High Intensity Interval Workout Burns More Fat, and in Less Time

High Intensity Interval Workout Burns More Fat, and in Less Time
It's important to combine diet, strength training, and cardio exercise to achieve your weight loss goal.
But the secret to how to achieve your goal faster or breakthrough a plateau is high intensity interval
training that accelerates fat burning even after your workout is completed.
What is HIIT?
HIIT stands for high intensity interval training. The basic premise behind HIIT is that you work really hard
for a short burst (sprint or climb) and then do an active recovery period (jog or walk). You can apply this
to other forms of cardio exercise (eg. Biking, swimming, cardio machines). You would repeat this routine
numerous times for optimal benefit.
Benefits of HIIT
A HIIT workout offers many benefits. HIIT really ramps up fat burning. The intense intervals allow for the
release of fat from fat cells into the bloodstream. Additionally, HIIT results in increased Human Growth
Hormone levels (HGH). HGH is a hormone that burns fat while preserving muscle. Finally, and most
importantly, HIIT results in an after-burn effect - raises your resting metabolic rate - where you burn
calories for hours after you complete your workout.
Drawbacks of HIIT
The main drawback is that you should not perform HIIT everyday - every other day is ideal. Overtraining
is a serious problem that can lead to injury, especially if you also perform strength training for your legs.
If your muscles are tired then they need to recover and you are probably better served doing a slow
paced steady state cardio routine on that particular day. Also don't forget core training for your
midsection and strength training for your upper body.
Sprint Interval Length
There are a few components of HIIT that you can vary. The first is the length of the sprint intervals.
Shorter intervals of 15-30 seconds allow you to exert more effort during the sprints. This increased level
of effort will result in a stronger release of HGH and more fat into the bloodstream. As your conditioning
improves you need to push yourself to a higher level of intensity in the future.