7 Interval Training Workouts To Burn Fat Fast

High intensity interval training (HIIT)

is a form of exercise characterized by periods of hard work followed by brief periods of recovery or rest. This form of exercise is a highly efficient means of improving your fitness level and burning body fat. Why is HIIT superior to steady state cardio like jogging when it comes to fat burning? It’s because your body primarily uses sugar (glucose) during the intense exercise bout and uses stored body fat during the recovery phase as well as post-exercise.

You can perform HIIT using gym equipment, various cardio formats, and weighted or bodyweight exercises. In other words, you can do HIIT whether you have a gym membership or not. You can invest in some basic equipment or just rely on your bodyweight and a few simple forms of cardio.

In the gym, you can use a treadmill, elliptical, row machine, stationary bike, stepmill, stairmaster, free weights, etc. Alternatively, you can run, bike, jump rope, swim, or perform plyometrics. You can also do a HIIT workout utilizing weights. There are numerous variations and ways to take advantage of this training method.

Interval Training Workout Guidelines

Before completing these interval training workouts, be sure to complete a 5-10 minute warm-up. Your warm-up should consist of some dynamic stretching, light movement in your exercise of choice (if you plan to do sprints, jog for a bit beforehand. If you’re swimming or biking, start easy before amping up the intensity), and complete a few accelerations where you gradually build your speed to a sprint over your chosen distance.

Warming up properly will help prepare your body and muscles for the work ahead. If you jump straight into intervals without warming up, you put yourself at a greater risk of injury. Once you’re warm and have properly prepared yourself for some speed work, choose one of the following interval workouts and challenge yourself.

Interval Training Workout #1: Stationary Bike Tabata Workout

The tabata protocol is a workout method where you perform 20 seconds of intense work followed by 10 seconds of rest for a total of 8 cycles. While the entire workout lasts only 4 minutes, by the end, you should feel like you can’t and don’t want to complete another interval.

Workout Instructions:

• Using a stationary bike, warm up for 5-10 minutes. Make sure to have adequate resistance on your bike before you start sprinting so your legs don’t spin out of control.
• After your warm-up, sprint hard for 20s and bike very slowly for 10s.
• Repeat for a total of 8 rounds (4 minutes total). Finish with a 5-10min cool down at an easy tempo.

Interval Training Workout #2: 25-Minute Sprint Fartlek Workout

In Swedish, Fartlek means “speed play.” This form of training combines steady state (continuous) training with speed intervals in an unstructured format that strengthens both the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. The intensity and speed varies however and whenever you want. Walk, jog, and sprint for any distance or length of time, and in any order. This is a spontaneous form of training that you can just go out and have fun with.

Workout Instructions:

1. Jog for 8 minutes
2. Fast run for 4 minutes
3. Sprint for 20 seconds
4. Walk for 1 minute
5. Sprint for 30 seconds
6. Walk for 1 minute
7. Sprint for 10 second
8. Walk for 1 minute
9. Jog for 5 minutes.
10. Complete a fast run for 1 minute to the finish, and then cool down by walking for 5-10 minutes at the end.

Interval Training Workout #3: 100m Walk-Back Sprint

The walking back sprint is probably one of the most straight-forward and easy to incorporate variations of HIIT (particularly if you have a running track nearby, although a track is not necessary). If you’re using a track, pick a distance to sprint—50m, 100m, 200m, etc. Sprint your selected distance, and then walk back to the start to recover. Repeat 4-10 times. If you don’t have a track, you can use a street length or pick two points in a park to sprint/walk between. Sprint to the end and walk back to recover.

Workout Instructions:

• On a track, warm-up with dynamic stretches and accelerations. Then sprint 100m as fast as you can and walk back to the start.
• Repeat 4-10x.

Interval Training Workout #4: Lunge/Sprint Combination Intervals

In a combination interval, you alternate between a high-rep strength exercise and an anaerobic cardio interval. NOTE: This is a more advanced type of interval, so please be careful.

Workout Instructions:

• Complete 15 dumbbell walking lunges on each leg (30 lunges total) followed immediately by a 30s hill sprint on a treadmill.
• Recover for 30-90s and repeat.
• Complete 3-5x.

Interval Training Workout #5: Countdown Jump Rope Workout

This workout works by choosing a specific amount of time – 2 minutes – then dropping the amount of exercising required by 30 seconds on subsequent sets. The amount of time given for rest matches the amount of time spent exercising, so it’s a 1:1 work-to-rest ratio.

Workout Instructions:

• For 2 minutes, complete as many jump rope revolutions as you can
• Rest 2 minutes
• For 1.5 minutes, complete as many jump rope revolutions as you can
• Rest For 1.5 minutes
• For 1 minute, complete as many jump rope revolutions as you can
• Rest for 1 minute
• For 30 seconds, complete as many jump rope revolutions as you can
• Rest for 3 minutes, then repeat 1-2x

See if you can match the number of revolutions you get in the second round as you did in the first. Given you are timing yourself, you can watch a clock on the wall, or use a countdown timer on a watch, or stopwatch.

