AH ha, probably not what you think it is...
SIT, or sprint interval training, is a highly effective workout that consists of max effort sprints with extended periods of rest in between. If you’re sprinting at a true 100% effort, you need time to fully recover before the next sprint.
So what's the difference between SIT and HIIT?
HIIT vs SIT
HIIT, has gained traction in the fitness world and for good reasons, however SIT may be even more effective. Both have their benefits but what is the difference between HIIT and SIT?
Many people are familiar with HIIT style workouts. HIIT consists of “high intensity intervals”, ranging anywhere from 30% to 80% effort. This is because a HIIT workout is typically meant to be sustained for 30-45 minutes. The rest periods are also typically less during HIIT, in order to keep the heart rate up throughout the workout. On a 1-10, HIIT may be within the 6-8 range so that the intensity can be sustained for the duration of the workout.
SIT involves short intervals consisting of all out, 100% max efforts. Because the intensity is so high, the rest periods are longer and the duration of the workout is shorter. A SIT workout may look like 4-8 all out sprints for 5-30 seconds followed by a full recovery, say 2-4 minutes depending on individual fitness level. This recovery could look like complete rest where you sit or stand in place or it could look like a light jog/walk.
Benefits of SIT
Fat loss
An analysis of 75 studies comparing steady state cardio, HIIT, and SIT found that sprint interval training SIT decreased body fat percentage 91.83% more than steady state cardio and 39.95% more than HIIT.
Time efficient
The great thing about SIT is that you don’t have to workout for two hours to see the benefits. When analyzing SIT vs HIIT, it was found that those who did SIT exercised for 60.84% less time than HIIT and 71.17% less than steady state cardio, but reaped the same benefits. Thus, SIT is incredibly useful for those with limited time to workout.
Inexpensive
Sprints can be done anywhere, for free, without the cost of a gym membership. Not to mention, being in the sunshine has a host of other benefits.
Build muscle
Sprinting works the same fast twitch muscle fiber types as heavy lifting. This develops power and speed that translates to the weightroom and can improve your lifts. Sprinting also works all the muscles in the body simultaneously. It is important to remember that sprinting, like weight training, must be paired with proper nutrition and recovery. You can’t overtrain or skimp on sleep or nutrition and expect to see results.
Working along-side menopause
"For menopausal women, high-intensity sprint interval training sessions can provide the metabolic stimulus to trigger the performance-boosting body composition changes that our hormones helped us achieve in our premenopausal years.” Stacey Sims
How to incorporate SIT into your training
Because of the efficiency of SIT, it is relatively easy to incorporate it into your training program.
Start by choosing a fixed time or fixed distance to sprint. For a fixed distance, you could find a track and sprint anywhere from 40-100 meters. You could also just run them on the road using stop signs, trees, or other landmarks as your “finish line.”
For a fixed time, you could choose anywhere from 5-30 seconds. Whichever method you choose, repeat for 4-8 sets allowing 2-4 minutes recovery in between reps. Repeat this 1-3 times per week.
Always make sure to include a dynamic warmup before you start sprinting. Move from general to specific in terms of intensity and movements throughout the warm up to prepare your body for the upcoming workout. Start with jogging and skipping to get your heart rate and body temperature up. Then do movements like hamstring sweeps, lunges, squats, and leg swings to prime your legs for the explosiveness required for max effort sprinting.
Key Takeaways:
Sprint interval training (SIT) is inexpensive, time efficient, can promote fat loss and muscle gain, improve overall endurance and fitness, and is easily progressed and varied. Incorporating SIT into training can be beneficial for any one.
Ready to start or get back to SITting but unsure of how to put together a program? Reachout to us and we can look at guiding you along the correct path
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