A version of this article was published on Greatist, featuring Joey Thurman.
Ahh, HIIT. It’s the workout everybody brags about doing, day in and day out, because they have #BodyGoals that they’re here to, er, hit.
What is high-intensity interval training?
HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, wasn’t meant to be done every day. And if you’re able to actually bust out that level of intensity five, six, or seven days per week, you’re likely doing it wrong.
We know — it’s not what you want to hear.
But these super-quick routines were created so you could perform your chosen form of cardio at maximum effort, says Joey Thurman, certified personal trainer and author of “365 Health and Fitness Hacks That Could Save Your Life.”
“The idea is to elevate your heart rate for a brief period, followed by resting for a given period,” Thurman explains. “You can train in a 1:1 work-to-rest ratio (sprint for 30 seconds, rest for 30), a 1:2 ratio (sprint for 30 seconds, rest for 1 minute), a 1:3 ratio (sprint for 30 seconds, rest for 1.5 minutes), and so forth.”
The key, he says, is to go at your maximum effort during the sprints.
