Burn Fat with a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Workout

Interval training is a quick more efficient training method to help you burn fat quickly with short 10-15 minute workouts

What is High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)?

Scientists at Laval University in Quebec, Canada have conducted a study which has shown that it is possible to spend less time in the gym and actually burn more fat. They discovered that just 15 minutes of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) actually burns more fat than a whole hour of running on the treadmill at a moderate steady pace. So why is this?

Firstly, lets look at the principle of the high intensity interval training workout. HIIT, for short, is basically where you carry out periods of low intensity exercise followed by periods of high intensity exercise and can be performed on any machine (treadmill, rower, cross trainer, stationary bike) or in any form of exercise such as swimming, running and cycling. So if for example you wanted to perform HIIT on a rower, you could do tabata rowing which involves 20 seconds of intense rowing followed by 10 seconds of rest or slow rowing then doing 20 seconds of intense rowing again etc for 10-15 minutes. If you want to do HIIT on a treadmill, you would set the treadmill at a steady pace (light jog / slight fast walking speed) working about 65% of your maximum heart rate for about 60 seconds. Then you would increase the speed so you are working at 85-90% of your maximum heart rate for 30 seconds then bringing the speed back down to 65% for another period of steady jogging.

Why do High Intensity Interval Training?

So why are scientists such as Angelo Tremblay et al (2004) saying that HIIT is better for burning fat than a long steady run? It seems that when carrying out steady cardio, your body can adjust and start to conserve calories but with interval training, this steady state problem can be avoided because the intensity of your workout changes every minute or so. This means:

  1. HIIT raises fat burning hormones such as such as epinephrine and norepinephrine
  2. HIIT suppresses insulin
  3. HIIT raises the metabolic rate more so than other methods of cardio

High Intensity Interval Training Workouts to Burn Fat

The beauty of intensity training is that you can set the times and speeds as you see fit to bring out the best in you. Above is a guide for what you can do but you can alternate this to get the maximum effect on your body. For example, I personally like to get on a treadmill and do 1 minute speed 11.0 (jogging) followed by 1 minute speed 15-17.0 (fast running) followed by 1 minute jogging followed by 1 minute fast running, doing that for 10-15 minutes. Trust me, once you have done that, you will be gasping for breath (it also means you don't have to keep changing the treadmill settings every 30 seconds which can get a bit annoying!)

If you are less confident in your fitness levels, you may wish to change to lower speeds or shorter bursts of high speed (many people will do 30 seconds at their 85-90% maximum heart rate for example and not 1 minute). On a cross trainer there is usually an 'Interval Training' setting so you can set a level and carry that out for 15-20 minutes. If you feel you are completing a level easily, take it up to the next level on your next workout and monitor your progress.

Interval Training Outside of the Gym

If you like to train outdoors, shuttle runs where you sprint for 10-20 seconds then rest/jog for 30 seconds then sprint for 10-20 seconds again etc. are a fantastic high intensity interval training workout that will get you burning fat in no time. Doing 10 minutes of that will burn more calories than doing light jogging for 45 minutes - 1 hour, great for most of us these days who lead busy hectic lifestyles. At the end of your workout, make sure you fully warm down for 3-4 minutes and stretch out.

Many people love to do their interval training in the gym on machines but research studies have suggested that you might want to avoid the treadmill during your gym sessions. Here are 2 reasons why this has been hypothesised.

The treadmill lowers the muscle building hormone Testosterone

According to research published in the Journal of American College Sports Medicine, evidence suggests men who participate in chronic endurance training show mild reproductive abnormalities; reduced resting levels of testosterone and altered sperm characteristics. So not great news because testosterone is a hormone involved in everything from muscle growth to libido.

The treadmill increases the stress hormone Cortisol

According to research at the Laboratory of Motrice in France, a catabolic tendency (breaking down muscle) occurs during a long distance runs adding cortisol levels can reach approximately 15-fold basal (normal) levels. (G.Lac and P. Berthon, 2000.). This happens because when the body is under stress, cortisol provides the body with protein for energy production by breaking down muscle and converting amino acids into glucose in the liver.

Similarly, research conducted at the University of California found that under stressful conditions, cortisol can move fat from storage depots to fat cell deposits in the abdomen and can also suppress the body's immune system making you susceptible to illness. One way to combat this catabolic breakdown of muscle and increase in fat is to supplement your workout with an intra-workout formula such as Myprotein Exceed. Exceed contains BCAA and the amino acid glutamine which studies have shown not only help prevent catabolic breakdown of muscle but also provide ingredients which have been used to treat patients with inflammatory conditions (according to research at the Biomedical Research Centre at the University College of Dublin).

Put together, these studies suggest that you should avoid lengthy stints on the treadmill if you want to avoid a fatty stomach and poor immune system. This is another reason why HIIT is a good way to go if you like to use the treadmill, rather than spending hours jogging on it with lesser rewards.

Green Tea Extract and Burning Fat

Interestingly, a study conducted at Geneva University Hospital in France found that supplementing your high intensity interval training workout with green tea extract can further increase 'thermogenesis and fat oxidation' (Abdul G Dulloo et al, 1999). Scientists believe a catechin in green tea called Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) can increase the amount of energy your body uses by making it easier for your body to use excess fat. We have provided a shop window at the top of this article for green tea extract if you wish to buy some and see the fat burning results for yourself. Myprotein Mega Green Tea Extract is a leading supplement in the industry and you can buy green tea extract supplements in both powder and capsule formats.

So it seems that by training smarter and not harder, you can spend less time in the gym and actually burn more fat.