High Intensity Interval Training, also known as HITT, is characterized by a series of high octane cardio punctuated by intervals of rest. HITT can include burpees, reps with weights, and reps that target particular areas of the body, all while raising your heart rate, regulating blood sugar, and burning fat. HITT also means a bigger bang for your buck (if time is money), as you put in a lot of work for a huge pay off in a relatively short period of time.
This may sound exhausting (we’d be lying if we didn’t admit it can really kick your butt, but there’s nothing wrong with a little butt kicking, as long as it’s your own, right?), but one of the beautiful things about HITT is that it keeps working for you even after you leave the gym. We know that sounds hard to believe. Here’s the deal: high intensity intervals mean higher oxygen intake, and higher oxygen intake, well, that means your burning more calories.
Studies show that after this kind of workout, you keep on consuming more oxygen, which means more calories burned even after your workout ends. Gotta love that. Making hard work and rest work for you is really where it’s at when it comes to HITT. That’s why the downtime between intervals is so important--switching between demanding a lot of your muscles and letting them chill strengthens your heart and boosts your metabolism.
