The Ultimate HIIT Workout To Blast Belly Fat

By: Kim Pieper, CPT // April 15, 2016


So by now you’ve heard about “HIIT” training, right? High Intensity Interval Training is everywhere and if you spend any time at a gym or looking at workouts online you can’t miss it. And while the focus tends to be on the cardiovascular benefits HIIT provides, it can also be a great way to blast belly fat as well! This workout is designed to give both the information you need and the exercises you’ll love to blast off that belly fat.

First and foremost, it is important to recognize that the only REAL way to get rid of belly fat is to eat clean and do some intense exercise. That’s right. People who attempt to do 100 crunches a day to try and flatten their belly end up deeply disappointed. Others who purchase the newest and latest ab machine from a celebrity endorsement end up with just one more item for their Craigslist pile. Spot reducing does not work; the only way to flatten a tummy is to get rid of the fat that is covering it up AND strengthen the muscles that sit below it. Let’s take a look at both.

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    Getting Rid Of Belly Fat

    The fat on your belly did not happen overnight. Thus, it will likely not go away overnight. It will take a little discipline and a little time, but you will see changes if you stick to this plan:

    1. Eat a clean diet: Go for foods that come from the earth, not from a box or a bag. Make the produce department your new best friend. Get in some good, quality protein every few hours. Stay away from processed food and alcohol as well as sugar and sugar-substitutes. These will only add to the belly you currently have.
    2. Use interval training when you exercise (for example, HIIT)

    Working out with high intensity intervals—short periods of time where your heart rate really gets up there and you find yourself panting through your mouth and needing recovery —shakes up your metabolism and forces your body to go into sugar and fat stores to find the necessary energy to not only get through the interval, but also for several hours following the workout. In other words, in order for your body to come back to its normal place (“homeostasis”), it requires extra time and extra oxygen which leads to extra fat burn. It’s that simple. This workout will provide you with great ideas for these kind of intervals. All you have to do is work hard enough to make them effective.

    Related: Why HIIT is Good For Burning Fat

    Strengthening The Transverse Abdominus (The “TVA”)

    This is the muscle that sits deep and low in your belly. By taking time to strengthen this muscle properly, you are creating a built-in “corset” for your body that holds the abs in tight and protects your low back. This workout will give you some great moves to strengthen your TVA mixed in with some cardio moves for that extra high intensity boost.

    The Workout

    Remember, the key to your results is dependent on your effort. For each exercise you will go hard for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds before going to the next move. Repeat the entire sequence again for a total of 8 intervals.

    BLOCK 1 [20 seconds each/10 seconds in between. Repeat 2x]

    1. Skiers

    -Stand with feet together and knees bent holding bent elbows next to your side.

    -Keep feet together and jump turn so hips and toes point right.

    -Now jump feet together and turn so hips and toes point left.

    -Continue to switch jumping right and left keeping legs tightly together and arms and waist turning as if you are holding ski poles.

    2. Medicine Ball Toe Touches

    (If you don’t have a ball use a weight or nothing at all!)

    -Begin on your back with legs together straight up above hips holding the medicine ball with two hands at your chest.

    -Slightly curl chin forward, relaxing through the back of the neck.

    -On an exhale, squeeze your abdominals to reach the ball up toward the toes to touch, then gently release back to start position.

    3. Mountain Climbers

    -Start in a plank position with arms and legs long.

    -Draw in your abdominals and drive one knee into the chest then switch legs quickly.  Continue with right, left, right, left knees “running” to the the chest. Prevent bouncing up and down in your body by keeping abs tight.

    4. Upper Cuts

    -Stand with feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent.

    -Make two fists and hold arms next to side with elbows bent.

    -Punch the right fist in an upward motions, stopping firmly at chin level.

    -Switch to left fist.

    -Continue to switch right and left until you are at a fast, rhythmic pace, always stopping at chin level as if you are punching a target.

    BLOCK 2 [20 seconds each/10 seconds in between. Repeat 2x]

    1

    1. Medicine Ball Russian Twist

    (If you don’t have a ball use a weight or nothing at all!)

    -Begin in a seated position with knees bent, feet off the floor and holding medicine ball in front of chest a few inches.

    -Twist the ball to your left hip bone, keeping body centered.

    -Twist the ball to your right hip bone, keeping body centered.

    -This is one repetition. Continue to twist back and forth for desired number of repetitions or length of time.

    2. Knee Thrust

    -Start standing with feet wider than shoulder distance apart and turn both feet in one direction allowing the hips to follow like you’re in a shallow lunge. The front knee is a 90-degree angle and the back heel lifted. Arms are in guard position in front of the chest.

    -Drive the back knee up to hip height towards the hands, and hands in towards the thigh. Return the foot to floor and repeat as fast as possible back and forth. Do right knee first time through and left knee second time through.

    3. Medicine Ball Plank Jacks

    (If you don’t have a ball you can do this with hands on the ground)

    -Begin kneeling on the floor with hands cupped around medicine ball.

    -Tighten abdominals and glutes and stretch your legs behind you to a straight line. Straighten arms but keep shoulders down away from ears.

    -Jump your feet out to shoulder width apart, then jump them back in together. Continue jumping legs out and in without letting the body bounce up and down.

    4. Front Kicks

    -Stand with feet hip width apart and arms bent and held in front of you.

    -Lift right leg up, bending knee slightly, and kick right foot forward. Keep ankle flexed and push through your heel.

    -Place the right foot down and switch to the left.

    -Continue to repeat for desired amount of time or number or repetitions.

    If you like this workout, try out our HIIT Training on Get Healthy U TV. Trainer Chris Freytag will motivate and guide you through some awesome workouts just like this one, including a 10 minute belly blast!

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    Graphic of HIIT moves to blast belly fat

    READ THIS NEXT: Can Stress Cause Belly Fat?



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      Core Workouts, Fitness, HIIT Workouts, Workouts


      Printed from GetHealthyU.com

      2 Comments


      on Reply

      Thanks for this amazing idea. I will also signup for the newsletter to get more amazing tips for fitness.


      on Reply

      Wow. That was TOUGH. I loved it! I really tried to push myself and it totally paid off. I finished every interval. I did it! Great job Kim Pieper, Thank you so much!



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