By Nabilah Fountain
HIT, or High Intensity Training, has been around for many years but has just taken over the fitness industry
like wildfire. With new sports, like obstacle course racing (OCR), on the rise, HIT has become the go to workout
for many fitness enthusiasts. To understand the benefits of HIT, let me give you a brief overview of what HIT
really is and how it can truly impact your performance substantially.
HIT is a form of strength training that utilizes the entire body at a higher intensity level to momentary muscle
failure. Once muscle failure is reached, a period of rest is followed before performing the next set of exercises.
Essentially you are putting yourself into EPOC, excess post-exercise oxygen consumption; otherwise known
as “oxygen debt”. By doing this, you are pushing your threshold in many ways forcing your body to recover at a
higher rate in order replace the depleted oxygen. The result? You tend to burn more calories during the workout
and up to 400 calories post work out for up to 36 hours. Other benefits include increased cardio capacity,
strength endurance, increased power and strength and a leaner figure suitable for many of the endurance races
such as OCR.
Many endurance athletes have jumped on the HIT train, noticing a valuable difference in their increased
performance. In the past HIT was known as the “sprinter’s” workout because of the short burst of anaerobic
exertion usually to failure with long periods of rest which created stallions in the sprinting community. With new
research circulating stating that HIT training can also increase performance in endurance athletes, long distance
runners have now taking to HIT all of which have seen drastic increases in their stamina, strength and cardio
endurance, and recovery.
So why HIT? Especially in the OCR community, you not only need to rely on endurance but strength, as
well. With over 20 strength baring obstacles in each race, you not only need to have incredible endurance to
run the 4 plus miles in each race, but you need substantial strength to perform each obstacle with perfection.
By incorporating HIT into your weekly routine, you will be adding value to your training which can result in
podium time at your next race!
For more information on HIT or other related topics, visit our Facebook page at
www.facebook.com/revolvefitcamp and follow our blog at www.liveintheskinny.wordpress.com.
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