Lose Belly Fat with HIIT

Personal trainers, fitness experts, and dietitians get asked the same questions a lot.  "What exercise can I do to lose my leg fat? Arm fat? Hip fat? Belly fat?" Unfortunately, it is not really possible to target weight loss in one area just by lifting weights or running. Although any type of exercise will hep lose overall fat spread through the body, spot-target is not possible. There is only one type of training that can spot-target fat loss, specifically in the belly area, and that is HIIT.

What is HIIT?
HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training (or exercise).  It is a type of workout that changes pace/speed in intervals.  As the name suggests, high intensity is the main component to the workout.  This high intensity will be different for each individual. For me, high intensity is a sprint. For my mom, high intensity would be a power walk.  High intensity should feel uncomfortable and difficult, but don't fret, because you'll only be doing this for 30 seconds. Then you'll adjust to a comfortable pace for 1 minute. You will switch between these 2 paces, hence the word interval in "HITT". I have included my routine at the bottom of this blog post so you can refer to the times! The overall workout only has to be about 15 minutes long. It can be hard to get into it at first, but when you do, your body will thank you.

Benefits of HITT
HIIT is more effective than normal stead pace exercise routine.  It is the only exercise that will spot-target abdominal/belly fat.  Also, you can complete the HIIT workout in less time while still burning the same amount of calories. 15- 20 minutes of HIIT is adequate. You can also do HIIT on an elliptical, bike, outdoor track, or even as a bootcamp style workout.  The whole point is to interval between high and moderate intensity; exercise at a high intensity for 30 seconds and moderate intensity for 1 minute.

Science
So how does the HIIT help specifically with belly fat loss?  Well when you are sprinting (or working at a high intensity) your heart rate will significantly increase resulting in more calories being burned. Reaching 170-180 bpm is ideal during the high intensity interval.  Sprinting also engages your abs and other leg muscles that aren't as engaged when just going for a 40 minutes jog.
There is a whole lot of support out there regarding HITT and belly fat loss.  Here is a research article if you would like to know more:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2991639/

My Routine
I do my HIIT training 2-3 times a week on a treadmill or track. Of course, each person will run or sprint at a different pace, so adjust accordingly. Here is just an example of what I do:

Also, I am adding in an interesting read: The Best Treadmill! 

If you are looking into getting your own treadmill for home, check out this article. 

I personally LOVE the treadmills with the 1-10 speeds on there. Instead of clicking through the speeds, I just push the number! (Ex: 6 for 6mph) Saves me some time.

If you have any questions, comment below! Thank you for reading.