What is HIIT training? Explaining effective methods and diet menus

What is HIIT training? A short-term exercise method that promises high results

HIIT stands for "High-Intensity Interval Training" and is pronounced "hit" or "heat."
This type of exercise alternates between high-intensity exercise and short periods of rest, and its effectiveness is backed by scientific evidence.
By repeating a few seconds of full-power exercise followed by a short rest, you can expect the same results as if you were exercising for a long time, even in just a few minutes, making this a training method that is easy to practice even for people who are short on time.

The 4 main benefits of HIIT training

HIIT training has many benefits that can help you lose weight and stay healthy.
Not only does it promote fat burning in a short period of time, it also brings about various positive changes to the body, such as improving cardiopulmonary function and maintaining and increasing muscle mass.

Unlike aerobic exercise such as walking, you can expect the effect of continuing to burn calories even after exercise, so you can aim to lose weight efficiently.
The appeal of HIIT is that you can not only see changes in your appearance, but also feel an improvement in your physical fitness.
It is a great exercise for building a healthy body.

Burn fat efficiently and quickly

HIIT burns a lot of calories in a short amount of time, so it can be expected to have a great fat-burning effect.
High-intensity exercise increases your heart rate and encourages your body to burn body fat for energy.
It is especially effective in reducing visceral fat and subcutaneous fat.

Compared to regular aerobic exercise, it tends to burn more calories even though the training time is shorter.
This burning effect not only lasts during exercise but also after training, supporting efficient fat burning.

Afterburn effect that continues to burn calories even after exercise

One of the major features of HIIT is the afterburn effect (EPOC = excess post-exercise oxygen consumption).
This is a phenomenon in which the body consumes more oxygen than usual and continues to burn more calories even after exercise as it tries to restore the body's internal state that has been disrupted by intense exercise.
This effect is said to last for up to 48 hours, leading to a body that is more likely to burn fat even when not training.

HIIT also activates mitochondria in cells, which contributes to improved energy metabolism.
It may also have a positive effect on skin turnover.

Improved cardiopulmonary function for increased endurance

HIIT effectively strengthens cardiopulmonary function by intentionally placing a high load on the heart and lungs. By moving your body at full force, your maximum oxygen intake increases, improving your ability to deliver oxygen to your entire body. This improves the shortness of breath you feel when going up and down stairs in your daily life, and can lead to an improvement in your overall physical fitness.

Athletes often incorporate HIIT to improve their performance, and it is also effective in sports that require both explosive power and endurance, such as tennis and soccer. By doing HIIT regularly, you can experience improvements in your endurance, such as being able to run longer distances than before.

Maintain muscle mass and build a body that is less prone to gaining weight

Long-term aerobic exercise can break down muscle as well as fat, but HIIT has a strong anaerobic component, making it possible to burn fat while minimizing muscle loss.
Since muscle accounts for a large part of basal metabolism, maintaining muscle mass helps maintain the amount of calories burned without doing anything, leading to a body that is less likely to gain weight and easier to lose weight.

You may feel some muscle soreness after your workout, which is a sign that your muscles are being stimulated.
Losing fat while maintaining muscle mass will help you achieve a leaner body.

The basics of HIIT training

HIIT training is based on alternating high-intensity exercise with short intervals of rest.
The point of this cycle is to push your body to its limits during exercise.
If you are a beginner, you can start with a slightly lower intensity workout.
Finding a method that suits your fitness level, adjusting the time and number of sets, is key to continuing your training safely and effectively.
The goal is to get your heart rate close to maximum in a short amount of time.

Repeat this set of 20 seconds of full effort followed by 10 seconds of rest.

The most common form of HIIT is to repeat a cycle of 20 seconds of all-out effort followed by 10 seconds of rest.
This combination of 20 seconds and 10 seconds counts as one set, and it is common to do a total of 8 sets (total of 4 minutes).

If you are not confident in your physical strength, it may be a good idea to start with two sets and adjust the number of repetitions or sets.
You can also change the ratio to suit your level, such as exercising for 30 seconds and resting for 30 or 60 seconds.
It's more important to give your all in each set than it is to do how many sets you do.

Start with 2-3 times a week

HIIT is a very intense workout, so you don't have to do it every day.
In fact, rest is essential for muscle recovery and growth.
If you're a beginner, we recommend starting with two to three sessions per week.

However, if you're new to exercise, suddenly taking on high-intensity interval training may be a bit of a challenge. However, if you still want to experience the benefits of HIIT training, we recommend taking advantage of group classes at a sports gym!
Central Sports' popular "EXCITE Series" is open to even first-timers.
Do a full body workoutEXCITE-BODY" and "specializing in core training"EXCITE-CORE", so you can choose the one that suits your mood that day.

Once you start to feel your strength improving after two weeks or a month of practice, you can gradually adjust the frequency and intensity.
After 3 months you will definitely see a big change!

5 Recommended HIIT Exercises You Can Do Right Now at Home!

Most HIIT training exercises use your own body weight as resistance.
Here are five recommended HIIT workouts you can try at home right now.

A great way to do this is to combine about four of these exercises to create your own ultimate workout!
Try starting with some easy exercises you can do at home, using videos from online fitness services as a reference.

Squats to strengthen your lower body

Squats are a basic exercise that can effectively train the large muscles of the lower body, such as the buttocks and thighs.
To incorporate this into your HIIT routine, repeat the exercise as fast as possible for 20 seconds while maintaining good form.
The key is to keep your chest up and your back straight, and lower your hips while being careful not to let your knees extend beyond your toes.

