High Intensity Interval Training, a hot new item in the training world, research1,2 shows that this type of training burns more fat than aerobic training in far less time. While slow cardio exercise will burn a greater percentage of fat during the exercise, the research shows that HIIT training will burn fat well after the end of the exercise session has ended, up to 48 hours. There are studios devoted to interval training, with some making outrageous claims, but STS has developed and practices its own realistic and effective version at the McLean studio.

HIIT is a form of training that raises the effort level, as measured by heart rate (approximating VO2 levels), to anaerobic for short intervals and then allows recovery to an aerobic level before repeating the interval. The intervals can be done on a track, a treadmill, elliptical trainer, stationary bike, on the exercise floor with lunges, squats, pull ups, step ups, or any intense exercise that uses large muscle groups and demands anaerobic energy levels.

The exerciser wears a heart rate monitor which allows the trainer to control or coach the exercise intensity to the level required for a precise period of time. Each interval generally takes 2 to 4 minutes from initiation to recovery at the aerobic threshold. Depending on a variety of factors there will be 6 to 15 intervals from 15 to 60 seconds in length.

Unlike a long cardio session, time passes quickly because you are dealing with short intervals that each have three phases, effort, maintenance, and recovery. Every minute something is changing; you are sweating and puffing, running uphill, hard, one minute, and walking the next. A minute later you don’t mind starting the next interval because you are one more interval closer to the end. Towards the end of the session you experience the “second wind” phenomena and leave with that exercise “high” caused by the release of endorphins described in many scientific journal articles.

It sounds a little intense and actually is too intense for some. However, the initial level is very tolerable and each session builds to the next where effort is increased as the ability to respond to demands increases. Everyone who has tried it has continued and enjoyed the training and the results.

1 Trembblay A, Simoneau JA, Bouchard C. (1994). Impact of Exercise on Body Fatness and Skeletal Muscle Metablism, Metabolism 43(7): 814-818.
2 Bogdanis GC, Nevill ME, Boobis LH Lakomy HK, Nevill AM (1995). Recovery of power output and muscle metabolites following 30 s of maximal sprint cycling in man. J Physiol, 15:482 (Pt 2):467-480
J Appl Physiol (December 14, 2006). doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01098.2006
TWO WEEKS OF HIGH-INTENSITY AEROBIC INTERVAL TRAINING INCREASES THE CAPACITY FOR FAT OXIDATION DURING EXERCISE IN WOMEN
Jason L Talanian1*, Stuart D.R. Galloway2, George J.F. Heigenhauser3, Arend Bonen1, and Lawrence L. Spriet1