Interval Training – Short Workouts To Burn A Lot Of Fat

Interval training is something we use with our clients every day and have done so for quite a while. But what is it and how does it work? The days of doing endless amounts of cardio to get in shape are gradually fading. The skinny look is out and in is the healthy, strong and lean look which cannot be achieved without weight training. We are not saying there is no place for steady state cardio but what works best for us and our clients is to combine weight training with interval training and a small amount of steady state cardio.

                                                                                                                  

What exactly is interval training? In very very simple terms it is workouts in which you alternate periods of high-intensity exercise with low-intensity recovery periods. Research shows us that this increases fitness levels and burns more calories over a short period of time than steady-state cardio (Steady state cardio is doing cardio at a slow pace for a set length of time – 30-60 mins is generally what people do)

 

Often steady state cardio seems to encourage muscle loss giving people the skinny fat look. In my opinion this is not nice or healthy looking. On the site, Urban Dictionary, they state ‘skinny fat’ means “to look slim, even with revealing clothes, but when touched, the touching hand sinks into fat before reaching the muscle.”  

                                                                    

When you are following a properly designed nutrition and training plan studies show us that both weight training and HIIT workouts allow us to preserve the hard-earned muscles while ensuring most of the weight lost comes from fat stores. Most people aren’t used to pushing into the anaerobic zone – when your heart feels like its going to come out of your chest. But this produces amazing fat loss results and increases fitness levels quite dramatically.

 

Not only do you burn more calories during a HIIT workout, but the effect of all that intense exertion kicks your body’s repair cycle into hyperdrive. When you do a high intensity workout you burn calories while you are doing it but the magic really happens  in the 24 hours after the workout. This is when a lot of the fat loss occurs. That means you burn more fat and calories in the 24 hours after a HIIT workout than you do after a steady-pace run.

 

                                                                     

Some of the interval training methods we use with our clients are those below which can be used as finishers (at the end of your weights training session) or on a day on its own. 

 

1. Bodyweight – Work for 20 seconds as fast as possible then 20 seconds complete rest 8 times for a period of 5 minutes. You can do this with a number of exercises including – Mountain Climbers, Thrusters, Burpees, Squat Jumps etc etc

 

2. Running – 1 minute as fast as possible then 3 minutes light jog. 32 minutes total work

 

3. Sprinting on a football pitch – Jog the full side of the pitch then sprint as fast as possible across the end line (behind the goal from corner flag to corner flag) Do 12 -16 Sprints.

 

4. Boxing – 30 seconds as fast as possible the 30 seconds complete rest. Do 6-10 minutes depending on fitness levels.

 

5. Rower – Do 30 seconds slow then 30 seconds as fast as possible. Do 8-10 of these!

 

We have an unbelievable amount of these drills that we use to good effect with our clients but these 5 will see you get quick changes in your body shape if you use them correctly. Changing them up is essential for optimal fat loss. If you have any heart/medical complaints etc I would seek clarity from a doctor before you attempt these drills as they are quite tough on the body, tough but quick to do! 

 

Enjoy and be sure to like and share this or tweet it if you think it might help your friends or family!

 

Thanks for reading!