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High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has long been recognized as a terrific way to trigger fast fat loss with a fat burning effect which carries on way after the exercise itself has finished.

You could easily adapt this workout for outside use if you prefer to run outdoors but the advantage of using a treadmill is the use of incline & speed settings which you can record in your workout journal (you do record your workouts don't you?) so that you can measure your progress.

We've used a technique in this workout called 'effort level'  (other names for it include 'perceived effort level' and 'intensity level'). Effort Level is a scale from 1 to 10 where level-1 is stationary (sitting down or even sleeping!), level-3 would be light walking, level-5 might be walking briskly, level-7 would be sweating heavily and only just able to talk if you really had to, level-9 would be only able to last just over a minute at this pace and level-10 would be absolutely flat out and only just able to complete 1-minute at this level.

The Workout

This should take 20 minutes to complete.

You're basically performing a warmup followed by 4 'cycles' of intensity ending at a peak before a final minute of cooldown.

So how do you adjust the Effort Level? Well, this is a combination of the incline setting and the speed. The first few times you do this workout, you'll be going through a process lf 'trial-and-error' to find out what works for you. For some, you'll stick to a standard incline throughout and simply increase & decrease the treadmill speed. For others, you may find that you keep at a steady pace but adjust the incline. And finally, for the more experienced fitness enthusiast, you'll probably need to adjust both.

That's the benefit of the 'Effort Level' approach – it is relative to how you perceive the effort level.

If you have time, you can really crank up the fat burning effects of this workout by continuing with a further 15-20 minutes of mild cardio after you've finished this High Intensity session.

OK, so here is the workout, minute-by-minute:

The workout is based on circuit training with sprints between exercises all aimed at getting you quickly into an anaerobic state, which combined with the exercises give your lungs & muscles a real test.

You#ll get a high calorie burn and equally high fitness training result from this workout because you’re pushing your anaerobic system which generates muscle power, and also blitzing your aerobic system which helps to build up your stamina and your body’s efficiency in getting oxygen to your muscles.

It’s a workout designed to help you shed fat fast whilst also building up your core stamina and giving some of your main muscle groups a great workout too!

The Workout

You need to perform this workout in an area which will allow you to sprint for a maximum of 15 seconds between exercises so mark out an area which will allow you to do this.

You should aim to repeat the circuit at least once. Why not give it a try & post your results in a comment to let others know how you got on?

Warm-up:

Start with 5-10 minutes of  light jogging to warm up

Exercise #1: Lunges – 10 with each leg

Either standard lunges or to increase the effort levels, raise your knee high before stepping forward for each lunge.

Sprint!

Immediately you’ve finished exercise #1, sprint for 15 seconds almost flat out

Exercise#2: Press ups – 12 to 15 reps

As you do each circuit, you can vary the type of press-up (wide arm, narrow arm, offset etc)

Sprint!

Immediately you’ve finished exercise #2, sprint for 15 seconds almost flat out

Exercise#3: Ab crunch – 12 to 15 reps

You can vary this ab exercise with other core body versions

Sprint!

Immediately you’ve finished exercise #3, sprint for 15 seconds almost flat out

Exercise#4: Triceps dip – 12 to 15 reps

Using a chair, bench or other support peform triceps dips. You can try to do these slowly to give you chane to get your breath back a bit but you’ll find your arms shaking with the strain pretty soon !

Sprint!

Immediately you’ve finished exercise #4, sprint for 15 seconds almost flat out

superman exercise

superman exercise

Exercise#5: Superman – 10 to 12 reps

Trust me, this is a tough exercise. Lie facedown on the floor with your legs together and straight. Extend your arms out straight above your head as if you’re flying.

Keeping your arms & legs straight and your core body still, lift your arms and legs up toward the sky as if arching your back. Hold for a count up to 30 – adjust this to suit your fitness level but do try to give it what you’ve got as this is a terrific core exercise. If you find it too easy, you can add in a little scissor kick with you legs & arms.

But remember – don’t hold your breath! Try to keep your breathing  nice & even.

Sprint!

Immediately you’ve finished exercise #5, sprint for 15 seconds almost flat out

Exercise#6: Jumping Squats – 20 to failure

Start in a deep squat position with your arms folded and in front of you. From here,  jump up as high as you can and reach for the ceiling with your hands as you jump. Land and immeditaley lower into the squat position. Repeat.

Sprint!

Immediately you’ve finished exercise #6, sprint for 15 seconds almost flat out

Repeat the circuit at least one more time starting at exercise #1

Summary

1. Lunges – 10 with each leg
2. Sprint!
3. Press ups – 12 to 15
4. Sprint!
5. Ab crunch – 12 to 15
6. Sprint!
7. Triceps dip – 12 to 15
8. Sprint!
9. Superman – 10 to 12
10. Sprint!
11. Jumping Squats – 20 to failure
12. Sprint!

Repeat from the start

The idea is simple; your aim is to do the second half of your run in a faster time than the first half. And don’t worry, it’s not complicated – although it will certainly test your fitness if you do it right

Here’s what you do:

Part-1: Run for 10 minutes in one direction

Part-2: Turn round and run back to the start but aiming to get back within 10 minutes.

Cardio Workout - Negative Split Running

Sound easy?

Give it a try on one of  the days you’re not working out in the gym and see how you go!