It seems like everyone is talking about High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT for short) lately. HIIT workouts are being accurately praised as one of the BEST ways to cut body fat in a short time.

But why the sudden popularity of HIIT? Is it just another fitness trend? Or here to stay?

HIIT training really isn’t all that new. And it’s going to stick around.

It’s Effective

The best thing about HIIT? It actually works.

The purpose of HIIT style is to burn through hundreds of calories. This helps you lose fat as quickly as possible. (When paired with a calorie deficit of course!)

If you have a couple weeks where your goals are strictly to lose as much fat as possible, HIIT training is the way to go.

Just be sure you phase in and out of HIIT style training. It’s an effective way to burn a ton of fat in 4-6 weeks. After that, your results will diminish rapidly. Simply focus on a different style of training for a bit.

It’s Time Efficient

Being lean feels good. There’s a common misconception that to get lean, you have to spend HOURS in the gym every day. Grinding away at the weights and on the treadmill.

Thank God this isn’t actually the case

MAPS HIIT workouts take, AT THE MOST, 25 minutes. If you don’t think you can clear 25 minutes in a day to workout, you’re lying to yourself.

It’s Fun

HIIT style training is FUN. Way more fun than cardio.

Very few people enjoy cardio. I most definitely do not. However, most everyone enjoys lifting weight and strength training. It’s so much less monotonous than pounding away at the treadmill for hours, or sitting on the bike. Blah.

HIIT training incorporates barbell, dumbbell, and/or bodyweight complexes. Circuits of different movements that keep training fresh and interesting.

Lean. Not Skinny.

In the final few weeks of a fat loss program, burning enough calories to see the progress you want can be hard. To burn more calories, many people resort to almost purely cardio based routines. The problem with this? You HAVE TO keep lifting weights to hold onto your hard earned muscle.

Doing strictly cardio is the perfect way to lose fat AND muscle. HIIT allows you to train the entire body, allowing you to hold onto more muscle as you lose fat. This means when you hit your body fat goals, you’ll look lean and muscular, instead of just skinny.

HIIT workouts are EXTREMELY effective for fat loss. HIIT’s here to stay.