What is HIIT?
HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. It’s a form of cardiovascular exercise that involves alternating short, sharp bursts of intense effort with periods of recovery. Incorporating HIIT workouts into your fitness routine is a great way to lose weight, build strength and increase endurance.
When done properly, HIIT training pushes your body well out of its comfort zone. The idea is to work at about 80% to 95% of your maximum heart rate (roughly 9 out of 10 in terms of effort).
What makes HIIT training so effective?
HIIT burns a lot of calories quickly
Due to their high intensity, HIIT workouts usually burn more calories than steady-state cardio (say, for instance, a moderately intense run or cross-trainer session). It’s estimated that a 30-minute HIIT session can burn as many as 450 calories.
HIIT helps you burn calories after your workout
Another benefit of HIIT is that it lets your body stay in fat-burning mode long after your workout has finished. This is sometimes known as the ‘afterburn effect’ or ‘excess post-exercise oxygen consumption’. In simple terms, your body uses energy to restore itself to the pre-workout state, which burns calories.
HIIT helps you lose fat
When trying to lose weight, you want to make sure you’re losing fat rather than muscle in order to build a strong, lean physique. HIIT workouts are one of the most efficient ways to burn fat , due to their high intensity.
What are the other benefits of HIIT?
HIIT can help you gain muscle
While resistance training and weight lifting are the most effective ways to build muscle, studies have shown that hiit workouts can also help you gain muscle - especially if you’re new to exercise. Certain types of exercise are better for building muscle than others. If you want to gain muscle in your lower-body, for instance, choose a workout that includes things like mountain climbers and jump squats.
HIIT can reduce your heart rate and blood pressure
Perhaps one of the most important benefits of HIIT workouts is the fact they can improve your cardiovascular health. This is because HIIT pushes your body into the anaerobic zone, which helps to strengthen your heart.
HIIT can reduce blood sugar
Studies have shown that HIIT workouts are more effective for reducing blood sugar and improving insulin resistance than more traditional steady-state exercise. This means HIIT can be a good choice of exercise for people with type 2 diabetes.
6-week HIIT workout plan for weight loss
How it works
This program is designed to allow you to exercise at high intensities for short bursts and then recover. This causes sustained metabolic responses and increased fitness adaptations. So for a short duration workout you are getting a great fitness and weight-loss response.
What to expect
Each high intensity workout goes for 15-25 minutes and can be done outdoors or on any piece of cardio based gym equipment. The duration and intensity of each workout gradually increase throughout the program allowing you to progress your fitness and weight loss results in a shorter amount of time. To round out this program we have included some resistance training and stretching days to ensure that it’s a comprehensive fitness plan.
Intensity: Intermediate
Duration: 6 weeks
Average Workout Length: 15-25 minutes
