Many people who work out are looking for the right cardio exercise and in essence they are looking to perform cardio that burns the most calories. In recent years, you are given several options to choose from like the treadmill, elliptical, stationary bike and even swimming. However, research has shown that the right approach to burning the most calories is to incorporate high intensity cardio workouts because they can boost your metabolism and help you shed those unwanted pounds.
Since the choice for weight loss is high intensity cardio workouts,
it’s only necessary to start this article by discussing the benefits of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). These cardio workouts have been proven time and time again to boost your metabolism because of the effect it has on your body overtime. When you perform HIIT, you are causing two processes to occur within your body. First, you are increasing your metabolism by shocking your body which keeps your body burning calories long after your workout is over. This works by allowing your body to burn extra calories which would have been converted into fat while you sleep or during inactivity. Secondly, you are causing your body to release more than normal fat burning hormones throughout your body which again helps your body burn fat deposits throughout your body. A mixture of these two processes is the perfect match for weight loss.
Next, What exactly are high intensity workouts? They are shorter than normal cardio workouts because they last only about 20-30 minutes, however the intensity level during this time is high. You are keeping your body in a complete shock state for the entire workout which is why these workouts are so beneficial. You usually start with a warm up which lasts about 2 minutes and you jump straight into a intense sprint that last about 2 minutes, than back down into a slow jog. The important thing to notice is that there is no middle stage which is why these workouts are so effective. It’s a low-high effect, so your body will be at a cold state, than you rock it with a hard intense state while jumping back down into a cool state. This processes confuses the body and is responsible for the body shock which burns those unwanted calories.
Since a body in shock takes several hours to recover, it your body keeps burning calories even after your workout which is the ideal effect because the more calories which you burn, than the more weight loss occurs.
High intensity workouts usually last from 20-30 minutes and is should be performed on a machine that is accessible every day. This is why it is recommended to either run, swim or even play sports which require bursts of energy every 1-2 minutes like basketball, soccer or football.
Perform HIIT workouts about 3-4 days a week and on the remainder of the days, you should maybe incorporate some moderate cardio or even just take 1-2 days to relax. Why? Since the intensity level is high when performing HIIT, you run the risk of getting burnt out which in most cases may lead to a lack of motivation or just you completely stopping your routine. What I would do is that with you performing high intensity workouts 3-4 times a week, I would take 2 days off after that to relax and 1 day perform moderate cardio exercises.
Three Quick Workouts
Explosive Sprints: These are sprints which start off with a slow jog and then you proceed into an explosive burst of speed for 2-3 minutes. Once you have finished your burst or sprint it is important to drop into a slow pace jog. The objective is to shock your body. This high intensity cardio workout is great because it is something that you can perform at home or even outside during nice weather. Running is something that you have been doing for years and no one has a problem running and does not need to practice before starting.
Explosive Pushups: Another great cardio workout that can be performed at home or the gym. Very easy to perform and very easy to learn. If you’re a beginner, these can be done on your knees, using a chair or even just plain old normal pushups on your toes. Start off with 8-12 pushups and take only a break which is between 45-60 seconds. Make sure not to break more than that because you do not want your body to cool down completely, but want to make sure that it stays in a warm state.
Jumping Rope: Many people don’t know this, but jumping rope is one of the best HIIT workouts ever. The fact that the speed of the rope can be controlled by you, the intensity can be adjusted very easily. All that’s required is a rope and its can be performed almost everywhere like home, gym, park or even during lunch at school. Start by jumping at a slow pace for about 2 minutes, than increase the speed of the rope for about 2 minutes before dropping it back down. Do about 5-6 sets with only a break of about 60-95 seconds.
If you’re trying to lose weight than make sure to incorporate high intensity interval training within your workout because it will definitely increase your metabolism. It works great for people of all ages especially for those that are getting older and their metabolism is slowing down. With a stead nutrition plan, you will notice losses of about 4-6 pounds a month which is an amazing rate.
Please read our section on interval training to burn fat and if you want to build lean muscle, than we have great resources on strength training vs cardio.
