Burning fat and getting gains are two requirements that come to mind when sculpting the perfect summer body. With a plethora of fitness options at our fingertips, it can be disorienting to identify the right program for you. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is one that has stood out among the many for its simple, yet effective routine over recent years — and it looks like it’s here to stay. From the get-go, it may seem like cardio is the winning trait keeping this regimen alive, but there are a few other benefits up its sleeve that prove the wide-ranging benefits of HIIT. Certainly, it is more than just a fat killer. 

Benefits of high-intensity interval training on your body

Cutting an extremely high number of calories in a short period of time sounds like a good gig, and has always been a huge factor of HIIT’s immense popularity within the industry. As its name suggests, HIITS is all about giving your body a high-impact interval workout with very short periods of rest. An example would be to commit to a minute non-stop push-ups. After the minute, take 15 seconds of rest before moving on to the next set. Sets are highly dependent on the individual, ranging from three to even a dozen.

From the get-go, one of its biggest appeals is its accessibility when you’re tight for time. HIIT is a system you can easily incorporate into many other anaerobic workouts. Climbing stairs, burpees, lunges, and other exercises are easily done without the need for fancy gyms or expensive equipment. Its accessibility also holds true because of its non-existent barrier of entry: with nothing but a few exercises in mind, beginners can incorporate intensive intervals without the training needed for more advanced anaerobic activities like swimming and running. 

Despite the consensus of being a program of weight loss, HIIT’s ability to be used in various activities also prevent muscle mass from taking a huge hit. 

Having a few muscles is a common goal for many, but when cardio is in play, there is always the worry of losing the results after months of hard work at the gym. Burst workouts, especially static exercises cause muscle hypotrophy due to concentrated spurts of activity, much like weightlifting. Although it doesn’t compare to the growth you see at the gym, its highly intensive properties prevent your muscle fibers from leaning out. 

Whether it’s something simple like stair-climbing or the traditional burpees, giving yourself bursts of exertion will bring your body to a state called “Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC). This post-exercise period is a process that happens when the body recovers from vigorous workouts, consuming a higher amount of oxygen that ultimately requires more energy output.

Furthermore, intensive intervals require more energy for recovery, burning 15% more calories than many other cardio workouts. Not only does this boost your metabolism over time, but spending more energy ties in well with muscle stimulation and effective circulation.

Bottom Line

You don’t need a lot of time, you aren’t restricted to a particular atmosphere for a good workout, you melt calories effectively and get to avoid drastic muscle loss while doing it. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) can seem like much for the unprepared, but by setting realistic targets every session and enough practice, your hard work WILL pay off. 

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