Media hype about High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

As a fitness instructor and personal trainer I've been using this sytem for years and yes i works but it must be done correctly and at a very high intensity around 85-90% of max heart rate. The media attention that this training system has generated over the last few months is based on studies to see how H.I.I.T can improve your heart and lung capacity whilst resseting markers for potentail health issues in the future. The issue that i have is the headline grabber get fit in 3 minutes in my opinion this is misleading at best. For fat loss results your H.I.I.T should last for 10 minutes for a beginner lets say 1 minute 30 seconds at 50% max heart rate with an interval of 30 seconds at 80% max heart rate for 3 times a week building to 15 to 20 minutes as the weeks go on. So as you see get fit in 3 minutes is not possible let alone lose weight in 3 minutes of exercise

Mark Ames

Activate fitness team