HIIT

I first learned about High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, from the Game On! Diet. I'd done interval training in the past, as a swimmer in high school, but never really understood the science behind it. I found what the Game On! book said very interesting, though - that with interval training, or a cycling of aerobic and anaerobic intervals, you could improve heart health, build muscle, and boost your metabolism. It said that you would keep burning calories faster even as you rested for the next 48 hours.

Sounds fantastic, right? So how do you do it?

There is more than one way to do HIIT, but the basic principles are the same. After you warm up, you do a short period of high-intensity activity (think sprinting) followed by a short period of lower intensity activity while your heart rate recovers. You cycle through the highs and lows multiple times until your warm-down. Most of the interval training workouts I've seen involve either one minute intervals at both intensities, or one minute hard and 3-4 minutes at lower intensity. Workouts are generally 20-30 minutes long. Many fitness machines like treadmills and ellipiticals will have an interval training workout option as well.

So what do you guys think? Have you done interval training before, or would you be willing to try it now?