A HIIT “High Intensity Interval Training” designed to push you into the 85% of your Max Heart Rate zone will create EPOC “Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption”. EPOC is what burns calories even after your workout is finished and gives you noticeable lasting results in weight loss. Some research showed that if you get more than 12 minutes while you are at 85 percent of your maximum heart rate you’ll keep burning 15% more calories even after you stop working out as afterburning during the next 24 hours. That’s why HIIT is used as a time-efficient program to improve physiological functions, and reduce cardiovascular risks.

However don't forget to rest your heart after a session of HIIT. You should allow your heart rate to come all the way back down to 55-60 percent.

**Be careful, you must be used to physical activities before experiencing HIIT. You can't start doing HIIT if you do very little sport or if you are starting your journey. If you are not trained enough you will not be able to recover and you may also damage your heart.

If you are a beginner you can first target the medium intensity zone, about 75-85% of your MHR with a cardio activity.

How Circular can help me with that?

The Circular ring continuously monitors your heart rate. With the Circular app you can monitor your heart rate during your workout with the live measurement feature to reach the targeted HR zone. Check your live heart rate right after the effort during a rest period while clenching your fist.

Then after a workout you can get a better idea of the intensity your heart provides during this workout. You can find a daily summary of the training zone you have reached, which you can compile weekly and compare with your trends to track your progress. By wearing the Circular ring during your training you can quantify the intensity you produce and adapt it to your fitness goal.

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On the days where you are supposed to take it easy, closely monitor your heart rate and make sure it doesn’t come above 75 percent of your Max Heart Rate. For recovery you can use the Circular analyses on your HRV and RHR and rely on your Energy score to know if your body and heart has recovered.

Scientific sources:

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018 Jul; 15(7): 1508: The Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training vs. Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training on Heart Rate Variability in Physically Inactive Adults. Abdullah Alansare, Ken Alford, Sukho Lee, Tommie Church, and Hyun Chul Jung