High Intensity Interval Training

HIIT Workout Plan for Weight Loss

If your fitness goal is to lose fat, you need to train smart with an intelligent HIIT workout plan for weight loss.

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?

woman doing a weighted lunge in a HIIT workout plan

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?

woman standing next to kettlebell ahead of 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

woman stood infront of a barbell about to deadlift

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

Day 1 – HIIT sprints:

We’ll keep it simple to start with and kick off your week with a sprint HIIT session. It may look straightforward but trust us, this is a lung-bursting, fat-burning workout that will push your body to the max.

3-minute steady incline walk to warm up

10 rounds of:

  • 30-second incline sprint
  • 90-seconds incline slow walk

3-minute steady incline walk to cool down

Related article: Quick HIIT Treadmill Workouts to Help You Shed Fat

Day 2 – High Intensity Resistance Training

For your second HIIT workout, we’re going to introduce some resistance. This goes back to maintaining and building muscle, which is essential to keeping your metabolism high, and your body burning through fat hours after you’ve finished training.

Complete 8 rounds of:

  • 10 Kettlebell swings
  • 10 Deadlifts
  • 16 Reverse lunges
  • 10 Medicine ball slams
  • 30-seconds rest

Day 3 – AMRAP HIIT Workout

Woman about to do a jumping squat ina HIIT workout plan

This is one of the best ways to push your body to the max. Here the challenge is to fit as many rounds as possible (that’s where the name AMRAP comes from) into a certain time period. This keeps you working hard and fast for the allocated period, so you can quickly reach that anaerobic state and start burning fat for fuel.

Here, we’ve alternated between two bodyweight AMRAP workouts that will test you in a full body session. You repeat each one twice, with a minute rest between each AMRAP. Good luck…

1. AMRAP 3 minutes:

  • 10 Jumping squats
  • 10 Jumping lunges
  • 10 Burpees

Rest for one minute once AMRAP 3 is complete


2. AMRAP 3 minutes:

  • 10 Press ups
  • 10 Sit ups
  • 10 Burpees

Rest for one minute once AMRAP 3 is complete


3. AMRAP 3 minutes:

  • 10 Jumping squats
  • 10 Jumping lunges
  • 10 Burpees

Rest for one minute once AMRAP 3 is complete


4. AMRAP 3 minutes:

  • 10 Press ups
  • 10 Sit ups
  • 10 Burpees

Rest for one minute once AMRAP 3 is complete

Day 4 – High Intensity Resistance Training

To finish, we’ve got another resistance session. Once more, you’ll find it pushes your body to the maximum, without taking hours in the gym.

6 rounds of:

  • 100-meter sprint on rower
  • 10 Kettlebell swings
  • 10 Squats
  • 10 Sit ups
  • 1-minute rest

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.

References

  1. Falcone PH, e. (2015). Caloric expenditure of aerobic, resistance, or combined high-intensity interval training using a hydraulic resistance system in healthy men. – PubMed – NCBI.
  2. Boutcher, Stephen H. “High-intensity intermittent exercise and fat loss” Journal of obesity 2011 (2010): 868305.
  3. Herbert, P et al. “HIIT produces increases in muscle power and free testosterone in male masters athletes” Endocrine connections vol. 6,7 (2017): 430-436.
  4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27368057

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