If what you're looking for is a style of workout that will challenge you to give all-out effort without exercising for hours, however, you only need to understand one four-letter term: HIIT. High Intensity Interval Training allows you to pair hard-hitting exercise periods with short rest breaks for a wide range of health benefits.

You'll find this style of training everywhere, from boutique fitness studios to big box gyms that offer group classes. Given its popularity and prevalence, with each practitioner aiming to put their own spin on the concept, the public understanding of what constitutes a HIIT workout has become blurred.

The intensity allows you to burn more calories in a shorter period of time than you would following other protocols. Lack of time is cited as one of the main barriers to fitness, according to the CDC —and HIIT offers a shorter period than other protocols.

You don't need close to an hour for an effective HIIT session; even 20 to 30 minutes of focused work can be more than enough for the most well-conditioned exercisers. HIIT sessions are also highly customizable, making them easy to tailor to your personal schedule and preferred training style.

From running and strength training to rowing and boxing, there's a HIIT workout that will work for you. You might still be a bit confused about what HIIT actually is, and why the workouts are so popular. Here's what you need to know about HIIT before you go back to the gym for your next session.

HIIT stands for "High Intensity Interval Training" which makes one of the most popular phrases used to describe it, "HIIT training," totally redundant.

You shouldn't necessarily think about HIIT as being any one style of exercise, like running or weight lifting. Instead, HIIT is more of a framework, through which trainers can build out different routines depending on the equipment on hand, the experience of the participants, and the amount of time and level of difficulty desired.

One consistent thread through any HIIT program, however, is that workouts are composed of short periods of intense work, then a subsequent period of rest or active recovery.

To be most effective, "Intensity" is the most important part of the HIIT equation—participants should be working near or at peak effort during the intervals, then backing off during the breaks. Since this high level of effort can pump up the heart rate, some trainees use HIIT protocols as the cardio component of their exercise routines instead of low intensity steady state training, LISS like long runs or cycling.

What's Most Important for HIIT Workouts. Again, HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training, which refers to the short bursts of intense exercise alternated with low-intensity recovery periods that make up the protocol. HIIT is quick and anything but boring, as its exacting work-to-rest ratios make it arguably the most time-efficient way to exercise and burn calories.

You can use the HIIT protocol to build your entire workout, or apply it to just a few sets to create super-charged finishers. However you do it, what makes HIIT work is the intensity. Work-to-rest ratio is frequently brought in when discussing HIIT, and there are several accepted ratios you should consider.

The key to making HIIT work: The intensity. The protocol is designed to give you chances to go hard, so you need to take advantage of those chances.

Instead of 15 to second intervals executed at near percent intensity, intervals of one to three minutes at closer to 80 percent of maximum effort, followed by up to five minutes of lower intensity exercise, have also been shown effective for weight loss in sedentary populations.

In group fitness settings and among far too many trainers HIIT and "interval training" are often used interchangeably. Make no mistake: True HIIT requires you to be explosive and intense during your work period.

Basic interval training, however, minus the high-intensity aspect, is what you see most on the group fitness scene. Work periods here are typically larger than rest periods, without the consideration for the level of effort expended.

The Primary Benefits of HIIT Workouts. One review looked at 13 different studies on overweight and obese adults. It found that both HIIT and traditional moderate-intensity exercise can reduce weight and waist circumference.

Some researchers have found that HIIT increases metabolism for hours after exercise even more than jogging and weight training. This is known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption EPOC , informally called afterburn , a measurably increased rate of oxygen intake following strenuous activity.

HIIT is not just a tool to use to lean out. It can improve your overall health, too. A summary of 50 different studies found that HIIT reduces blood sugar levels. Further research shows it can reduce resting heart rate and blood pressure in overweight and obese individuals.

This intense workout template is popular enough that it's become shorthand for just about any type of boutique fitness class that features multiple exercises, different stations, and plenty of sweat. The term is bandied about so much that many people who have taken a HIIT class might not totally understand why they're pushing so hard through the stop and start nature of the protocol, either.

That doesn't stop HIIT from being a top choice for boutique gyms and fitness clubs—the workouts fit a ton of activity into a brief period, which is ideal for consumers looking for the most bang for their buck and trainers and gyms hoping to slot as many sessions into a schedule as possible.

That's fine for gyms with class slots to schedule, but if your whole fitness routine is only made up of HIIT workout sessions, you need to take a step back and reassess what you're doing. Aiming to add muscle? HIIT can be a great tool to diversify your training, but you won't be able to make the most gains that way.

And if you're taking on any more than two or three HIIT workouts a week, you're doing too much. You'll either push yourself into overtraining if you go as hard as you should be for every session, since you won't give yourself enough time to recover properly, or more likely you'll fail to reach the effort threshold the workouts are designed around.

Be smart about how and when you use HIIT. Some Ways to Do HIIT Workouts. Not necessarily. Here are some of the different types of equipment and training styles you can use as part of a HIIT protocol. Now that you know everything to know about HIIT, here are some HIIT workouts that can keep you off the treadmill for the most part and on a far more fun path to major fat-burn.

Luckily, Ben Feiden, CFSC of Performance HQ has just the thing for you. All you need is you and a clock to get this full body burn in. Get ready to get your butt kicked by Jaimar Brown , C.

