Want Abs??? Just HIIT Them!!!

The fact is that if you want visible abdominals, you have to shed the fat and drop your body fat percentage to a low enough. You can do all the crunches in the world but if you’re not at a low enough body fat percentage, don’t expect to see anything. So how can we shed all that unwanted body fat to reveal those abs? Conventional knowledge usually tells us to do 30-50 minutes of moderate intensity cardio in order to burn the most fat possible while retaining as much muscle as possible. What if I told you that you could do the same in a fraction of the time? The answer is HIIT.

What Is This HIIT You Speak Of?
HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. It is a very demanding, and super effective workout. It will burn the same amount of calories as running for 30-50 minutes in a fraction of the time, but you will be working a lot harder. Heres a break down of the workout

-Max effort for X seconds
-Moderate effort for Y seconds
-Rinse and repeat until 15-20 minutes is reached

That’s it. Believe me, it will leave you winded and gasping for air. Typically, HIIT is done while running outdoors. Here is what a running HIIT workout would usually look like.

-Sprint for 15 seconds
-Jog for 60 seconds
-Rinse and repeat until 15-20 minutes is reached

Now you can choose to do HIIT while rowing, biking, swimming or even the cardio machines at your gym. The idea is to simply work as hard as you can for X seconds then step it down to a moderate intensity for Y seconds.

How Many Seconds Should I Be Doing?
The number of seconds that you decided to use depends on your level of fitness. Beginners would be at max effort less and the advanced would be at max effort longer. Heres a chart with the varying levels/intensities.

Beginner - Max Effort Seconds (10-15) Moderate Effort Seconds (60)
Intermediate - Max Effort Seconds (15-30) Moderate Effort Seconds (45-60)
Advanced - Max Effort Seconds (30-60) Moderate Effort Seconds (30-45)

Before Your Workout
Have a proper pre workout meal an hour before. Have some carbs and protein. This could be a protein shake with oatmeal or anything you choose.
Make sure to stretch out properly with some dynamic stretches depending on what median you choose.

After Your Workout
Stretch out with static stretches
Have a proper post workout nutrition. A combination of carbs and protein is optimal. Again, something like a protein shake and a source of carbs.

Conclusion
HIIT is a very effective weapon in your fat melting arsenal so make sure to use it to your advantage. It will be hard at first but after your body adapts, it will become easier. Then it’s time to up the difficulty and push it even more! Do HIIT and those abs will be shining in no time.