There’s absolutely no doubt that HIIT, or high intensity interval training, is one of the best and most widely used exercise methods for losing weight.

It’s fast, efficient and damn does it melt away fat.

However, when many of us think HIIT, images of people jumping around, lifting weights and all-out sprinting come to mind. While these types of movements are a staple for many HIIT sessions, they don’t suit everyone, and they aren’t your only option.

As trainers, we often hear complaints of cramp, injury and joint soreness from these high-impact movements. To help combat this issue and ensure you still get an effective fat-loss workout in your weekly routine, we’ve created a low-impact HIIT workout.

To do this, we’ve taken some less-demanding movements, and turned them into a truly challenging interval cardio workout that you can perform at the gym.

Check it out.

[Related Article: 13 HIIT Exercises You Need in Your Weight Loss Workouts]

Why use low impact HIIT?

There’s no denying HIIT is intense, it’s the reason it works so well for fat loss. But that doesn’t mean the movements have to take their toll on your joints.

Although high-impact movements like jumping, sprinting and weight lifting at high speeds are associated with this type of training, they aren’t your only option.

Instead, an intelligent low impact HIIT workout can help you burn fat[1], whilst minimizing joint pain and soreness.

We’ve created a more palatable workout that avoids impact-based movements and instead utilizes exercises that won’t jolt your joints or bones. While this may be a softer approach to the choice of movements, the intensity of the workout will still be high, so you can reap all the rewards of HIIT.

Check out this less demanding low impact HIIT workout below.

[Related Article: Best Pre-Workout for Women] 

Low impact HIIT workout

This is a challenging full body workout, designed to get your heartrate high and your muscles working hard. You’ll feel the burn across your whole physique with this one, even though it’s low impact, and won’t leave you hurting in a bad way.

We’ve used an AMRAP (as many reps as possible) structure, so you’re working hard with a few breaks too. The workout is spread out across five exercises and should only take you around ten minutes to complete. It’s short, sharp and perfectly designed for anyone, including those of us who don’t enjoy high impact movements.

Check it out.

The final rep

A killer HIIT session doesn’t have to ruin your joints, or put you off interval training altogether.

Instead a smart low-impact cardio workout can get your body working hard, without any of the aches and pains that certain movements can cause.

Try this one for yourself to maximize your weight loss efforts in every workout.

High intensity interval training is proven to be quicker and more effective at burning fat than traditional forms of cardio. While it’s challenging, it’s probably one of the fastest workouts you’ll do – and it’ll reap the most reward too.

The trick is keeping your training fresh and stimulating so you keep pushing your body to the next level, and keep melting away the pounds. Check out our HIIT exercises list to spark some inspiration for your next weight loss workout.

[Related article: HIIT Workouts for Women]

HIIT Exercises:

[Related article: 20-Minute Kettlebell HIIT Workout for Fat Loss]

[Related article: Fat Torching, Muscle Growing HIIT Leg Workouts]

[Related article: HIIT workout Plan for Weight Loss]

[Related article: The Best Fat Burners for Women Review]

The final rep

With these HIIT exercises at your disposal you can create some truly effective weight loss workouts. Whether you opt for an AMRAP or a circuit, select a few of these movements and get to work. You can thank us later… when you catch your breath again.

Both are often referred to when it comes to a fat burning workout. However, there’s often disparity between which is best.

But what makes one weight loss workout the ‘best’?

To find out which will suit you and your goals, we’ve pitted the two against each other in a HIIT vs LISS battle of the workouts.

Read on and find out which one you should be hitting to lose weight.

Final word

These two weight loss workouts are almost polar opposites and, at the end of the day, you need to weigh up your personal needs against both styles of training.

Whichever one you choose, you can complement it with weight training to increase the amount of muscle you hold and therefore boost your metabolism.

Finally, if you do decide to opt for LISS, remember it can deteriorate your muscle stores, so think about adding a HIIT workout in there occasionally too.

Good luck, girl.

Kettlebell training is an awesome way to develop athletic curves and a strong figure. Not only does it help to accentuate different areas of your body by providing a strong toning effect, it also burns a huge amount of fat.

Throw in some high-intensity interval training with those bells and you’ll turbocharge your gains and melt fat.

Now it’s your time to get serious with this fast-paced 20-minute kettlebell HIIT workout…

High Intensity Interval Training

Use high intensity interval training to boost fat loss, ramp up fitness and sculpt a leaner, more athletic body.

