Is HIIT Really Effective For Weight Loss?

By Howe Russ


People are always looking for quicker, more effective answers to the age old question of how to lose weight and HIIT is one of the methods which has sprung into the limelight over the last decade. Many trainers recommend high intensity interval training as their 'secret weapon' against fat loss and today we shall look at it with you.

This training method was first adopted by sports coaches to help athletes with performance related goals and as more and more people caught on to it's fat loss benefits it began to make the transition into popular culture. It is now one of the most used training methods in gyms around the world. Today we'll explain what it is and how to use it correctly.

We will also throw in some additional tips to help you get more from your exercise routine. If you can combine a quality HIIT routine with the proven rules of a solid diet you will be well on your way to achieving a better body.

We know far more about exercise than we did two or three decades ago. As a result, we are regularly discovering methods which are more effective than what came before them and making results far easier to come by than they used to be in the past.

Of course, this constantly evolving fitness world isn't all great news. It often leads people to distraction and confusion as they are always seeing contradicting statements from different sources. In today's quick review we'll stick to the proven basics.

So, let's answer the question you all want to know. Is high intensity interval training better for burning fat than normal cardio exercise or not?

You don't become one of the most popular training principles in sports without having a large body of scientific proof to back yourself up and HIIT has just that. Before being adopted by the masses it was considered by many top sports coaches as their secret weapon in sports specific performance and science shows the benefits of this training style are superior to regular cardio in many ways.

The concept is very simple indeed. By mixing short bursts of intensity with longer periods of moderate work you challenge the body to improve and adapt in a way regular cardio does not. There are various choices when it comes to the split between the two intensities, of course, but which works best?

A recent scientific study in Canada found that the optimal interval split between moderate and high intensity for fat loss was a four minute moderate pace followed by a thirty second burst of maximum intensity, repeated for a total of thirty minutes three times per week.

You could be looking at those results now and thinking to yourself that four minutes of recovery time between bursts seems like quite a lot. Those four minutes allow you to hit each bout of intensity with your maximum effort, therefore resulting in superior workouts.

It is also important that you don't forget that exercise will only get you part of the way to your destination. You will also need to adhere to a decent diet and a good intake of water each day. If you're lost with this aspect of your plan today's featured video will take you through it.

While you'll probably hear HIIT given as a popular answer whenever people ask how to lose weight it's rare that people explain how and why it works. Now you know both, this will allow you to structure a plan which works for you. Combine this with your resistance training routine and you will bring about a new era of progress.

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