High-speed squats can get your heart rate up quickly and also help tone your legs and strengthen your calves.
This is an effective workout that will help you build muscle in your lower body and burn fat at the same time.

Burpee Jumps: A Full-Body Movement

Burpee jumps are a series of repeated movements that involve going from a standing position to a push-up position, then standing up and jumping again.
It is known as a very intense exercise because it raises your heart rate rapidly and uses muscles throughout your body, including your chest, arms, shoulders, core, and legs, all at the same time.

It is also frequently incorporated into fitness lessons overseas, and you can expect to burn a huge amount of calories in a short amount of time.
If you are a beginner or not very physically fit, adjust the intensity by skipping the jumping or doing push-ups on your knees.

"Fast thigh raises" to increase your heart rate

High-speed thigh raises involve rhythmically running in place, quickly and alternately raising your thighs up to waist height.
Swinging your arms widely will get your upper body moving in sync, helping to raise your heart rate more efficiently.
The advantage of this method is that it does not require special skills or a large space, and is relatively quiet, making it easy to practice even in apartments.

It is most effective to keep your back straight and do this rhythmically, imagining that you are running up a flight of stairs.
It can be used as a warm-up or as the main exercise in a HIIT workout.

Knee push-ups to strengthen your upper body

Push-ups are an effective exercise for strengthening the upper body, including the chest, arms, and back, but they can be difficult for beginners.
In this case, we recommend doing "knee push-ups" on your knees.
Kneeling reduces the load and makes it easier to focus on proper form.

When incorporating it into your HIIT routine, repeat it as fast as you can for 20 seconds.
The key is to make sure that your body is in a straight line from your head to your knees, and lower your body so that your chest is close to the floor.
This is a good exercise if you want to tone your upper body.

Squat jumps to improve explosive power

Squat jumps are an exercise that involves adding an explosive jump when standing up from a regular squat.
In addition to strengthening the muscles in the lower body, it is also expected to improve explosive power and jumping ability.
From a deep squat position, focus on raising your arms and jumping high.
When landing, use your knees and ankles gently to absorb the impact.

It's extremely intense and gets your heart rate up quickly, making it a very effective HIIT workout.
However, it also puts a lot of strain on your knees, so it's important to use the correct form.

5 tips to get the most out of your HIIT workout

HIIT training is very effective, but simply doing it blindly will not only not provide sufficient results but also put you at risk of injury. There are a few things to keep in mind to maximize the effects and continue safely.
The premise is to exercise at an intensity that feels "tough," but it is essential to pay attention to the correct form and timing.
Here are five key points to help you get the most out of your training.

Warm up before exercise and cool down after exercise

To safely perform high-intensity HIIT, proper care before and after training is essential.
Before exercising, warm up with a light jog or some dynamic stretching to gradually increase your heart rate, improve blood flow, and warm up your muscles and joints.
This will help prevent injuries and improve performance.

After exercise, incorporate cool-down exercises such as static stretching to calm your body and promote recovery from muscle fatigue.
This habit also helps reduce muscle soreness.

Be aware of proper form to prevent injury

HIIT pushes you to your limits in a short period of time, which can lead to fatigue and a loss of form.
However, if you continue to exercise with incorrect form, not only will you not be able to target the muscles, but you may also injure your joints and muscles.

Especially for beginners, it's important to prioritize proper form over speed.
Checking your movements in front of a mirror or referring to reliable training videos and being conscious of performing each movement carefully will lead to safe and effective training.

Pushing yourself to your limits is the key to success

The main point of HIIT is that it is high intensity.
To get the full benefit, you need to exercise at your fullest for the duration of the workout, pushing yourself to a level that subjectively feels "quite hard."
For example, if you're doing a four-minute workout, aim for an intensity that leaves you out of breath during those four minutes and collapses after you've finished.

Because it's only a short time, like 5 or 10 minutes, it's important to concentrate and give it your all.
If it feels easy, you may not be getting the full benefits of HIIT, so you should reassess the intensity of your exercise.

Avoid training on an empty stomach or immediately after eating

The timing of your training also affects its effectiveness.
If you do HIIT on an empty stomach when you are extremely low on energy, not only will you not be able to exert your full strength and your performance will decrease, but your body will also be more likely to break down muscle as an energy source.

Conversely, training immediately after eating can cause blood that should be concentrated in the stomach and intestines for digestion to be dispersed to the muscles, leading to indigestion.
If you are going to train, it is ideal to wait about two hours before eating, or to have a light, easily digestible energy boost such as a banana 30 minutes to an hour before exercising.

Do it according to your physical condition without overdoing it

HIIT puts a lot of strain on the body, so it's very important to do it in accordance with your physical condition.
Forcing yourself to train when you are sleep-deprived, fatigued from work, or not feeling well will not only result in poor performance, but could also lead to injury or a weakened immune system.

Sometimes you need the courage to take a break.
Also, on days when you really want to move your body, being flexible and switching to light stretching or gentle aerobic exercise will make it easier to continue training in the long term.

My Feelings, Then and Now

HIIT is a training method that involves repeating high-intensity exercise followed by short breaks, and is expected to be highly effective in burning fat and improving cardiopulmonary function in a short period of time. Many of the exercises can be done at home, making it an easy method to get started even for busy people.

To get the most out of your workouts, it's important to push yourself to the limit, focus on proper form, and do it at a frequency that's comfortable for you.
Remembering to warm up and cool down, and continuing to exercise in accordance with your physical condition, will be the shortcut to achieving your goals.