Perhaps when it comes to fat burning you have seen these four letters written on a sign in the gym and have never known what it refers to.
It is almost impossible to imagine what this training means unless you have tried it in the past.
The HIIT method comes from the acronym in English High-Intensity Interval Training.
It is an ideal exercise to burn fat quickly, so it will be a perfect practice for all those looking to lose a few extra kilos.
Are you interested? Here is how to do it
HIIT routine helps excess fat burning
You will surely know other fitness routines such as the Weider or the Fullbody, which train different body parts with greater or lesser intensity.
But if you want to burn fat in a short time and drop the love handles that magically appear, HIIT training is the one for you.
The HIIT training plan consists of a series of high-intensity exercises combined with short periods of recovery.
Although it seems very hard to follow at first, keep in mind that the whole routine will last around half an hour at most.
Shall we start?
Lunges: Stand with your legs slightly apart and step forward.
The leg you move should be bent at the knee while your thigh remains parallel to the ground, and the other leg should be lowered toward the floor while keeping your back straight. Repeat quickly for 30 seconds.
Squats: This is a great exercise and can be done with or without weight, depending on your activity level. If you are a beginner, stand with your knees semi-bent with your back straight and lower your body as much as possible.
Repeat quickly for 30 seconds.
Burpees: This cardiovascular exercise is one of the most complete. First, stand up from this position, squat down, support your hands, and get into a plank position. Here, do a little push-up and then jump your legs forward and then up (30 ’’).
You can watch this video to know how they are done correctly: Video how to do a burpee:
Push-ups: Get in a plank position parallel to the ground and start doing push-ups with your elbows to work your back.
It’s 30 seconds, so push yourself to the max and do as many push-ups as possible. (30 ’’)
Mountain Climber: There is little left! Get back into plank mode and bring one of your knees up to your elbow. Return to the original position. Now repeat the movement with the other leg. Repeat these movements at the highest possible speed for 30 seconds. (30 ’’)
Biceps: Finally, we are going to work the biceps. You can do it with weights or without weights if you are still in the initial phase.
Slightly bend your knees and bring your back forward but with your lower trunk back, grab the weight at a midpoint and move it up and down, bending only your elbows.
Keep your back straight, so you don’t load your lower back. (30 ’’)
Once this round is completed, remember that you must repeat it several times until you reach half an hour of training.
What is HIIT training for?
The most important thing when doing HIIT exercises is that you do them very quickly.
In this way, you will burn the maximum number of calories possible, and the results will be evident in a short time.
The HIIT exercise routine is especially useful for fighting sagging muscles, fat burning and calories, and strengthening your muscles.
Besides, HIIT improves your lung capacity and take care of your heart since all the exercises are cardiovascular.
HIIT Fat Burning Workout
Until very recently, cardio was the panacea for fat burning. 30-50 minutes of exercise at medium intensity, and you made sure you were burning fat. But little by little, we have seen how studies and practice give HIIT a winner to burn fat. High-intensity interval training can burn a lot of calories in a relatively short time.
What is better than cardio or HIIT for burning fat?
It depends on our characteristics and our level of physical condition. I myself have tested in my own way that doing HIIT gives a significant boost to fat burning process and improve endurance, but it also requires a certain physical condition or otherwise you’ll end up on the floor.
By doing HIIT, you not only burn calories. At the same time, you exercise, but your metabolism speeds up for a few hours due to the intensity, allowing you to continue fat burning even after you finish. On the other hand, with cardio, the metabolism returns to its basal state more quickly. Although the amount of fat burned may be greater than doing HIIT during exercise, it is not profitable in the long term. In addition to this, doing HIIT increases the number of mitochondria and the ability to burn fat throughout the day.
If you are new to the world of fitness, I would advise starting with cardio (2-4 times a week), doing an exercise that motivates you, and you like to get hooked and achieve a good base of resistance. If you already have an acceptable physical shape, I recommend you try HIIT (2-3 times a week) for a month. Surely you will notice the difference and the improvement in terms of resistance.
And we don’t have to decide on just one. You can alternate or do a type of training every week. What is clear is that neither of them will work to burn fat if we do not take care of our diet and if we are not constant over time applying this type of training.
For me, the key is in the physical condition and characteristics of the person who will do the training and the type of exercise to choose. With HIIT, the intensity is 90%. Imagine running or pedaling at that intensity, more if you are overweight. If our muscles, bones, and joints are not well trained, the injury risks are high, and the line to exhaust ourselves is very close.
Alex is a passionate fitness enthusiast dedicated to helping people lead healthier, more active lifestyles. He encourages small – sustainable changes over drastic transformations and works with people to create customized wellness plans. His mission is to help others benefit from the most effective methods available, sharing tips, strategies, and health & fitness tools on Gearuptofit.com to inspire people to live their best lives.