Unless you are new to fitness or have been living under a rock the last 10 years you have likely heard of HIIT and how effective it is when it comes to burning fat and preserving muscle.
There are many exercises that you can do HIIT workouts with, but today we are going to focus on sprints. Sprints are one of the more common HIIT exercises and also one of the most effective. If you are going to put for the effort required for HIIT you might as well get your money’s worth.
HIIT or High-Intensity Interval Training is when you perform a high-intensity exercise like sprinting or burpees and do them for a set period of time, usually 15-30 seconds followed by a period of rest. Rest periods are usually 30-90 seconds but can be longer depending on the exercise.
Recent studies have shown that Interval Training is more effective for fat loss while improving both Aerobic and Anaerobic fitness
The good part about HIIT is that it can be done in much less time than your traditional cardio. Traditional aerobic cardio can take 45 minutes to an hour while HIIT can be done in just 10-20 minutes. The thing is you have to go really hard for those 10-20 minutes. It’s no walk in the park, but the benefits are worth it.
The Negatives of HIIT
While HIIT is great for fat loss that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone. Some of the negatives of HIIT are:
It is much harder than walking or even jogging, not everyone can do sprints.
Many people don’t like using machines, some HIIT exercises require equipment.
Higher chance of injury.
Usually not for beginners.
Don’t Do It Every Day
Like any exercise, it is important to give the body time to recover from HIIT training. Trainers recommend that you only do HIIT training three times a week. Between those days you can rest, or focus on weightlifting.
5 Sprint HIIT workouts
* These workouts are not for beginners
1. 100 Yard Sprints
During this workout, you will run one set of 100-yard sprints. A field is required for this one, football field works best as the length is marked on the field. From the starting line sprint 100 yards. After crossing the finish line coast ten yards and turn around. The rest interval begins as soon as you cross the finish line. Rest 45 seconds and again sprint 100 yards. Repeat until you have finished 10 repetitions.
2. 40 Yard Sprints
During this workout, you will run one set of 40-yard sprints. From the start line sprint 40 yards, then coast 40-yards and turn around. Rest 35 seconds. The rest interval begins as soon as you cross the finish line. At the end of the rest interval again sprint 40 yards, and then coast 40 yards. Continue this procedure until you have completed 14 x 40-yard sprints.
3. 60 Second Sprints
These can be done on a treadmill or on a track. Sprint for 60 seconds then rest for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Repeat until you have completed 6 reps. Cooldown at 3 mph for three minutes.
4. 30 Second Sprints
This one can also be done on the treadmill or track as well. Sprint for 30 seconds. The rest interval is 1 minute and 15 seconds. Continue this process until you have finished 10 reps. Cooldown at 3 mph for three minutes.
5. Sweet Bessie
Sweet Bessie can also be performed on the track or treadmill. It breaks down like this:
Sprint 400m / Rest 3 minutes
Sprint 300m / Rest 2 minutes
Sprint 200m / Rest 1 minute
Sprint 100m
Wrapping it up
There you have 5 great HIIT workouts that are sure to get your heart pumping and burn fat like crazy. Put it together with a solid diet and a good fat burner and you will be on your way to being totally shredded.
