms of cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, and blood glucose.<\/span><\/p>\n

Participants in the HIIT group performed 60 repetitions of high-intensity interval exercise \u2014 at 8 seconds of cycling at 90% of peak oxygen consumption, and 12-second rest on a cycle ergometer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, participants in the MICT group performed continuous cycling exercise at 65% of peak oxygen consumption for 40 minutes.<\/span><\/p>\n

In terms of lean mass changes, the researchers concluded the following:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c..the MICT group experienced significantly decreased total lean mass (TLM) and leg LM. Meanwhile, TLM and leg LM in the HIIT group were unchanged<\/strong>. \u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Based on the study\u2019s findings, here\u2019s what we know so far:<\/p>\n