Metafit is here - but what is it?
With us introducing Metafit this week I thought we would look at its style of training,
HIIT is clearly the buzz word at the moment; all the celebs are doing it so it must be good right?
What is it, what does it do and why is it so 'in' ?
HIIT = High Intensity Interval Training. It is a form of training, an exercise strategy alternating short periods of intense anaerobic exercise with less-intense recovery periods.
HIIT is a form of cardiovascular exercise. Usual HIIT sessions vary from 15–30 minutes. These short, intense workouts provide improved athletic capacity and condition as well as firing up your metabolism.
High Intensity will target the abdominal area more. Yes we all know that you can’t target fat loss per se. That’s not what we’re talking about here. Doing sit-ups is not going to target belly fat.
However, there are things you can do that will change the way you store and mobilise fat. The way you store fat is determined by many factors – genetics and hormones being two big ones. And the type of exercise you do affects your hormone profile. Doing HIIT can create a metabolic environment that stimulates a higher proportional release of abdominal fat. You still lose fat all over, but a higher proportion comes off in the midsection.
“The effect of regular aerobic exercise on body fat is negligible; however, other forms of exercise may have a greater impact on body composition. For example, emerging research examining high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) indicates that it may be more effective at reducing subcutaneous and abdominal body fat than other types of exercise. The mechanisms underlying the fat reduction induced by HIIE, however, are undetermined. Regular HIIE has been shown to significantly increase both aerobic and anaerobic fitness. HIIE also significantly lowers insulin resistance and results in a number of skeletal muscle adaptations that result in enhanced skeletal muscle fat oxidation and improved glucose tolerance. This review summarizes the results of HIIE studies on fat loss, fitness, insulin resistance, and skeletal muscle. Possible mechanisms underlying HIIE-induced fat loss and implications for the use of HIIE in the treatment and prevention of obesity are also discussed.”
In this generation people are time poor, especially when it comes to exercise, try telling someone they have to work out for 60-90minutes five times a week and the chances are they will laugh at you and walk out. With HIIT workouts in thirty minutes or less you can get the same amount if not more calorie deficit, than an hour’s workout and the added bonus is that your metabolism will continue burning for 24-72 hours after your workout is completed. Your heart will become stronger and you will be left with an excellent afterglow!
So folks that is why HIIT is all the buzz, go on give it a try!