You’re here because you want to make changes to your body in the shortest time possible.

Luckily, you’re in the right place. We’re here to give you the lowdown on the most effective 20-minute kettlebell HITT workout on the planet.

It promises:

What is HIIT and why should you care?

High-intensity interval training (known as HIIT) is a training method used by everyone from athletes to housewives to get lean, toned and fitter… fast.

Unlike traditional cardio that takes up hours and hours of your day, HIIT compacts your workout into multiple high-intensity bursts known as intervals.

By adding in recovery periods between intervals, you can work harder than ever, accelerating calorie burn and fat loss. The impact on your cardio system builds endurance, stamina and real fitness too.

There are lots of ways to perform HIIT training.

You can adapt both work interval and rest interval length to suit your current abilities.

When you’re not at your fittest, make the work durations 10-30 seconds long and make sure you get plenty of recovery between reps so you’re feeling sharp.

If your fitness is looking good, test yourself by either longer work reps or shorter duration rest periods. Even add in more reps if you can.

Why use kettlebell HIIT?

HIIT is a concept not a program. It’s fluid, dynamic and adaptable to your goal. If you want all-out fat loss you can perform your workout on a bike or a running track.

But if you want to build some sexy curves while shredding fat you need to think about throwing some resistance in there too… and that’s where kettlebells come in.

Kettlebell HIIT workout

In just 20-minutes 3 times per week you’ll develop a completely new physique and mindset… and a whole lotta sass.

This 20-minute kettlebell HIIT workout is as simple as it gets. You just need a kettlebell and a little grit and determination.

Get ready to challenge yourself, girl. We want you to go as heavy as you can without sacrificing form. Women were meant to lift heavy, and now’s your time to grip, rip and teach those kettlebells what it’s all about.

The great thing about kettlebells is they’re portable.

You can do this kettlebell HIIT workout in the gym, your front room, in your garden and even on the beach in full bikini.

Here’s a breakdown of the workout:

• 5 exercises
• 30 seconds work
• 30 seconds rest
• 2 rounds

Here are your exercises:

Here’s how the 20-minute kettlebell HIIT program works…

Start with exercise one and push for as many good quality reps as you can for that first 30-second period.

The workout is classed as an AMRAP which stands for ‘as many reps as possible’. Think power and speed.

Once the timer goes off, rest for 30 seconds and move onto exercise number two.

Carry on like this until you finish exercise number 5. This completed round 1.

Once the 30-second timer goes off again, start back at exercise 1 and repeat the same exercises with even more power, speed and enthusiasm.

You need to do a total of four rounds to hit your 20-minutes.

That’s it.

20-minutes will be over before you know it.

[Related article: Best Fat Burners for Women]

The bottom line

This brutally-effective 20-minute kettlebell HITT workout has been designed by the pros to shake off the cobwebs and help you develop a fitter, leaner figure in a matter of weeks.

Build up the intensity gradually and when you’re ready just add in another round or two for maximum effect. It’ll take a little longer than 20 minutes, but at some point your new fitness levels will need an extra boost.

Luckily for you, we’ve got exactly that.

These HIIT workouts are quick, challenging and will help you torch through excess fat reserves. Give them your all and watch the results materialize for yourself.

We’ve got you covered with sprints, resistance methods and even a killer AMRAP session that all offer hardcore, fat-burning intensity in under 20 minutes.

Read on to find out more.

What is a HIIT workout?

A HIIT workout plan is based around intervals of high effort, followed by short periods of complete or active rest. This is then repeated several times.

HIIT workouts are usually a short, sharp and intense version of cardio. The brevity of this type of training, along with its excellent fat burning properties make it a very popular choice for those looking to lose weight.

For example, you could sprint on an incline for around 30 seconds, then rest for a minute. This type of HIIT workout is usually repeated between 8-10 times and lasts for around 15-20 minutes. It’s easy to add this type of training to your existing workouts to up the intensity on your weight loss plans.

Not only is HIIT a quick and convenient way to add cardio to your sessions, it’s also one of the most effective methods of training for fat loss and muscle maintenance.

Studies show that this type of training can burn between 25-30% more calories than other lower intensity workouts [1].

