Learning how to build muscle is often a game of chance and opinion, with what works for one guy often not quite working for another. However, there are a few benchmark pieces of advice which have been proven by modern science when it comes to building mass and losing fat, one of which is high intensity interval training.
For years, it was believed that performing high intensity cardiovascular activity was a sure-fire way to waste all of your efforts when it came to lifting weights. []
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.
A Canadian study found that cardio exercise followed by weight training was vastly superior to doing it afterwards, both for fat loss and lean muscle retention. This study dates back to 2001, but was vastly under-reported and so it went under the radar of many trainers.
One other aspect which has to be taken into consideration here is the increased difficulty of a high intensity interval training session versus a steady state cardio session. This means your body will need additional time to recovery. You shouldn't be performing intervals every single day, because you can get better results by letting your body recover fully. Three-to-four sessions per week is enough for most people.
While regular cardiovascular exercise is good for your heart and certainly still has it's value, high intensity interval training is superior for both fat loss and lean muscle gains. If your goal is to learn the most effective ways to build muscle this year, then HIIT is certainly something you should be trying very soon.
For years, it was believed that performing high intensity cardiovascular activity was a sure-fire way to waste all of your efforts when it came to lifting weights. []
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.
A Canadian study found that cardio exercise followed by weight training was vastly superior to doing it afterwards, both for fat loss and lean muscle retention. This study dates back to 2001, but was vastly under-reported and so it went under the radar of many trainers.
One other aspect which has to be taken into consideration here is the increased difficulty of a high intensity interval training session versus a steady state cardio session. This means your body will need additional time to recovery. You shouldn't be performing intervals every single day, because you can get better results by letting your body recover fully. Three-to-four sessions per week is enough for most people.
While regular cardiovascular exercise is good for your heart and certainly still has it's value, high intensity interval training is superior for both fat loss and lean muscle gains. If your goal is to learn the most effective ways to build muscle this year, then HIIT is certainly something you should be trying very soon.
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More Info - Uncover the shocking truth behind high intensity interval training as personal trainer Russ Howe PTI explains to you how to build muscle using the most research proven techniques, all for free via his fitness blog.
