There is this cool buzzword in the fitness community, HIIT. Why is is cool? What is it? And where can I do it?
So what is HIIT?
HIIT is High Intensity Interval training. Sure, but what is it in plain English? Basically it’s a training methodology that alternates between work periods and rest periods. Pretty typically you are moving to and from different stations or performing different movements. Your heart rate gets high, you sweat and you meet new friends. They are all the rage and for a lot of good reasons.
Cool, where did this training style come from?
What a great question! The popularity of HIIT can be traced back to the beginnings of what we will call the “CrossFit revolution.” Basically prior to the existence / prevalence of the CrossFit methodology only elite athletes worked out using the principle of intensity. Most gym-goers just paid their monthly dues, sat on a couple machines that looked cool and went home. But CrossFit made the obvious statement, “if you want to improve yourself you need to try hard.” Kind of a “duh” statement right?!? But before that everyone believed there was a “secret” that only pro athletes knew, turns out there isn’t one. The combination of effort and consistency is what transforms people.
So the HIIT world was born when people combined the principle of intensity and added a more structured class setting. And to be honest it’s a great way for less experienced exercisers to see massive improvements in only a few weeks.
So you do HIIT at “LiftBridge CrossFit?”
Yes. And No. We use high intensity, meaning you try hard. You don’t need to be a competitive athlete to get a good workout. We also use interval training, mean we work, then we rest, then we work again. But there are a couple key differences. First, if you just do the same work / rest structure over and over again you will get bored and then your results will diminish. Second, the big thing that most HIIT gyms lack is…..COACHING! You’ve all been to a gym and in the middle of a sweat sesh the coach yells, “SQUAT AND SQUAT AND SQUAT!” So you look around the room and mimic what everyone else is doing. Wouldn’t it be nice to understand the mechanics of a squat or more importantly learn about how your body should squat to maximize results and safety? So we bring the coaching aspect and for most people that is the missing piece, we want to think and learn about ourselves, that’s why we exercise.
Ok, but there still are a lot of choices, what makes your version unique?
Anyone can take you through a long workout that will make you sweat and burn some calories. Some gyms have created a game-like experience where your heart rate and (estimated) calorie burn is displayed on a screen. We get it, that’s fun, but you need to ask yourself, am I actually getting better? What if we put aside the techy gadgets and tracked your capacity? What if we could see your improvements on paper? The idea is simple, if you ran 1 mile each day and tracked your heart rate with a goal of maintaining 165 beats per minute (“BPM”) would you be a better runner after a month? Honestly, the answer is no. You would just be maintaining a static level of fitness. What if you threw your heart rate monitor in the trash (not literally) and started to time yourself? Goal for week 1: run the mile in 10 minutes. Goal for week 2: run the mile in 9:45 and so on. After a month I could say, without question, you became a better runner, you ran the same distance in less time = YOU BECAME FITTER!
That’s what we bring to the table. We pursue capacity, not only in fitness but movement quality. We have spent a decade developing the ability to coach and correct peoples’ movement patterns. Ever wondered why your back or knee hurts? Clue: it’s not from getting older, it’s from moving incorrectly or not moving at all. Let us help you, it’s literally what we were made to do!!
Okay, you made some great points, I’m totally in…..but what can I expect?
Totally fair question. Setting expectations is a great practice.
The class is structured as follows:
- 0:00 – 5:00 Workout Explanation / Movement Demonstration
- 5:01 – 20:00 Specific warm-up and Movement practice
- 20:01 – 40:00 Workout
- 40:01 – 60:00 Cool-down / Mobility work
You can expect to burn between 400 – 600 calories during this session. But remember the goal is to increase the amount of work you can do, rather than focus on calories, heart rate, etc. If you sign-up we will provide you with access to our fitness tracking software BeyondtheWhiteboard.
Sweet, I’m in! How do I sign up?
Click the button below and you will be able to set up your account and book your first class with us at no charge. Yep, your first class is free!
