The Effectiveness of High-Intensity Interval Training vs Cardio Training for Weight Loss in Patients with Obesity: A Systematic Review

Using weights to up the burn, follow Heather for a super-sweaty sculpting sesh. 30 moves in 30 minutes keeps this workout interesting and challenging. The workout is made up of five movements that are performed for 30 seconds followed by 20 seconds rest. Women's Health Collective trainer Alice Liveing's HIIT workout for beginners is the perfect place. Getting into exercise and not sure where to start? You’re probably most familiar with HIIT as a cardio workout, and it’s true that it does lend itself well to cardio-based sprints, whether you’re running, cycling, or rowing. In contrast, the 4x4 may be less effective in increasing strength and explosive power. Not all of these count as true HIIT, according to the strict definition of the term described above, but the lines have been blurred enough that variants are still worth mentioning in any discussion of this training methodology. There are other benefits, too, including increases in VO2 max (how much oxygen you can use during exercise) and improvements in insulin sensitivity (how responsive your cells are to insulin), blood pressure, and cardiovascular function, according to a 2017 review published in the journal Sports Medicine. Mechanisms by which adiponectin reverses high fat diet-induced insulin resistance in mice. Adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein, cardiovascular diseases and mortality. ANT2 mediates hypoxia and inflammation in obesity. Management of cardiovascular diseases in patients with obesity. Interleukin 10 treatment ameliorates high-fat diet-induced inflammatory atrial remodeling and fibrillation. Based on these inconsistent findings, there is no clear consensus regarding the utility of which type of HIIT induces the greatest improvements in body composition. Moreover, Wewege et al. reported that HIIT incorporating a cycle ergometer and treadmill significantly reduced FM in overweight and obese adults . Conceivably coined for the first time in 1912 by Hannes Kolehmainen, the 10,000 m Olympic champion runner , HIIT received little attention from athletes until the middle of the 20th century. For example, if you don’t know what your 10RM is on the bench press, do bench as the first exercise in your chest workout, aiming for a weight that allows you to complete exactly 10 reps, then follow with your typical chest routine. The next time you train that muscle group, decrease the starting weight by five to 10 pounds. This HIIT 100s exercises, select a weight that’s equal to 50 percent of what you could normally do for 10 reps. Don’t worry about going too heavy. This will help build more muscle power and strength, despite using such light weight.On Sets 4-6, keep the movement slow and controlled, focusing on the contraction and squeezing each rep at the top for one to two seconds. Three sets of one or two more exercises and you’ll be done with that muscle group for the day. “If you’re doing a circuit training workouts, do some active recovery instead of looking at your phone between sets,” Matheny says. Again, how many calories you burn during any given exercise is highly variable and often depends on things like your weight, intensity, and individual metabolism. Over the course of an initial 90-day period a realistic weight loss could range from eight to 27 lbs. However, the amount of weight one can lose will vary from person to person, and there are lots of factors that contribute to weight loss rate. Short-term exercise training reduces anti-inflammatory action of interleukin-10 in adults with obesity. As a result of the numerous advantages of HIIT on the primary elements of cardiometabolic health, a tailored exercise prescription should be more targeted in the treatment of individuals who are overweight or obese. Thus, HIIT can be viewed as a time-efficient intervention for managing individuals with overweight and obesity due to its equivalent efficacy and less time consumption to MICT. Therefore, safety training intensity, appropriate training type, and effective training volume are the cornerstone in the HIIT therapy in obesity (Figure 3). Tabata training is a specific type of HIIT that consists of 20 seconds of ultra-intense exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated for four minutes. Studies have shown that HIIT burns significantly more fat than steady-state cardio due to its impact on excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) (Burgomaster et al., 2008). HIIT involves alternating short bursts of intense exercise with low-intensity recovery periods. When it comes to losing fat effectively, high-intensity techniques stand out as the most efficient approach. Likewise, more studies are required to determine if HIIT is a better, worse or equivalent alternative to other types of physical training to confirm these results.

HIIT Workout Examples

Longitudinal study of moderate weight change and sleep-disordered breathing. Exercise training promotes cardioprotection through oxygen-sparing action in high fat-fed mice. Can intensive exercise harm the heart? Exercise training prevents high-fat diet-induced adipose tissue remodeling by promoting capillary density and macrophage polarization. The purpose for this pause was to eliminate the influence of bouncing and distinguish eccentric from concentric muscle activation during electromyography analysis. For each exercise, a warm-up set of 5–10 repetitions was performed using 40–60% of the participant’s perceived 1RM. A general warm up consisting of riding a cycle ergometer for 5 min at a self-selected resistance preceded strength testing. The distance (±0.1 cm) between the superficial aponeurosis to the deep aponeurosis was used to determine MT in the RF and VL muscles. Perform three to five total circuits — a 12 to 20-minute workout. In this HIIT workout — “E4MO4M” or “every four minutes on the four minutes” — you have four minutes to complete all of the work below. While the most common EMOM uses one-minute periods, you can adapt the method to almost any timeframe. This intense training method incentivizes you to work harder and faster so you can get more rest. The only rest time is the remainder of that minute, because the next “set” will begin at the start of the next minute.
