Introducing INTENSITY 30!!

When most people think of cardio, they think of long, boring jogs, or endless hours on the elliptical. I’ve got good news for you: there’s a method of cardio that takes much less time and is far superior to jogging to help you burn fat. It’s called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)! High Intensity Interval Training involves alternating between very intense bouts of exercise and low intensity exercise/recovery. For example, sprinting for 30 seconds, then walking for 60 seconds is high intensity interval training. HIIT can be used both anaerobically (in the gym with weights) and/or aerobically with cardio.

The “Fat Burning Zone” shown on most cardio equipment is usually only 60%-65% of max heart rate, this is really a myth and is NOT optimal for burning fat. Yes, you burn more fat relative to glycogen when going for a walk, but what we care about is total fat burn. At higher intensities, you are burning far more fat, even though the fat/glycogen ratio is lower. In addition, interval training allows you to exercise at very high intensities for a much longer period of time than steady state, so you burn more fat.

There are a number of great benefits to High Intensity Interval Training besides serious fat burn that include:

• Increased Aerobic Capacity – The amount of oxygen your body can use (oxygen uptake) is increased, so your overall aerobic capacity can increase faster than with low intensity endurance exercise.

• Increased Lactate Threshold – Your ability to handle increased lactic acid buildup in your muscles increases.

• Improved Insulin Sensitivity – Over time, your muscles more readily hold onto glucose, instead of the glucose going to your fat stores.

• Anabolic Effect – Some studies show that interval training combined with consuming slightly more calories than you burn creates an anabolic effect, which helps you put on muscle. The opposite occurs with steady state cardio, which for long durations is catabolic.

As an added bonus, there’s also an afterburn effect known as EPOC (excess-post exercise oxygen consumption). You increase your metabolism and burn more calories for up to 24 hours after interval training, whereas going for a jog burns almost NO calories after.

INTENSITY30!

So it’s time to burn calories faster and more efficiently, improve endurance, and build strength with Definition Fitness Personal Trainer Scott Winters and the heart-pumping INTENSITY30 workout program!

Utilizing the principles of high intensity interval training (H.I.I.T.), INTENSITY30 is a fast paced 30-minute, one-on-one workout session which incorporates 30-second drill combinations that include weighted squats, full-body resistance combinations, BOSU-based drills, heavy plyometrics, among other techniques, with 30-second recovery periods between each drill.

“HIIT is considered to be much more effective than normal cardio because the intensity is higher and you are able to increase both your aerobic and anaerobic endurance while burning more calories and shedding the fat.”

To be cleared for this special program, your max, resting, and target heart rate will be assessed prior to beginning the program; your heart rate will then be monitored throughout the 30-minute workout with your target heart rate always in check. A heart rate monitor is strongly recommended (for the most accurate workout), but not required.

IT’S A HEART-PUMPING TIME THAT WILL PUSH YOU TO YOUR LIMITS!

-Scott Winters