High-intensity workouts have generally seen a significant rise in popularity over the years and things don’t look to slow down anytime soon. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has found mainstream success; with many fitness, studios adopting this style of workout into their equipment list and classes. Crossfit has not been sitting on the sidelines either; having blown up in the fitness scene during the latter half of the 2010s. With both sharing tons of similarities, many have frequently confused the two - so it’s time to look deeper into the differences between HIIT and Crossfit.
The Similarities between HIIT and Crossfit
Fast-paced and intensive; It’s not surprising to see why people would mix the two up. One of the most glaring similarities between Crossfit and HIIT is their circuit-like regimes. Depending on the goal, many exercise plans between the two incorporate bodyweight exercises, cardio, and short rest times to condition a higher level of endurance, strength, and agility. With the style comes fast results of muscle definition and weight loss. Fitness aficionado or not, people love fast results and the aforementioned can be noticed in mere weeks!
Push ups, sit ups, squats, burpees are standard exercises you can expect in both of these archetypes - and are designed to work on almost all muscle groups. If you’re tight for time, committing to half an hour (or even less) of intense training every week is the way to go. Note that these exercises are commonly done via a time limit model, which means every 30 seconds for example, the person either moves on to the next exercises or takes a very short break. Because of this, many tend to abandon form for pure speed to squeeze in as many repetitions as possible to work up the most sweat possible during the run. The intentions are sound, but can cause serious injury; therefore it is advised that HIIT and CrossFit are done with the supervision of a trained instructor.
The Differences between HIIT and Crossfit
Short durations, similar results and even akin exercises can make you wonder whether differentiating Crossfit and HIIT even matters anymore. If you prefer to get a well-packed workout with the primary goal of burning calories, you’d much rather have HIIT classes than Crossfit. The latter does not stop at aerobic workouts and does implement gymnastics, dumbbells, ropes and kettlebells to name a few. The risk of injury comes in when newcomers or even careless experts focus on the speed required in Crossfit, especially when weights are involved. But if done correctly, the results are swift and effective.
HIIT sacrifices variation for sheer power and efficiency. Static aerobic exercises (or running outside of class) are the old faithful that have remained simple, yet relevant for decades. With more emphasis on routine and repetition, the primary method is approached with conditioning over hitting weight-lifiting milestones. Crossfit is relatively newer and has more options at the user’s disposal for creative workouts if things get stagnant, but if relying on smaller and safer programmes suits your fancy, pick HIIT.
Read How To Build Muscles At Home
HIIT v CrossfitWhich: Which One Is Better?
Unlike HIIT, Crossfit has been under fire by some in the fitness community for its unsafe and unorthodox strategy for fast muscle definition and weight loss; but it certainly does make things more exciting if you and your teammates have developed a genuine passion for it. The CrossFit community is always enthusiastic to encourage everyone to push their boundaries and even facilitates competitions to keep the masses energized.
HIIT has a far more lenient learning curve and is done quicker- perfect for those who can’t imagine ever falling in love with fitness ever. Garnering the same results, the factors you should consider are:
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How much time do I have?
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How long can I commit to this?
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What are my fitness goals?
Regardless of your choice, picking either of the two will help you accomplish great feats with just a tiny amount of motivation and consistency.