High intensity interval training is not usually a response you would get if you asked someone for tips on how to build muscle. Yet, today you are going to find out why HIIT is one of the most effective ways to build more lean mass in considerably less time than other training protocols.
Using HIIT as a form of resistance training may sound impossible, but it's not.
HIIT is very versatile. In the past few years it has been stereotyped as a cardiovascular workout, but in truth it can be applied to strength based training quite easily, too.
The first reports of interval training showed this. Back in the 1992 Olympic Games, sprint coaches were using high intensity routines to prepare their athletes for the events they faced. These included both weights based work and outdoor sprints.
When you think about it, any weights workout bears striking resemblances to interval training. You train, you rest, you train, you rest, and so on.
It also takes a critical compound of interval training and let's you have the full benefits - that compound is the afterburn effect. This is where the body continues to burn calories and fat at an accelerated rate for almost 12 hours following a gym session.
One study from Canada revealed that individuals performing this style of training used more than twice the amount of fat as those following a basic aerobic routine.
The problem with resistance training, however, is that most gym members do not workout to their true weightlifting potential.
Most people allow themselves to get stuck in a comfort zone when lifting. They fail to force new results by handling loads their body can already take. Also, they rest for way too long.
The two key aspects of high intensity exercise are that you must lower rest periods and you must workout to your absolute maximum ability, which is why those two reasons above often lead to failure.
So to incorporate this technique into resistance training, do the following...
The simplest way to do this is to reduce rest periods between each set. Start by setting yourself a timer which allows you no more than sixty seconds between sets and move those rest periods down every week until you are effectively only resting ten or twenty seconds between sets.
Workouts will take on an altogether different feeling with this type of work ethic.
High intensity interval training shows you how to build muscle without spending your entire working day in the gym. You can enjoy less overall workout time but more physical results if you approach it correctly and use it wisely.
Using HIIT as a form of resistance training may sound impossible, but it's not.
HIIT is very versatile. In the past few years it has been stereotyped as a cardiovascular workout, but in truth it can be applied to strength based training quite easily, too.
The first reports of interval training showed this. Back in the 1992 Olympic Games, sprint coaches were using high intensity routines to prepare their athletes for the events they faced. These included both weights based work and outdoor sprints.
When you think about it, any weights workout bears striking resemblances to interval training. You train, you rest, you train, you rest, and so on.
It also takes a critical compound of interval training and let's you have the full benefits - that compound is the afterburn effect. This is where the body continues to burn calories and fat at an accelerated rate for almost 12 hours following a gym session.
One study from Canada revealed that individuals performing this style of training used more than twice the amount of fat as those following a basic aerobic routine.
The problem with resistance training, however, is that most gym members do not workout to their true weightlifting potential.
Most people allow themselves to get stuck in a comfort zone when lifting. They fail to force new results by handling loads their body can already take. Also, they rest for way too long.
The two key aspects of high intensity exercise are that you must lower rest periods and you must workout to your absolute maximum ability, which is why those two reasons above often lead to failure.
So to incorporate this technique into resistance training, do the following...
The simplest way to do this is to reduce rest periods between each set. Start by setting yourself a timer which allows you no more than sixty seconds between sets and move those rest periods down every week until you are effectively only resting ten or twenty seconds between sets.
Workouts will take on an altogether different feeling with this type of work ethic.
High intensity interval training shows you how to build muscle without spending your entire working day in the gym. You can enjoy less overall workout time but more physical results if you approach it correctly and use it wisely.
About the Author:
Contact info: Discover key tips teaching you how to build muscle and how to perform high intensity interval training properly for maximum results via the free fitness blog from top online strength coach Russ Howe PTI.
