HIIT: Little Method & Turbulence Training

Last week, we talked about Tabata training.

This video is totally cheesy…but it’s a nice musical alternative to the timers I talked about last week, and gives you a lot of Tabata exercise ideas.

A couple nights ago, I was on Greatist (yes, I get a lot of ideas from them—thanks guys!) and found this infographic about high intensity interval training (HIIT).

If the phrases “VO2 max” or “metabolic rate” don’t mean anything to you, take a look. The graphic does a nice job of explaining the science behind HIIT training and why it’s so effective:

But what I found most interesting were the three types of HIIT training Greatist discussed. Apparently, there are three popular types of interval training: Tabata, the Little Method, and Turbulence Training. I’ve never heard of the last two, and I’d be interested to see how they work for me. Here’s the breakdown:

Tabata: 20s full-intensity activity (170% VO2 max) + 10s rest, repeated for a total of 8 cycles

Little Method: 60s full-intensity activity (95% VO2 max) + 75s rest, repeated for a total of 12 cycles

Turbulence Training: 8-rep weight set + 1-2 minutes full-intensity cardio, repeated for a 45-minute full-body routine

From what I could find online, the Little Method is the product of a 2009 study by Jonathan Little and started with cycling, but can be done with any cardio exercise. Turbulence Training, created by Toronto strength & conditioning coach Craig Ballantyne, seems to have a good online following, though his TT site seems a bit gimmicky. I do like that it incorporates weightlifting, though—I love circuits that bring strength and cardio together.

According to Greatist, Tabata training is for extremely fit people with little time, the Little Method is for intermediate athletes who have 30 minutes and want a flexible routine and Turbulence Training is for intermediate athletes who have 45 minutes and want to incorporate strength training into their workout. I’m planning to try versions of the Little Method and Turbulence Training in the next week—I’ll post about how they work for me.

What types of HIIT training have you done? Which are your favorites? Where do you find your workouts?

Note: For those of you who’ve been following for a while, I haven’t forgotten about my #GoodFood budget grocery shopping trip or my First Food Friday: Quinoa posts! I’ll be getting those ready to post tomorrow and next week. Have a great Thursday!

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