The High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) technique has been around for over 10 years but has only caught on in certain circles of fitness pros that have given it a shot. HIIT is a technique that will drop your time in the gym significantly while still giving the benefits of a great workout and fat loss. If you aren’t familiar with what HIIT an example would be performing your exercise such as a stationary bike for 10 seconds at your maximum pace followed by 50 seconds at your normal pace. This cycle is repeated anywhere from 15-22 minutes depending on the setup.
Experts may argue and state that you need to spend at least 20 minutes just to get into “fat burning mode”. The problem with “experts” is that they might not be “experts” anymore while fitness science is advancing rapidly and many of them don’t stay up to date with what’s new. I put HIIT to the test a few years ago and found that it was superior for my workout needs and fitness program. I was able to do 2-3 twenty minute workouts per week along with my typically weight training and I lost fat at the same pace as doing 4-5 30-40 minute cardio sessions per week. HIIT isn’t for everyone as you should be in decent condition before attempting a HIIT workout. Someone that is moderately obese or a beginner in training will probably have a hard time with this type of session until they have got themselves into good cardio condition which then makes longer duration steady state cardio a better choice.
And why does it work? How do short intense fitness workouts end up burning as many calories as longer lasting lower intensity fitness exercise? During a HIIT workout you will be tapping into the anaerobic (without oxygen) energy systems. This means your body will be burning glycogen stores rather than fat tissue for energy. So why would you want to do HIIT? It’s the after burn you are looking for or in technical terms, it’s called “EPOC” – Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption. This means that your body will be using more oxygen for several hours after your workout. This equates to a much higher metabolism and is where the majority of the fat is burned.
There are many possibilities to choose from when performing a HIIT workout. Here are a few examples. I would suggest an overall time frame of 15-22 minutes depending on your level of conditioning. I also suggest at least a 5 minute warm-up prior to going right into these workouts. You’ll want your blood flowing and your body warmed up prior to going all out on these exercises.
Stationary Bike
Ride 10 seconds maximum pace – 50 seconds moderate pace
Turn up the resistance on the bike for 10 seconds to increase the difficulty
Elliptical Machine
15 seconds maximum pace – 60 seconds moderate pace
Sprints or treadmill
10 second sprint – 90 second moderate walking pace
Jump Rope
15 seconds jumping rope – 45 seconds moderate walking pace
The variations of time sprinting vs. time at a moderate pace can vary. It is suggested to switch these intervals up to keep the body guessing and to keep your workouts interesting.
These fitness workouts can be performed two to three times per week in place of steady state cardio exercises. If you are seeking fat loss it is sometimes a good plan to use both HIIT and steady state cardio fitness programs if you wish to perform several fat burning workouts per week. On my days that I train with weights I’ll usually add a 20 minute steady state cardio session after my workout. After training with weights your body will have decreased blood sugar and glycogen stores so once you start your cardio you will typically go right into fat burning. On my days that I don’t train with weights I like to do a 20 minute HIIT fitness workout.
The flexibility of HIIT allows me to do a sprinting, biking, or jump rope workout outside without having to go to the gym. If the weather is nasty and an outdoor fitness workout isn’t in the cards I go to the gym for a half hour and I am done quickly. It doesn’t require a huge time commitment to lose fat once you have implemented HIIT fitness workouts. Your fat burning will be incredibly supercharged if you add in a solid eating and nutrition plan.
If you’re looking to drop body fat or maintain a healthy weight but you don’t have hours to spend in the gym you should consider adding HIIT to your fitness solution.
