High Intensity Interval Training For Fat Loss

High Intensity Interval Training For Fat Loss

High intensity interval training is also known as HIIT or interval training. This type of training alternates high and low levels of intensity within one training session.

There are several advantages to this type of training:

*It is more interesting than steady-state cardiovascular training (by “steady-state” I’m referring to something like riding a stationary bike for an hour at the same speed).

*It results in improved cardiovascular conditioning.

*The conditioning is more applicable to most sports—football, basketball, and other sports tend to require explosive bursts of speed/power.

*Time efficient—burns a lot of calories in a relatively short period of time.

*HIIT releases hormones called catecholamines (kind of related to adrenaline), which encourage the body to release fat stores.

Here are some possible disadvantages:

*It may not be appropriate for those of very low fitness levels.

*Too much of it could cause you to lose muscle (just as with steady-state cardio).  This would be a concern for bodybuilders.

*The explosive movements could mean a greater chance of injury compared to steady-state cardio (walking on a treadmill isn't very likely to cause an injury). 

Here’s what a typical HIIT sprinting session may look like:

Warm-up:
Walking and/or stretching for 3-5 minutes.

Interval Training:
Run or sprint for 10-30 seconds, followed by walking for 90 seconds (or just walking back down the hill/stadium). You could be sprinting/walking around a track or sprint and walk back to your starting point. Your fitness level would determine how long you could keep repeating the intervals.

NOTE: running uphill or running stadiums is more safe than running on a flat surface.

Cooldown:
Walking at a moderate pace for 5-10 minutes.

The possibilities are endless, you could run stadiums (one of my favorites), use kettlebells, etc.

HIIT and the “Fat Burning Zone”:

Here’s the interesting thing about HIIT—it is great for creating a calorie deficit and coaxing fat cells to release their stores (in part due to the catecholamines thing).

But you won’t be burning fat during the actual HIIT session. This type of training is anaerobic, meaning “lack of oxygen”—fat cannot be burned in the absence of oxygen. In other words, you’d be burning the fat after your HIIT session—once you catch your breath and get back in an aerobic state.

With all this in mind, I would not recommend and extended HIIT session in a fasted state (in the morning before breakfast).

But you could do a short HIIT session (let’s say five minutes) in a fasted state followed by 20-40 minutes of steady-state cardio. You’d get the best of both worlds—encouraging the fat cells to release their stores, then burning off the fat through steady-state aerobic work. Ad yohimbine to this mix and you’d have a great fat-burning morning.*

Some of the programs I sell (such as Mike Geary’s Truth About Abs)  emphasize HIIT and weight training. The reason is simple—it works.



*For a much more detailed explanation of this strategy I'd recommend Lyle McDonald's The Stubborn Fat Solution.