What is HIIT Workout?
HIIT means “High-Intensity Interval Training.” HIIT workouts for weight loss consist of intense exercises with particular rest periods. These workouts are between 10 mins to 30 mins in duration. This is the best part about HIIT training.
This type of training is suitable for people with busy lives. It is a time-efficient way of training where you get desired results. If you are a beginner at workouts, you may have to start with less intense HIIT workouts.
These workouts contain a circuit of exercises with short rest periods. You will get to know about it further in this blog. You can modify the training as per your requirement and desire.
Every sports person has multiple HIIT training sessions per week. Any person can do this type of workout regardless of their fitness status, and it can be done as per your goal.
HIIT Workout Benefits
HIIT workout has numerous benefits, making it perfect for everyone to include in their fitness journey. HIIT workout benefits, especially for those with less time or interest in going to gyms, etc.
1. Burns a lot of calories in less time
As HIIT states, High-Intensity Interval Training is designed in such a way that it helps burn more calories in a short period. Some studies have found that HIIT workouts burn 25-30% more calories than other forms of exercise.
2. Burns Fat
HIIT helps burn fat. It forces our body to use the energy from stored fat rather than carbohydrates. This makes our body lose fat more efficiently. If you want to maintain your muscles but lose fat, it is more challenging without HIIT.
HIIT allows you to maintain your muscles and lose fat simultaneously. This is one of the reasons HIIT is the most suitable for sports people.
3. Keeps metabolic rate high after a workout
The metabolic rate is high even after hours of HIIT workout due to the intensity of workouts. Your body keeps a high metabolic rate after the workout session.
4. Improves oxygen consumption
HIIT improves oxygen consumption by using the lungs and heart to their fullest potential. Even after a HIIT session, the body will continue to use the aerobic energy pathway to replace the ATP consumed during the workout. This enhances the EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) effect.
5. Reduces blood pressure
HIIT workout reduces blood pressure as it helps lose fat. HIIT with long intervals reduces blood pressure more significantly. The level of reduction is similar to some of the drugs prescribed for hypertension. (1)
6. Reduces blood sugar
HIIT workouts lasting less than 12 weeks have helped reduce blood sugar levels. High-intensity exercises are beneficial for people with type-2 diabetes. (2)
7. Improves performance
HIIT workouts help improve our aerobic and anaerobic performance. As mentioned earlier, HIIT workouts boost the oxygen-carrying capacity, and our overall performance increases.
HIIT Workouts For Weight Loss
HIIT workouts for weight loss are workouts that help you lose fat. These high-intensity workouts use fat as a primary energy source, making it easier to lose fat by doing HIIT.
Even if you are having trouble with dieting, you can add HIIT workouts to your fitness regime, and you are good to go. This is why intensity is most important when it comes to fat loss.
Your diet holds tremendous value regarding weight loss or gain. It would be best if you consume fewer calories than your maintenance calories. To lose fat and maintain muscle, you must ensure that your diet contains more protein.
Protein will prevent muscle loss during intense fat loss workouts. The body tends to break down muscle while working out instead of fats. But, in HIIT, it’s advantageous that our stored fat is used as a primary energy source. (3)
In HIIT workout, you can choose small weights or just so bodyweight training. The best way to lose fat and prevent muscle loss is to:
Have enough protein intake
Weight training
HIIT training
Have a diet that has enough protein and good fats. Weight train at least 3 times per week if you already are following a weight training program. Do HIIT workouts 2 to 3 times per week.
HIIT workout at home
HIIT workout at home is best for people who have a busy schedule and have less time for working out. Here, we have the opportunity to combine any type of exercise that we like to perform.
There are several exercises, such as upper body exercises, lower body exercises, core exercises, and cardio exercises. If you are a beginner, choose 4 to 5 exercises in total. If you are intermediate, choose more than 5.
Choose 1 exercise from each category. Like, pushups(upper body), squats(lower body), crunches(core), skipping rope(cardio).
Before a workout, warm your body up so that you will not have injuries. Warm up your muscles, joints, and ligaments. Get your body moving, and start the workout. Choose exercises like running in place or skipping rope exercises to warm up.
Once you choose your exercises, follow this sequence:
- Cardio exercise: 30-60 seconds
- Rest: 30 seconds
- Upper-body exercise: 30-60 seconds
- Rest: 30 seconds
- Lower-body exercise: 30-60 seconds
- Rest: 30 seconds
- Core exercise: 30-60 seconds
- Rest: 30 seconds
- Cardio exercise: 30-60 seconds
- Rest: 30 seconds
This session will end within 5 to 10 minutes, depending on your time interval. Check yourself for efficiency.
You can vary the exercise and rest periods as per your convenience. Increase the number of exercises gradually as you go further. If you have chosen 5 exercises per session, increase it to 6 after 3 days or a week.
Similarly, decrease the rest periods and increase the exercise periods as you progress. Choose your favorite exercises for the workout which will keep you entertained.
Exercises:
- Mountain climbers
- Side plank twists
- Bicycle crunches
- Kick through
- Burpees
- Pushups
- Squats
- Jump squats
- Clap pushups
- Skater hops
- Split lunge jump
- Butt kicker
- Jumping jacks
- V holds
- High knees
- Single leg deadlifts
Workout 1:
20 sec each exercise, 3 rounds, 2-minute rest after 1 round
- High knees
- Mountain climbers
- Plank hold
- Jumping jacks
- Punches
- Squat punches
Workout 2:
20 sec each exercise, 3 or more rounds, 2 minuter rest after each round.
- Half jacks
- Jumping jacks
- Half jacks
- March steps
- High knees
- March steps
- Calf raises
- Jump squats
- Calf raises
Workout 3:
3 or more rounds, 2 minutes rest between rounds.
- 40-sec high knees
- 20-sec raised leg plank(left leg)
- 20-sec raised leg plank(right leg)
- 40-sec high knees
- 20-sec side plank hold(left side)
- 20-sec side plank hold(right side)
- 40-sec high knees
- 20-sec crunch hold
- 20-sec raised leg hold