HILIT Training: High-intensity, effective, and joint-friendly

A workout doesn't have to lead to exhaustion or strain the joints to be effective. High Intensity Low Impact Training, or HILIT for short, is the best proof: It targets specific muscle stimuli, promotes strength and endurance, and takes the entire body into consideration.

At the Berlin boutique fitness studio Framework Lisanne Hellberg, a physiotherapist and co-founder, and her team offer exactly this form of training on the so-called Lagree. In the interview, she explains why HILIT is more than just a fitness hype and how you can train intensively without overstraining the body.

For those who still don’t know what to make of it: What exactly is Lagree?

Lagree is a high-intensity but joint-friendly strength and endurance workout on what's known as a Megaformer, a type of machine on which different exercises are performed. We always say: It might be the most effective way to experience strength training in a class format without having to enter a gym.

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Together with your sister, you opened Framework in June 2022, after two years of preparation, where you offer Lagree classes, personal training, and physiotherapy. Where did the idea come from?

We both fell in love with the Lagree method and saw great potential in it, especially since there wasn’t a single Lagree studio in Berlin at that time. I am a physiotherapist specializing in biomechanics and active therapy, and my sister Kika is a psychologist with strategic experience. Coming from such different fields has proven to be our greatest strength. We complement each other perfectly.

© Framework

Lisanne Hellberg, physiotherapist and co-founder of Framework

Lagree workouts are also a form of High Intensity Low Impact Training. What exactly is behind it?

HILIT describes workouts that are physically intense, meaning they put a lot of strain on the cardiovascular system or muscles, but keep the load on joints, bones, and tendons low. This is achieved by avoiding jumps, plyometrics, such as burpees, and other high-stress movement patterns.

Many immediately think of endurance training when it comes to intensity. What exactly does intensity mean in the context of HILIT?

Intensity is more than just pulse. In cardiovascular training, it refers to specific pulse zones, in strength training, it's about mechanical tension. Thus, how strongly the muscle is loaded to achieve growth. A workout is only truly "high intensity" if either the heart rate increases significantly or the muscles are brought close to their load limit with sufficient weight and time under tension. HILIT can achieve both. Depending on how you want to train. That makes it so versatile.

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Currently, HIIT, High Intensity Interval Training, is an absolute hit because it delivers visible results in a short time. Similar name, but it involves a completely different training method and the sessions put a huge strain on the body. Can HILIT be a real alternative that is similarly effective but more body-friendly?

Absolutely! Unlike traditional HIIT, which often includes high-stress movements like jumping or sprinting, HILIT offers similar benefits for the cardiovascular system and metabolism, but with significantly less stress on the joints. This is precisely the great advantage of HILIT: similar results, but without overloading the musculoskeletal system.

Moreover, it is not crucial whether a movement is "high" or "low impact", but how much the body is challenged overall. If you reach the right pulse zones or build mechanical tension through targeted muscle training, you can effectively improve cardiovascular performance, metabolism, and muscle strength with both methods.

How often should you train to see visible physical changes?

Anyone looking to specifically improve muscle growth and body structure should aim to train each major muscle group at least twice a week, according to studies. In addition to strength training, one should also keep heart health in mind: official recommendations suggest at least 150 minutes of moderate (low-impact) or 75 minutes of intense endurance training per week.

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