Burning fat and building lean muscle tissue does not have to involve a lot of expensive equipment and countless hours spent in the gym. Incorporating simple but effective body-weight exercises, performed using a form of interval training known as HIIT, can help you achieve the body of your dreams.
HIIT
HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, involves alternating between bursts of high-intensity activity and periods of lower-intensity activity throughout your workout. Not only will you increase your muscle tissue, but you will also improve your aerobic endurance. Because you are moving continuously throughout the duration of the workout session, you will burn more calories during your workout than in a traditional strength training or aerobic exercise session. Additionally, strength training and HIIT both are more effective at keeping your metabolism elevated longer after your session than traditional aerobic exercise training, which can further aid in fat loss.
How HIIT Works
There are many ways to perform HIIT. Beginners should start with shorter high-intensity intervals paired with longer low-intensity recovery intervals. Gradually increase the length of your high-intensity intervals, while bringing your low-intensity interval closer to the same length or even less than the time you spend doing the high-intensity interval as you progress in your fitness level. Each HIIT workout should always begin with a thorough warmup. Perform a moderate-intensity aerobic warmup for five to 10 minutes, such as brisk walking, to get the blood flowing to your muscles, and then get your joints moving by performing 10 reps each of body-weight squats, toe touches and arm circles.
Beginner Body Weight Interval Workout
A beginner should start with two 30-second high-intensity body-weight exercises followed by two minutes of low- to moderate-intensity aerobic exercise such as brisk walking, incline walking, cycling, jumping jacks, stair climbing or using an elliptical. A sample workout might include 30 seconds of full body-weight squats in which thighs drop below parallel to the floor and then 30 seconds of pushups. Next, perform two minutes of an aerobic exercise of your choice. For your next round, perform 30 seconds of lunges followed by 30 seconds of pullups. Complete isometric holds by holding your chin up to the bar for 30 seconds if you are unable to do pullups. Perform two minutes of aerobic exercise. Last, complete 30 seconds of situps and 30 seconds of planks. Complete two minutes of aerobic exercise. Rest for one minute, and repeat two more times.
Advanced Body Weight Interval Workout
Begin an advanced body-weight workout by performing 30 seconds each of jump squats, pushups and planks. Perform one minute of aerobic exercise such as brisk walking. In the next round, complete 30 seconds each of pullups, lunges and leg lifts, followed by one minute of stair climbing. Your last round will consist of 30 seconds of burpees, mountain climbers and bicycle crunches, followed by 60 seconds of walking. Rest for one minute, and repeat three to five times.
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