Things to Remember When Starting Your HIT Journey

By now we all know that engaging in regular exercise, as recommended by the World Health Organization, can boost our overall health and well-being considerably. What we may be less sure about is the type of exercise that is most conducive of our particular goals. In recent times, a number of training regimes have caught the attention of beginner and advanced exercise enthusiasts from across the world. Among them is high-intensity training (HIT), a type of resistance training that needs a very high level of training in a considerably short workout time. While HIT training is undoubtedly physically demanding, it is possible to start out relatively slow and work your way up to being a HIT pro.

Before you commence your HIT training you should familiarize yourself with what exactly it entails and also how it differs from the more popular high-intensity interval training (HIIT). HIIT refers to exercise that involves very short bursts of extremely intense exercises (usually cardio) performed to just short of maximum effort.  Once this point is reached, a recovery period takes place before the cycle is repeated again a number of times.  When engaging in HIT, however, there is no resting period. All the exercises are performed one after another, as fast as possible. Remember that, although speed is important when it comes to HIT training, it is even more important that the athlete maintains good form.

Although individuals who are extremely unfit may not find a HIT workout appealing at all, it is possible to start out (relatively) slow and work your way up to a full high-intensity workout. A typical HIT workout will consist of between ten and twelve resistance exercises. Each of these exercises will be performed until the point of full muscular fatigue. It is important to note that HIT workouts do not exceed the 30-minute mark. When you first start doing HIT workouts, you may want to use the lowest weights/resistance possible. As you get stronger and fitter, the weight load and resistance can both be increased as required. Whereas it may also only take a few repetitions before full muscular failure sets in when you start out, you will notice that you can manage an increasing number of reps before long, allowing you to push yourself even harder.

As with any exercise regime you commit to, it is of vital importance that you do not overdo your HIT training. Pushing yourself to continuously improve is one thing, but overtraining to the point where you risk injury or illness is downright dangerous.  Ideally, HIT training should not be engaged in more than 3 times a week with at least one recovery in between.  While it is natural to experience some degree of discomfort and muscle stiffness following an intense workout, it is important to never ignore any signs that may point to a more severe underlying injury.  It is even more important to allow your body the chance to heal after illness or injury and to not resume any strenuous exercise regime without the go-ahead of your doctor and your trainer.

Engaging in HIT training can give both your weight loss and fitness efforts a very powerful boost. It is, however, very important to never risk injury or illness by pushing yourself too hard.