A popular workout method, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), alternates brief bursts of intensive exercise with rest intervals. It has several advantages, including raising your fitness level overall, enhancing your cardiovascular health, and burning more calories and fat per minute than steady-state activities like jogging or cycling. This makes HIIT an excellent alternative for fitting quick exercises into your hectic schedule because you can achieve maximal fat-burning outcomes in less time.
According to Nate Feliciano, owner and head of training at Studio 16 in New York City, “HIIT is good for burning fat because it burns a lot of calories in a short period of time and increases the amount of calories you burn after a workout to repair and restore your body.” Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC, refers to the oxygen required to return your body to normal after a workout. After a HIIT workout, that level rises, causing your body to continue burning calories for several hours after you’ve completed it.
HIIT For Beginners
“HIIT may seem intimidating to beginners, but it doesn’t have to be one size fits all,” adds Feliciano. Several methods exist to accommodate your fitness level to adapt your HIIT practice activities. Therefore, interval training offers enough variation and adaptability to find a workout that works for your body, even if you’re new to fitness.
Since interval training burns calories so effectively, it’s typical to notice effects from HIIT more quickly than from many other disciplines. For long-term outcomes, you still need to exercise frequently (and consume a healthy diet), but losing a few pounds or observing cardio improvements are excellent motivators to continue working toward your goals.
Beginners should exercise extra caution when warming up and cooling down. To get your body ready for activity and prevent injuries, warm up before working exercise. Similarly, cooling down after an exercise can aid in bringing your heart rate down and relax tense muscles.
Two Fat-Burning HIIT Workouts To Try
Below, Feliciano offers two beginner-friendly exercises, one using equipment (battle ropes and kettlebells) and the other only using your body weight. See how HIIT can help you get the desired results by including one or both of the workouts in your twice-weekly fitness program.
1) Bodyweight HIIT Workout
Perform these 5 exercises for 30 sec consecutively for 4 rounds. Rest 60 – 90 secs between rounds.
- Jog in place
- High Knees
- Bodyweight squats
- Pushups
- Planks
2) HIIT Workout with Equipment
Perform these 4 exercises for 4 rounds. Rest 1-2 minutes between rounds.
- Kettlebell Swings – 45 sec
- Kettlebell goblets splits squats – 15 reps each leg
- Battle rope alternating swings – 45 secs
- Kettlebell goblets squats – 45 sec
