The best trainers in the world recommend high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for their clients, and for good reason. The enormous and varied benefits of HIIT, a quick, focused and intense workout that smashes calories, boosts metabolism and burns fat, include building muscle and getting you in the most ripped shape of your life. One study even found that HIIT can help decrease the negative effects of chronic health problems, improving the way the body processes oxygen and insulin while making your arteries more flexible. According to Dr. Jonathan Little, a specialist in exercise physiology at the University of British Columbia at Okanagan, a single HIIT session can measurably lower your glucose levels.
But with so many types of HIIT workouts floating around, how do you pick one? Allow us to suggest that you find your nearest stationary bike and start pedaling. It’s a fun way to get your cardio in an environment that has a low impact on your joints. Plus, the mechanism couldn’t be easier: Just hop on and ride. “A stationary bike is easier than a treadmill to go out into an all-out sprint. You’re not going to get yourself in trouble,” says Adam Friedman, a Gold’s Gym Fitness Institute trainer. And with most bikes, you can see your wattage and your RPMs right in front of you, which makes it easy to track and see improvement.
You’re going to want to track that improvement, as it will happen rapidly. Another study showed that participants could bike for twice as long at the same pace after just eight weeks of HIIT stationary bike training. We asked Friedman to give us a twice-weekly workout that builds in intensity over the course of a month. In case you were wondering, the Tour de France starts in July….
Adam Friedman’s Four-Week
Stationary Bike High-Intensity Interval Training
Note: Your maximum heart rate (MHR) is 216 minus 93% of your age for men and 200 minus 67% of your age for women. To track heart rate, think about investing in a Microsoft Band or heart rate monitor.
Add each one of these workouts into your cardio routine each week. Try not to do on consecutive days.
Week 1: 30 Minute Workouts
Workout 1
* 10-minute warm-up at 65% MHR
* 30-second sprint at 75% MHR, then 60 seconds recovery at 65% MHR
Repeat for 15 minutes
* 5-minute cool-down at 65% MHR
Workout 2
* 10-minute warm-up at 65% MHR
* 30-second sprint at 75% MHR, then 90 seconds recovery at 65% MHR
Repeat for 15 minutes
* 5-minute cool-down at 65% MHR
Week 2: 35 Minute Workouts
Workout 1
* 10-minute warm-up at 65% MHR
* 30-second sprint at 80% MHR, then 60 seconds recovery at 65% MHR
Repeat for 15 minutes
* 10-minute cool-down at 65% MHR
Workout 2
* 10-minute warm-up at 65% MHR
* 30-second sprint at 80% MHR, then 90 seconds recovery at 65% MHR
Repeat for 15 minutes
* 10-minute cool-down at 65% MHR
Week 3: 40 Minute Workouts
Workout 1
* 10-minute warm-up at 65% MHR
* 30-second sprint at 85% MHR, then 60 seconds recovery at 65% MHR
Repeat for 15 minutes
* 15-minute cool-down at 65%
Workout 2
* 10-minute warm-up at 65% MHR
* 30-second sprint at 85% MHR, then 90 seconds recovery at 65% MHR
Repeat for 15 minutes
* 15-minute cool-down @ 65% MHR
Week 4: 45 Minute Workouts
Workout 1
* 10-minute warm-up @ 65% MHR
* 45-second sprint @ 85% MHR, then 90 seconds recovery @ 65% MHR
Repeat for 15 minutes
* 20-minute cool-down @ 65% MHR
Workout 2
* 10-minute warm-up @ 65% MHR
* 45-second sprint @ 85% MHR, then 120 seconds recovery @ 65% MHR
Repeat for 15 minutes
* 20-minute cool-down @ 65% MHR