Interval Training Workout #6: You-Go-I-Go Swimming Workout

Swimming is an excellent full body exercise that is low impact, but it can be made high intensity. While many swimmers will do 60 laps at a snails pace, you can opt for cranking up the intensity to get a much better workout in much less time. For a bit more fun, get a partner to do this workout with you.

Workout Instructions:

• Warm up by swimming 8-10 laps
• Swim 2 laps as fast as you can at top speed
• The second you are done, your friend then completes 2 laps as fast as he / she can
• Alternate for a total of 10 rounds (20 laps)

This workout shouldn’t take much more than 10 minutes.

Interval Training Workout #7: Plyometrics “Ouch My Legs” Workout

Plyometrics are exercises that require muscles to exert maximum force in minimum time. For this reason, they can be more dangerous if proper form isn’t used. They can also be very efficient and effective because so much power is being used in a short period of time. This workout requires only 2 plyometric exercises: jump squats and jump lunges.

Workout instructions:

• Complete 15 reps of jump squats
• Rest 30 seconds
• Complete 24 Reps of Jump Lunges
• Rest 30 seconds
• Repeat for 5 rounds

What you’ll notice by your last set is your leg muscles should feel like they are on fire, in a good way. If you want to take this workout up another notch, consider using a weighted vest, or holding dumbbells at your sides…but this tough! If this plyometrics workout is too difficult for you, consider doing it with assistance while holding on to a solid object like a bar, or TRX.

How To Create More Interval Training Workouts

You can create a limitless variety of interval training workouts by adjusting the time, weight, and distance of the intervals you are completing to constantly challenge your body.

Variable #1 – Time

Changing the duration of your interval is a great way to keep your workout challenging. If you start out with 30s sprints on a treadmill, after a few weeks increase the duration of your interval to 45s, and then 60s.

Alternatively, you can change the duration of your rest period. Initially, it’s a good idea to give yourself a lot of rest time. Take 90s to recover at first, then decrease your rest time to 60s and so on.

As your fitness improves, you’ll be able to sprint for a longer period of time and recover faster.

Variable #2 – Weight

As you get stronger and faster, adding weight to an exercise will enable you to continue challenging yourself and improve. One way to add weight is with a weight vest. Another option is, if you’re doing combination intervals, you can increase the weights you use during the high-rep strength exercise.

Variable #3 – Distance

Gradually increasing the distance of your sprint is another way to keep your workouts challenging. If you start with 50m sprints, gradually increase your distance to 100m, then 200m, and eventually 400m.

There are a few important considerations when changing the variables of your intervals. Make sure you give your body enough time, about 2-4 weeks or more, to adapt to your intervals before making them more challenging. If you increase the challenge too soon, you increase your risk of injury and burnout. It’s better to start out a little easier to let your body acclimate to a new stress than to overload your body from the very beginning. Also, take enough rest between HIIT workouts. It’s when you rest that your body absorbs the effects of your workouts.

Interval training workouts are a valuable training format that can help you overcome a plateau, decrease your body fat percentage, and increase your fitness. HIIT can be performed 1-4x per week, but is not recommended more than 4x per week. Listen to your body, pay attention to your workout results, and you’ll be able to use HIIT to take your training to the next level.

SmartBodyChange

Can Metabolism Boosters Help You Burn More Fat?

If it were possible to boost your metabolism in a pill, it would make keeping the calories off so much easier. Who wouldn’t want that?

But, while there are many pills out there that claim to be metabolism boosters, do any actually work?

You must understand that no pill is going to make a noticeable difference if you are not eating properly and exercising regularly.

That doesn’t stop companies from claiming their products cause fat loss without any change in lifestyle. But as most of you know deep down, these claims are always false. 

Still, if you are following a sound nutrition and exercise program already, you may benefit from certain supplements. The results will likely be subtle, but since losing fat can be hard as it is, it makes sense to use every tool available, provided it is safe.

Metabolism Boosters: Which Supplements Work?

The supplements that may actually affect metabolism are not so much “miracle pills” as substances you already recognize.

Green Tea Extract is supported by a good amount of solid research as a metabolic enhancer. 

Green tea extract

Caffeine can also raise metabolism. Additionally, caffeine ingestion prior to exercise is shown over and over again to increase performance. Before using caffeine for this purpose, it is a good idea to weigh the benefits against the possible adverse reactions, like jitteriness, elevated heart rate and blood pressure, and possible insomnia.

So, What Should I Do If I Want To Boost My Metabolism?

It is easy to be lured into buying a supplement to “burn fat fast” or “melt fat away.” I talk to people every day who try these products and are sorely disappointed, even though most of them should know better.

If you want to keep your metabolism high while losing fat, engage in high intensity resistance training and interval cardiovascular exercise. Keep you calories under what you burn, but not by so much that your body thinks it is starving. 1-2 pounds of fat loss per week is a good rate and lessens the chance of significant metabolic slowdown. If you have all those pieces in place, then adding some green tea extract (containing about 100 mg of ECGC) three times per day and caffeine may enhance your fat loss. 