  • Additionally, it offers one of the only accredited exams in the strength and conditioning space, making you a hot commodity to any employer.
  • I call these ‘TUF runs’ because they’re sprint workouts that we completed on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) TV show I was on a few years ago.”
  • Although this review shows that high intensity (interval) training has favorable effects on cardiopulmonary fitness and body composition in adults with obesity, the results should be interpreted with caution.
  • No matter what training protocol you’re working with, recovery should be your top priority.
  • Thus, the observed average reductions in systolic (~ 11 mmHg) and diastolic (~ 8 mmHg) blood pressure and waist circumference (~ 6%) in the HIIT group are therefore very likely to provide clinically relevant benefits, comparable to effects obtained in pharmacological studies55,56.
  • Softball requires a combination of strength, speed, agility, and endurance, making a balanced training program essential.
  • That is essentially what autophagy does for your body.
By incorporating a diverse array of exercises, circuit training ensures a comprehensive workout that targets both major and minor muscle groups. A Korean study in 2020 on a group of middle-aged women participating in barre exercises twice a week for 12 weeks concluded that barre had a positive effect on their body composition, physical fitness and posture. “It brings your heart rate up, improves endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness while also taking the impact off the body.” But often the best exercises for weight loss (such as burpees and skipping) can be hard on your joints and challenging if you’re overweight. Hybrid workouts combine resistance and cardiovascular training to maximise fat loss. If you have access to a pair of dumbbells, these can be used to get a killer HIIT muscle-building workout from just about anywhere. Even though 20 minutes may not seem like a lot, when you push yourself during these HIIT intervals, you will see amazing fitness benefits. Really anything to get the heart and muscles warmed up. How Can HIIT Workouts Help With Weight Loss?

Time-Saver: Combining HIIT and Strength

Cardio and Strength Training Program for Weight Loss (with PDF) The titles and abstracts of the remaining 236 studies were evaluated by two reviewers independently, and 197 were removed. The subgroup analysis of each outcome must include at least two studies, and the heterogeneity between subgroups was assessed by a chi-square test. Duration of intervention, interval protocol, and form of fasting were examined as subgroups. Moreover, subgroup analysis was performed to find out whether different binding forms of HIIT + fasting can elicit a beneficial effect on fat reduction.

Running Events

It is plausible overground running, particularly with terrain variations (i.e., diverse surfaces and inclines/declines), may activate larger and more numerous muscle groups compared to treadmill running or stationary cycle ergometers to more effectively increase metabolic rate. We observed an overall significant reduction of BF% in all modes of HIIT, and a subgroup analysis of the exercise mode (overground running, cycling, or treadmill running) showed a magnitude effect with the overground running protocol. A previous meta-analysis of RCTs in overweight and obese participants (as opposed to the general population in our current work) showed significant reductions in BF% following HIIT, particularly when incorporating running modalities compared to cycling . Any type of cardio can be used with interval training, but I would caution against running more than a few times per week, because the demands on your metabolic system and joints are significant. Exercise physiologists used to believe that “steady state” cardio was superior for fat loss because relatively more fat is used by the body as fuel at lower exercise intensities than at higher intensities. For example, sprinting for 30-seconds, then walking for 60-seconds is high intensity interval training. Keep scrolling for 21 great high-intensity workout options to try that range from five to 45 minutes and include all different protocols. Matroni agrees, adding that any time you're doing an effective workout, you're going to get some kind of high, but with HIIT, “getting endorphins will happen.” “If you are maxing out and getting close to your max heart rate, you're going to experience something called EPOC, which is post-exercise oxygen consumption,” says Matroni. “It's good for your cardiovascular health and your heart is going to get stronger,” Matroni says. HIIT is perhaps one of the best ways to increase this health metric that is considered the “gold standard for how we measure cardiorespiratory fitness,” according to the Mayo Clinic. A random effect model was used with the effects measures of MD for body mass, WC, PFM, FM, and FFM, and SMD for VO2peak, FPG, and FPI. Nine RCTs reported post-intervention in body mass, seven RCTs reported BMI, six RCTs reported WC, six RCTs reported PFM, six RCTs reported in FM, and seven RCTs reported in FFM. All studies reported the effect of HIIT + fasting on body composition. Relevant studies published and unpublished which tested the association between HIIT, fasting, and fat reduction were searched, with a language restriction of English and Chinese. Secondary aims were to determine which combination method has a better effect on adults with overweight and obesity. Effects of an indoor cycling program on cardiometabolic factors in women with obesity vs. Normal body weight. Effects of aerobic interval training on arterial stiffness and microvascular function in patients with metabolic syndrome. Effects of intermittent ladder-climbing exercise training on mitochondrial biogenesis and endoplasmic reticulum stress of the cardiac muscle in obese middle-aged rats.
