5 reasons any workout plan needs HIIT

When workouts get boring or progress stalls, it’s too easy to take it easy on a treadmill or skip gym days altogether. Instead, kick things up with high intensity interval training (HIIT) to see a big improvement.

Why should I try HIIT?

HIIT and Tabata improve the body’s performance and resiliency by short periods of work, following by quick recovery intervals. Instead of working to failure, muscles and cardiovascular systems have to adapt to an “always-on,” quick-start capability.

Here are the top five reasons you need HIIT in your workout plan.

Maximize endurance with interval training

The muscular and cardiovascular adaptation that results from HIIT workouts isn’t limited to quick-burst movements. Studies have found that high-intensity exercise boosts human growth hormone to a greater extent than moderate levels of exercise, which can help build muscle and shorten recovery periods between workouts.

Take your bodyweight workout with you

Interval training doesn’t require any equipment. There are lots of ways to incorporate weights and machines to make workouts more interesting, but HIIT and Tabata are, at their core, bodyweight workouts.

They are also efficient and quick to complete, so forget those excuses when you’re traveling or busy. If you have 10 minutes and a few feet of space to move, you can do a HIIT workout.

Preserve muscle & boost fat loss

Because HIIT uses targeted bodyweight exercise and doesn’t rely on cardio work alone, it’s a great way to build and preserve muscle. Greater muscle mass leads to more fat burning, even at rest, which helps increase resting metabolism.

Increase metabolism

There’s evidence that higher-intensity work done for short periods of time is more effective at boosting metabolism than lower-intensity work. Sprinting for two minutes, according to this article, is more effective at increasing your BMR for 24 hours than jogging for 30 minutes.

You work harder initially, but you see better results, for longer, and in less time with HIIT.

Improve mindset

Let’s face it: when you complete a hard workout, you enter beast mode.

The mental toughness that is required to work all-out for any length of time, however short, requires the development of grit like a moderately paced jog never will. You have to go into a HIIT session with the determination to get it done and work your hardest, and that makes every workout a huge win.

Try it for yourself

As a member of Etage Athletic, you have access to HIIT X and MX4 small-group training that takes HIIT to a whole new level. Experience the benefits of an all-out workout with a trainer and team who want to see you succeed and see real progress.

It’s your workout plan. Improve it with some targeted intensity.