Burst through that Weight Loss plateau with Hiit training!

Everybody hits a plateau at some point in their weight loss programme !!!

The human body has the wonderful ability to adjust itself to the stress and load of your current workout programme, known as “Adaptability”.

“Adaptation” of your body to exercise is called hitting a plateau. This means exactly what you visualize, a time spent with no upward or downward progression.

So, how do you know that you’ve hit a plateau and need to make changes to your routine? First and foremost, you have probably stopped seeing any changes. Maybe your clothes don’t feel any looser or you haven’t lost a pound in more than a couple of weeks. These are all signs that you may have hit a plateau.

What needs to be done?

H.I.I.T = High Intensity Interval Training

This basic concept works for any type of cardio exercise, whether it be running, cycling, rowing, swimming etc.

Example 1: Running 15 minutes

1 min jogging at 40-50% Maximum heart rate (MHR)

30 sec sprint at 70-85% MHR

Example 2: Swimming 20 minutes

1 lap Breast stroke at 40-50% Maximum heart rate (MHR)

1 lap Front crawl at 70-85% MHR

This type of training, if done twice a week, will take the body out of it’s comfort zone and to new limits!! The sprint aspect will really tire the cardiovascular system.  It’s only elevated out of its comfort zone for a short time frame and not sustained at this level for long periods. During the 1 min jog phase, you are recovering from the intense sprint just performed whilst keeping the body at 40-50% MHR.  You force the body to recover whilst training.

*Important notes: it is advised to wear a heart rate monitor watch to know exactly what your percentages are for training, otherwise you are at risk of overdoing it. Also this type of training only needs to be done twice a week for no more than 20 minutes….

Author: Lloyd Tilney