Sample Training Week for Softball Players
To maximize the adaptations to training, both HIIT and CR must be part of training programs for endurance runners. Most of these studies combined HIIT sessions with continuous run (CR) sessions; 2 studies' subjects performed HIIT exclusively. Intervention studies lasted a minimum of 4 weeks, with 10 weeks being the longest intervention period, and included 2 to 4 HIIT sessions per week. In the 15 cross-sectional studies selected, endurance runners performed at least 1 HIIT protocol, and the acute impact on physiological, neuromuscular, metabolic and/or biomechanical variables was assessed. Despite completing ~90% less total training volume (630 kJ vs. 6500 kJ), six sessions of SIT (30 s × 4–6 repeats) resulted in similar improvement in time trial performance to that observed following MICT . For example, MacDougall et al. in 1998 reported an increase in V˙O2max and glycolytic and oxidative enzyme activity, including citrate synthase (CS), succinate-dehydrogenase, and malate dehydrogenase, following 7 weeks of SIT involving 4 to 10 × 30 s all-out with 2 to 4 min of recovery (3 times/week) in young healthy men . Following these studies, Roberts et al. investigated in early 1980 the effects of HIIT on the anaerobic metabolism of skeletal muscle in young active males . In the following years, the effects of this type of exercise model on health and exercise performance gained popularity 82,83,95,104. This notion was supported by a study they conducted, in which 21 days of HIIT elicited a 20% increase in heart volume and improvement in the endurance capacity of middle- and long-distance runners . By embracing the journey and celebrating progress, individuals can cultivate a rewarding and fulfilling fitness experience. Recognizing and celebrating achievements and milestones along the fitness journey is vital for maintaining motivation and enthusiasm. This commitment to consistency and progression cultivates discipline and resilience, empowering participants to reach their fitness goals. Celebrating achievements and milestones fosters motivation and commitment to the training program, reinforcing the value of consistent effort and dedication.
  • Boosting your fitness level with HIIT not only makes it easier to do daily activities like climbing stairs or carrying a bag of groceries, it also keeps your ticker healthy.
  • This can lead to lower blood pressure, improved circulation, and a reduced risk of heart disease.
  • It increases the production of growth hormone and norepinephrine, both of which play significant roles in mobilizing fat from fat cells and burning it for energy.
  • If you overdo HIIT, you may find yourself dreading your workouts and ultimately skipping them, at which point you're not getting any of the health benefits of exercise.
  • By investing just a few short months in the Trifecta Weight Loss Experiment, participants can reap the benefits of sustainable weight loss for years to come.
  • It’s one of the top workouts year after year.
  • That is almost a pound of extra fat-free mass gained and a pound of fat lost, just by eating slightly more protein.
  • Below, you’ll find seven incredible HIIT workouts for weight loss.
  • Studies are showing that HIIT is an effective way for older people to build muscle, regulate insulin, cut fat and increase heart function.
4. Exercise intervention
Common misconceptions about HIIT Optimal recovery between sets aids in the development of strength as well. To maximize the effectiveness of this progression, ample recovery time (two minutes or more) between sets is recommended. Training intensity refers to the percentage of output based on an all-out effort such as a 1 repetition maximum (1RM) or repetitions to failure. Because those high-intensity intervals push your heart rate close to its maximum effort, creating a serious calorie burn and even boosting your exercise capacity long after you’ve finished. As you can tell from the name, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is challenging. Physical activity, including exercise, has a stronger effect in keeping weight from coming back after weight loss. Engaging in regular exercise is linked to multiple health benefits, including maintaining cognitive abilities and perhaps reducing the risk of dementia. However, variations in training protocols should be considered when tailoring the exercise program to individual preferences and capacities. Based on these findings, it is recommended that HIIT and MICT are effective in improving body composition in individuals who are overweight and obese. The limitations of the included studies, such as the risk of bias related to blinding and variations in training protocols, should be considered when interpreting these results and designing future studies in this field. As runners, we’re always looking for ways to get faster and chase that elusive PR—and incorporating interval training into our regular routines definitely helps. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more. “Maintaining a routine that involves HIIT training three to four times a week will help compound that post-workout effect on your metabolism,” Cabral said. Check with your doctor first if you are new to exercise, are recovering from injury, or have a medical condition like an uncontrolled heart rate (known as arrhythmia), diabetes, or diabetes complications like retinopathy, per the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. A comparison showed that running was more effective than cycling in reducing total and visceral fat mass. The upside is since your body still burns calories 24 hours after exercise, your blood sugar level also decreases. Altering your exercise habits by doing HIIT 3 times a week for 4 weeks has increased the gait speed, cadence, and stride length of post-stroke patients. To reduce the risk for injuries, experts suggest undergoing neuromuscular training and pre-strengthening programs.
