What Are The Injury Risks And Recommended Frequency of HIIT?

By Russ Hollywood

Before you embark on a HIIT program to lose some weight, you should look at the two biggest mistakes people make during this type of workout. If you are able to get these two aspects of your training program sorted out from an early point you will notice greatly improved long-term results.

Many gym users are simply too impatient to take the time to learn the potential risks before they try anything new. This is why there are so many people using supplements such as creatine who have no idea what it actually does, they're simply taking it because everybody else does.

On the subject of high intensity interval training, many individuals do not realize the potentially big risks to their health if they get it wrong.

It would be silly to setup an interval program without first looking at the potential pitfalls. So here are the two biggest mistakes made with regards to this style of exercise:

1) What is the recommended frequency for interval training?

2) How to avoid injuries with interval training.

Following the old trend of thinking you need to hit the gym every single day is the number one reason for failure with this particular exercise style. This is all about the fact that you can get better results in half the time or less, so doing it every single day would defeat the whole object.

With the interval method, the results do not happen when you are in the gym working out. They occur after you have left. Your body will continue to burn off calories, more specifically body fat, at almost 27% higher than the usual rate and this period lasts a mighty 14 hours. Some call it the afterburn effect, but to fitness professionals this is known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. If you go back to the gym before you have allowed time for this vital recovery period you hinder your own results, so keep your hit sessions at a maximum of three per week.

Injuries are also quite common with interval training. This is down to the explosive nature of the exercises being performed and it usually comes down to participants neglecting their warm up period. Under no circumstances should you try to perform this type of physical activity if you are not sufficiently warmed up.

To truly get the most out of the hiit method you must be prepared to look at the potential risks and not be blinded by the fat loss benefits. If you neglect your warm-up it's much the same as taking a whey protein or creatine product without taking the time to learn how to get the most from them. Simply put, you'd be asking for trouble.


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