If you are tired of long workouts that deliver very little results, and if time is your limiting factor to weight loss, then the type of exercise you choose is very important.
This is why high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts are the best workouts, not only for losing weight fast, but they also target stubborn belly fat. While these workouts provide excellent benefits and burn calories, they are not the most efficient way to spend your time working out if you lack time, and sustainable results are your goal.
If time is keeping you from reaching your weight loss goals, then understanding the benefits of HIIT will change your relationship with exercise forever!
Does HIIT burn belly fat?
Most people think the best way to burn belly fat is by doing more ab exercises, crunches, or planks, but this doesn’t keep the belly fat at bay! While training your core is very important for overall stability and injury prevention, you can do all the ab exercises in the world, but if you don’t have an overall reduction in body fat, you will never see those six-packs abs! Burning body fat comes down to reducing calories consumed and increasing calories burned, that’s why HIIT is an excellent training method to burn overall body fat, including belly fat.
How to do interval training?
The most simple way to explain HIIT training is alternating back and forth between “easy” to “hard”. You can do this with many different exercises, such as cardio, weight training, and strength training. You can also stick to intervals with just one exercise like running or spinning.
Warming up your body for 5-10 minutes prior to any exercises is important to help get the body primed for movement and prevent injury as it mobilizes joints, and gets the blood flowing. Stretching is an effective pre-workout warm-up.
Start with this simple warmup before your HIIT workouts:
Repeat each movement for 30 seconds with no rest in between and continue for five minutes.
- Jumping Jacks
- Inchworms
- Butt Kicks
- Mountain Climbers
- Glute Bridges
The Benefits of HIIT
Lose fat, not muscle!
Most traditional cardio sessions are known for actually decreasing muscle mass, which is not good for weight loss. HIIT training burns more calories than lower intensity workouts.
Burn More Calories All Day
Every workout burns calories. However, because of the higher intensity of HIIT workouts, your body continues to burn more calories after your workout is over. Just 10 minutes of HIIT training can burn as many calories as a 30-minute, slower-paced session on a treadmill. If you are short on time, the key is to upping your workout intensity to make your body burn more calories when you are not actually exercising!
Time Efficient
Most of us dread long boring workouts that deliver very little results. And if we don’t see results quickly enough, then the chances of staying consistent with a workout routine are very unlikely!
Reduce Boredom and Overwhelm
When exercise feels time-consuming and boring, the chances of sticking with it long enough to see results are slim. Higher intensity workouts can be more enjoyable, boost mood and reduce perceived exertion better than moderate-intensity, continuous exercise sessions. HIIT workouts offer a sense of accomplishment after every HIIT interval which improves how we perceive the workout. It also provides a recovery period to look forward to as you push through each high-intensity interval.
No Equipment, No Excuses!
One of the best parts about HIIT training is that you don’t need equipment to get a great workout in. This means you can be spontaneous and squeeze in a quick, calorie-burning sweat session anytime, anywhere with little to no equipment.
If you are ready to get your training started but you don’t have a gym membership, check out our blog How To Create A Training Plan At Home For Beginners to start your fitness journey the right way.