Why HIIT Workouts are Super Effective

Why HIIT Workouts are Super Effective

Sweat Time:

Equipment Needed:

Workout Type:

Body Focus:

GET WORKOUT CALENDAR

LEVEL:

[ratings]
(0 ratings)

WORKOUT DETAILS

In addition to my Pilates routines, I also love (well love and hate) HIIT or high intensity interval training workouts. These HIIT workouts burn fat fast and you could do more for your body in less time, meaning you’ll get cut quick! Before we get started, for those of you who don’t know, a HIIT workout consists of cardio bursts followed by short periods of recovery in between.

Today my sister mentioned to me a podcast she heard from Get-Fit Guy talking about why HIIT routines are so effective in fat burning. She asked me if I knew why. I said well obviously it’s because you have to go all out, then stop, then go all out, then stop over and over again which in turn makes your body work harder. The stop and go of that momentum makes you burn more calories. Kind of like how if you kept turning your car on and off at every stop light you’d end up wasting more gas.

She agreed, but told me that Get-Fit Guy, or Ben Greenfield of Quick and Dirty Tips (yes the same network as Nutrition Diva) had an additional explanation. He talks about oxygen debt:

“When you exercise, your body uses oxygen to create energy. But when you reach a high intensity during exercise, your body’s demand for oxygen exceeds your ability to breathe in that much oxygen and deliver it to the muscles. When this happens, your body goes into an “oxygen debt.” Once you go into oxygen debt, not only do your muscles begin to burn and you begin to breathe hard, but you also put your body into a state where it needs to “repay” that oxygen debt after exercise….when you breathe more and breathe deeper, your body burns more calories. Depending on how hard you’ve worked, this oxygen repaying can help you burn anywhere from a few dozen to over a hundred extra calories each hour after you exercise, for up to 24 hours after you’ve finished!”

I was fascinated to hear this! Up to 100 calories per hour for 24 hours? Well then for sure I’ll be going crazy in the gym for a hard hour to reap the benefits of oxygen debt! No wonder when I workout, sometimes I yawn. It’s not because I’m bored, but it’s because my body needs more oxygen. Breathe Cassey, breathe.

Here is a sample HIIT workout routine for you! Do each move for 1 min and rest for 30 sec in between. Repeat this set 4X total for an awesome 1 hour full body, fat blasting workout!!!

1. Star Squat

(source)

2. Split jumps

(source)

3. Knee Up Lunge, 30 sec each side

(source)

4. Single Arm Dumbbell Swing, 30 sec each arm – use at least an 5 lb weight, but you can go as heavy as 25 lbs or more!

(source)

 

5. Lunge Kicks, 30 sec each side

(source)

6. Mountain Climbers

(source)

7. Speed Skater

(source)

8. Goblet Squat – use a heavy weight, at least 10 lbs, this move will get your heart rate crazy soaring!

(source)

Happy BLACK FRIDAY!!! Get your sneakers on and get shopping like you mean it! Or stay home and shop online. That’s what I’ll be doing.

DEAL ALERT for some of my fave things:

Miracle Noodles (zero calorie noodles) is offering 15% off! Woohoo! Need to do another FOOD BITES video soon! Use discount code “STAYSLIM”

Body Language Sportswear will give you $20 off $100! You know I am a big fan of their activewear because it fits so well. Use discount code “BLACK FRIDAY”. Good until Nov 27th.

24 thoughts on “Why HIIT Workouts are Super Effective”

There are 24 comments posted by our users.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. some really superior quality articles on this web site , saved to social book marks .

  2. Chloe says:

    I used to be able to find good info from your content.

  3. lollersaurus says:

    Did anyone else have a pokemon flashback while reading the title? (It’s super effective!)

  4. Nazy says:

    I wonder if you can do a collab video with instructor Mike Chang?

    1. blogilates says:

      OMG wouldn’t that e ridiculous!!???

  5. Pingback: fANNEtastic food
  6. Asyih Khondo says:

    Hey Cassey ! Merry Xmast and Happy new year. honestly am so so so fallin love with ur popilates and popcardio exercises. am doing em almost every day to keep burning more fat and healthier body as well. but I have a little trouble. if you dont mind, is there any way or exercise to get my calves smaller? since am a Tae Kwon Do athlete, I used to practice daily for more than 3 hours and my calves get so muscular and big. please help me coz it really makes my legs look bad and muscular like a soccer player. I cant even wear short pant outside since am so embarrassed with my muscular calves. please if there is any exercise to get back my small calves would you mind to share me? best regard. thnks a bunch 🙂

  7. i adore the get-fit-guy and nutrition diva! i’ve been wanting to try a HIIT workout – i’ll definitely be doing this one. thanks for sharing – it’s easy to read while working out! 🙂

  8. Gloria Mae says:

    Ah I love this! Do you think you could make a video on this?! Sometimes it’s easier for me to follow it on a video then having to scroll in the middle of my workout. haha. 🙂

    1. blogilates says:

      Haha yes I potentially could!

  9. I’ve always been a big fan of HIIT. With some modifications a plan like the one presented can also be use for short 15-20min workouts for those in a time bind and still have the effectiveness of non-HIIT hour long workouts.

  10. jodie says:

    the discount codes are not working.:(

    1. blogilates says:

      they aren’t??? hmm weird. Try not capitalizing them?

  11. Laura says:

    this all makes sense now. the next time i yawn during workouts, i’ll know why. i seriously thought my yawning was the cause of boredom. let’s all breathe people.

  12. Ellen I am going to cope how you did your name… and also OMG I love getfitguy now after I clicked on your link Cassey! I can’t believe he reads the post to us it’s even more motivating… thanks for all the info it’s so great!

    1. blogilates says:

      yup love him and nutrition diva

  13. Kate Callahan says:

    Hi Cassie!
    Just popping in to say that while browsing another fitness site that had a page on ‘Fitness Gift Ideas’ and they included your products! Made me quite happy to see your ideas getting around more now, you deserve it 🙂
    Check it out if you want: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/gear/gifts/2011-gifts-under-25/?page=4

    1. blogilates says:

      Aww thanks for telling me!!!! Awesome!!!

  14. Bindi says:

    i learned something new today for sure… i tend to work out at work so i have a lot of guests who are curious on what i do and now i can explain the hiit even further, nice. think i got one guest the other day from australia who is looking up blogilates, a really great lady who looks superfit thanks to her caving, climbing, hiking and all, but she felt she needed something more that she can easily do besides her outdoor activities while traveling so as she was watching me the other night she got hooked and wanted to join blogilates aswell. yey! 🙂

    ok, back to work… i have 15 teenage girls checking-in any minute now… 😀

  15. I love the Get-Fit Guy! I subscribe to his podcast and the Nutrition Diva as well and read Ben Greenfield’s (THE Get-Fit Guy) personal blog as well).

  16. Haneen says:

    Hey cassey, can u do a printable with this HIIT. Thanks

    1. blogilates says:

      This is basically what the printable would look like!