High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is defined as short, anaerobic bursts of exercise followed by a brief rest.  A typical session of HIIT usually takes about fifteen to twenty minutes.  Sound familiar?  As many of you already know, the HIIT philosophy is a big part of the ZGym.  HIIT is now proven to be one of the most effective methods to get in shape and to improve athletic performance.  Some of you may have heard of HIIT, but may not know why we focus on it at the ZGym and why it’s one of the most beneficial and important ways to train and exercise.  Here are three reasons (out of so many more) why the ZGym provides such great results:

Efficiency – HIIT is incredibly time-efficient, especially with our busy schedules.  Most of you know the Zgym workouts are only fifteen to twenty minutes long.  The intensity of HIIT demands such short workouts rather than long, often boring workouts that can take anywhere from one to two hours.  These longer, less intense workouts often yield poor results by comparison and are not nearly as efficient regarding time and energy output.    

Cardiovascular Benefits – HIIT workouts not only increase one’s aerobic capacity, it also increases one’s anaerobic capacity.  By comparison, jogging alone only increases one’s aerobic capacity, not one’s anaerobic capacity.  Interestingly enough, a recent study indicates a 14% increase in aerobic capacity from six weeks of HIIT whereas six weeks of jogging alone in the same study provided only a 9% increase in aerobic capacity.  More importantly, the same study showed virtually no improvement in one’s anaerobic capacity from jogging alone, while HIIT provided an incredible 28% improvement in one’s anaerobic capacity.

Burning Fat and Building Muscle – HIIT workouts blast your metabolism and actually burn more fat and calories compared to steady-state aerobic activity such as running or cycling.  In fact, HIIT continues to burn fat even after working out. According the Journal of Applied Physiology, women demonstrated a 30% increase in fat oxidation (a key indicator in fat loss) after performing seven HIIT workouts over a two-week period.  HIIT also triggers human growth hormone (HGH), a key component for building muscle.