The highly intense nature of the exercise forces your body into an anaerobic state, which then triggers the release of a hormone that increases fat oxidization [2]. This allows your body to release fat stores more readily, so you use it as energy.

The more you use it as energy, the less fat you’ll have on your frame.

Because you’re working so hard during the high intensity periods, you’re utilizing muscle to maintain a powerful performance. Just as in resistance training, by putting your muscles in the firing line, you’re telling your body to adapt and maintain the strength you already have.

One study found HIIT workouts not only help to burn fat, but also increase power output too [3].

Related article: HIIT Workouts for Women

Why do you need a HIIT workout plan?

Having a HIIT workout plan is a good way to ensure you stay on track with your weight loss goals. Going into the gym without a plan often leads to a lackluster workout and procrastination.

If you want results the best way to achieve them is to have a plan of action. It can help you hit the gym the optimal amount of times, improve adherence to your training goals and ensure every session is worthwhile.

By using tried and testing methods you can also optimize your results. A well informed HIIT workout plan can challenge your body in a way that burns fat, improves body composition and creates a strong, powerful physique.

We’ve created a HIIT workout plan for weight loss that will help your body target unwanted fat cells. Our plan is based around three different workouts, as science shows four 20-minute sessions a week can dramatically increase oxygen consumption and reduce body fat [4].

Check out our HIIT workout plan below.

HIIT workout plan for weight loss

Follow these four HIIT workouts every week for a month. For the best results you should be consistent and always challenge your body by running faster, lifting heavier and continually pushing yourself. This is the key to success with HIIT workouts.

Perform these four sessions throughout the week alongside resistance training and a calorie restricted diet for the best fat loss results. Remember to include at least two rest days in your weekly plan to give your body time to recover from the workouts.

Related article: Fat Torching, Muscle Growing HIIT Leg Workouts

The final rep

Add these to your normal gym routine and you’ll up the heat on your fat burning efforts. Not only are they time efficient, they’re proven to work too.

Just remember to keep pushing yourself to the max and these HIIT workouts for weight loss will help you transform both your fitness and your physique.

Try them out for yourself today.

If you’re spending hours on the treadmill trying to drop the pounds, but you feel like you’re getting nowhere it’s time to mix it up.

Sure enough, if you put in the time and work, you’ll burn calories. And, when paired with a calorie restricted diet, you will lose weight. It’s science.

But let’s be honest, trudging away on the running machine all day long isn’t exactly the most fun thing you’ve ever done. Although you might be able tick off another three episodes of your favorite series, you’ve got places to be and things to do – long treadmill sessions are just too time consuming.

Luckily, we’ve got a time-saving, fat-burning hack that will turn up the heat on your weight loss plans.

Check out HIIT treadmill workouts to reap next-level fat loss results, in just a 20-minute session.

What is HIIT?

HIIT, or ‘high intensity interval training’ is a form of training based around short periods of intense exercise, followed by a brief rest time before repeating the process.

On a treadmill, your HIIT workouts will most likely take the form of interval sprints. This means maxing out at top speed for any time between 20-60 seconds. You’ll then slow to a walk or stop completely to recover for 30-90 seconds. This is usually repeated around 10 times and takes about 20 minutes to complete.

This type of training allows you to exert maximum effort, which creates a powerful fat burning reaction within your body.

By pushing yourself as hard as you can, your body moves into an anaerobic zone for a short period of time. When your body is working this hard, it releases certain hormones that triggers higher fat oxidization levels [1].

This basically means your body can recruit fat as fuel more easily, which results in targeting the cells you really want to get rid of.

On top of that you’ll also continue to burn fat for around 24 hours after you finish the workout. This is called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption or EPOC [2]. Achieving this state keeps your body burning extra calories, way after you’re done working out.

Research has also shown that exercising in this way three times a week for 12 weeks resulted in a weight loss of 1.5kg and a total fat loss of 2kg [3], which shows HIIT can help to support muscle development, whilst cutting down on fat.

To round it all up, HIIT is one of the most effective ways to turn the heat up on your fat loss. It targets fat specifically, keeps you burning calories for hours after you finish your session and even helps to maintain muscle, which is key to creating a higher metabolism.

Related article: The Benefit of HIIT Workouts for Women

HIIT Treadmill Workouts

Bust boredom, burn fat and take your fitness to new level with our selection of HIIT treadmill workouts.

