[ Week 1: High Intensity Interval Training | Week 2: The Truth About Cardio ]

With summer around the corner it’s not too late to shed the last of your winter weight and hit the beach with confidence. Every Wednesday in June Gear Patrol will bring you our take on fitness. If you’re as busy as we are then you need maximum results in minimum time.

HIIT will not only cut down the amount of time you need to dedicate to cardio each week but it will also supercharge your metabolism for the rest of the day. There are also benefits that carry over into other facets of your fitness regimen. 30 minutes of HIIT training 2-3 times a week will boost your VO2 consumption, increase your anaerobic threshold and burn nearly as many calories as your normal 45 minute routine. Simple put HIIT will condition your body to be able to work harder longer in any physical discipline.

So, try this. Fitness GP Style. After the jump.

Find any piece of cardio equipment and warm up for 5 minutes at 70% effort (i.e. 70% heart rate. Check in next week for more on target heart rates.) From there push your pace up to 90% effort for the next 1 minute (as a reference 100% effort would be if you were being chased by a lion.) After 1 minute drop back down to 70% effort for a rest period of 1 minute. Follow that pattern for 21 total minutes and wrap it up with 4 minutes at 70% effort.

If you’re up to it HIIT can help you burn fat, increase your overall fitness levels and save you valuable time. Best of all as you get into better shape, no need to extend the workout; you’ll have to push yourself harder to maintain your target heart rates. Trust me 30 minutes will be plenty.

Supplement Recommendation: L-Glutamine is an amino acid that helps your body repair itself on a cellular level decreasing recovering time after a workout.

Next Wednesday: The truth about cardio.