  • HIIT on a static bicycle is a training modality characterized by short, intermittent bursts of vigorous exercise alternated by rest periods or low-intensity recovery (Gibala et al., 2012).
  • First goes free-circulating sugar in your blood and then it uses glycogen, the form of carbohydrates stored in your muscles and liver.
  • You’ll get five workouts, including a warm-up and stretches.
  • Your healthcare provider can also recommend what type of cardio machine is best for you.
  • These results indicated that HIIT was a way to improve the loss of FFM caused by fasting, and duration was a moderator for it.
  • However, it’s essential to note that HIIT training alone may not be enough to build significant muscle mass.
  • This time-efficient nature of HIIT offers a valuable advantage, potentially achieving similar or even greater fat loss compared to traditional aerobic training within a shorter timeframe.
  • However, we observed differences between DL in relation to NDL in strength and RFD at baseline in both groups and that were maintained post-training, accentuating in older people.
Recorded heart rate (HR) values during all exercise sessions confirmed that the prescribed level of intensity was achieved in both exercise groups. However, given the leading exercise barrier of time commitment, there is need to assess the efficacy of even more time-efficient low-volume HIIT protocols on health outcomes in obese individuals at increased cardiometabolic risk. However, the majority of this evidence is based on studies involving trained, sedentary or overweight but otherwise healthy participants. There is accumulating evidence that these low-volume exercise approaches can induce similar or even superior improvements in CRF than MICT, despite substantially lower training volume and time commitment23,24,25. As per previous definition, these brief training protocols typically involve ≤ 10 min of intense exercise within a session lasting ≤ 30 min including warm-up, recovery phases between intervals and cool-down21. Improved strength can increase overall training intensity, in addition to training volume. Training intensity has been demonstrated to contribute to fat loss a few different ways. Resistance training within these guidelines appears to be effective for increasing lean muscle mass. As you can see in the above equation, this can be accomplished by manipulating the number of sets, the number or repetitions or the weight utilized during exercises. This is calculated by the product of (sets X reps or time under tension X weight) used during a training day, week month, etc.
  • The study’s strengths are the feasibility of the training modes that many obese adults could execute without supervision, and the contemporary assessment of all the main cardiovascular risk factors (blood pressure, PG, lipid profile, weight and CRF).
  • Aim to attend Zumba classes at least 2-3 times per week, and try to make it a habit by scheduling it into your daily routine.
  • Glycolysis of glycogen granules in the skeletal muscle, catecholamine release, increased shear stress in the vessels, and increased autonomic nerve activity by HIIT are related to increased aerobic and metabolic capacities.
  • Let’s talk about why people are interested in including some intensity in their routine.
  • HIIT workouts are very efficient, so you don’t need to spend hours at the gym.
  • Effects of a single bout of short-duration high-intensity and long-duration low-intensity exercise on insulin resistance and adiponectin/leptin ratio.
  • Adding just a few variable-intensity workouts to your regular exercise regimen can boost your fitness level faster and reverse more of the effects of aging on your body than if your entire workout is at the same intensity level.
For instance, follow an intense interval of burpees with a set of bent over rows or triceps dips. One way to do this is to do some strength moves during the recovery periods. If you like weights in the morning and cardio in the evenings, make that your routine.
  • In this regard, in this review, SIT was evaluated separately from HIIT because its intensity is about 3.5-fold (350% VO2max) the intensity of HIIT; thus, SIT is a very demanding exercise protocol and has been deemed adaptable only to young healthy people in previous studies36,37.
  • During diet‐induced weight loss, resistance training is the most effective exercise modality to preserve lean body mass.
  • This is a great workout to use on the treadmill or stationary bike.
  • I’ve lost more fat in a month than I did in three months of just dieting.
  • The result reported by Taylor et al. whose trials found that the effects of ≥3 months HIIT on body mass and BMI were much better than 4 weeks HIIT, the similar results were also found in fasting intervention .
  • This type of training is much more efficient than steady-state cardio, meaning you can get more benefits from it in less time.
  • There is a paucity of knowledge regarding the mechanistic basis for these positive effects on body composition with active and passive recovery.
The fixed-effects model (FE) or random-effects model (RE) combined data based on the between-study heterogeneity. The weighted mean difference (WMD) and standardized mean difference (SMD) were used to analyze data from the same and different indicator categories, respectively. Burpees are hard enough on their own, but when they are combined with sprinting, they create a very high, intense level of exercise. Building up your core and leg muscles will help your overall cadence in your regular runs. Nobody loves hills from day one, but the more you do them, the more powerful you become.

