5 Benefits of Using Interval Training for Weight Loss

Excess tummy fat? Flabby arms? Maybe you don’t see your ideal self looking back at you in the mirror? Running 10K a week but still not seeing the results you wish you would?

It’s no secret that people want fitness results fast. Despite all the advertising efforts, there is no magic pill or secret diet plan to drop weight overnight. But if you’re willing to go high-intensity, the effects you will see can be drastic in a short amount of time. The plan? High-intensity interval training or HIIT.

The concept is relatively simple: short extreme bursts of fitness training, longer recovery times, less money spent, and higher reward reaped. With this plan, you’ll jack up your metabolism, melt fat even in stubborn areas, limit the time in the gym or your home fitness area, and start seeing noticeable results in a shorter amount of time than traditional workout plans.

Ready to get started? Here’s what you can expect.

1 – Burns Fat Quicker

Until recently, HIIT was lesser known in public circles, but if you were to stumble into any kickboxing, bodybuilding, or long-distance running training centre, you’d hear the whispers.

Professional athletes, marathon runners, and contact sport athletes use HIIT to get a more toned physique, enhance body function, and make weight for the next big fight.

You don’t have to be Arnold Schwarzenneger to take advantage of HIIT benefits. Just think about swimsuit weather or getting rid of a few doctor office visits per year. Because the aerobic and cardiovascular workout is so intense during HIIT, the calories keep burning well after completing your exercise.

Work out before bedtime, and you burn calories while you sleep. Work out before work and burn calories as you sit at your desk. It takes your body longer to get back to its resting state, working off excess calories until regulation occurs. If you’re looking to drop some serious weight, HIIT can work wonders.

2 – Faster Results Than Running

Steady-state cardio exercise regimens like running are not bad for your health. It is a fact that movement for as little as 15 minutes per day gives the body enormous benefits. Sitting all day spells trouble for the human body, and a regular running regimen is excellent for overall health. But running is not a bonafide fix for your weight loss journey.

Exercisers studied in a 2009 survey in Australia showed that over three months, those who did steady-state cardio five times a week lost just over 3 kilograms on average during that span. Over half lost less than 1 kilogram, it’s true, running is repetitive, and it can be tedious – with HIIT, you can lose 1 kilogram per week.

3 – It’s Addicting

The first week is always the hardest. Once you complete a few weeks of HIIT training, you’re bound to see changes in how your clothes fit, how you see your reflection in the mirror, or how much you weigh when you step on the scale.

Small successes like this breed confidence, and when you are confident, you look and perform better. It’s only natural you would want to continue the journey.

According to a recent study, people enjoy and stick to HIIT regimens more than vigorous-intensity sustained training and moderate exercise training, and it’s easy to see why.

People love HIIT for the short workout times, quick results, and endorphin rush. How does losing a kilogram a week sound to you?

4 – Saves Time

When you sign up for a gym membership, you sign up for what you hope is a long-term investment into your fitness future. The equipment at the gym is top of the line. There is a community of like-minded individuals that can help you along your journey.

Think of, for a moment, the amount of time you spend not only sitting on a machine bench mentally preparing for your next set, but driving or walking to and from the gym. Unless you live in a place with a fitness centre included, you will have to make your way to the gym one way or another.

You can’t lose weight with a fitness regimen if you’re not in a fitness regimen. You can, however, perform HIIT anywhere. Move your table and do it in the kitchen or your living room. Have a garage? Perfect.

In addition to HIIT being better for your weight loss goals, you can do it in as little as 20 minutes from your own home. HIIT does not require dumbbells or bench presses. It uses your body, gravity, and your determination.

Do it only three times a week instead of five, and you maximise your time savings even further.

5 – Saves Money

Money is a fitness barrier. To achieve weight loss goals, you have to be able to afford your plan.

Gym prices are often prohibitively high. For people new to the fitness world, it isn’t easy to know where to begin. People look for guidance on fitness best practices and seek out professionals in the industry. Where are those professionals? At gyms.

With HIIT, you can learn at your own pace. Check out online video tutorials about how best to start your training and do it in the sanctity of your own home.

If you’re not going to the gym, you’re saving money. You save money on gym membership fees, water, and snacks at the gym, and the fuel it takes to get to the gym and back.

Imagine everything you could do with that cash – take up HIIT today as part of your weight loss plan and reap the rewards.

Take the 16-minute HIIT Challenge. Try our free HIIT exercise program when you sign up for our weight loss diet plan. The whole workout only takes 16 minutes to complete and is perfect for beginners and seasoned athletes looking to add something new into their fitness routines.