5 Benefits of Interval Training for Fat Loss

Shedding fat with less training is every gym hitter’s dream (fickle or not).

What if we told you it is possible? Spend 400x fewer gym hours but get the same or more health benefits.

This can be done through High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT. This workout outperforms traditional cardio in terms of fat loss.

What is HIIT?

HIIT is intensive workouts with low-intensity recovery intervals. It’s a short workout that provides the same or two times more health benefits in comparison to moderate intensity exercise.

Typically, HIIT ranges from 10 to 30 minutes. Activities vary but can include biking, swimming, sprinting, jump rope or other body weight exercises. No matter your workout choice, it must have short periods of vigorous exercise that speed up your heart rate.

A study found that doing HIIT three times a week for 12 weeks averaging of 20 minutes per session without changing your diet leads to 4.4 pounds (1.9kg) of body fat loss.

Here are the five benefits of high-intensity interval training for fat loss:

1. Increase Muscle Mass

Muscle burns fat.

HIIT gives a significant reduction in body weight, waist, hip circumference, trunk and leg fat mass while increasing muscle mass.

How?

After an intense workout, your body goes through hyperactive repairs and replaces the damaged muscle fibres. These new muscle fibres fuse with other muscle fibres and builds protein strands or myofibrils. These repaired myofibrils increase in thickness and number to create muscle hypertrophy, muscle growth.

Even at normal function (non-workout), your muscles consume energy, burning through fat.

2. Burn More Calories in Shorter Time

HIIT burns more calories faster than other forms of exercises.

Your body’s repair cycle remains hyperactive 24 hours after your HIIT workout.  This means more body fat and calories are burned with no effort at all.

3. Boost Metabolism

HIIT enables your body to burn more fat as you rest because it triggers a reaction called Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC).

EPOC is an elevation in metabolism after an extensive workout. Your body’s metabolism continues to burn more calories even when you’re at complete rest.

4. Gives Better Heart Health

The heart is a muscle. It gets stronger and healthier as we continue being physically active.

According to British Journal of Sport Medicine, HIIT improves nearly twice cardiorespiratory fitness in comparison to moderate-intensity like running, cycling or other aerobic exercises.

How?

First, HIIT sheds fat. Fatty substances that travels in our bloodstreams can clog arteries that can lead to stroke or heart attacks. Doing HIIT lowers the risk of heart disease.

Second, HIIT lowers blood pressure that is directly related to an enhanced cardioprotection.

Third, HIIT also increases mitochondrial biogenesis (the size and number of mitochondria) and VO2max (your body’s efficiency in sending and using oxygen in your muscles), which means improved cardiovascular capacity at any level of exercise intensity.

5. Builds Endurance

HIIT is an endurance exercise with less time commitment.

Performing HIIT increases your physical stamina. A study shows that bikers engaged in HIIT can keep the same pace even if they double their regular biking time.

Better endurance means increased stamina for more exercise. More physical activity means additional and consistent fat loss!

Start Your HIIT With Code5!

HIIT’s biggest advantage is getting the maximum health benefits in minimal time. This is why HIIT is hailed as the most time efficient workout. They are hard yet quick and effective.

HIIT is the most effective if it is done with a highly trained coach to guide you on the way.

At Code5, our purpose is to help you discover your mojo with the help of experienced trainers dedicated to your physical and mental transformation.

We’re here to transform your life, make you feel great, empower you with education, give you social community, and motivate you until you achieve your goals.

Want to know where to start? Click here and we’ll talk about how we can help your body transformation.