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There are a lot of not-so-true truisms – or, more truthfully, untrue hypes – about exercise. You know them: ‘no pain, no gain’; ‘feel the burn’; ‘pain is temporary, glory is forever’; ‘fitness involves immense discipline and hard work – there are no short cuts’ – all designed to make you feel inadequate and lazy if you don’t put in your hour a day.
Well, there’s another somewhat paradoxical but nevertheless absolutely true truism: ‘less is more’. Elite athletes – and their coaches – have known about high-intensity high-interval (HIIT) training for decades, maybe centuries and possibly even millennia – what’s the bet the ancient Greeks were doing HIIT training for the Olympics?
Less workout, more weight loss
In the case of weight loss, less really is more, and that seems weird, because we’ve all been brainwashed into believing that we have to get our heart rate into the ‘fat-burning zone’ and keep it there for at least 40 minutes, preferably an hour. But oh my word that is boring. That’s why they have TVs in gyms. So it’s refreshing to hear some good news about HIIT from someone who kind of knows what he’s talking about. Jon Gabriel, main marketer/inventor/chief guinea pig of the Gabriel Method, lost over 100 kilograms in two-and-a-half years from 2001 to 2003 – and he’s kept it off. He explains how he used to spend hours on a treadmill or stationary bike, and get nowhere – not complaining about the fact that the bike didn’t move, but that his weight didn’t. And then he discovered HIIT, which, he says, is not about calorie burning, it’s about a biochemical shift inside your body. When achieved, this shift allows you to burn fat after your exercise and for the rest of the day, and it also reduces your hunger and balances your fat storage hormones. All these things combined can give your weight loss efforts a tremendous boost.
But there’s more to exercise than weight loss
Well, there’s more good news. A recent article in Men’s Health cites a study sponsored by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) that found using HIIT principles for resistance training delivered better strength gain and muscle development than traditional resistance training with lots of reps. Well that’s good news. But it gets better. A 2012 study done by Danish researchers Jens Bangsbo and Thomas Gunnarsson showed that the group that did 10-2030 training had a 4% improvement in VO2 max, improved performance in 1,500-metre and five-kilometre runs, and decreased blood pressure and cholesterol.
The nitty gritty
There are a number of different ways of doing HIIT, and there are some ‘tried and tested’ formulas, e.g. the 10-20-30 used by Gunnarsson and Bangsbo, where you go hard for 10 seconds, medium for 20, and slow down and recover for 30 – and then do it again. But there’s nothing magical about those numbers – it’s the principle. Basically, you go as hard as you can for a short time, rest or slow down for a while, and then do it again. Do this a few times and then take a break, and maybe do another set or two – it all depends on how fit you are. Start slowly and work your way up. This is why children who are left to their own devices – and separated for at least a few hours from their electronic devices – stay fit. Children’s play mimics HIIT exactly. Or is it the other way round? And that’s just one reason why you should get out of the office, out of the car and out of the house, and play with your kids. They know best.
And where should you exercise?
Anywhere. But it’s best to not have to go too far from home. That’s why estates with indoor and/or outdoor gyms, running and/or cycling tracks, and/or other fitness and play areas are so popular. Dedicated spaces where people exercise and socialise in a welcoming environment is one of the most beneficial facilities an estate can provide. And it’s easy to make it happen. Gym Africa offers a turnkey service for both outdoor and indoor gyms, from concept, planning, layout design and supply of appropriate equipment through to installation, training and ongoing maintenance.
