How to Burn MORE Fat in LESS Time - The Secret to HIIT
"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:
- 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.
- 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!
If you enjoyed this post, leave a comment or subscribe to the feed for more great tips and advice.
Other Posts You'll Find Useful:
Comments
[...] body is still benefiting right now. I mentioned this phenomenon briefly in last week's "How to Burn More Fat in Less Time - The Secret to HIIT" article, but it deserves a deeper [...]
[...] presents How to Burn MORE Fat in LESS Time - The Secret to HIIT posted at FitBuff.com's Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog, saying, ""More for [...]
[...] High Intensity Interval Training has more benefits than just burning fat. So, whether you have asthma or not, click here for more [...]
[...] burning away that ugly, dangerous belly fat with one of the best and fastest techniques there is: HIIT. 1 Views Discuss this post on the FitBuff.com forums. Did you find this article or site helpful? [...]
[...] muscle is more dense than fat. Therefore, even if you achieve the amazing and difficult task of building muscle while burning fat, your overall weight may increase. Then, when you see a bigger number on the scale, you think your [...]
[...] halftime, perform a 15 minute HIIT session, and you can feel a lot better about those second-half calories you're [...]
[...] too bad though for one week, and as I said yesterday on the daily workout logs, I'm upping my HIIT sessions from 2 per week to 3 per week. At my current rate, that will put me at cycling over 20 miles per [...]
[...] week, I had gained 5 pounds from all the Labor Day cookouts and meals, which motivated me to up my HIIT sessions from 2 to 3 per [...]
[...] you should be giving your body a fighting chance against any disease through a healthy diet and exercise. Those who are unsure if they have metal poisoning can check online for health info including [...]
[...] completed your first track workout!! As it becomes easier, gradually increase the distance that you sprint. Take note of how many sets you are doing so that you can track your improvement and monitor your [...]
[...] FlashBack How to Burn More Fat in Less Time: The Secret to HIIT If one of the largest Cancer Research groups in the US puts such an emphasis on losing weight to [...]
[...] of aerobic exercise is overly taxing to the heart and can lead to the catabolization of muscle (HIIT, [...]
[...] FlashBack How to Burn MORE Fat in LESS Time: The Secret to HIIT Want to get fit, boost your metabolism, and overall health? Then you need to learn about HIIT right [...]
[...] But, what I failed to realize for 15 years is that a bodybuilding split routine was not right for me; a guy who simply wanted to get into great shape, not compete on stage in a flex-off. Then, as of last year, I finally listened to advice that I had been giving to so many others that I had worked out with and/or trained, and that was to try a circuit training routine. [...]
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.
HIIT is the only cardio I've done for the past several months because it works better than anything I've ever tried. I usually stick to larger intervals like 30 or 60 seconds but I'll have to give these shorter ones a go and see if it further improves my results.
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.
thanks mayne i tired this for four weeks and lost 1 stone damn this works thanks, you guys are fucking legends
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
"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?
[...] sometimes you don't have much choice. Sure, I've could have just hit (or HIIT) the exercise bike, but nothing beats true HIIT [...]
Carnival of Dieting Tips
Welcome to the July 13, 2007 edition of a very public diet!. Here are some more posts and tips to help us our dream of a slimline figure. Conan Stevens presents Reduced Fat Formula Tuna In Vegetable Oil posted at