THE SCIENCE
The fundamental principles of a HITZone session using HIT Machines are that exercises should be brief and intense with a high level of effort, or intensity. This form of HIT exercise increases muscular strength and tone and stimulates the body to continue to burn calories even when you finish exercising.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a training technique in which you give maximum effort with intense bursts of exercise, followed by short, sometimes active, recovery periods. This type of training keeps your heart rate up and burns more fat in less time.
HIT Machines are used to deliver the world’s most effective exercise system as the high-intensity format increases the body’s need for oxygen during the effort and creates an oxygen shortage, causing your body to ask for more oxygen during recovery. “This after-burn effect” is referred to as ‘Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen consumption’ (EPOC) and is the reason why intense exercise will help burn more fat and calories than regular aerobic workouts.”
THE BENEFITS
The benefits of a HIT Machine session is backed by sound science, following a pilot study conducted by Dr Conor McClean of the Sports and Exercise Research Institute at the University of Ulster. The research on the acute effects of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), calorie expenditure and exercise recovery using High Intensity Training with the HIT Machine reports:
Participants expended more calories and were able to maintain a higher average heart rate when using the HIT Machine compared to a control trial of 20 minutes of traditional mixed aerobic and resistance exercise;
Whilst there were no changes in energy expenditure following the control trial, energy expenditure was significantly increased immediately following exercise using the HIT Machine;
Creatine kinase (a biomarker of muscle damage and DOMS) was significantly lower 48 hours post exercise in the HIT trial when compared to the same time point in the control trial suggesting less muscle damage is associated with acute usage of the HIT Machine;
Individuals consistently reported lower feelings of body pain and DOMs, using the visual analogue scale (VAS), following exercise using the HIT Machine compared to the traditional mixed aerobic and resistance exercise of the control trial.