HIIT Mistakes

HIIT is, beyond doubt, a very effective workout but to get results, it needs to be done correctly. Most people are not used to pushing themselves as hard as necessary for HIIT especially for a workout that is as short as 7- 10 minutes because it is extremely uncomfortable.

That is why many people often start making mistakes during their workouts which can easily sabotage their efforts and diminish their results. Here is a look at some of the most common mistakes to avoid when doing HIIT.

Opting For Longer Workouts
Essentially, a HIIT session can last anywhere from four to twenty minutes, or thirty minutes if stretched to the maximum. If someone is able to push it beyond that, then that is not an achievement.

It is a common error to go for longer sessions during HIIT. The whole point is to push your body to the maximum limit during high intensity periods. This will automatically make your sessions shorter as the body will be too exhausted to work anymore.

Not Warming Up
HIIT training can be tough and strenuous, especially for beginners who are not yet ready to use their body’s maximum potential during their workout sessions. Even those who are physically fit and active need to warm up before they start with their HIIT training.

It is a common mistake to directly hit the gym and get going with the session. This will reduce the effects that you are trying to achieve. Without a warm up, the body will not be able to give it’s all during the high intensity intervals.

Choosing Complex And Complicated Movements
Experts say that with subsequent sessions of workouts, the body can get too tired to perform a complex movement. During your first session, a complicated movement might not seem that bad at all. But after repeated movements, the body and brain could be overstrained, increasing the chances of an injury such as sprains or falls.

Instead, it is advised to choose movements for HIIT workouts that are easier to perform, without having to put too much thought into which body part goes where and which muscle to stretch more than the other.

Apart from choosing complex movements, another common mistake is not perform the easy ones correctly. As simple as a movement might be, unless you are performing it right, it is not going to be effective.

It is always good to give your mind and body a chance to master a movement first before you start training faster.

Not Paying Attention To ‘Recovery’ Intervals
This is one of the most common mistakes during HIIT to reduce the resting or recovery intervals in an attempt to make it ‘tougher’. This is the wrong idea.

The recovery period is as important as the high intensity interval, if not more. This is the period where the muscles pay off what is called an ‘oxygen debt’. They receive the oxygen that they were deprived off as the workout proceeded and led up to their fatigue. Once they get the oxygen back, they can work just as hard in the next high intensity period. If ample recovery time is not taken, then muscles are only partially ready for the next hard work.