As mentioned in an article in the New York Times, it has been proven that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can give you the same benefits as an extended run or a session lifting weights – without the time commitment. At AYC Health & Fitness, our personal trainers in Kansas City are well trained in HIIT.

Fad workouts come and go, but proven workouts demonstrate time and time again their staying power. To put it simply, these workouts work. They burn fat, build muscle, and may even give you a cardio boost.

What is HIIT?

HIIT is the process of completing intervals of exercise close to your maximum level of capacity for endurance (but not too close, as this will burn you out). These spurts of high-intensity moves are split up with intervals of rest. The result is that you’ll be far more uncomfortable while you’re exercising, but the payoff is that you’ll be exercising for far less time.

In today’s busy-is-better climate, even those who don’t think they have time to exercise can fit in a workout with this method. As such, here are some proven workouts that utilize HIIT to get results.

Tabata Training

Tabata training is an ultra-high-intensity interval workout protocol discovered by Japanese scientist Dr. Izumi Tabata and a team of researchers from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo. Tabatas are popular because of their time efficiency and they can increase your fitness level and weight loss results. With Tabatas, you can get a lot out of your workout in a short timeframe.

To do a Tabata workout, you perform 20 seconds of high-intensity exercise, rest for 10 seconds and repeat for eight total sets for a total of four minutes. It’s a great way to burn fat for hours after your training session because of the Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOCH), better know as “the afterburn.”

A good example of a Tabata workout is to alternate between an upper body and a lower body movement.

Here’s a 20/10 Tabata example workout:

Perform each exercise for 20 seconds.

1. Push-Ups
Rest 10 seconds.
2. Squats
Rest 10 seconds.
3. Resistance Band Rows
Rest 10 seconds.
4. Side Lunges
Rest 10 seconds.

Repeat each move and rest period one more time for a four-minute workout.

Succession Complexes

Succession complexes are a great way to get a workout in when you don’t have much time to spare. They are simply exercises performed in succession with no breaks or rests between each set. You can use an implement during succession complexes (like a kettlebell or a set of weights), or you can do it with no extra weight.

Ben Bruno of T Nation recommends paying attention to form during complexes and not sacrificing it in the name of burning more fat. This will reduce your chances of getting injured. He also says you should focus on both the upper body and the lower body – not just one or the other.

The Seven Minute Workout

A workout backed by scientific evidence is this seven-minute routine touted by the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health and Fitness Journal. It implements HIIT using nothing more than your own bodyweight, a wall, and a chair. It also depends on 12 classic moves that aren’t hard to master for anyone. These include jumping jacks, wall sits, push-ups, crunches, stepping onto a chair, squats, triceps dips with a chair, planks, running-in-place knee lifts, lunges, push-up and rotations, and side planks.

All of these moves are completed at a high intensity for 30 seconds; then you rest for 10 seconds before moving on to the next exercise in the circuit. Remember that you should be uncomfortable the entire time you complete the workout – heart-beating-out-of-your-chest, gulping-to-catch-your-breath uncomfortable.

Forget about fads like strange diets, weird exercise tools, and dubious claims you might see on infomercials for exercise equipment or diet plans. Instead, do the work to see the results. HIIT requires hard work and endurance, but it isn’t hard to do at all. The time it takes is minimal as compared with the results you will see if you keep it up on a regular basis and pair it with a balanced, healthy diet. It is also backed up by scientific evidence and has become a proven way to workout efficiently.

For more exercise tips, advice, and truly customized training, call AYC Health & Fitness today at 913-642-4437 or click to book a consultation with any of our local, experienced personal trainers in Kansas City.