HIIT The Road: Exercising On And Off The Bike!

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The term HIIT has been doing the rounds for quite some time now, and with every new exercise routine claiming to be the definitive way to help you lose weight or get fitter, HIIT has almost earned its stripes in this department. For those that have been exercising under a rock, HIIT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training, and it is very popular if you need to get a workout in that does the job in half the time or get in shape quick. Many exercise programs like Insanity are based on the HIIT premise, and the great thing about HIIT is that it still works to torch fat even after you have finished exercising. Here are two types you can try.

Quick 'N' Dirty 30’s
Here’s one for on your bike. If you are new to exercising with intensity, be warned, it can be very difficult to begin with, but over time you will just get used to this intensity. This is called the 30’s because 30 seconds is the best amount of time to do HIIT. It is just enough time to put your all into it before you collapse in a heap on the floor. Here’s what to do.

  • Warm up for 10 minutes.
  • Perform an interval training set, which consists of: 
  • Going as hard as you can possibly go for 30 seconds: 110%!
  • Pedal easy/at a moderate pace for 90 seconds.
  • Repeat this four times.
  • After the last interval, pedal moderately for four minutes.

Have a good quality bike or bicycle insurance if you don’t already, and be ready to feel the biggest burn of your life!

The Body By Science Workout
Another niche approach to exercising. Derived from biochemistry, Body By Science is the HIIT approach but applied to weights as opposed to cardio. As the fundamental goal in any gym session is to break down the muscle fibers, so they rebuild bigger and stronger, this is essentially your last 5 reps in any workout, but prolonged! This is achieved by lifting the weights very slowly. You begin by lifting the weight as slow as you can for approximately 25 to 35 seconds, you then hold the weight up (but not cheating by resting your bone-on-bone) before bringing the weight back down for another 25 to 35 seconds. By this point, you will feel like you have been fighting a bear! The weights are not free weights, due to the high risk of injury, but machines, such as a Nautilus. You can find the right moves to benefit your own body, but the 5 basic moves that cover all parts of the body are: 

  • Seated Row (Upper Body Pull)
  • Overhead Press
  • Leg Press
  • Chest Press (Upper Body Push)
  • Lateral Pulldown

The exercises are done quickly, one after another to maintain the intensity and it can take up to a week to recover. If you have done it properly, you won’t want to hit the gym anytime soon!