中国大学MOOC: Task: Read the article about a kind of fitness training called HIIT. Then choose the best explanations for some of the words and expressions. HIIT: Is the fitness scenes biggest fad doing more harm than good?1. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has been the darling of the fitness scene for a few years now. Fundamentally, itinvolves repetitions of short bursts of intense, maximal effort exercise; usually for anywhere between 20 to 40 seconds.2. The theory behind HIIT is very appealing. By working out at your top level of exertion, you burn more calories in a short space of time than other workouts. Whats more, studies show that your metabolism stays in a heightened state for up to 24 hours after youve finished. And in practice, HIIT can have impressive results. Its an effective tool for increasing cardiovascular fitness, sculpting your physique and increasing metabolic rate. Hence why HIIT classes are popping up all over the place. People have become accustomed to turning up to a class with loud music and dark lighting,just like a night club – and leaving in the same state: barely able to walk.3. However ... I have a big bone to pick with HIIT, which is that theres often no focus on form or technique in these classes, even though its nowprescribed as the go-to form of exercise for everyone. Instead, the measure of a good HIIT sessions seems to be how destroyed you feel after a class. Its inevitable that problems arise from this all pain for gain approach.4. One issue is simply that people are doing workouts that theyre not conditioned for.There is no emphasis on flexibility, mobility or activation in manyHIIT classes; yet all are incredibly important in keeping the body fit and healthy as you age.5. Whats more, I regularly see people “smashing” multiple HIIT classes a day, 5-6 days per week. HIIT should not be done more than three times per week (at most), because it is so strenuous. It puts an incredible strain on your nervous system, joints and muscles; especially if you are overweight and unfit.6. The HIIT approach to exercise has gone OTT. Its enteringunsustainable territory.7. HIIT’s rise in popularity is symptomatic of what is wrong with the fitness industry as a whole: a brazen disregard of the fundamentals, and a detrimental “one size fits all” mentality. Having trained 100s of clients in my fiveyears as a personal trainer, the biggest issues most people have are a lack of flexibility, mobility and core strength, on top of muscle activation issues. All of the above can lead to chronic injuries and are further exacerbated by HIIT.8. My belief is that everyone should try to train like athletes do. I don’t mean the same training frequency and intensity as athletes, I mean the mentality and the approach. Having trained as a competitive sprinter for fouryears, I learned to take every aspect of my life into account: sleep, rest days, nutrition and weaknesses. I learnt to listen to my body. Some days I would wake up feeling tired and fatigued, so on those days I wouldn’t train hard.I would do something less intense and focus on recovery.9. Remember: burning calories isnt the be all and end all of fitness and good health. Yes, HIIT may burn more calories than any other form of exercise, but its no use if it leads to injury or illness.Overtraining is a real danger:it can ruin your immune system, cause insomnia, affect your appetite and release cortisol, which in turn can make you more likely to put on fat. ********************************************What does the word “fad” in the title probably mean?
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- 中国大学MOOC: What does the author mean by saying “I have a big bone to pick with HIIT” in Par.3?
- Carol: (taking a bite of some cake) This is delicious! Do you bake all of your own cakes Martha: Yes, () at the weekend. I like having sweets in the house. A: I usually bake something B: So am I C: I can play tennis D: I’d like a table for one E: How do you want your eggs F: you been doing these past few weeks G: At your service H: How may I help you
- 1 Let me tell you a bit about myself. I’m 35 years old, male, single, never been married. I work as an editor at a publishing company. Some of you may think that I’m a loser: an unmarried adult with not much money. But I honestly don’t care about things like that any more. The reason is very simple: I’m perfectly happy just as I am.2 The reason? I got rid of most of my material possessions.3 Minimalism is a lifestyle in which you reduce your possessions to the least possible. Living with only the bare essentials has not only provided superficial benefits such as the pleasure of a tidy room or the simple ease of cleaning, but it has also led to a more fundamental shift. It has given me a chance to think about what it really means to be happy.4 So I said goodbye to a lot of things, many of which I’d had for years. And yet now I live each day with a happier spirit. I feel more content now than I ever did in the past.5 I wasn’t always a minimalist. I used to buy a lot of things, believing that all those possessions would increase my self-worth and lead to a happier life. At the same time, though, I was always comparing myself with other people who had more or better things, which often made me miserable. I couldn’t focus on anything, and I was always wasting time.6 On a usual day, there were books stacked everywhere in my apartment because there wasn’t enough room on my bookshelves. Most I had thumbed through once or twice, thinking that I would read them when I had time.7 The closet was crammed with what used to be my favorite clothes, most of which I’d only worn a few times. The room was filled with all the things I’d taken up as hobbies and then gotten tired of. There were some conversational English workbooks I’d planned to study once I had more free time.8 But by having fewer things around, I’ve started feeling happier each day. I’m slowly beginning to understand what happiness is.9 After what I’ve been through, I think saying goodbye to your things is more than an exercise in tidying up. I think it’s an exercise in learning about true happiness.10 Maybe that sounds grandiose. But I seriously think it’s true.
- Naomi: And you wouldn’t skip a day of work, either. Treat your studies in the same way, and your grades will (1) ___________. Hector: That’s a great (2) __________, thanks. Naomi: Well, now you know what you have to do. So go do it! If you get (3) __________, you’ll feel more productive. Trust me. Hector: I’ll give it a try. What have I got to (4) __________, right? Naomi: Good luck. Tell me how it’s (5) __________ later on. Hector: I (6) __________. Talk to you later. Hector: Hey, Naomi. What’s up? Naomi: Oh, I forgot to (7) __________ one really important point. Hector: Really? What’s that? Naomi: Don’t forget to make time for your friends, too!
- If you want to reduce your fat in a specific part, you ______. A: should exercise all the muscles of your body B: should exercise that specific part of your body C: should do stomach exercises D: can do any kind of exercise