The final rep

Include any one of these HIIT treadmill workouts in your fitness program and you can focus in on burning fat and cut your time in the gym right down.

By working these into your regular routine, you’ll be training more efficiently, and you’ll put yourself on the fast track to results.

Swap out a long slog on the treadmill and for something shorter, sharper and smarter when you try these HIIT treadmill workouts.

1. Boutcher, Stephen H. “High-intensity intermittent exercise and fat loss” Journal of obesity 2011 (2010): 868305.
2. LaForgia J, e. (2006). Effects of exercise intensity and duration on the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. – PubMed – NCBI.
3. Heydari, Mehrdad & Freund, Judith & Boutcher, Steve. (2012). The Effect of High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise on Body Composition of Overweight Young Males. Journal of obesity. 2012. 480467

You’ve just single-handedly devoured a full box of cookies and you’re in need of a fat melting workout, but you’re not going to make it to the gym. You’re stuck for time, you need to visit the grocery store and you’re still missing half your presents for those awkward distant aunts. Either that or your iron home-from-home has closed their doors for the festive season. Where you gonna sleigh a workout?!

Say hello to HIIT cardio for your Christmas workout.

Baby it’s cold outside. Don’t spend hours pounding the pavement in the snow, trying to stay in shape over the holidays. First, ew. Running is hard. Second, we’ve got a much smarter way to tackle it girl.

HIIT cardio training is proven to target fat and help you lose weight in a more efficient way. Plus, it’s quick and you don’t need loads of equipment to really feel that festive muscle burn. It’s the perfect Christmas home workout to keep you trim this year.

Deck the halls, cos you ain’t stepping foot outside for this workout. To help you drop the pounds without leaving the comfort of your own tinsel-covered home, we’ve designed the perfect no-equipment HIIT cardio workout.

Need a seasonal outfit for your Christmas workout? Of course you do. Check out our favorite festive fitness outfits here.

What is HIIT cardio?

HIIT, or high intensity interval training, is a form of cardio workout that’s based around short bursts of explosive activity, followed by a short rest period. This pattern is then repeated several times.

For example, a simple sprint HIIT cardio workout might consist of 30 seconds sprinting, followed by one minute of walking at a steady rate. This will be repeated 8-10 times for a hard core, lung-bursting workout.

The magic of a HIIT workout is that it only needs to last between 15-20 minutes to have some seriously effective fat targeting results. This makes them just about the most efficient workout you can do when you’re rushed off your feet this Christmas season.

By working as hard as you can for a short period of time, you’re maximizing your energy output, which actually helps you burn 25-30% more calories per minute than endurance sports [1].

So, find a quiet spot away from the festive madness and take just 20 minutes away from wrapping presents or shopping to fit in a super effective workout.

Learn everything there is to know about HIIT with our complete article on the benefits, complete with more workouts.

How does HIIT help you lose weight?

One of the main benefits of HIIT cardio is that it targets right in on the fat in your body, leaving your hard-earned muscle so you can improve your body composition, without sacrificing your gains [2].

Because of the power needed for a HIIT workout, this form of cardio actually helps to maintain the muscle you already have. Because you’re hitting them hard and fast, it stimulates fast twitch fibers which boosts power and tells your body to keep hold of that precious muscle. We all know the more muscle you have on your frame, the more calories you burn. Bonus.

On top of that, you’re pushing your body to the max and using up the energy reserves you have stored away within it. This boosts your metabolism for up to 24 hours after you finish your workout ends, so you’ll continue to burn calories into the next day.

Full body HIIT cardio home workout

You don’t need a gym to benefit from the amazing results of a HIIT workout. With this no-equipment workout, you’ll raise your heartrate, push your body to the max and burn fat all in less than 20 minutes.

Keep moving quickly, maintain a good form and get ready to sweat girl. It may not seem like a lot compared to your usual lifting routine, but this workout will get your whole body pushing to the max and burning fat.

Remember the key to burning fat with HIIT is to keep the intensity high when you’re working, so no taking it easy girl. We’re working off those mince pies here, so you’re gonna need to give it your all.

Perform four sets of each movement before moving on to the next:

Looking for a hardcore leg only variation? Check out this article, girl.

The final rep

Christmas might be a difficult time to hit the gym, you’ve got 101 things to do and about 50 family members to entertain. But that doesn’t mean you can’t fit in a hardcore workout and maintain your gains too.

