How to Burn MORE Fat in LESS Time – The Secret to HIIT

by FitBuff Brandon on July 10, 2007 · 37 comments

in Exercise, Fat Loss, Workout Programs

"More for less" statements are usually followed by 30 minute infomercials that guarantee you phenomenal results with little work or "no money down". Well, there really is a way to burn more fat in less time, but the key is in defining the more and less variables.

Most people approach fat-burning and cardio workouts the same way. They hop on a treadmill, exercise bike, elliptical machine, or stepper and simply go through the motions for an hour or more. They think, "Look at me! I'm exercising for so long, and I'm sweating so much! I must be burning so much fat!"

Meanwhile, the guy on the next exercise bike has just finished his 15-20 minute cardio session, and he burned more than twice the amount of fat, AND his body will continue to do so for the rest of the day! How did he do it?

What is HIIT?

HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. Now, this is where the "more for less" concept comes in, but don't be fooled, you will be making up for that lost time with much higher–you guessed it–intensity!

The question is do you have what it takes to go all out for a short amount of time, rather than mindlessly wander through your current ineffective cardio routine? Consider this:

In an Australian study, people who cranked out 20 minutes of High Intensity Interval Training 3 days a week dropped 10 percent of their body fat, while those who exercised longer but at a lower intensity didn't lose any!

How Do I Do It?

There are many different variations of HIIT, and you can apply them to nearly all of the common methods of cardio training. Let's say you normally go to the gym and ride an exercise bike for an hour at a steady pace. To incorporate HIIT into your workout, here are your options:

  1. 6/9: This is the method used in the Australian study referenced above, and this is what I personally recommend. The numbers stand for seconds, and in this case, "6/9" means you would sprint all out for 6 seconds, then slow to about 50-60% for 9 seconds. Of course, you would continue repeating this cycle for as long as you can (you didn't think you'd be done in 15 seconds did you?!).

    For example, hop on the exercise bike and warm up for 2-3 minutes at about 40-50% of your maximum effort. Once you hit the end of your warmup session, BAM!, launch into a full out sprint for 6 seconds. Then, slow to about 50-60% for 9 seconds, and BAM!, full out sprint for another 6 seconds. So, each full 6/9 interval lasts 15 seconds, or 4 intervals per minute. Keep repeating this cycle for as long as you can, but be sure that you are going as hard as possible for each 6 second sprint interval. It's OK if you can only last a few minutes the first few times. Your endurance will build up, as your waist shrinks down!

    As a point of reference, John, our resident Workout Logger, warms up for 3 minutes, goes at 150 RPM (rotations per minute) for 6 seconds and 90 RPM for 9 seconds (repeating this cycle for 10-15 minutes), followed by a 3 minute cooldown for a total workout time of only 15-20 minutes.

  2. 30/30: The "half and half" method was one of the first accepted ways of doing HIIT. Since then, we've learned that shorter bursts produce greater results. Reason being, you can't really go absolutely all out for a full 30 seconds. Some practice even higher intervals of 60/60 or more. If you can last for that long, then you aren't really giving your maximum effort the entire time.

    That's why short 6 second bursts are better, because you only have to sustain that maximum intensity for a short time. However, longer intervals such as 30/30 and even 30/60 can be useful for beginners. You may want to start here if you're not used to very high intensity in your current cardio training, then you can work your way up to the more efficient 6/9 or 8/12 intervals.

Why Does It Work?

When you are giving your all out maximum effort, your body produces more of a chemical called catecholamine. Can you guess what catecholamine does? That's right: it triggers your body to start burning fat. Even better, the higher your intensity and the more catecholamine your body produces, the longer the fat-burning process will last. This means you will be reaping the benefits of your HIIT session for up to 36 hours after you're done!

Now, get out there, and get on the HIIT wagon! Remember, the first two letters are the most important. HIGH INTENSITY!

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{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Steven December 17, 2007 at 12:30 pm

I've been trying this HIIT stuff for about a month now and I must say it really does work. It's intense that's for sure (read: very hard) but I've lost more fat with this technique than any other I've tried and I have been eating a lot healthier too which I'm sure helps.

2 HIITsource.com January 31, 2008 at 9:59 pm

I don't necessarily agree that short burst produce greater results, I think mixing it up and adding variety to interval lengths is the key to quick results.

One HIIT sessions I will do 10/15 others I will do 20/20. For beginners I recommend 20/40.

3 Junior May 27, 2008 at 10:30 pm

thanks mayne i tired this for four weeks and lost 1 stone damn this works thanks, you guys are fucking legends

4 Steve June 9, 2008 at 3:55 pm

Hi Brandon,

HIIT is definitely my preferred method of cardio training. My approach is different in that the bursts are longer and as you build up your stamina the rest periods become shorter.