Malik Fitness in this installment of our 5 Minutes of Hell series. Grab one set of medium and one set of light dumbbells and cycle through the following five exercises for 45 seconds of work, and 15 seconds of rest for a quick and dirty full body workout.

Ngo Okafor , the owner and founder of Iconoclast Fitness , and two-time Golden Gloves Championship winner goes through another installment of our 5 Minutes of Hell series designed to push you to your limits in a short amount of time.

Complete these eight exercises for 30 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest for a heart-racing HIIT workout. Erik Bartell, C. In only 5 short minutes, this workout will have you contemplating surrender. Work through these 5 exercises for 45 seconds of work, and 15 seconds of rest.

This dumbbell workout from All Out Studio 's High Power HIIT program by trainer Gerren Liles will help you to sculpt your chest, arms, and back while ramping up the pace.

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Comments Sort: Newest UpVoted Oldest Discussed Down Voted. Count: SIGN IN WITH Google Email. We have sent you a verification email. To verify, just follow the link in the message. Now Reading: Weight loss: Study finds HIIT training can help melt belly fat qu Share fbshare twshare pinshare Comments 0.

COM Last updated on - Oct 30, , IST Share fbshare twshare pinshare Comments 0. Also read: Weight loss: The best way to burn more calories with cardio readmore. Participants engaged in three HIIT sessions per week from two to 14 weeks.

Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and wellbeing advice in your inbox. In he was diagnosed with a chronic health condition, which spurred his interest in health, fitness, and lifestyle management.

In the years since, he has become a devoted meditator, experimented with workout styles and exercises, and used various gadgets to monitor his health. In recent times, James has been absorbed by the intersection between mental health, fitness, sustainability, and environmentalism.

Nutrition I thought I was making healthy choices, but a conversation with a nutritionist made me realize I may be doing more harm than good. By Lou Mudge Published 12 February Workout Build strength in your arms, legs, shoulders and more with this efficient routine.

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James Frew. Social Links Navigation. I was weighing all my food to track my calories, but stopped after I spoke to a nutritionist Nutrition I thought I was making healthy choices, but a conversation with a nutritionist made me realize I may be doing more harm than good By Lou Mudge Published 12 February Strengthen your entire body in just 20 minutes without any equipment using this home workout Workout Build strength in your arms, legs, shoulders and more with this efficient routine By Lois Mackenzie Published 12 February High-intensity interval training HIIT has become the "it" way to work out over the last few years, with studios and gyms capitalizing on the quick-but-effective way of training that alternates between bouts of intense activity, such as sprints, with periods of less-intense active recovery or complete rest.

Fans of this super-efficient workout swear by its ability to burn calories, target fat, and build muscle — all in much less time than, say, a 5-mile moderate-intensity run.

More: Your All-Inclusive HIIT Workout Guide. Another purported benefit of HIIT is your body's ability to stay in matabolism-boosting mode long after your workout is finished. Known as the afterburn effect, this process is said to boost your metabolism and keep you burning calories for up to 24 hours after exercise.

It's a theory many HIIT-based studios tout as a major health benefit of their workouts, promising you'll reap the benefits of their one-hour classes for days. But are these benefits too good to be true — and is the afterburn effect real?

Here's what the science has to say about it. The afterburn process is scientifically known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption EPOC.

It refers to the oxygen your body needs to restore itself to the pre-workout state — meaning your resting metabolism. Your body uses oxygen to produce fuel scientifically known as adenosine triphosphate, or ATP needed for your muscles to fire up during exercise, but it can also call on stored energy sources that don't require extra oxygen.

HIIT workouts typically utilize the latter more than steady-state exercise does, and will also require more oxygen post-workout — this is why these short bursts of intense, taxing exercise are associated with the afterburn effect. Although your body continues to burn calories after a workout, it's usually only 6 to 15 percent of the total calories you burned while exercising.

So if you burned calories during your workout, your afterburn would only be about 18 to 45 calories. Exercise isn't the only way to maintain a high metabolism, BTW. Lifestyle changes such as eating a sufficient amount of protein might also help.

EPOC is not limited to HIIT workouts — it's present after all aerobic exercise — but the level of exercise intensity does play a role in just how many calories your body burns post-sweat. For low-intensity activity — say, a treadmill jog — you can expect a lower afterburn effect about 6 percent calorie burn, toward the lower end of the range , but with HIIT workouts and exercises such as Tabata and speed drills, you could reap an afterburn closer to that 15 percent mark, reiterates Keating.

There are a few other factors that alter your individual afterburn rewards as well: weight, fitness level, and muscle mass all play a role. My clients use it too! Their biggest fat-loss transformations come from doing HIIT sessions.

To prevent injury, start HIIT sessions with a good warm-up and end them with a proper cool-down. Also, because you are going to burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time and may be prone to cramping, make sure you constantly keep yourself hydrated.

Drink lots of water before, during and after the session. Obi Obadike, M. View all articles by this author. Ask The Ripped Dude: Why Does HIIT Burn So Much Fat? I'm looking to get my cardio on!

Will HIIT make all my fat-burning dreams come true? HIIT workout. Treadmill running.