High intensity interval training, also called HITT, is a specific type of interval training that in the past was practiced mainly by athletes at the highest level of sports. Today, it is implemented commonly by athletes and non athletes alike who desire obtaining the most, lean, athletic, and sinewy physiques that are “possible for them.”
Emphasis on, “possible for them”, is placed because it’s important to understand that we have innate body shapes that make becoming lean more easy, or more difficult,depending on genetic factors. There are three body types:
Ectomorph
Body types are naturally lean and thin skinned. They will see quicker looking body fat results than the two other body types, mesomorphs and endomorphs.
Mesomorph
Body types are characterized by dense musculature. They will see results less quickly than ectomorphs, but have greatest lean muscle looking potential.
Endomorph
Body types are characterized by softness and fatty areas throughout body. These individuals respond to high intensity interval training less quickly than ectomorphs and mesomorphs, but results of fat loss percentages are more pronounced than the former two groups.
The Truth of the Matter
Think you are an Endomorph? Think again! Go back to your childhood, and recall what body type you were at age 10. This is what you are today, even if you feel a little soft.
EPOC to Super Charge Metabolism
When you exercise using the high intensity interval system, your body consumes considerably more oxygen. And the more oxygen you expend, the more calories you burn. However this increased oxygen during exercise is not really what fuels what we all desire- a higher metabolic rate, it’s the after-burn, or what is called EPOC, and more descriptively, excess post exercise oxygen consumption that fuels our metabolism. It works like this. The more energy your body uses during training, the higher EPOC. EPOC works in increasing metabolism by telling our body to get back to balance or what is referred to as homeostasis.
Getting back to homeostasis takes energy though, and this energy burns calories for several hours if not days afterward. That’s why hard working athletes who consume thousands of calories still find it difficult to sustain their weights. Their bodies are calorie burning machines even when they are at rest. How would you like to have even a fraction of their speedy metabolisms? You can.
To Get Started Now On EPOC
Take whatever cardio exercise you are doing and take yourself out of your comfort zone for a few seconds to upwards of a minute or two depending on your fitness level.
You can walk/run faster if your typical cardiovascular exercise is walking/jogging. You can go faster and or add more resistance if your typical cardiovascular exercise is biking. You can increase your incline and or resistance if your typical cardiovascular exercise is the the elliptical trainer/rowing machine and etc. You get the picture. The key in all of this as you take yourself out of your comfort zone is to expect an increased heart rate. When we do this, our heart becomes not only stronger but we burn so much more energy. Keep it low key in the beginning as it’s important to see how our skeletal and muscular systems respond to the increased demands. Injury chances increase if we do not smartly progress to more intense interval training.
If you want a more formalized progressive approach to achieving an increased metabolism through EPOC, join my Movement is Life Program. It’s a comprehensive progressive cardio program individualized specifically for you. There’s no personal training sessions to attend, and everything is done online at your convenience and your own pace. Call, email or text for further information. This plan includes texting, telephone calls or emails as needed to help you along.
Congratulations to the Following 30 Days To Lean Most recent member’s accomplishments:
Megan – down 24 pounds in 60 days! Congratulations Megan!
Mary – down 8.5 pounds in 30 days! Congratulations Mary!
Ann – down 14 pounds in 30 Days! Congratulations Ann!
Lynne – down 23 pounds in 90 days! Congratulations Lynne!
Congratulations to too many members to list members, that have taken both 30 Days to Lean programs, and continue lose weight and gain health momentum!
Kate says, ” the great thing about this program is that there are so many recipes and weekly menus that even when you finish the plans, you can continue losing weight by mixing and matching the recipes. I’ve lost a total of 39 pounds, and 11 of these pounds came after I finished with Kim.”