Are High Intensity Interval Training Workouts Designed For Fat Loss Or For Lean Muscle Growth?

By Russ Hollywood


Unless you have been living under a rock for the last three-to-four years, you have probably already heard about high intensity interval training. However, one of the biggest questions surrounding this training method is quite difficult to find an honest answer to - can you build lean muscle with it or is it reserved for fat loss workouts?

For almost a decade, HIIT has been restricted to those who want to lose fat while the people at your local gym stuck with regular cardio work. []

If you are trying to gain size you can get fooled into believing you only need to work hard on the weights, or that cardio work is dull and boring. However, recent studies show that muscle gains were massively increased thanks to the incorporation of HIIT into weekly resistance workouts in place of dull, regular cardiovascular activity.

That's right, performing a high intensity cardio workout is actually superior not only for burning fat but also for building lean tissue! While this is probably music to the ears of all those gym enthusiasts who find cardiovascular activity to be somewhat dull, it does come with a few warnings.

The next discovery may well shock you to your core if you are a long-term gym user. Cardiovascular activity should be performed before a resistance training, as opposed to afterwards. Not only will this increase your fat loss results, but it will also improve muscle retention as well. Let the magnitude of that fact sink in for a moment, because over 90% of gym members insist upon doing their cardio work after they're finished on the weights.

The fascinating study which discovered this was completed by Dr. Peter Lemon back in 2001 thanks to a fascinating Canadian project. This study was then grossly under-reported in fitness circles, causing it to go unnoticed by the general public. In theory, it should alter the way almost everybody trains in the gym.

Of course, it is also important to discuss the increased difficulty which will be served up by a HIIT workout in comparison to regular, steady state endurance exercise. You won't be able to do this every day of the week, particularly if you are also doing resistance training. That's actually a good though, though, as it will allow your body to recuperate fully.

Furthermore, research shows that high intensity interval training burns of 6 times as much fat as regular cardiovascular activity, making it a sensible choice if you are trying to figure out how to build muscle while maximizing your fat loss in the process.




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