Most people are already familiar and intent with what ‘HIIT’ workouts have done form them and the years. But what if there was an alternative training system that had all the same benefits but without the impact? There is a new workout platform trend that is up and coming called ‘HILIT’ (High Intensity Low Impact Training). This high-intensity, low-impact training philosophy will burn more calories while giving you a total body low impact workout in less time. The specific differences between ‘HIIT’ and ‘HILIT’ is the impact on the joints, bones, and overall safety during workouts to reduce the risk of injury. Many traditional ‘HIIT’ classes have large volumes of people who are all about pushing yourself beyond your limits and working as quickly as possible without any attention to technique, alignment, or form. Without proper exercise techniques and or modifications to the workouts these people could be injured very easily.  

One of the best total body low impact workouts you can do is indoor rowing. Rowing utilizes approximately 86% of all the muscles in the entire body without compromising the joints and bones from impact. I have had 2 knee surgeries myself and I used indoor rowing class at Roworx Fitness in Long Beach, California as an integral part of my workout routine to rehabilitate from those injuries. Since my surgeries I have used indoor rowing workouts as my core platform system of training to get myself prepared for 16 full Ironman’s (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run) and 1 Ultraman (6.2 mile swim, 270 mile bike, and a 52.4 mile run) triathlon I have completed over the past 12 years. Rowing provides a non-impact, whole-body workout that translates well to almost any endurance sport. Rowing builds strong legs and is great for building swimming, cycling, and running strength for triathlon competitions. The motion also creates an incredibly strong core which helps with all three of the triathlon disciplines. It is easy to get a challenging cardiovascular workout on the indoor rowing machine. If you want to go hard, rowing gets your heart rate up easily. 

Find out more workout tips described below on how to use the ‘HILIT’ training system to your advantage during any workout. 

First we must decipher the difference between exercise intensity vs. exercise impact

Exercise Intensity refers to how much energy is expended when exercising. Perceived exertion and intensity varies with each person. It has been found that intensity has an effect on what fuel the body uses and what kind of adaptations the body makes after exercise. Intensity is the amount of physical power (expressed as a percentage of the maximal oxygen consumption) that the body uses when performing an activity. When you begin a new workout routine you always need to remember to pace yourself with the workouts. The most common mistake I see in the fitness world is people coming in to a workout routine at full blast and doing way too much too soon. You will also have to remember that there has to be a ‘little pain for a little gain’ in strength gain when starting new workouts. Whatever type of exercise you prefer, increasing the intensity can improve longevity while utilizing high-intensity intervals with almost any exercise. The trick is to alternate short bursts of approximately 1-3 minutes of working very hard with short periods of recovery.

Exercise Impact refers to the downward forces on your joints and bones when your body has to bear its own weight against a surface, usually the floor. While high impact exercises offer plenty of benefits, keep in mind that they are not for everyone. Whether you’re looking to increase the intensity or impact of any exercise, the first step is talking to your doctor about what’s safe for you, especially if you have a chronic condition including osteoporosis, arthritis, diabetes, balance issues, and other injuries. On the other hand, it is prudent for beginners to build overall fitness first in order to handle high impact workouts without injuring themselves. If you consider yourself fairly active but only focus on low intensity or steady-state cardio, adding ‘HILIT’ workouts such as swimming,cycling, indoor rowing, and cross country skiing can help you boost your overall fitness and performance.

The Benefits Of HILIT

As their names suggest, the main difference between ‘HILIT’ and ‘HIIT’ is the impact of the workout. With ‘HILIT,’ you’ll limit jumping, landing, and other rapid movements. Using the ‘HILIT’ system should prevent many common injuries you tend to see when doing high-impact exercises. When done right, low-impact and total body workout such as indoor rowing can help you lose weight, tone up, and get stronger. For example, when you complete a rowing stroke you are pushing off the foot-boards and suspending your own body-weight connecting the legs through the core, back, latissimus dorsi, and shoulders. The Roworx Indoor Rowing program offers a group exercise that’s low-impact, high efficiency, and great for building strength and endurance. Roworx also utilizes the Concept2 Rowing Machine and light dumbbell weights. Our clients span all experience levels, ages and abilities. Anyone can row as you control your own pace and resistance while knowing you are working out with a common goal in a non competitive atmosphere. The ability to control your own resistance allows you to maintain rhythm with the group, while selecting your own difficulty level. At Roworx we embrace each person and where they are in their fitness journey as well as finding creative ways to get stronger together.

Maximize Your Fitness Results By Blending The ‘HILIT’ System Blend With The F.I.T.T. Principle 

How FREQUENT are you training? What INTENSITY are you training at? How much TIME are you putting into your training during each session? What TYPE of exercise are you doing to improve your fitness and strength? Work out early in the morning when the rest of the family and world is still asleep. Never assume you will get it done later as the day always catches up with you and the chances become less as you become tired from work etc. Early morning training is also invigorating and relaxing ahead of the day’s responsibilities. Be consistent in your training and make sure to try to get in at least 30 minutes of training every day with a 90 minute or 2-hour session every third day. Time and consistency are some of the most important aspects of not only fitness training but the keys to being successful in life in anything you put your mind to. Work out with a friend, trainer, or in a fitness class. Who has the time to work out, train, and be disciplined on fitness on their own? Studies show that we are motivated to work harder, show up more often, and push further past our perceived limits when training in a group. The results of one study suggest that endorphin release is significantly greater in group training than in individual training; this seems to be the case even when the individual’s power output, or physical exertion, is the same. Not only is it more fun to exercise with others, but it is safer and more efficient to exercise under the leadership of a good coach. Finally, be realistic about your life and your ability. Work out exactly how much training you can comfortably do in one week and build on that as you consider your job and commitment to friends.