Workout When You Want, How You Want

Each group performed the following exercises in this order in circuit fashion; chest press, heel raise, rear deltoid, elbow flexion, seated row, knee extension, knee flexion, abdominal flexion, push-ups. A 10RM was determined for all exercises with the exception of push-ups following National Strength and Conditioning Association guidelines for RM testing . Pre and post muscular performance testing was performed in the following order with 2-3 minutes rest between exercises; chest press, heel raise, rear deltoid, elbow flexion, seated row, knee extension, knee flexion, abdominal flexion, push-ups. The reasons for these results are uncertain considering the unclear data regarding set volume as a key RT variable 9–32 in addition to evidence suggesting superiority of training to MMF 21, 22 and that training to MMF significantly improves cardiovascular fitness and endurance . Examination of studies considering low and high set volumes suggests intensity of effort applied often differs. In the ischemic myocardium exposed to a high-fat load, HIIT also displayed practical cardioprotective effects through cardiac function amelioration. Admittedly, the sufficient evidence of dose-response correlations required to achieve the optimal advantages of HIIT is still lacking at this time (Joisten et al., 2022). HIIT improves VO2max, cardiometabolic health, endothelial function, resting blood pressure, metabolic capacity, and upregulates antioxidant capacity. Higher IMAT levels predict incidence of cardiovascular events and mortality independent of general obesity by impair the cardiac structure and function (Yim et al., 2007). Overview of reviews on the effect of exercise training on weight loss, fat mass loss, and weight maintenance in adults with overweight or obesity Therefore, in the context of the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) Physical Activity Working Group (see summary paper for details), the aim of the present study was to conduct an overview of reviews examining the impact of exercise training programs on weight loss, changes in body composition and weight maintenance in individuals with overweight or obesity. By combining high-intensity interval training (HIIT) with weight lifting, our program not only burns calories but also builds muscle strength and improves metabolic health. People who want to lose weight can benefit greatly from high-intensity interval training (HIIT) since it increases calorie burn, lowers body fat, and enhances overall health. HIIT workouts for weight loss offer a practical and time-saving solution for those who want to lose excess fat and improve overall fitness. Remember that it is important to keep a good training log if you are planning this sort of training, as it is difficult to remember where you fail and what is easy otherwise. If the final set is too easy, just increase the weights of each set in the next session. The second warm up set should be done with a weight 70% of the work set. The first warm up set should be done with a weight 50% of the work set. The biochemical response to resistance exercise (time course) during WK3 and WK10 are illustrated in Figure2, while the AUC responses at WK3 and WK10 are presented in Table4. Group differences in changes in muscle activation efficiency during submaximal and maximal squat assessment following 8 weeks of training Changes in muscle size and anthropometrics following the training intervention are presented in Table2. Thus, any change occurring within this confidence interval would be interpreted as being consistent with the measurement error of the test, while changes occurring outside of the interval reflect real changes in body composition. Participants reported to the HPL 3 h postprandial, at a standardized time of day consistent with their normal training schedule. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Additionally, many Zumba instructors are trained to provide modifications for participants with injuries or health conditions. Zumba can be modified to be safe for people with injuries or health conditions. Moreover, training programs aiming at decreasing muscle glycogen may lead to the risk for the so-called overtraining syndrome and impaired immune function, which hinder performance improvement. However, it should be noted that training with a high muscle-glycogen content would allow one to train for longer periods and thus obtain better results. Of the limited studies available, the twice-a-day approach has also been shown to be more effective than “once-daily” exercise for inducing adaptations related to substrate oxidation during submaximal exercise, endurance capacity, and V˙O2max 3,156,160,161. Further, since no time-course of signaling protein activation was provided, which would be difficult to do due to the invasive nature of the procedure, this could be a confusing factor that limits the findings of this study. This experiment is designed to help individuals achieve long-term weight loss success by making sustainable lifestyle changes that promote overall health and wellness.By combining a balanced diet, regular exercise, and a positive mindset, participants can expect to see significant weight loss results while also improving their overall health and wellbeing. By addressing the whole person, rather than just the body, individuals can experience a transformative shift in their overall well-being.In conclusion, the Trifecta Weight Loss Experiment offers a revolutionary approach to sustainable weight loss, one that combines the essential components of nutrition, exercise, and mindset. While Zumba can be an effective tool for weight loss, it’s essential to combine it with a healthy diet and other forms of exercise. HIIT, high-intensity interval training; HRmax, heart rate maximum; MICT, moderate-intensity continuous training; MET, metabolic equivalent RPE, Rating of Perceived Exertion; VO2peak, peak aerobic capacity; W, watts. The primary data related to fat loss (body mass (BM), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), percent fat mass (PFM)) and cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP)) were included. The lunge leap is an enhanced version of the standard walking lunge exercise. High knees build stronger leg muscles while quickening the pulse, enhancing overall flexibility and coordination. Another simple workout that