Most gym users who want to know how to build muscle can't seem to get any further forward due to the amount of conflicting information out there. One such area of confusion is HIIT.
Today we're going to be looking at this form of cardiovascular exercise and answering the all important question. Is it good for hypertrophy?
If most men were honest, they'd happily admit that they don't do enough cardiovascular exercise. It's often seen as the boring alternative to resistance training and they don't have the same level of drive for it.
This is largely because there is a false mentality in most gyms that cardio is for girls. Most guys deem it too boring and not engaging enough.
Believe it or not, if your main target in the gym is to build more lean muscle then cardiovascular exercise will indeed play a huge role in your accomplishments. There are several effective forms of cardio which improve fitness and hypertrophy, most notably high intensity interval training.
There are several key differences between high intensity cardio sessions and steady state workouts. If you've ever used an exercise bike for an hour at a steady pace you've probably felt a little bit bored at certain stages. That's one of the main drawbacks to this style of training and something which high intensity sessions will eliminate.
High intensity interval training is based around constantly switching between moderate and high intensities, causing your body to tap into both it's aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. There are striking similarities between an interval training session and a resistance workout.
First of all, which energy system does your body use when you are training with weights? Your anaerobic energy system. During any high intensity interval workout you'll be tapping into the exact same energy resource.
Things get even better when you look at how your body burns calories during this type of training. During a normal session your body stops burning calories when you stop exercising. However, if you have performed an interval session your body will continue to burn calories at an increased rate for 16 hours afterwards! This is also known as 'the afterburn effect'.
Over the years it has been proven that HIIT helps you to lose more body fat than regular cardio workouts. If you are trying to figure out how to build muscle you should also be including this type of training in your workouts, as it has been proven that short bursts of high intensity activity will tap into your body's anaerobic energy system and make it easier for you to experience muscular hypertrophy.
Today we're going to be looking at this form of cardiovascular exercise and answering the all important question. Is it good for hypertrophy?
If most men were honest, they'd happily admit that they don't do enough cardiovascular exercise. It's often seen as the boring alternative to resistance training and they don't have the same level of drive for it.
This is largely because there is a false mentality in most gyms that cardio is for girls. Most guys deem it too boring and not engaging enough.
Believe it or not, if your main target in the gym is to build more lean muscle then cardiovascular exercise will indeed play a huge role in your accomplishments. There are several effective forms of cardio which improve fitness and hypertrophy, most notably high intensity interval training.
There are several key differences between high intensity cardio sessions and steady state workouts. If you've ever used an exercise bike for an hour at a steady pace you've probably felt a little bit bored at certain stages. That's one of the main drawbacks to this style of training and something which high intensity sessions will eliminate.
High intensity interval training is based around constantly switching between moderate and high intensities, causing your body to tap into both it's aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. There are striking similarities between an interval training session and a resistance workout.
First of all, which energy system does your body use when you are training with weights? Your anaerobic energy system. During any high intensity interval workout you'll be tapping into the exact same energy resource.
Things get even better when you look at how your body burns calories during this type of training. During a normal session your body stops burning calories when you stop exercising. However, if you have performed an interval session your body will continue to burn calories at an increased rate for 16 hours afterwards! This is also known as 'the afterburn effect'.
Over the years it has been proven that HIIT helps you to lose more body fat than regular cardio workouts. If you are trying to figure out how to build muscle you should also be including this type of training in your workouts, as it has been proven that short bursts of high intensity activity will tap into your body's anaerobic energy system and make it easier for you to experience muscular hypertrophy.
About the Author:
About the author: Russ Howe PTI teaches classes in the gym each day. If you'd like to know how to build muscle or require advice on a good hiit routine, his tips will help you improve results.
No comments:
Post a Comment