F – Frequency of your workouts. How often is your training and how many days do you take off to rest between training days. It is important to keep a frequent exercise regiment during the week and not skip over 2-3 days in between workouts.

I- Intensity of your workouts. How much intensity are you pushing through your workouts. What hear rate zone 1-5 are you training at as zones 2-4 are most important for general fitness and endurance training. Indoor rowing can be one of the best low impact total body workouts you can possibly do in the realm of fitness training. Roworx also utilizes the Concept2 Rowing Machine and light dumbbell weights. Our clients span all experience levels, ages and abilities. Anyone can row – you control your own pace and resistance. The ability to control your own resistance allows you to maintain rhythm with the group, while selecting your own difficulty level.

T – Time spent during your workout. This is the #1 important aspect of fitness training and one we all try to take shortcuts on.

T – Type of workout. The Roworx Indoor Rowing program offers a group exercise that’s low-impact, high efficiency, and great for building strength and endurance. Roworx also utilizes the Concept2 Rowing Machine and light dumbbell weights. Our clients span all experience levels, ages and abilities. Anyone can row – you control your own pace and resistance. The ability to control your own resistance allows you to maintain rhythm with the group, while selecting your own difficulty level.

Whether it is a ‘HIIT’ or ‘HILIT’ program, the choice is yours to make progress and see results. If you’re not seeing results with your daily workout routine, it may be time to change things up and try something new with an indoor rowing class at Roworx. What are the benefits of rowing and what will this equipment do for you in terms of muscle conditioning and cardiovascular fitness? Whether you already row or are considering adding rowing to your overall physical activity program, want to lose weight, cross-train for another sport, compete on the water, or rehabilitate from injury or surgery, rowing is a complete exercise. Rowing machine benefits include strengthening and conditioning most major muscle groups in the upper and lower body and rowing is virtually impact-free. Beyond choosing a smart exercise regimen in which one that challenges you to continually push yourself while having the right nutrition, sleep, hydration, and recovery are crucial to improving your fitness. Once you identify ‘WHY?’ your routine isn’t working, you can start taking steps toward improving it. While being involved with Roworx Fitness, the health industry, and involved with a lifetime of playing sports I have come to the conclusion that the number one reason why people fall short of their fitness and nutrition goals is the lack of self-discipline and/or willpower. Some people think it is easy for me to preach fitness because it is my job as a fitness owner and instructor, however, nearly 50% of the workouts I do don’t come easy. That is to say if I had the option to NOT workout about half the time I would take that option. Something that my coaches have taught me over the years in college and on the US National Team was the ability to understand hard work and put in the miles day in and day out. The ability to train and ‘grind’ through the daily workouts no matter how bad the fitness sessions were. My coaches taught me the need to work strenuously through challenges and maintain a high level of effort over a long period of time despite failure and other things getting in the way of progress. Knowing how to deal with the highs and lows of the daily workout ‘grind’ is how you will succeed in accomplishing your fitness and nutrition goals. Helping people understand that the daily ‘grind’ to achieve greatness in maintaining a healthy lifestyle habits is the core of the work you need in order to overcome adversity and instill willpower. One of the best and worst quotes I have heard from my father, John Nunn, was that when things got tough for me during US National Team training sessions he would often say: ‘Anyone can train on a good day…It’s when you train hard on the bad days that will get you the results.’ 

A High-Wattage Workout

January 7th, 2020

Written By Jen Murphy

A study from the English Institute of Sport in Manchester, England, found that the rowing machine, when used correctly, engages 86% of the muscles in the body.

Jack Nunn, a former member of the U.S. National Rowing Team and founder of Roworx Fitness in Long Beach, Calif., says rowing, like swimming, is a full-body, low-impact cardio workout that requires mastering certain techniques to be done effectively.

He says about 60% of the rowing stroke is powered by the leg drive. “Take time to adjust the foot strap snugly over the balls of the feet,” he says. At the catch, or the front of the stroke, the hands should be well past the feet and shoulders in front of the hips, he says. “The seat should never hit your heels,” he says. “You want to be in a position similar to the start of a dead lift so you can really activate the leg muscles.”

On the drive back, keep the chin level and bring the handle in a straight line from machine to chest.

Beginners should focus on watts, a measure of how much power they are generating rather than their speed, he says. “A good goal is to try to hit your body weight in pounds in watts and sustain those watts with each stroke,” he says.

Click here for more on this story and link about this article in the Wall Street Journal

Ultraman Florida finisher Jack Nunn shares how and why he did 80 percent of his preparation for the endurance event on his rower. On February 15, I took on the biggest race of my life: my first Ultraman in Orlando, Florida. So, what exactly is an Ultraman? It’s a three-day athletic event (more than a double Ironman) consisting of a 6.2-mile swim and a 92-mile bike ride the first day; a 171-mile bike ride the second day; and a 52-mile run on the final day. Read More Here Continue Reading