START HERE!
START HERE!
Let’s play a game of “would you rather” …
- Would you rather: Spend 10 minutes or one-hour doing cardio?
- Would you rather: Do cardio every day or only a few days a week?
- Would you rather: Burn calories ONLY while you are exercising or burn calories while you are exercising ++up to 48 hours AFTER your workout is over?
Maybe there is someone out there that has an extra hour to spend in the gym every single day and doesn’t want to burn the most calories in the least time, but for everyone else – – you need to read this article!!
There is a VERY EASY way to burn more calories in less time.
Maybe we shouldn’t use the word easy, because when done correctly, this form of exercise can be pretty difficult.
But it is a simple method that, if followed correctly, will result in the best results in the shortest time!
It’s called HIIT.
You’ve probably heard of it. You may even THINK you are doing it.
But chances are you are making a few mistakes and your HIIT workouts aren’t as effective as they could be!!
We have 5 SIMPLE TIPS you must follow if you want to use HIIT to burn fat faster!
First, we want to quickly explain what HIIT is and why it’s one of the best ways to exercise!
WHAT IS HIIT?
HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) is a workout that includes repeated
intervals that are high intensity but VERY short in duration. Going too long is actually mistake #1, which we will get to in just a second.
These high-intensity intervals alternate with lower intensity intervals of either complete rest or very low-intensity active recovery.
For example, you might do a quick burst of 20 seconds of an exercise, like sprinting or burpees, and then rest for 20 seconds before starting the next interval.
You then repeat this high/low cycle for 10 to 20 minutes!
Yes, that is it! We will explain more in-depth why you don’t need to (and shouldn’t) spend more than 30 minutes doing HIIT a little further down!
WHY IS HIIT SO EFFECTIVE?
HIIT is popular among shredded bodybuilders, professional athletes, top personal trainers, and it is no doubt our favorite style of exercise here at V Shred for many reasons.
HIIT workouts can help you:
- Maintain and even build muscle mass while reducing excess body fat.
- Support cardiovascular health and endurance.
- Boost your mood, focus, and productivity.
- Improve speed, power, and agility.
- Burn additional calories upwards of 24-48 hours after your workout is over.
- Spend less time exercising.
The two most significant benefits from the list above that we want to focus on are those last two – effectiveness and sustainability!
Effectiveness: Those long sessions of steady-state cardio ONLY burn calories WHILE you are exercising. With HIIT, you can continue to burn calories for up to 48 hours after your session ends!
This is primarily due to something called Excess Post Oxygen Consumption, which we will tell you more about in just a second.
HIIT works (as long as you do) and not just WHILE you are doing it! It helps you burn more calories even on the days when you aren’t exercising!
Sustainability: One of the biggest reasons people skip the gym is TIME. It’s not realistic for most people to be able to spend an hour or two in the gym every single day. HIIT doesn’t take long! 10 to 30 minutes (max), and you are done!
We preach that the best exercise program is one that YOU can stick to. Most everyone can carve out a half hour to exercise a few days a week, making this style of exercise sustainable long term!
HIIT is no doubt one of the best exercise methods for fat loss… BUT THERE IS A CATCH!!
You have to do this style of exercise correctly for it to work, and we see a lot of people doing it wrong!
We have a 5 Step HIIT Process that will help you burn fat faster without having to do boring steady state EVER again!!!
SAY GOOD-BYE TO WASTED HOURS ON THE TREADMILL…
USE THESE 5 TIPS TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF YOUR HIIT SESSIONS
1: ONLY DO VERY SHORT INTERVALS
When we say short, we mean all out bursts of 10 to 20 seconds. Anything longer than 30 seconds is not HIIT.
Why? It is NOT possible to get in the top 80-90% of your heart rate (which is where you need to be for HIIT to be effective) for 1-2 minutes!
If you are truthfully going as hard as you can, there is no way you will last that long at max effort! Make sure your high intervals are SHORT so that you can go ALL OUT!
2: GIVE MAX EFFORT FROM START TO FINISH
Many people go all out for the first internal or two and then sort of fade. You have to give it 100% from start to finish! That is why HIIT sessions are so short!
Pick a duration (10-15 minutes is a great start) where you can stay disciplined enough to give 100% from start to finish! You can always add a little more time as you progress!
3: PICK HIGH-INTENSITY MOVEMENTS
Not all exercises will get your heart rate in that desired 80-90% max range.
For example, exercises like pushups and situps will never work for HIIT.. Your chest or abs will fatigue way too quickly to get your heart rate up that high.
You must pick exercises that can spike your heart rate for the entire duration. Things like sprints, burpees, suicides, and fast jumping movements are great choices.
If you want to see a list of our favorite HIIT exercises, we put together a list of our favorite HIIT movements – you can check them out HERE.
4: NO WASTED SECONDS
Remember, with HIIT, you are working with SECONDS, not minutes. This means every single second has to be used!
You have to give it your all from second ONE and not slow down with 2 seconds left!
For example, if you are sprinting, it sometimes takes a few seconds to gain momentum and reach your “max” speed. So, your high interval timer shouldn’t start until you are at MAX effort! Always remember – max speed/effort for every single second!!
5: ONLY REPEAT EVERY OTHER DAY (OR LESS)
Remember earlier when we mentioned that you can burn calories for up to 48 hours after finishing a HIIT workout?
This is due to something called Excess Post Oxygen Consumption (EPOC, or informally called afterburn.)
Without getting too scientific, EPOC is an elevation in your metabolism that you can ONLY get from very strenuous activity like HIIT.
You deplete all your oxygen stores, and your body then works overtime for up to TWO DAYS to replenish them (which burns calories.). You can only initiate this when your heart rate gets in that 80-90% range. So you can’t reap this “after-burn” calorie reward from an hour of steady-state cardio because your heart rate won’t get high enough.
Thanks to EPOC, you don’t need to do HIIT every day since you will be burning calories even on the days you aren’t exercising.
WATCH THIS VIDEO TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF HIIT
AND HOW TO INCORPORATE THESE 5 FAT BURNING TIPS
If you want even MORE help to make your workouts more effective, we have a free BODY TYPE QUIZ that will help get you results even FASTER!
It is only 6 questions, and you will have your body type results and fat loss game-plan instantly!
Over 2 million people have already taken the quiz and are using their results to speed up lean muscle growth and fat loss!
Find out your body type and the best way to eat and exercise based on your genetics for free by clicking HERE!
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