hiit cardio

HIIT Knowledge

We have finished September STRONG and are starting October STRONGER -- and in pink! With only three months left in 2022, take a moment to reflect on the growth and accomplishments that have already transcended last year and lock your focus in on goals you want to complete before the end of the year! Let's continue to inspire each other to live TRANSFORMED: body, mind, and spirit!

During our session you are likely to hear one of the personal trainers talking about CARDIO. "Let's get the heart rate up!" "We are getting our cardio in!" "You need to be breathing through cardio!"

There is a reason behind all of our chatter! Cardio is SO beneficial to having a healthy body! One AMAZING option of getting cardio into your week is HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training)! HIIT is a great opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and do something amazing for your body!

But What is HIIT? Is it for Everybody?

Basics of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT):

The TransFit HIIT workout is designed for women of all ages and ability levels!

High-intensity interval training, or HIIT for short, was named one of the top fitness trends in the world for 2021, based on an annual survey by the American College of Sports Medicine.

HIIT is comprised of short, hard bursts of cardio exercise—anywhere from 10 seconds to 2 minutes in length—broken up by brief recovery periods. New studies on the benefits of HIIT make the news regularly. Reasearch shows that just two minutes of sprint interval training (in this case, four 30-second max-effort sprints followed by four and a half minutes of recovery for a total of 20 minutes) improves mitochondrial function— which is the process of how your cells convert sugars and carbohydrates into energy in your cells— just as well as 30 minutes of moderate exercise in a group of active men and women. In other words, going ALL out two minutes of really hard INTERVALS can give you the same fitness benefits as a 30 minute steady, moderate pace workout.

Workouts may involve light jumping, lateral movements, sprints, plyometrics, and quick bodyweight segments, light weight high rep activity. However, you don't have to jump to get your heart rate up to receive the benefits of HIIT.

How much recovery you take between intervals depends on your goals. Short intervals are usually paired with equally short or even shorter recovery periods so your body can adapt to repeated maximal efforts. And because your heart rate stays elevated during the recovery periods, your aerobic energy system gets a training benefit, as well.

3 Ways HIIT Can Help You Live Transformed:

1. Lose abdominal fat: In a study of sedentary women, 20 minutes of HIIT were compared with 40 minutes of steady-state exercise, and the HIIT subjects were the only ones who lost fat— primarily excess abdominal fat!

2. Protect your heart: Research shows, depending on how fit you are when you begin, HIIT can boost your VO2 max (how much oxygen you can use) up to 46 percent in 24 weeks. It can also increase your stroke volume (how much blood your heart pumps out per beat) by 10 percent after eight weeks of training and significantly lower your resting heart rate.

3. Recharge your cells and boost your hormones: HIIT is proven to make more proteins for your energy-producing mitochondria, which helps slow down aging and boost youth hormones! It fires up the production of your body’s growth hormones that help you maintain muscle and burn fat for hours AFTER you’re done, and it lowers insulin resistance for better blood sugar control.

4. Improves Cognitive Functions: HIIT is also amazing for your mind. Research shows that high-intensity workouts improve cognitive function and increase levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) more than easier exercise. BDNF is essential for learning, memory, and mood regulation, and your brain uses it to repair and maintain brain cells.

Here is a great example of an at-home HIIT
workout you can do today!


Amazing Opportunities!

We are so excited about this fall and we have several important dates to keep in mind! Don't forget to add them to your calendar!

TransFit Girls Tuesdays 4:30pm
We are so thrilled to inspire our Middle School Girls and strengthen them in body, mind, and spirit! TransFit Girls will be on Tuesdays at 4:30pm. Sign up your strong girl today to reserve her space in this encouraging strength session!

TransFit's Bible Study Wednesdays at 12:00pm
We have started our study through Priscilla Shirer's book, Armor of God. Sign up on the TransFit App so we can plan accordingly. Open to the community.

Small Group Strength Sessions
Monday and Wednesday 10:30am we offer small group strength training sessions.

Who's ready for some FALL RECIPES? Try this AMAZING pumpkin bread to warm you up on a chilly day!

Ingredients
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large egg whites
1 cup pure pumpkin
1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.- Spray 8 1/2 inch by 4 1/2 inch metal loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and flour.- In a large bowl, with wire whisk, combine brown sugar and egg whites. Add pumpkin, oil, yogurt, and vanilla extract and stir to combine.- In a medium bowl, combined AP flour whole wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.- Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and stir until combined. Do not overmix!- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean.
- Cool in pan for 10 minutes and invert pumpkin bread onto wire rack to cool completely.

- Enjoy!

Shop our Stamped and Finch handmade jewelry as well as a large variety of other appeal. Brands include Lululemon, SPLITS59, and Free People.

💪 Exercise is Medicine: Get Ready for a Total Transformation!

