In order to lose weight (and fat), you need to burn more calories than you consume daily. High intensity interval training (HIIT) has been proved to help burn calories even hours after the exercise has been completed. This phenomenon is commonly known as the « afterburn effect », or « excess post-exercise oxygen consumption », or simply EPOC. It has been the subject of numerous studies which have established that there is a strong connection between the number of calories burned after training and the workout’s intensity. One study claims HIIT burns three times as much calories as steady-state cardiovascular workouts. In other words, the more intense the activity, the more calories you burn afterwards. In addition to promoting caloric expenditure, high intensity interval training allow to build muscle quicker. Note that it is strongly advised NOT to engage in high intensity interval training more than twice a week on non-consecutive days. So what is exactly high intensity interval training? It describes exercises completed alternating intervals of extremely intense activity with recovery intervals.
Sprinting is one of the greatest ways to burn calories and build lean muscles. The abs are worked by contracting the entire abdominal wall to generate power to sprint. If you are not athletic, start off with shorter sprints and less repetitions and slowly increase them as you get in better shape. The general rule is to sprint for 15 seconds and rest for 30 seconds, for instance. Sprinting in hills will increase the workload on abs. The entire exercise should not last longer than 30 minutes.
Jumping Rope. Did you know that 15 minutes of jumping rope was as efficient a cardio exercise as 45 minutes of stationary bike? It is an excellent full-body workout that should not be underestimated, as it engages leg muscles to help you jump, while your abdominal wall keeps you balanced and your arms rotate the rope. A typical jump rope HIIT would be to jump rope as fast as you possibly can for 30 seconds, followed by 30 to 60 seconds of rest walking or jogging lightly. This circuit should be repeated five to ten times.
Kickboxing. Kickboxing works as a great cardio and strength training workout as it will fasten your heart rate and recruit multiple muscles that work both the upper and lower body at the same time.
This activity should not last longer than 30 minutes.