does not require any special equipment is this one. The first component of this two-part workout is a push-up, followed by a leap into the air. By incorporating HIIT workouts into your fitness routine, you can maximize your weight loss efforts and achieve your fitness goals more efficiently. Strength and sculpt queen Liotta is back, and this time she combines strength moves with high-intensity interval training that'll help you get the most bang for your buck. Swimming is a full-body low-intensity workout that’s perfect for weight loss. For main continuous outcomes (the number of participants, mean, and standard deviation (standard error or 95% confidence interval)), we extracted from the follow-up immediately after the end of the intervention. The remaining studies were evaluated by reading the full texts. We also looked through the list of eligible research cited in the relevant journals and references to see if any more studies were potentially suitable. Excessive training volume can hinder growth by increasing fatigue and limiting recovery. Lifting heavier weights for fewer reps stimulates muscle fibers effectively, leading to hypertrophy. By focusing on quality over quantity, this method allows for consistent progress without excessive fatigue or long workout sessions. Five studies used an LCD as a fasting program 37,38,39,40,41. Our evaluation criteria were met by 230 overweight and obese participants (age ≥ 18). Seventeen studies were excluded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria, six for poor quality, and seven for missing data. The full texts of the last 39 studies were reviewed diligently. At the 45th minute and at the end of exercise, the perceived exertion values in the CON exercise were significantly higher than those in the INT exercises. The results of the perceived exertion using the Borg Scale showed that the CON exercise is less well tolerated than the INT exercises. The participants performed the three exercise types close to FAT max intensity for a duration exceeding 45 min, i.e., the average duration often prescribed for obese patients . In summary, compared to MICT, our study indicated that the advantages HIIT brings to the young and middle-aged on fat loss and CRF are limited, yet these benefits can be provoked in a more time-saving manner. The low time cost makes HIIT a more suitable exercise prescription for the young and middle-aged to apply when it comes to fat loss and CRF improvement. In addition, the dietary control of participants was incorrectly analyzed in this study which might influence the outcomes, as several studies have proven that the combination of exercise and diet intervention has more effects on body composition 107,108. Although we conducted a comprehensive study on the effect of HIIT and MICT on fat loss and cardiorespiratory fitness in the young and middle-aged through meta-analysis and subgroup-analysis, this review still has several limitations. As one review revealed, HIIT can achieve whole-body PFM reduction through increasing aerobic and anaerobic fitness, lowering insulin resistance, and increasing the skeletal muscle capacity for fatty acid oxidation and glycolytic enzyme content.

Band Tricep Pulldowns (30 reps, no rest)

Sure, that method of training is valuable for your overall health, but if you’re not seeing the fat-loss progress that you want, it might be time to crank up that cardio by a few notches. Performing both cardio and strength training is key if you want to strip away unwanted body fat and maintain your lean muscle. Importantly, only one study41 reported concurrent improvements in muscle mass and reductions in body fat percentage following a combined HIIT and multimodal HIIT (MM-HIIT) program. During the recovery period, your heart rate comes down just enough so you can repeat the next burst with good form. When the body draws on glycogen for energy, it triggers an uncomfortable burning sensation that signals the brain to slow down and take a break. "If your muscles had to wait for oxygen first, you wouldn't be able to do any quick, explosive movements", Liu explains. During a HIIT workout, your body is pushed to its limits, forcing it to adapt to the intense demands placed upon it. HIIT involves short bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by brief periods of rest or low-intensity exercise. It’s about making the most of every workout, respecting your body’s limits, and enjoying the journey. Once you’ve built up basic fitness levels or have fully recovered from an injury, you can start incorporating HIIT into your exercise regimen. This approach allows your body to adapt, building endurance and stamina over time.
  • Training intensity dramatically impacts the hormonal response from exercise and, in turn, increases in lean muscle mass and EPOC.
  • Especially for individuals with limited mobility, flexibility, or fitness level, low-intensity workouts can be a game-changer.
  • Both muscle and fat tissue are capable of soaking up circulating fuel after meals.
  • In this regard, HIIT can incorporate a wide range of exercise modalities (including, but not limited to, cycling, overground running, or treadmill running), intensity, recovery periods (active vs. passive), volume, repetitions, and sets that can be modified to accommodate a variety of populations .
  • Stay on top of latest health news from Harvard Medical School.
  • Once you've completed all rounds of one Tabata exercise, rest for one minute, then continue to the next move.Get The Workout
  • This gradual approach helps prevent injury and ensures a sustainable progression in your fitness journey.
Pushups are among the most popular bodyweight exercises, even though they may be challenging for beginners. HIIT for weight loss involves short, intense bursts of exercise followed by brief rest breaks. You'll burn calories for hours post-workout as your body recovers from the high-intensity exercise, she explains. Aerobic exercise is an essential component of MetS management. Keywords included "Metabolic Syndrome," "aerobic exercise," "insulin resistance," "dyslipidemia," and "exercise prescription." We've been helping people achieve their weight management goals since 2005. We track calories and 7 key nutrients - carbs, sugar, fibre, protein, fat, saturated fat and salt. This can mean it's possible to get smaller but not lighter if you are building muscle.