Sweet friend,

Can you believe May is here? We have been blessed with such lovely weather this week and we are excited for summer! If you are doing our TransFIVE day challenge, we want to encourage you to finish strong! You’re more than halfway there— you can do it!

Don’t forget to turn in your April Arms calendar challenge to win a prize! You can bring it into the studio, text a photo to any of our staff, or email us a photo HERE.

This month, it’s time for a total transformation challenge! The theme for this month is: Exercise is Medicine! Regular exercise can help you control your weight, boost your energy levels, improve your mood, and even fight some diseases. Join us in the total transformation challenge starting today! 

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We are challenging you to keep track of your exercise and nutrition this month using a points system! The calendar above will be used to keep track of your points. Log your points each day and at the end of the month, the person with the most points will win a free month of sessions!

So how does this challenge work? You will keep track of your exercise, nutrition, water intake, and reflection time each day through points. You can gain up a maximum of 5 points each day. Here’s the points breakdown:

  • 1 point for 80+ ounces of water

  • 1 point for 3 servings of vegetables

  • 1 point for 2 servings of fruit

  • 1 point for 30 minutes of exercise

  • 1 point for reflection time.

 Log your points for each day on your calendar and at the end of the month, we will total all the points to see who our winners are!

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What’s Happening in May

All-Access Pass: This month, get our All-Access pass for only $175! Don’t miss out on this awesome deal— purchase sessions today on the TransFit app HERE!

Mother Daughter Run/Walk: Join TransFit and lululemon for a mother-daughter community run/walk on Saturday, May 11th at 9 am! See below for more information!

HIIT Cardio: Continue to join us for HIIT cardio classes 5:30 am and 9:30 am on Tuesdays and 9:30 on Thursdays!

lululemon: TransFit is now a strategic partner with lululemon. Come to the studio and check out our merchandise. We will be restocking with new items often, so let us know what items you want to see!

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In honor of National Prayer Day tomorrow, we wanted to send you a message from our Director of Spiritual Development and Outreach, Pam Adams!

“On the National Day of Prayer, we are encouraged to give thanks and turn to God in prayer. This year’s theme is Love One Another, taken from John 13:34 “Love one another. Just as I have loved you.” 

Please join us in prayer today thanking God for his indescribable gift of Jesus Christ and asking that TransFit be known by our love for others through our generosity and kindness to those in our community in need, which will overflow in many expressions of thanks to God (2 Corinthians 9:12). Please pray that our Fit For a Miracle 5K/Miracle Mile benefitting ESP on Saturday will be a HUGE success and the Miracle League will be a blessing to many for years to come!”

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Fit for a Miracle 5K

The 5K is this Saturday, so make sure you register! The deadline to register on active.com is tonight at midnight! Use the code in the photo above for $5 off of your registration fee. Register online HERE!

You can also download the mail-in registration form and bring it into the studio or register at the race. The registration cost is now $30! Are you interested in volunteering for the 5K? Click HERE to find out how you can help!

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We are so grateful for these amazing sponsors! Their generous donations will help ESP build the Miracle League Complex, which provides inclusive play for children and families of all abilities! We are so excited to continue raising money for this cause through 5K and Miracle Mile registrations— don’t forget to register!

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The Saturday following the 5K, we are so excited to host a FREE Mother’s Day run and workout with lululemon! This fun event is for mothers, daughters, and all women in the community. There will be a card station, refreshments, shopping, and fellowship! The event will be held on May 11, 2019 from 9:00-10:30 am.

You can register on the MindBody app HERE or Transfit app HERE!

Here’s a great yoga flow to release glutes and hips in honor of our 5K this weekend! Click the image to download it.

We want your feedback! Please help us continue to improve by taking 5 minutes to complete the survey below!

We can’t wait to live transformed with you this May!

Check out our website for blogs, inspiration, recipes, workouts, and more!

Let us know how we can serve you! Email us at transfitathens@gmail.com if you have any questions or want to schedule a one-on-one.

Blessings, 

Team TransFit

🙌 Exciting News to Come Alive in April!

Sweet friends,

It’s time to come ALIVE in April! Are you feeling stuck in your health and fitness routine? It’s a new month— time for you to revive and renew your body, mind, and spirit! Today is the day! Read all of the exciting news below to learn about how to come alive this April!

Don’t forget to turn in your March calendar this week! We want to see how you stayed ABSolutely committed last month! You can bring your calendar into the studio, email us a picture to transfitathens@gmail.com, or text a picture to our staff. When you complete a monthly challenge and turn your calendar in, we reward your hard work with a prize!

Be sure to check the schedule this week, as there are a couple of session cancellations and changes due to spring break! You can find great workouts to do while on vacation on our website HERE and on our app HERE!

