It is a very common excuse that we don’t have enough time to exercise and this excuse is heard and used again and again by  those stretched for time by a busy lifestyle – however that  excuse is now apparently wearing thin with more and more research coming out that shows that short but intensive bursts of workout are as effective (or even more effective) as hours of moderate training.

This is the cause of an upsurge of interest in High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) otherwise known as Burst Training. Who’d have guessed a few years ago that we might be able to get the results we’re after in 15 minutes a day instead of hours? Some experts have been trying to tell us this for while, such as Jon Benson in his  7 minute muscle program.

Ok, so forget what you’ve been told for years and try intensive exercises in short spurts. Burst training can be done using many types of exercise such as running, skipping, cycling, stair climbing etc and weight training. Weight training could usually be classed as burst training as it normally is performed with a really high intensity burst of energy and then a rest, then another burst of energy. If your weight training is hard enough that it’s getting your heart rate up and you’re breathing heavy after each set then you’re on the right track.

Studies on the physical effects of high intensity interval training, known as HIIT,  indicate that you don’t have to spend hours every week exercising to stay in shape. The researchers found that HIIT is fast and safe alternative to the hours of exercise often done each week by those wanting to stay (or get) in shape.

In one study, volunteers rode exercise bikes doing sprints that lasted just 60 seconds, each time ensuring that they were working hard enough to get close to their maximum heart rate. Testing after showed that their muscles had improved as much as if they’d been participating in traditional longer training sessions. The results of research have showed that it is possible to achieve more results by actually doing less exercise.

The reasons for HIIT getting the results that it does, are as yet apparently unclear, but it is thought that the more intense short bursts of training, having the result of putting the large amounts of stress on the body that it does, causes the body to create the same results as it would with longer bouts of less intense exercise. Your body really is an amazing piece of machinery, and will build what it needs, to do what you make it do on a regular basis (given that it has the right ingredients to do so of course!).

So, these findings indicate that the lack of time excuse, is no longer valid! What are you waiting for? Get to it. Click here to find out how to have great muscle in just 7 minutes a day!