You might be going stir crazy, you could be worried about maintaining your physique, or you might just need a sweet sweet endorphin hit after spending so much time with family. We’ve all been there.

With this fast AF workout in your back pocket, you’ll have everything you need to stay trim and keep your gains intact this festive season, whilst still eating a full turkey leg to yourself on the big day. Hey, it’s lean meat and a fit chick needs her protein. Even at Christmas.

It may sound too good to be true, but we wouldn’t do that to you – this is the real deal.

With a carefully planned HIIT workout, you can reap some serious, muscle growing rewards.

To help you get there and create a trim, toned physique, we’ve created the ultimate guide to HIIT leg workouts for women. We’ll talk through the benefits of this training method and provide you with some super effective workouts.

Article preview:

• What is HIIT
• The benefits of HIIT
• HIIT leg workouts

What is HIIT?

High-intensity interval training, or HIIT workouts are one of the most effective fat-burning workouts you can do. They’re comprised of, sharp bursts of exercise, followed by a small recovery period. This process is then repeated several times.

During a HIIT workout, you’re pushing your body to it’s maximum, before allowing it to recover and start all over again. An effective, lung-bursting workout can be completed in less than 20 minutes –perfect if you’re not one of those girls who spend hours running on the treadmill. Yeah, us neither.

The benefits of HIIT

This type of anaerobic interval training forces your body to maximize its output and uses up the reserves of energy you have stored away. Because of this, your metabolism is raised for up to 24 hours after you finish your workout, which means it’s torching more cals, for longer.

Due to the highly intense nature of the workout, your body turns to fat rather than carbs for fuel[1]. That’s right girls, it’s literally burning through fat for energy.

It can also help your body to go through between 25 and 30 percent[2] more calories than other aerobic activities like running or cycling.

What’s more, HIIT can even encourage your muscle gains. It stimulates your fast twitch muscle fibers, which can increase your muscle power. Plus, HIIT has also been shown to Improve testosterone levels[3], helping to to support muscle volume in men and women.

HIIT legs workouts

You might see some cardio fiends doing HIIT as interval sprints on the treadmill, which is a great way to tackle the training style. However, you can adapt the workout to suit your fitness needs – in this case, we’re talking about strengthening your legs.

To really hone in on those leg muscle groups, we’ve added leg specific movements, designed to help you feel the burn, grow muscle, and reduce fat.

We recommend performing one of these workouts at the end of your gym session as a finisher. Before you start, you might also want to download a fitness timer app. With these handy devices you can set up your own workout pattern to follow, so you know you’re working out for the right amount of time.

[infobox]Tip: Before we get started, we just want to remind you girls to keep your form tight and strong. We know you’ve got this down, but just because you want to smash out as many reps as possible, doesn’t mean you can let that form go. The last thing you need is an injury.[/infobox]

Legs Tabata

The Tabata workout method is a very effective HIIT workout and we’ve added in a few leg-centric exercises to really help you target the lower body. The Tabata format means you work flat out, as hard as you can for 20 seconds, then rest for 40. Repeat that five times consecutively on each exercise, before moving on to the next. Ouchy.

• Jumping squats – To add extra power into your usual squat, we want you to push harder on the way up, forcing yourself into a small jump at the top. This one works the leg muscles and adds an extra element of cardio.
• Jumping lunges – feeeeeel that booty burn girl. With the same concept as the jumping squat, you’ll be adding more power and explosive speed to your workout by leaving the ground. Alternate legs with each jump and you’ll soon feel your butt working.
• Kettlebell swings – This movement will really get the heart rate raised. The driving force for your swing should also come from a powerful thrust in your glutes. It’ll get the muscles firing and leave you gasping for breath.
• High knees – To up the cardio element and really hone in on those fat burning qualities, we’ve added in some high knees. Put your hands out in front of you and jog on the spot, touching your knee to your hands with every step. Don’t let your hands drop, this is designed to get you breathing hard.

Legs EMOM

Every minute on the minute. Simply set your timer and every time you hit a full minute, perform the reps in this workout. Sounds easy right? Well get ready for a surprise girl, this is a real burner. Repeat one of these workouts over the course of 12 minutes.