You cannot lose weight or increase your metabolism in any significant way by just taking a pill.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): Best Cardio to Burn Fat

When most people think of cardio, they think of long, boring jogs, or endless hours on the elliptical.

I’ve got good news for you: there’s a method of cardio that takes much less time and is far superior to jogging to help you burn fat. It’s called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and this article will give you the basics so you can take your body to a new fitness level.

What is High Intensity Interval Training?

High Intensity Interval Training involves alternating between very intense bouts of exercise and low intensity exercise. For example, sprinting for 30 seconds, then walking for 60 seconds is high intensity interval training. HIIT can be used both anaerobically (in the gym with weights) and aerobically with cardio.

Why Is HIIT the Best Cardio to Burn Fat?

Exercise physiologists used to believe that “steady state” cardio was superior for fat loss because relatively more fat is used by the body as fuel at lower exercise intensities than at higher intensities. The “Fat Burning Zone” - pic 1,  shown on most cardio equipment as only 60%-65% of max heart rate is really a myth and is NOT optimal for burning fat. Yes, you burn more fat relative to glycogen when going for a walk, but what we care about is total fat burn. At higher intensities, you are burning far more fat. In addition, interval training allows you to exercise at very high intensities for a much longer period of time than steady state, so you burn more fat.

Pic 1

As an added bonus, you increase your metabolism and burn more calories for up to 24 hours after interval training, whereas going for a jog burns almost NO calories after.

Other HIIT Benefits

There are a number of great benefits to High Intensity Interval Training besides serious fat burn that include:

• Increased Aerobic Capacity – The amount of oxygen your body can use (oxygen uptake) is increased, so your overall aerobic capacity can increase faster than with low intensity endurance exercise.

• Increased Lactate Threshold – Your ability to handle increased lactic acid buildup in your muscles increases.

• Improved Insulin Sensitivity – Your muscles more readily suck in glucose, instead of the glucose going to your fat stores.

• Anabolic Effect – Some studies show that interval training combined with consuming slightly more calories than you burn creates an anabolic effect, which helps you put on muscle. The opposite occurs with steady state cardio, which for long durations is catabolic.

Sample HIIT Workout

If you are a beginner, I would recommend only trying HIIT if you can do a session of cardio for 20-30 minutes at 70-85% of your max heart rate. You can still try interval training, but at a lower exercise intensity and beginners should always wear a heart rate monitor.

NOTE: Interval training should begin with a 3-5 minute warm up and end with a 3-5 minute cool down to prevent dizziness, or nausea.

Here’s a sample HIIT workout that’s simple, but effective:

30 Seconds Sprint/Fast Jog
60 Seconds Walk/Slow Jog

The duration of “work” is 30 seconds, and my “rest” is 60 seconds. The work/rest ratio in this case is 30/60, or 1 to 2. I shoot for 5-10 cycles. The better shape you are in, the higher intensity you can handle and the higher the work/rest ratio. For example, well trained athletes can use a 2 to 1 work /rest ratio, so they are sprinting for 30 seconds and only resting for 15 seconds. That’s tough!

Any type of cardio can be used with interval training, but I would caution against running more than a few times per week, because the demands on your metabolic system and joints are significant. 

I rarely go for just a jog unless I just want to clear my head, or get a little sweat. Jogging is child’s play compared to HIIT, which is substantially more effective to help you burn fat in less time and take your body to a MUCH higher fitness level.

Fat Burner Nutrition Plan

This NP is offered strictly for women who only want to burn fat fast.

The effect is enhanced if combined with exercise.

The menu includes 5 small meals a day.

1. Breakfast, 2. Snack 3.Lunch 4.Snack and 5.Light dinner.

The menu includes only foods that help burn fat and increase metabolism such as:
Spirulina, chia seeds, poppy seeds, cinnamon, paprika, turmeric and honey, as well as:

1. Meat and Fish:

Fish (tuna, salmon, white fish), white meat (chicken, turkey), red meat or minced meat (beef, duck) – recommended 2 times a week.

2. Milk products:

Greek yogurt, egg whites and whole eggs, skimmed milk, almond or soy milk, cottage cheese, soy beverages, cocoa powder.

3. Oil:

Coconut oil, almond oil, extra virgin oil.

4. Raw nuts

Pistachios, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, etc.

5. Dried fruits:

Goji berries, dates, prunes, figs, apples, strawberries, raisins and more.

6. Fruits

Blueberries, pomegranates, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, apples (green and red), grapefruit, banana, pineapple, oranges, kiwi and others.
soup / salad 2 / snack / soy drink / super juice / toast bread with dried fruit ..

7. Vegetables (raw, steamed, baked or roasted)

Broccoli, avocados, squash, beets, parsnip, celery, eggplant, tomato, cucumber, peas, asparagus, spinach, carrots, green beans, chilies, parsley, green leafy vegetables, sweet potato, lime and others.

8. Cereal and whole grains:

This program also include a weekly detox with freshly prepared juices, super food or a mix of fruits and vegetables.