HIIT vs. SIT - What's the Difference?
A key addition to any fitness program
When I sit down to create this weekly post every Sunday morning, I reflect on my fitness experiences during prior weeks and share these workouts and experiences with all of you. This keeps me honest, making sure that I am not putting a workout out there that is unachievable, and it gives me an opportunity to share my journey as a 55-year-old, menopausal, avid recreational athlete with all of you. If I’m benefiting from something, then likely others will too. If I am struggling with something, most likely, others are struggling too. We are all in this together!!
So this week, I want to share a modification of a sprint interval training (SIT) workout that I did at CrossFit Peacedale, published by the CrossFit Affiliate Programming. This was one for the ages! It had been a long time since I ventured this far out of my comfort zone. It felt amazing, and I was very proud of what I accomplished!
We have all heard of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), but what is SIT? Sprint interval training is where you have short durations (30 seconds or less) of maximal (100+%) effort, followed by a longer interval of rest that allows sufficient recovery to do the next maximal effort. HIIT involves sub-maximal efforts of >/= 80% of maximal heart rate/maximal effort for usually > 1 minute intervals with variable rest.
Both HIIT and SIT have health benefits that every mid-life woman needs:
Greater glucose control
Improvements in vascular function
Cognitive benefits post-exercise
Improves blood flow to and the oxidative capacity of skeletal muscle
Promotes favorable body composition changes, including an increase in lean mass and a decrease in fat mass.
Which one is better, and how often should I do them?
Both HIIT and SIT training have their places in every fitness program, and the amount and frequency of these sessions will depend on your current training plan and your fitness/athletic goals.
For example, CrossFit, by nature, is a lot of multi-modal (multiple movements) HIIT. So, a CrossFitter may add one SIT session per week. An endurance athlete may regularly incorporate speed training that qualifies as SIT and may wish to add more multi-modal HIIT, such as CrossFit or Functional Fitness Training, particularly in her off-season. A power-lifter, who very rarely engages in endurance or cardiovascular activities, may benefit from 2-3 short sessions of HIIT or SIT per week.
Because individual goals, athletic abilities, fitness levels, and training experiences vary greatly, your best bet is to engage a coaching professional to provide guidance on how to effectively incorporate HIIT and SIT into your training program.
Also, when doing maximal effort training, if at any point, you feel dizzy, ill, have chest pain, or the sudden onset of any concerning symptoms, stop training immediately and assess the situation. If you have known ischemic cardiovascular disease, check with your doctor before engaging in this type of training.
Warm Up
Part 1
AMRAP 5 minutes (As many rounds as possible in 5 minutes)
10 up downs
10 air squats
10 mountain climbers (Right + Left = 1 repetition)
Part 2
Choose your movement for the workout. The recommended movement is the stationary bike, however, you can do this workout using a rower, running, an elliptical machine, or a ski-erg.
EMOM 5 minutes (Every minute on the minute for 5 minutes)
Set a clock and perform your movement for 20 seconds, and rest the remaining 40 seconds of the 1 minute interval. Start at a lower to moderate intensity, and increase the intensity of the 20 seconds of work over the 5 rounds.
Movement options:
Row, Ski-Erg, Elliptical, or run, - Maximum calories or distance in 25 seconds.
Your score is your LOWEST OUTPUT (calories or distance) round. The goal is to hang on to your maximal calories/distance over all 10 rounds.
Workout
10 Rounds
Every 3:00, perform a maximal output sprint with your movement of choice for 25 seconds.
Rest for the remaining 2:35 of the interval.
Record your output for each round.
Score: Lowest output round
Cool Down and Recovery
The importance of cooling down properly from a workout like this cannot be overstated because maximal output training fires up the stress response endocrine pathways. Normalizing this response post-training is necessary for appreciating the fitness gains from high-intensity training and setting you up to perform well during the next training session.
Your recovery equation:
Cool down with this 22-minute Post-workout recovery yoga sequence
Within 1 hour of finishing, have a snack with 20-30g of carbohydrate and 15-25g of protein.
Hydrate! Don’t forget to replace your water AND electrolytes with natural sources such as coconut water, fresh fruit, or high-quality hydration supplements.
Plan your sleep for this evening with a wind-down routine, some meditation or breathwork, a cool room, and putting the screen away an hour before your bedtime.
References:
Gibala, M. J., Little, J. P., Macdonald, M. J., & Hawley, J. A. (2012). Physiological adaptations to low-volume, high-intensity interval training in health and disease. The Journal of Physiology, 590(5), 1077-1084.
Kemi, V. L., & Wisloff, U. (2010). High-intensity aerobic exercise training improves cardiovascular health in women. American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, 298(4), H945-H954.
Burgomaster, K. A., et al. (2008). Similar metabolic adaptations during exercise after low volume sprint interval and traditional endurance training in humans. The Journal of Physiology, 586(1), 151-160.
Boutcher, S. H. (2011). High-intensity intermittent exercise and fat loss: a meta-analysis. Journal of Obesity, 2011.
Little, J. P., et al. (2010). Hemodynamic and molecular responses to sprint interval training in patients with metabolic syndrome. Diabetes, 59(2), 372-383.
Weston, M., et al. (2014). Effects of low-volume high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on health-related fitness: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Sports Medicine, 44(7), 1001-1018.
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