April Bible Reading Plan

“I talk about God whispers and God winks often and I know He leads us through these little nudges. I know for certain that nothing happens by accident, but some days I want Him to speak audibly to me! I want and need clear direction. But then, I realize He is asking me to trust Him fully. 

A wise friend recently told me, “Caroline,
if you want to hear God speak to you, read the word of God out loud!” I don’t know why this one sentence hit me so hard. The Bible is the written word of God and truth transforms! We have to read it, say it, and live it. 

The more I read God’s word, the more I feel its power and I began to understand God’s love for me. Today, with all the dismal headlines in the news, I find hope on the pages of His word and
I find joy that sustains me in my weak moments regardless of my circumstances.

Every time I make time to open the Bible it surprises me! God’s Word is alive and active because the Holy Spirit brings it to life! The Bible is a living book with a timeless message.
The more we read it, the more God’s words fill us up and can pour out of us unto others.  We find wisdom and guidance for how to deal with our busy lives, peace for our troubled hearts, and hope for the hardest moments. 

I want to challenge you to open God’s word this month and dive in with me. 
The Gospel of Luke is one we can read over and over again and find the wisdom and comfort we need. Join me and our TransFit community this month as we push ourselves out of our comfort zones and immerse ourselves in truth. See how you are transformed by this experience!” -Caroline Ward

As Easter approaches this month, we encourage you to join the TransFit community in our April Bible Reading Plan! We will read through the book of Luke in one month and will transform our minds with His word. Download our FREE April Reading Plan ebook by clicking the button below OR get it from our website HERE!

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April Calendar Challenge

New month, new challenge and April is all about building strong arms! Complete these short arm workouts every day this month and color in each day on your calendar as you go. Share these calendars with us at the end of the month and we’ll reward your dedication!

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Fit for a Miracle 5K

If you have not registered for our Fit for a Miracle 5K yet, now is the time! Registration is $25 with a t-shirt for the 5K and $15 with a t-shirt for the Miracle Mile through April 26th, which is just a few weeks away!

The race is scheduled to take place on May 4, 2019 at 5:00 pm. We will also have a Miracle Mile (1 mile fun run) at 4:30 pm. We are SO excited about this opportunity to support ESP Miracle League, which will provide transformative experiences for individuals with disabilities to thrive through the magic of accessible play and inclusive baseball.

You can register for this event online HERE or download the mail-in registration form below. All of the proceeds from this event will be donated toward Extra Special People and help to fund the new Miracle League Complex. If you or your business would like to help sponsor this event please email us HERE!

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Prayer Walks

We have exciting news! TransFit’s Director of Spiritual Development and Outreach, Pam Adams, will be leading prayer walks this month building up to our Fit for a Miracle 5K! Starting this Wednesday, April 3rd, meet outside the TransFit studio Wednesdays at 9:30 am where Pam will lead us in prayer and meditation as we walk the Miracle Mile route twice (2 miles total).

The goal of prayer walking is to “pray onsite with insight” as we will simply be using our senses to engage mind, body, and spirit in the ministry of prayer, keeping alert for how the Lord leads us to pray for the Fit for a Miracle 5k and the community around us where we will “set our foot” (Joshua 1:3) along the routes. Our greatest prayer is that God will be glorified as we seek the be a blessing to others in the ministry of prayer and service.

Email Pam HERE if you have any questions!

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TransFit Running Group

We had such an incredible time at our Healthy Running Lunch & Learn last Thursday! TransFit Running Director, Lisa Patton, taught us so many insightful techniques and tips for running/walking efficiently! If you want to learn more, Lisa leads a running group every Monday at 8:20 am. The group will be running parts of the 5K course, so this is an incredible way to train for our upcoming Fit for a Miracle 5K, as well as any personal goals you have! Email here HERE if you have any questions!

More April Events

We will continue to have our 5:30 am HIIT cardio sessions on Tuesdays this month! Getting in a cardio workout in the morning is such an incredible way to start the day!

We will also continue our TransFit Girls sessions Wednesdays at 4:15! We love spending time with these sweet girls and helping them transform!

You can sign up for any of these sessions on our FREE app HERE!

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Contact a TransFit Staff Member

Lisa Patton: As mentioned earlier, Lisa has a running group every Monday at 8:20! She is also available to train you or provide you with a plan to accomplish your fitness goals, whatever they may be! Want to run a 5k or a marathon? Lisa can create a plan to fit your needs. To schedule a one-on-one with Lisa, contact her HERE.

Eliza Harris: Eliza is our new amazing personal trainer who is so excited to meet everyone and help them with their personal fitness goals. Email Eliza to schedule a one-on-one HERE!

Kaeti Shurling: Kaeti is our registered dietician here at TransFit! She can help you with nutrition and meal planning to meet your goals no matter where you are in your journey! Additionally, she has experience working with various dietary restrictions. Contact Kaeti to set up a one-on-one HERE.