  • If the evaluation measures of outcome indicators were the same, the weighted mean difference (WMD) was used for effect size comparison; if the evaluation measures of outcome indicators were different, the standardized mean difference (SMD) was used for effect size comparison.
  • Because molecules of glycogen hold on to water molecules, as muscle cells store more glycogen, they can increase in overall size (Buchheit & Laursen, 2013).
  • By adopting a HIIT regimen, she experienced not only fat loss but also improved mood and reduced stress levels.
  • Even in exercise training with submaximal aerobic HIIT, adequate adherence to the target intensity and frequency was not achieved in multicenter RCTs8,45,49.
  • Today, the demand has never been greater for maximal results in minimal time, which has driven exercisers to look for more effective and efficient ways to lose fat and shape their bodies.
  • In summary, both High Intensity Training and High Volume Training have their unique merits and can contribute to achieving your fitness goals.
  • Twelve‐week mean changes (with 95% confidence intervals) in physical function outcomes following aerobic or high‐intensity resistance and impact training combined with weight loss.
However, the “high-intensity” moniker implies a few prerequisites that should be covered in terms of safety and experience level prior to starting your workout. As long as big, full-body movements with minimal rest periods are made central to the workout itself, you’re in business. Whether up or down, each one of these exercises is scalable to accommodate the challenge you need. After that, light your shoulders on fire with easy-to-transition dumbbell exercises that hit them from all angles. In particular, high-intensity exercise may lead to rapid fatigue and increased musculoskeletal strain early in the exercise, potentially affecting exercise persistence and adherence . MICT typically requires 30–60 min of sustained moderate-intensity exercise, whereas HIIT has shown equal or superior effects on CRF (VO2peak), vascular health (PWV and FMD), and blood pressure (SBP and DBP), despite shorter sessions 15,27,51. HIIT involves repeated sessions of high-intensity exercise followed by low-intensity recovery and is effective in improving CRF in a short time 10,12. Fitness is a lifetime commitment, not a sprint to a finish line. Slowly build up to a moderate or vigorous intensity. Start at a light intensity if you're new to exercising. Exercising at the correct intensity can help you get the most out of your physical activity. When you exercise, are you working hard or hardly working? Join us as we explore the many benefits of HIIT workouts and give you a few ideas for HIIT exercises you can try as you search for the best workout for your needs. One of the most appealing features of high-intensity interval training is its flexibility. This sustained increase means a HIIT workout burns more calories and improves cardiovascular fitness more efficiently than sustained moderate-intensity exercise. Known for its ability to deliver effective results in less time than traditional workouts, HIIT is a big "hit" with younger fitness enthusiasts. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) including both female or male adults with excess body weight. However, they have not addressed the chronic effect of HIIT vs. CAT on body fat assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). However, being high-intensity in nature, I recommend avoiding this program if you have any health issues, whether it’s injury or cardiac disease.
  • “One hour of strength training can burn 300 to 400 calories on average, but you’ll continue to burn more calories throughout the day because of the EPOC effect,” Saltos says.
  • #4 ((QOLTitle/Abstract) OR (MHTitle/Abstract) OR (Life qualityTitle/Abstract) OR (Health related quality of lifeTitle/Abstract) OR (Quality of lifeMeSH Terms) OR (Mental healthMeSH Terms) OR (Mental healthMeSH Terms) OR (Mental well-beingTitle/Abstract)).
  • For inspiration, read about Hannah’s weight loss journey to see how HIIT transformed her fitness routine.
  • Focus on whole foods, adequate protein intake, and proper hydration to support your fitness goals.
  • This timeframe is ideal for most people to achieve effective results without overdoing it.
  • During a HIIT workout, you may perform exercises such as sprints, jump squats, or burpees at maximum intensity for seconds, followed by 1-2 minutes of rest or low-intensity exercise.
  • The plank jack strengthens many muscles from the upper to the lower body and helps increase strength and endurance.
  • Simultaneously, swing your right arm to about shoulder height and your left arm across your body to reach your right hip.
  • Before starting a HIIT program it’s advisable to consult with a healthcare professional especially if you have any health conditions.
LeafyBark isn’t just a source of information; it’s a community where health-conscious individuals connect and thrive. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see immediate results – HIIT training is a journey, and consistent effort and patience are key to achieving optimal results. Additionally, consuming adequate protein and calories is crucial to support muscle growth and repair. It’s also essential to warm up thoroughly before starting a HIIT workout and to cool down afterwards to prevent injury. 4.1. Exercise Adherence and Safety These proportions are not a strict rule, however; for individuals who have much less time available for exercise, using a greater proportion of higher intensity exercise may be useful. However, there are numerous indirect benefits of exercise on body composition and body fat levels. We also know that for every incremental improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness, a person will reduce their risk of premature death from any cause, so either method of exercise (o can be an effective strategy to improve health and longevity. When using interval training, intervals longer than 2 minutes appear more effective than shorter intervals at increasing VO2max. There is no one “best” zone for exercise, particularly for health or general fitness.
