Reduce fat fast and lose belly flab with interval training

I personally believe the best way to reduce fat fast and lose belly flab is through diet, and a combination of resistance and cardio training.  For the purpose of this article we are going to focus on the cardio element of the equation as after diet this is probably the most important activity when it comes to fat loss.  However when we mention cardio we are not talking about normal steady state cardio you might do for forty minutes on the cross trainer.  Oh No Sir we mean interval training and if you want the best results in the quickest time then you need to start using these types of workouts as soon as possible.

The Cheetah is one of my favourite animals and I love watching them in action. When looking for food they sprint at almost full intensity for short bursts then give themselves plenty of rest before trying again. This is how you need to approach interval training, periods of almost maximum intensity followed by rest periods that allow you to completely recover and be ready to go at full pace again.

If you navigate around my site you will notice that I am a huge fan of interval training and the reason I keep promoting it so much is that I know from hands on experience and through lots of reading and research that it is the most effective type of  cardio for losing fat.

But what exactly is interval training?

A simple explanation of interval training is that you perform  a hard level of intensity for a certain length of time then follow this by a time period where the intensity is much lower.

Personally I have had the most success when doing intervals of 30 seconds at 9 to 9 ½ out of 10 intensity. To get this is in context zero is lying down not moving and ten on the intensity scale is complete exhaustion.  So working at 9 to 9 1/2, is very tough and should not be attempted first go but this is the level that you need to progress too.  It means working flat out during the  high interval and to achieve this the recovery phase needs to be very low intensity.

The point of your low intervals is to ensure a better high interval. The biggest mistake people make in interval training is not going low enough during the recovery. This means that on the high level although you are pushing hard your not at the highest level where the amazing results happen.

To do this the low interval should be at the level that when the high interval is due your actually waiting and wanting  to sprint because you can’t go this slow any longer. When you can achieve this state and mindset  your fat loss results will go through the roof.

Working at near capacity over and over again will give you  a better fat burning effect for it, because you’re going to consume all the oxygen that was in your body,and your body is going to be replacing it for days to come which is known as EPOC.

Excess post-exercise consumption (EPOC) is the process of the body continuing to consume oxygen following exercise. If you do a really hard workout at a very intense level then you are going to blast through a lot of your bodies oxygen energy supplies and the force it to go into a recovery state to repair the damage and deal with lactic acid etc. However to do this properly it requires oxygen as this is the healing component that allows your body to recover in the best possible way.

The problem is that it needs all this oxygen but your muscles have been depleted so it has to look to other areas of the body to retrieve new oxygen. This requires more energy and more energy equals caloric expenditure, and caloric expenditure over a long period of time creates an after-burn effect that turns your body into fat burning machine.

I have said it before but it’s worth repeating that your focus is  not about the calories you burn in the gym; it’s about the calories after you leave the gym. If you remind yourself of that before every workout you do and think intensity I guarantee you will see the fat just melt right off your body.

You can perform interval training on its own or as I prefer to do it, do it after resistance training as recommended in Turbulence Training for fat loss which is the program I refer to when I need to get lean.

Here is the author of Turbulence Training explaining how interval training should be performed as part of his program.

If your doing these workouts without resistance training beforehand then I advise doing 15 minutes steady state cardio to get you warmed up and your metabolism elevated.  If you have performed a strength training workout prior then begin by just doing 3-5 minutes warm up.

Here is a great interval-training workout that has served me well over the years and will guarantee you reduce fat fast  and lose belly flab in no time.

After your warm up go at a fast pace for 30 seconds

Next you will return the workout pace to low intensity for about 1.5 minutes.

Now you need to run fast for another 30 seconds, try and go slightly faster than you did the first time.

You need to follow this routine for at least 20 minutes, closer to 30 if you can.

Your first 30 second burst should be fast, but not too fast, so that you can increase upon it each time.  Aim for the last 30-second sprint to be the hardest.  As mentioned above the recovery phase should be at a level that ensures you are completely ready to work as hard as possible in the high intensity portion of the routine.  If you find yourself unable to complete a certain pace for 30 seconds, then be sure to reduce your intensity level.

Personally I think running is the best exercise to lose fat quickly but if this is too much then stationary cycling is the next best option.By all means try other forms of exercise and machines but if your not seeing a change then you may have to give the treadmill a try.

Interval training is not the complete answer to effective fat loss but is a crucial part that combined with intense resistance training and most importantly the right diet and calorie consumption will deliver outstanding results.

Finally I was looking for a video that showed the Cheetah in all its glory running at full pace across the plains of Africa. However I came across this one which shows one taking a crap into a camera crews vehicle which made me laugh.

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