Caroline Ward: Meet with Caroline to discuss any of your whole body health and fitness goals for the month of April. We are excited to serve you! Message Caroline HERE.

Pam Adams: Pam would love to meet with you about any of your spiritual goals or prayer requests! Email her to set up a meeting HERE.

If you would like to meet with any other TransFit Personal Trainers or staff, email us HERE!

We can’t wait to see you COME ALIVE in the studio this month!

Check out our website for more blogs, inspiration, recipes, workouts, and more!

Let us know how we can serve you! Email us at transfitathens@gmail.com if you have any questions or want to schedule a one-on-one.

Blessings, 

Team TransFit

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🔥 The New HIIT Workout Will Transform Your Metabolism!

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Sweet friends, 

We hope February is off you a great start for you! We have some exciting things going on in the studio this week for Valentine’s Day, so make sure you’re following us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date!

We wanted to share the importance of High-Intensity Interval Training and how HIIT can help you reach your goals and transform your body, mind, and spirit! Each of our TransFormer sessions in the studio this month will have multiple High-Intensity Intervals throughout the strength workout and we have dedicated sessions for HIIT Cardio workouts every Tuesday and Thursday at 9:30!  

High-intensity interval training, or HIIT for short, was named one of the top fitness trends in the world for 2019, based on an annual survey by the American College of Sports Medicine. HIIT is comprised of short, hard bouts of cardio exercise—anywhere from 10 seconds to 3 minutes in length—broken up by brief recovery periods.

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How hard is hard? That depends on the interval length and your body, but the key is to go as hard as you can for the duration of the effort. So, you’re working in your VO2 max zone, or about 90-95% of your max heart rate (or a 9 on a scale of 1 to 10) for the duration of the high interval.

Then you recover - your bring your heart rate down.
How much recovery you take between intervals depends on your goals. Short intervals are usually paired with equally short or even shorter recovery periods so your body can adapt to repeated maximal efforts. And because your heart rate stays elevated during the recovery periods, your aerobic energy system gets a training benefit, as well.

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New studies on the benefits of HIIT make the news regularly. Take, for example, this one from the November 2018 issue of American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. Researchers found that just two minutes of sprint interval training (in this case, four 30-second max-effort sprints followed by four and a half minutes of recovery for a total of 20 minutes) improved mitochondrial function—when your cells can change fuel to energy quickly—just as well as 30 minutes of moderate exercise in a group of active men and women. In other words, going ALL out for two minutes of really hard INTERVAL training can give you the same fitness benefits as a 30 minute steady, moderate pace workout.

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No surprise, HIIT training is outstanding for your cardiovascular system. Research shows, depending on how fit you are when you begin, HIIT can boost your VO2 max (how much oxygen you can use) up to 46 percent in 24 weeks. It can also increase your stroke volume (how much blood your heart pumps out per beat) by 10 percent after eight weeks of training and significantly lower your resting heart rate. ♥️

It also makes your body a furnace of a fat burner. 🔥HIIT fires up production of your body’s growth hormones that help you maintain muscle and burn fat for hours after you’re done, and it lowers insulin resistance for better blood sugar control.

And it does more than benefit your body! HIIT is amazing for your mind. Research shows that high-intensity workouts improve cognitive function and increase levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) more than an easier exercise. BDNF is essential for learning, memory, and mood regulation, and your brain uses it to repair and maintain brain cells.

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3 Ways HIIT Can Help You Live Transformed:

  1. Lose abdominal fat: In a study of sedentary women, 20 minutes of HIIT were compared with 40 minutes of steady-state exercise, and the HIIT subjects were the only ones who lost fat— primarily excess abdominal fat!

2. Protect your heart: A study of nearly 5000 people with heart disease showed that HIIT did more to protect them from future heart problems than moderate workouts.

3. Recharge your cells and boost your hormones: HIIT is proven to make more proteins for your energy-producing mitochondria, which helps slow down aging and boost youth hormones!

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Check out our NEW Transformer HIIT workout! The photos throughout post demonstrate different high and low intensity exercises on the workout below!

Try this Transformer HIIT workout to revive your metabolism and live heart healthy this February! No matter your age or activity level, YOU can do some form of a HIIT workout — your body is a temple! You can still get the benefits of HIIT just by adjusting whatever exercises you do!

View all of your exercise as a form of worship and get moving today!

Click the button below to see us a video of us doing this workout on our YOUTUBE!

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Don’t forget to sign up for this month’s lunch and learn! It is on February 22nd from 12-1 pm and we’ll be doing a self defense class taught by Borders! Spots in this event are limited so sign up on our app HERE before they run out! Cost is $15 to cover lunch from The Pine.

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We hope you will join us in the studio for any of our sessions to transform. Let us know how we can serve you! Email us at transfitathens@gmail.com if you have any questions!

Blessings, 

Team TransFit