Strength training vs cardio can often polarise gym-goers into opposing camps; however, an approach that includes both strength training and high intensity interval training (HIIT) could help you meet your fitness goals faster than anticipated.
Functional strength training (FST) involves exercises that simulate real-life actions like squatting to pick up groceries or walking up stairs, and prioritizes full-body movements over traditional training methods.
HIIT Burns Calories
If you have taken part in any group fitness class in recent years, chances are good that you have engaged in high intensity interval training (HIIT). Simply put, HIIT involves brief periods of high intensity exercise followed by low intensity activity; typically 1 minute on high intensity for 2 minutes off intensity is popularly practiced.
Short bursts of intense work require your body to use more oxygen, leading to faster caloric burn-off during and after workout – known as the afterburn effect.
HIIT can be completed either using only bodyweight exercises, or combined with functional strength training using weights like kettlebells and barbells. Our DC Metro personal trainers can assist in choosing which form of training best meets your health and fitness goals.
HIIT Strengthens Muscles
HIIT works differently from traditional strength training in that it relies on functional movement patterns like lunges and push-ups that strengthen multiple muscle groups at once, providing benefits like improved balance, core strength, and endurance.
To build muscle, your body must continually demand more from its muscles each time you exercise them. Unfortunately, high intensity interval training does not maximize mechanical tension and it is difficult to use enough weight quickly enough for hypertrophy (the necessary step).
By working multiple muscle groups simultaneously in circuit fashion – such as kettlebell swings followed by pushups and pull-ups – you may achieve closer to your desired results. Just be sure to track your progress closely for maximum effectiveness!
HIIT Increases Endurance
Functional exercises are excellent ways of strengthening multiple muscle groups at once. This reduces stress and impact placed on any one area, thus decreasing injuries. Furthermore, functional exercises condition the body for everyday tasks that arise; just think how often someone hurts their back lifting heavy boxes or tweaks their knee while walking up stairs!
As with traditional strength training, HIIT increases mitochondria density (the energy factories in a cell). This allows muscles to produce more ATP for higher intensities for longer. Furthermore, insulin sensitivity improves and blood sugar regulates, helping you burn more calories both during and post workout. Furthermore, HIIT may help prevent or reverse coronary artery disease by breaking down plaque in arteries and increasing blood flow.
HIIT Strengthens Bones
HIIT requires intense, short intervals of exercise followed by active recovery periods to maximize results. It can be performed at any level and typically lasts no more than an hour.
Utilize a heart rate monitor to identify your optimal working heart rate (the result of subtracting your age from 221). In general, exercise sessions should occur at around 80-100% of maximum heart rate.
Ashenden asserts that high intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts help strengthen bones by increasing bone density – an essential element of overall skeletal health and strength. Regular weighted resistance training increases bone strength but not to the same degree; HIIT may have greater advantages when it comes to functional strength as its movement patterns closely mirror our daily activities.
HIIT Improves Mental Health
Reaching fitness levels that enable you to perform daily activities is not only necessary for physical but also mental wellbeing. Functional training provides a solution, focusing on endurance and multi-directional movement exercises designed to prepare the body for common everyday movements.
Traditional and functional training both help build bone density, which is critical for overall skeletal health and helps ensure an efficient metabolic rate that burns calories throughout the day. Furthermore, both types of exercise have also been proven to enhance mood while contributing to other habits that promote mental wellness such as getting enough restful sleep.
Hiit workouts offer a convenient solution to those struggling to fit regular physical activity into their busy lives, as one study showed that just 30 minutes per week of HIIT can significantly improve sleep quality and decrease fatigue levels.
My passion for martial arts goes beyond practice; it is a philosophy that shapes my writing, bringing a distinctive edge to my narratives and advice. I hold black belts in two martial arts disciplines and have competed internationally, experiences that enrich my storytelling with authenticity and excitement.