High Intensity Interval Training Essay

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Ever since Friedrich Ludwig Jahn first brought gymnastics to the United States in the early 19th century, America has been obsessed with different and intriguing ways to workout. Every few years new workout trends start and take the entire nation by storm. These exercise workouts are interesting because not only are they fun, but they also describe the state America was in when they were made. High Intensity Interval Training is the next instalment in this long line of exercise workouts. Its inexpensive nature and quick workout sessions have made America fall in love with what is commonly known as HIIT. Therefore, high intensity interval training is becoming a major fitness trend because it’s inexpensive, has fast results, and fits with …show more content…

Because it has become such a major fitness trend, this form of exercising has many copycat workouts. According to Men’s Health, the world’s largest men’s magazine brand, “High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a form of exercise in which you alternate between very intense anaerobic periods and slower recovery periods for a shorter, more efficient workout.” Its job is to get the absolute most out of a workout in the least amount of time. This goal of efficiency can be traced all the way back to HIIT’s origin in the 1970’s by a man named Peter Coe. Coe was an athletics coach who created a style that included high bursts of running followed by a small time of recovery. He thought that these high bursts of energy might help the legs of Olympic Runners and had a student that finished second in the 1984 summer Olympics. In 1984, Professor Izumi Tabata took Coe’s work and tried to apply it to Olympic speed skaters. His contribution to high intensity workout was influential because he created a workout that only took 4 minutes to do. “Tabata Training” is actually one of the most popular forms of HIIT today. Finally, Jamie Timmons, a professor in systems biology, created the “Timmons Regimen” in 2012 and revolutionized the workout making it resurface into Americas major trends. Timmons took a few workouts from earlier programs and added a few of his own, turning HIIT into something that can be used by all …show more content…

Charlotte Anderson is a published writer and very popular in the workout community. In one of her articles, she talks about HIIT. “HIIT is the ideal workout for a busy schedule—whether you want to squeeze in a workout during your lunch break or to get in shape for a fast-approaching event.” As seen in this quote, not having to work out for multiple hours in a row is a major reason why exercise trends like HIIT are so popular in the US. The average American worker can put in 5 minutes of high intensity workouts throughout the day and still feel accomplished without having to quit their job or school. Overall, exercising with programs like HIIT is a major trend throughout the US because of its inexpensiveness, not having to work multiple hours in a row, and its quick

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