Steve

5 FitBuff Brandon July 14, 2008 at 6:57 pm

@Steven: Congrats, and yes, HIIT plus healthier eating is a lethal one-two combo to fat.

@HIITsource: Agreed, just like with resistance training, switching up your HIIT workouts can be great for avoiding plateaus and continuing progress.

@Junior: Thanks, and excellent work on the speedy results, keep it up!

@Steve: There are several ways to change it up and continuing to challenge yourself. Another one I've used is adjusting the resistance (on an exercise bike for example), as opposed to changing the RPM or rest periods.

Keep experimenting, because just about any HIIT is good HIIT.

6 Courtney July 17, 2008 at 10:29 pm

"he burned more than twice the amount of fat, AND his body will continue to do so for the rest of the day!"

I am a night person – I am very slow to wake up and don't really get fully awake for several hours. I have the most energy between 9 and 10 pm at night. Is it still effective to do HIIT at night? Will I still burn fat in my sleep, or do I have to force myself to do a lower-energy workout in the morning so that I reap the rewards during the day?

7 FitBuff Brandon July 18, 2008 at 9:39 am

@Courtney: Any HIIT at any time is better than no HIIT. The only drawback to doing HIIT, or any other workout, so late is that it may be harder to fall (and stay) asleep while your body is all amped up.

Some people don't have much choice due to their daily schedule and get by fine with working out at night, but it's something to consider if you start to notice your sleep quality decreasing.

8 timl April 27, 2009 at 8:14 am

Hi,

The beginning of this piece mentions you can lose 10% of your body weight by doing HIIT 3 times a week. How long are the sessions and how many weeks before you lose the weight?

9 Matt April 30, 2009 at 3:01 am

This method sounds great. I question though because when going into that high of an intensity isn't your body triggered to start producing lactic acid and using carbohydrates for energy instead of fat?

Overall, because its a high intensity and high heart rate workout would we still be burning fat or more training our lactate threshold?

10 FitBuff Brandon April 30, 2009 at 8:31 am

Hey Matt,

The key is that the high intensity intervals are only done in short bursts, so your body has time to recover before ramping it up again, allowing you to squeeze more high intensity into a much smaller amount of time.

11 Miss Bobbie July 9, 2009 at 4:25 pm

Ok Im going to try this. I have been battling weight problem for about 8 years. Oh yeah I quit smoking and had a baby. Went from 125 to 198 currently I am 20 lbs of my goal weight, getting married in 2.5 months. Tonight I am going to start and this HIIT and crossing fingers, praying to God, this works.
Will post back with future results- need some good vibes my way :)

12 FitBuff Brandon July 10, 2009 at 6:42 am

Congrats on the baby and quitting smoking Miss Bobbie! That's awesome, and congrats in advance for all the weight you're going to lose in the next 2 months!

13 Bobbie July 10, 2009 at 10:08 am

thank you Brandon

I did as I said I would, I tried this out- I got on my treadmill usually I only go the speed of 3 or 3.5 (Im slow here) I did the sprint at 5 for 9 seconds and brought down to 2.5 then up to 5
for another 9 seconds.
Yes my heart was beating hard I thought this was all wrong but being a newbie here I suppose that is how it should be.
Hoping to get back that pre baby shape
thanks

14 FitBuff Brandon July 11, 2009 at 9:33 am

Great job, Bobbie! Yes, it's definitely tough at first, so you should only start with a few minutes, then slowly work your way up as your fitness improves. Just don't try and overdo it all at once, you'll get there!

15 Nat August 11, 2009 at 11:19 am

This sounds like a really good method, and based on some of the comments, it really does seem to work. but i have one question. are these excercises for a bike only or can they be done other ways, like running?

please and thank you.

16 FitBuff Brandon August 13, 2009 at 6:40 pm

Hey Nat,

An exercise bike is only one option, but the same general method can be applied to any form of exercise: treadmill, running, elliptical, circuit training, and on and on…

17 Sarah September 10, 2009 at 9:01 am

I've had a baby seven months ago…lost a lot of the weight but got about 8lbs to go which don't seem to be budging. I only get about 15-20mins a day to exercise so I got to make it effective! I tried HIIT today…couldnt do 6/9! Wat I managed on my treadmill was 10secs of hgh intensity followed by 50secs of sprint. Is that any good?

18 AR February 6, 2010 at 1:58 am

What's the link to the Australian study you mentioned in this article?

Thanks

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