HIIT Training (High Intensity Interval Training) (page 4)
HIIT Training Mistakes
Underestimating how much you can push yourself.
Again, that last few moments of your work interval should be almost impossible to pull off. If you don’t feel this way, there’s room for more intensity (faster speed and/or higher incline).
Not warming up or cooling down.
Warming up prepares you psychologically for what’s to come; screens your body for possible strains that may be aggravated during full-blast intervals; and increases blood flow to the working muscles. Cooling down for five minutes, following the last cycle, prevents blood pooling in the working muscles and encourages smooth redistribution of blood circulation.
Jumping right into HIIT workouts even though you’re new to exercise or have been doing only steady-state.
If you’re a novice, but can run fast naturally, you’re still not conditioned to dive into HIIT. Natural running ability does not mean you’re conditioned. To prevent injury, start out with sub-intense intervals and stay there for all six or eight of them.
With each subsequent interval session, increase workload just a little bit. Listen to your body. If you feel the slightest strain coming on, stop the work interval, and don’t resume HIIT until the strain heals.
Dehydration.
If you don’t drink water before the session, you may end up with cramps. If you feel cramps after a work interval, drink 12 ounces of water.
Inconsistency.
Don’t skip HIIT workouts in the name of not being up to it. You’ll always feel fantastic after completing a HIIT session.
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 |