One question that goes with every type of work out usually is will this type of workout help me lose weight? With this article I want to help answer the question does HIIT Work For Weight Loss. And another related question Does HIIT Really work?
The quick answer to both of these questions is a definitive yes. Not only does it work and work for weight loss but it works great for cardio. But with like everything else you have to have a plan.
You can’t just do it here and there and expect great results. But you knew that anyway right?
So before I get into it I want to give you a little background on HIIT and why it is so effective for weight loss.
First – what is HIIT? What does HIIT stand for? The Answer: High Intensity Interval Training.
This means you will do short high intense activities followed by low intense activities. You want to get your heart rate up and then let it rest. One quick example is a 40 yard sprint – followed by a 40 yard walk followed by another 40 yard sprint. Quick bursts of energy followed by a rest.
HIIT training has grown steadily in popularity over the years. Just take a look at this graph from searching hiit in Google Trends
Before HIIT picked up in popularity fitness professionals were under the impression that long steady workout sessions such as going for a jog were the best for both cardio and weight loss.
The idea was that longer was better. Hop on the treadmill or go for 30-45 minutes run and you should be good to go.
But after lots of testing and further studies it showed that short intense workouts brought about much more benefits than long and steady.
One such study by Laval University took 2 test groups – one that did the standard long steady workout where another group did HIIT workout. They found that the long steady group burned more calories (which makes sense) but the HITT group lost more fat.
So you’re telling me I can workout for shorter amount of time and lose more weight? Sign me up for that one please.
Long periods of running just doesn’t sound like it would be good for the body (knees, back, and joints)
Ok so now we know what HIIT is and that it can benefit us. Lets look into why HIIT is so effective.
The number one reason it is effective has to do with something called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (or EPOC). So there you have it – on to the next topic – Ha – just kidding.
So what does excess post-exercise oxygen consumption mean? So when we do high intensity training we are pushing our body to extremes and our muscles start to burn and we lose our breath this is what is called oxygen deficit.
When our body goes into oxygen deficit it works hard to bring back the oxygen into the system. The body will continue to work on this for hours after your workout. This process is called EPOC.
When our body is working on bringing in oxygen our metabolism is increased and we are burning calories for long after our workout. This helps get our body into fat burning mode. Unlike when we do long steady runs.
Like I mentioned above. Long steady exercise will burn more calories while doing the workout than an HIIT workout. For example you will burn around 300-400 calories during a 30-45 min jog / elliptical session.
With HIIT your workout will be much shorter and if you did a 15 minute workout for example you would burn around 90-150 calories in that time period. But and this is a big but – after your workout your body will continue to burn calories for the next 10-15 hours.
And that long term calorie burn will equal approximately 400-450 calories. Which in the end puts you in the same place as a run did but on way less time.
I just want to emphasize this – A long steady run will burn calories during the exercise but taper off as soon as you are done. A short HIIT exercise will burn calories during the exercise and then will continue to burn long after you are done.
That is why HIIT is so powerful and effective and people see faster results.
In addition to the benefits of EPOC with HIIT for weightloss. In a similar fashion HIIT will force the body to look for more energy.
Once our body burns off the sugars and carbs we have stored – what do you think it looks to do next?
That’s right you guessed it (well I think you guessed it) it goes after the fat in our cells for energy. This is what you want. You want your body to use fat for energy and HIIT will get your there quicker than other exercises. (looking for more info on getting your body use fat for energy you might want to check out the keto diet section and or intermittent fasting section ).
Outside of weight loss and burning fat I have some additional benefits of Hiit listed below.
Increased cardio stamina. When you are exerting your body in quick high intense intervals you are building cardio strength and stamina. So even if you are a runner you can still bennefit from HIIT.
Even though we are not weight training (in general) with HIIT (there are some workouts where you can combine weights and cardio to double time your workout – but that is for another time) you are still growing your lean muscles. The more muscles you have the more energy required for your body to function the more calories you’re going to burn.
And last but not least and probably one of my favorites is that when you do HIIT you cut your cardio workout time almost in half. Did you hear that? In half.
You don’t have to be on that dull boring treadmill for 35-45 minutes any more. You can be done way quicker.
Oh one more bonus bennefit. There are so many different types of high intensity trainings you can do to get your heart pumping. You are never stuck in the same boring routine.
For those of you that LOVE the treadmill not to worry you can still get a HIIT workout done on the treadmill 🙂
Alright – there you have it. Hopefully if you were on the fence or if this is your first introduction into HIIT training I hope I have provided a solid answer to the questions of “Does HIIT Really work?” And or “Does HIIT work for weight loss?”
The answer in short is yes. But don’t get me wrong – HIIT is not an easy workout but it does work. It is far from easy. Depending on how hard you push yourself it can be exhausting. But remember you will be done in no time (while your body keeps working) – and you will feel like you really accomplished something good.
Please check with your dr before performing any new type of activities especially activities that require exerted efforts.
