SAFETY BRIEFING

Starting a book with a safety briefing is a bit like going on a first date and telling the person all your ‘issues’ before saying ‘hello’, but by working out safely you will enjoy the amazing benefits of HIIT and avoid becoming susceptible to any injury.

First off, it is important to say that exercise has more positive effects than it does potential negative ones. People who start a progressive exercise regime with a body that is free from disease, injury or physical restriction will feel better than they did when they did nothing. A fact of exercise, however, is that some people suffer injuries, the cause of which can sometimes be difficult to establish because often there are contributing factors than have a knock-on effect. These may include what a person has been doing in the hours preceding their workout, or what they have or haven’t eaten or drunk; being dehydrated, for instance, has a detrimental effect upon a subsequent exercise session and therefore may be a factor if injury subsequently ensues.

So, my approach is this: I am responsible for the contents of this book. However, conveying information via the written word is not quite the same as delivering personal training, coaching or presenting in the flesh – being somewhat conceptual rather than prescriptive – so we all have to accept that there are limitations to how literally that information can be treated. Moreover, different people have different perceptions of what’s easy/hard, simple/complex or achievable/unrealistic so you need to use your own judgement. As a general rule of thumb, though, I recommend that you always use caution rather than being reckless.

This advice may seem counter-intuitive in a book that is all about a method of exercise that requires you to push yourself to the upper edge of your physical limits, but in fact it tallies with my view that you will achieve more from the impact of exercise by being smart rather than simply ‘smashing’ yourself during every session. Preparation, listening to your body and understanding your limits is key to a rewarding and injury-free workout.

I have been doing HIIT for more than 30 years without suffering any ill-effects or injuries. Sure, I’ve had plenty of days after workouts when I’m forced to walk down the stairs in slow motion or struggle when putting on a T-shirt because the muscles in my chest, arms and shoulders are screaming for forgiveness, but these are all short-term niggles that are the normal consequence of challenging the body to function and perform at a higher level. If you can’t cope with DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness), getting soaked in your own sweat or the feeling that your heart and lungs are operating at the peak of their ability, then HIIT is not for you – and the chances are that you will misinterpret these signs that you’ve done a great workout as being an injury. Muscle discomfort after exercise (typically the day after) is to be expected; in fact, many fitness professionals describe the aftermath of a good workout as ‘God’s tax on exercise’, and it will pass.

While creating the exercises and workout programmes in this book, I’ve thought about every exercise long and hard and tried to present them in such a way that they are easy to understand and perform. This style is, I hope, best described as ‘clear and concise’, conveying in written form a skill I have been told by clients I have for ‘making really complicated stuff easy to understand’.

The information contained within this book is based on current research and the recommendations of governments and health organisations, and is safe for adults over 18 years of age. With this in mind, note that the exercises and workout programmes are also intended to be effective – and are therefore challenging even for experienced fitness enthusiasts.

To be effective, as with all types of exercise, HIIT involves an element of risk. In light of this, please read the following passage:

You should consult your doctor or other health-care professional before starting this or any other fitness programme to establish if it is appropriate for your needs. This is particularly true if you (or your family) have a history of any condition related to cardiac respiratory function (high blood pressure, heart disease, asthma, angina, etc.) or if you have ever experienced chest pain. If you smoke, High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) will not only be less effective but potentially impossible. If you have high cholesterol or are obese, then seek advice and approval (most doctors will be pleased that you are taking action, but do check first). Likewise, if you have a bone or joint problem that could be made worse by a change in physical activity, you should also check first with a medical practitioner. Nothing in this book replaces or overrules the advice of a medically qualified doctor, so do not start this fitness programme if your doctor or other health-care professional advises against it.

‘Listen’ to your body and if you experience faintness, dizziness, pain or shortness of breath at any time while exercising, stop immediately.

This book offers health and fitness advice relating to HIIT and is designed for information/inspirational purposes only. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health-related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read in this book. The use of any information provided in this book is entirely at your own risk.

Furthermore, subsequent developments in medical/health-related research may impact the health, fitness and nutritional advice within this book.

The images contained in the book show people doing exercise in suitable attire, which may include short shorts and sports bras. All the items of clothing are standard and come from well-known global brands, and therefore should be viewed as performance-enhancing products rather than something that is intended to be in any way offensive or sexually provocative.

Phew, now let’s lighten the mood. My mission is to enlighten you and make you aware of the benefits of high-intensity activity – with the goal being that you can improve your health, fitness and capacity to exercise – but it is as well to stress that your doctor knows best, so consult your general practitioner before attempting anything in this book.

HIIT health checklist

Before doing HIIT you must be able to answer NO to ALL of these questions:

Do you or have you ever felt pain in your chest?

Have you been told by your doctor that you should only do physical activity recommended by a medical practitioner because you have a heart condition or another relevant medical condition?

Is your doctor currently prescribing you medication for a blood-pressure or heart condition?

Do you lose your balance as a result of dizziness or do you ever lose consciousness/collapse?

Do you have a bone or joint problem (especially of the back, knee, hip, shoulder, elbow or wrist) that could be made worse by exercise?

Do you know of any other reason why you should not do physical activity?

Those six questions are ‘deal breakers’. If you said yes to any of them then you really shouldn’t proceed with any of the suggested exercises in this book. Please do read and enjoy the contents, but you need to get some personalised advice from a medical professional and consider a period of ‘pre-conditioning’. It is important to understand, however, that you are absolutely NOT a ‘write-off’ and exercise in all likelihood will be very beneficial, it’s just that HIIT may not be the best approach.

HIIT reality check

Answer the five questions below to ensure you are ready specifically for HIIT. Intensity is measurable and therefore something that can be quantified by the reaction HIIT places on your body. These are more extreme if you are not used to working out. So if your answer to the following statements is ‘yes’ or ‘umm, maybe’ then you may need to make some lifestyle changes before you begin.

Can you currently not exercise for at least 20 continuous minutes at a moderate intensity? If exercise intensity were to be graded 1–10 with 10 being the toughest, can you do 20 minutes at level 6.5-plus?

Are you on a restricted-calorie diet (fewer than 2,000 calories per day for women and 2,500 calories per day for men)?

Are you perpetually dehydrated (highly likely if you drink less than 1 litre (2 pints) of fluids per day)?

Do you find it hard to move freely without the need to groan or feeling tight/restricted? A lack of mobility will impair your ability to do some of the exercises in this book.

Does your level of body fat affect your ability to move? This isn’t a heartless question, it’s simply a reality that a higher level of fat weight rather than lean-muscle weight will make the fast movements required in HIIT to be potentially harmful.

If you have answered ‘yes’ to some these questions, it may mean that your ‘start date’ with HIIT needs to be delayed. As a fitness professional, I would rather you succeed in the long term rather than dive into a new regime and prematurely crash out because you do too much too soon. HIIT is faster and more exhilarating, intense and stimulating (both chemically and mentally) than other types of exercise. If HIIT were a horse, it would be a beautiful unbroken stallion capable of doing serious damage to an inexperienced rider. If you aren’t ready, don’t be a hero – start with something more placid and look forward to the ride of your life once you have built up some skills, resilience and, most importantly, body awareness.