• 8 squats
• 10 jumping lunges

Or:

• 8 pulse squats
• 8 box jumps

These are very quick workouts, but don’t worry, you’ll feel it. As your body becomes fatigued you’ll start to struggle more and more with the movements. It’s an effective one because the faster you work the more rest time you have, however, that means more lactic acid will flood your muscles. You’ll thank us when it’s over.

30 seconds on, 1 minute off

This simple format gives you a little more rest, which isn’t a bad thing. There’s no shame in taking a moment, in fact, it’ll help you work harder in your next high-intensity period. By resting a little longer, it gives your body a chance to recover so you can max out again for the next set. You’ll just have to make sure you give that 30 seconds of work your absolute all girls.

The best way to do this is to pick one exercise and go all guns blazing for that 30 seconds. Here are a few ways you could break this kind of workout down.

• 6 mins of 30 second squats, 1 minute rest.
• 6 mins of 30 second jumping lunges, 1 minute rest.
• 6 mins of 30 seconds kettlebell swing, 1 minute rest

Add these together for knee-shake-inducing, 18 minute killer workout.

Or, if you’re a real glutton for punishment, head to the stair master and go hard for 30 seconds, before resting or stepping at a slower rate for a minute. It might sound simple but this is a super effective way to get your glutes working and your heart working.

With these workouts in your HIIT routine, not only will you be targeting your leg muscles for a fiyah workout, you’ll also be burning fat. Make sure when you’re tearing through those work periods to get your metabolism firing on all cylinders for the very best results.

What are you waiting for girl? HIIT it up! Try these out and see the results for yourself.

Want more killer workouts from your favorite girls at SMG? Try these on for size:

• Barbell Legs Workouts for Women
• Muscle Activation Exercises to Transform Your Workouts
• Booty Builder – The Ultimate Round Butt Workout

References:

But what is it? And why are HIIT workouts for women so popular? Well look no further ladies, we’ve got all the answers right here.

A short sharp workout that burns fat for a day after you finish exercising – sounds like the stuff of dreams. Luckily you’re wide awake and HIIT workouts for women really are as effective as the rumors.

To help you find out whether it’ll work for you and your training, we delve into all the benefits of HIIT and why it works. After all that, if you really want to get to grips with this style of training, we’ve even created a couple of HIIT workouts for women.

Read on to discover everything you need to know about HIIT workouts and how they can transform your physique.

Article Preview:

• What is HIIT?
• The benefits of HIIT workouts for women
• HIIT workouts for women

What is HIIT?

An acronym for high-intensity interval training, HIIT (pronounced hit) is essentially bursts of highly intense exercise, followed by a short break.

For example, sprint for 30 seconds, then rest for a minute. These types of workouts push your body very hard for a short period of time, then allows you to recover for a while, before doing it all over again.

By doing this, you can maximize your output for a short period of time, rather than plugging away at the treadmill for hours at a time. If you’re short on time or you just don’t have the willpower to slog away at one thing, this could be perfect for you.

The benefits of HIIT workouts for women

From fat burning qualities to convenience for the time poor, there are plenty of benefits from HIIT. With this type of training in your regular routine, you can transform your physique, improve your overall health and even cut down on your time at the gym.

Still not convinced on HIIT benefits? Read on for more…

They’re short

You’re already spending hours in the weights room working on that toned physique, so you don’t want your cardio to take up too much time. Luckily for you, HIIT workouts for women are the perfect alternative. It takes between 10 and 20 minutes to get in an extremely effective lung-bursting, fat-burning workout. Who really wants to spend hours plugging away at the running machine when you can work hard for a fraction of the time and achieve incredible results. Not us.

You don’t need any equipment

If you really don’t have time to head to the gym for a weights session, but don’t want to miss out your cardio, you can do your HIIT training session at home. Whether you’re doing 30-second sprints or a Tabata squat session, you don’t need any kit to turn out an extremely powerful workout.

They burn more calories

Despite their brevity, a HIIT workout can burn 25 to 30 percent more calories than running on a treadmill, cycling or resistance training. You’re working at a higher intensity and pushing your body to the max, which means you’re burning more calories to get it done.

HIIT burns fat

Studies have shown that you can burn more fat by using a HIIT workout, despite it taking less time. Research published in the Sports Medicine Open shows that, rather than burning carbs for energy it turns to fat, making it the perfect addition to your shredding season routine.