Anthropometric data and body composition
Effects of high-intensity interval training versus moderate-intensity continuous training on epicardial fat thickness and endothelial function in hypertensive metabolic syndrome. Effects of short-term high-intensity interval and continuous exercise training on body composition and cardiac function in obese sarcopenic rats. High-intensity interval training has beneficial effects on cardiac remodeling through local renin-angiotensin system modulation in mice fed high-fat or high-fructose diets. Intermittent fasting, high-intensity interval training, or a combination of both have beneficial effects in obese mice with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Cardiometabolic risk markers, adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (aFABP) and the impact of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in obese adolescents. Those that use it feel very strongly that the research done by Mentzer, and subsequent research, provides proof that the system works better at building muscle. He then won a further 5 times in a row until 1997 when he also retired. At the age of 30 in 1992 he became a World bodybuilding champion when he won Mr. Olympia. In between you are giving the smaller muscle groups three days recovery. Overview of reviews on the effect of exercise training on visceral adipose tissue in adults with overweight or obesity Cheng et al. included aerobic or resistance training or a combination of both and reported a significant additional weight and fat loss.18 Sardeli et al. focused on resistance training and found no significant effect whatever outcome.7 Schwingshackl et al. reported a higher weight and fat loss with aerobic training vs. resistance training, and with a combination of aerobic and resistance training vs. resistance training alone.21 Of the 31 studies that used DXA, 28 and 3 studies reported the change in lean body mass and fat‐free mass, respectively. It is effective for weight loss and fat reduction as it simultaneously elevates the heart rate and engages multiple muscle groups. In fact, combining HIIT with strength training is one of the best ways to build lean muscle, improve aerobic fitness, and accelerate fat loss. Pairing HIIT with other workouts like moderate intensity exercise or strength training can help balance your routine and prevent burnout. The knee tap is a cardio cum bodyweight strength training exercise that forges several muscle groups simultaneously, including the chest, core, and arms. In this paper, a brief history of interval training was presented, based on the novel findings of some selected studies on exercise capacity and health, starting from the early 1920s to date. People who are deconditioned, recovering from injury, elderly, have overweight, or have medical conditions should be followed and monitored closely by their physician and an exercise professional, because of the higher intensity achieved with HIIT. The difference with circuit training is that the intensity is variable, whereas HIIT encourages maximum effort by reaching 80-90% maximum heart rate. Circuit training involves 8-12 exercise stations that target different muscle groups. Fitness centers and gyms that offer Tabata classes are typically minutes and encourage participants to reach their highest intensity ability, but they can self-regulate their workouts. Those new to fitness, though, should keep these tips in mind to ensure their workouts remain safe and appropriate for their fitness level. "Regularly pushing near your anaerobic threshold trains your body to tolerate and clear fatigue better. Over time, you can work harder with less effort," Liu explains. Cardio, on the other hand, prolongs muscle stress, which can increase the likelihood of muscle loss over time, Tang adds. "Cardio-style HIIT can help preserve muscle. The high intensity of these intervals recruits fast-twitch muscle fibres and triggers human growth hormone (HGH), which helps muscles stay strong", explains Tang. HIIT isn't the best method for building muscle because the goal is to go quickly to spike your heart rate, not move heavy weights. Here are some of the best HIIT workouts running (excuse the pun). You’ll need to be equipped with a stopwatch to track your workouts and some method to determine how hard you’re working. As discussed above, tailor the rest periods in between each interval to suit your fitness levels. If you’re new to HIIT, don’t choose exercises that require a lot of power. If you stick with it, you’ll see your fitness levels improve and your body change for the better. This allows for targeted muscle engagement and ensures consistent resistance throughout the range of motion. Rest for seconds between sets to recover without losing intensity. This chest and tricep workout involves pressing movements. Once you finish your two sets, move to the next exercise. However, if you plan to work out longer, it might make sense to pick three to four heart-thumping moves and three to four recovery moves to mix things up and stay engaged, Liu says. Practically speaking, this means you don't stop moving, but you are doing slower, more controlled movements that help your heart rate come down, she says. "Once you're fatigued, the margin for error gets smaller, and that's when form can break down, and injuries can happen. HIIT works best with movements you can push hard and do safely," Liu says. Liu agrees, noting that activities like incline walking, stair climbing or rowing are all great because they can generally be performed safely as athletes fatigue. A relentless, heavy-hitting fusion of station, turf, and core work that combines strength, cardio, and endurance for those who crave an extreme challenge. Whether you want to build muscle, torch calories, or simply switch things up from your usual routine, there’s a HIIT style here for everyone. From strength-based circuits to cardio-packed turf challenges, each program is designed to push your limits in a fun and unique way. HIIT can be tailored to all fitness levels.