Intensive training: Burn fat fast: HIIT workouts for maximum results

HIIT workouts can last between four and 45 minutes. There are no strict rules regarding the length of the intervals. Typical intervals are:

• a load of 15 to 60 seconds and
• an active rest phase of 10 to 30 seconds (approximately half of the active time).

The important thing is: Only rest until you feel confident enough to take on the upcoming exercise – no longer. Push yourself to your limits during the specific exercise phase, so push yourself to the limit and don't do things halfway.

Tabata is a special form of HIIT training. With Tabata, you train for just four minutes – in eight intervals of 20 seconds of effort and 10 seconds of rest each. You can easily incorporate this workout into your training routine more often.

Whether it's four or forty minutes, interval training boosts your fat metabolism – even for several hours after your workout – and improves your strength endurance, trains your cardiovascular system, and increases your maximum oxygen uptake.

It is important that you give your body enough time to regenerate – high intensity interval training is not a training method that is suitable for every day.

Compared to a training plan with longer workouts at moderate intensity, HIIT achieves faster results but also requires more recovery.

Because of the high level of stress, experts recommend training according to the HIIT principle no more than two to three times a week for 15 to 30 minutes.

The “more is better” mentality can cause a real HIIT burnout, the typical overtraining .

Persistent exhaustion, sleep and concentration problems without obvious causes can be an indicator that your body needs a regeneration phase.

Then it's better to reduce the HIIT portion for a while and give yourself and your body more time for moderate and regenerative activities.

“HIIT makes us more muscular, stronger and faster, but it also makes us age faster,” says Michol Dalcourt of the Institute for Movement in California.

The cause is stress stimuli in the cells and the associated increased production of the hormone cortisol , which makes fat burning more difficult, especially in the stomach.

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