High-intensity interval training (HIIT), also known as sprint-interval training, is not a new concept. It gained popularity with the general gym-going population in the 1990s and has been used by both serious and casual athletes ever since. In case you can't tell by the name, HIIT consists of doing intervals of moderate intensity exercise, like jogging, with intervals of high intensity, like a sprint.

The benefit of HIIT over a steady jog is that, for one, HIIT can suppress your appetite, facilitating weight-loss. There are claims that interval training is more effective at burning fat and while that's disputed by some, there's no doubt that it's an effective workout.

I think HIIT is more fun -- every 60 seconds, I face a new challenge, and it forces me to pay attention to my workout instead of zoning out and listening to music. (Although, there are definitely times when I go for a run specifically to zone out, but that's another post.) How about you? Have you tried HIIT?

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Distance runner Roger Bannister was the first person to run the 4-minute mile. He, like many athletes today, followed a training program designed by Eastern European trainers, referred to affectionately as HIT. High-intensity Interval Training (HIT) is designed to deliver high levels of fitness quickly, and doing so with short bouts of maximum intensity exercise.

Just recently, Canadian researchers discovered that a total of only 15 minutes of HIT over a two-week period produced greater changes in endurance capacity than performing months of moderate-intensity exercises.

The gist of how HIT works is as follows: You put forth maximum (and by maximum, I mean 100 percent) effort for a specific duration of time and then take a short period of rest. You then follow this same cycle for several more times. An example of of a HIT program (which, incidentally, can pretty much be worked into any exercise program) is as follows:

• 1 set of 100 percent effort for 30 seconds
• 4 minutes of rest (slow pace)
• 1 set of 100 percent effort for 30 seconds
• 4 minutes of rest (slow pace)
• 1 set of 100 percent effort for 30 seconds
• 4 minutes of rest (slow pace)
• 1 set of 100 percent effort for 30 seconds
• Cool down for 4 minutes at very slow pace

Interval training is not only a great way to incinerate fat quickly, but it also alleviates the "I don't have time to workout" dilemma so many people face (the workout above only takes 18 minutes to complete).

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