Your metabolism will be raised

HIIT workouts seriously torches calories – more than you might think for such a short workout. A 20 minute, highly intense interval session not only burns fat while you’re working out, it can keep your metabolism raised for up to 24 hours later. That means your body will burn more calories than normal for a day after you complete the workout.

It doesn’t waste away your muscle

You’ve heard all the warnings. Extended periods of anaerobic exercises can make your body cannibalise your own muscle gains instead of burning through fat like you want – potentially putting your shredded physique at risk. But not HIIT. Rather than decreasing muscle mass like long sessions of cardio may do, it actually helps you maintain mass by stimulating your fast twitch muscle fibers. These guys help us with our short and strong bursts of energy. Studies have also shown that by adding HIIT to your workout routine, it’ll also help you build up your endurance.

Improves overall health

HIIT can be super beneficial to your overall health, including your cardiovascular strength. Your heart is a muscle, just like everything else you work in the gym and you shouldn’t neglect it. HIIT training is the perfect way to put it to the test.

To put it simply, it’s harder for your heart to change heartrate than it is to maintain a steady beat – even if that’s a raised rate. By working your hardest, then resting, then working again, you’re asking your heart to constantly raise and lower its BPM. By doing this you’re giving your heart it’s own little workout, improving it’s muscular function and making it more effective in general.

It increases oxygen consumption

A recent study found that by including just 20 minutes of HIIT training into your normal activity levels four times a week, you can improve your oxygen consumption by up to nine per cent over a five week period. That’s the equivalent of cycling for 40 minutes four times a week according to the study.

This means you’re improving your bodies ability to process oxygen. So when you decide to give CrossFit a try, sign up for a 5k run in a moment of madness, or even have to chase down a bus, your body will be better prepared to go.

HIIT workouts for women

Whether you’re looking for a short, but not so sweet sprint session or want a fat-burning finisher for your legs day, we’ve got you covered with these HIIT workouts for women.

Sprint HIIT workout for women

This is an easy one to perform on the treadmill or even out on the street. Up the ante a little and perform your sprints on an incline to really get your body working to the max. A hill or even a set of stairs is a great way to turn up the heat. Set a timer on your watch or your phone to make sure you’re working for long enough and have an appropriate rest.

Perform the following 10 times through:

• 30 second sprint
• 1 minute 30 second slow walking

HIIT legs workout for women

Work your muscles and cut through fat in this all-encompassing HIIT legs workout. This is the perfect way to finish off a legs day, and will help to support the muscles you’ve been working on the weights room. We’re focussing in on building your booty, upping your heartrate and burning away that fat all in under 20 minutes.

Download an interval training app to your phone and set up the timer to follow a 20 second/40 second pattern for five rounds. Include a couple of minutes rest when you’ve completed all the sets on one exercise.

Perform one movement for five sets, before moving on to the next exercise:

• Squats: 20 seconds of squats, 40 seconds rest
• Jumping lunges: 20 seconds of alternating leg jumping lunges, 40 seconds of rest
• Burpees: 20 seconds of burpees, 40 seconds rest

At home HIIT workouts for women

Despite it’s incredible results, you don’t need a gym setting to complete an effective HIIT workout. Whether you’re running out of time after a busy day at work, or want to lose weight but you’re not ready to face the gym yet, this could be the answer to all your problems. A HIIT workout can very comfortably be performed in your own home.

To help you squeeze in 25 minutes of fat-burning brilliance in your home, we’ve got a full body workout that is sure to reap rewards. No equipment needed.

Perform five sets of each exercise, rest for a minute before moving on to the next movement:

• Sit-ups: 20 seconds work, 40 seconds rest
• Squats: 20 seconds work, 40 seconds rest
• Press-ups: 20 seconds work, 40 seconds rest
• Walking lunges: 20 seconds work, 40 seconds rest

A HIIT workout for women can be a game-changer when it comes to helping you create that trim, toned figure you’ve been dreaming of. Say goodbye to spending hours on the treadmill and hello to some serious results.

Give your shred a helping hand with an all-natural fat burning supplement. It’ll alongside with your HIIT workouts to improve your metabolic rate, reduce pesky hunger cravings and increase your energy levels to help melt away fat.

Discover more workouts for women and myth-busters with these other helpful articles from SpotMeGirl.com:

• Muscle Activation Exercises to Transform Your Workouts
• The Ultimate Female Pull Up Programme
• Fat vs Muscle Weight: Can You Turn Fat to Muscle