WEIGHT LOSS TIPS: H.I.T. FINISHERS FOR FASTER RESULTS

Mar 27, 2022

Weight Loss Tips for faster results. If your weight loss has stopped, or slowed down, more than likely one of two things is happening.

Your body is primarily burning sugar/ glucose for energy.
Your body has adapted to the intensity of your current training program.

Because the second problem is a faster fix, and can also help with the first, I will save sugar burning for a future article. Now on to the good stuff.

WHAT IS H.I.T., AND HOW IS IT DIFFERENT THAN H.I.I.T

H.I.T. stands for High Intensity Training. Furthermore, H.I.T. is an acronym for High Intensity Interval Training. This training uses weights or some other kind of resistance training, at a high intensity, for a short duration. Therefore, H.I.T. refers to cardio or aerobic endurance training. To qualify as H.I.T., the intervals must be anaerobic, like sprints. Both keep your heart rate and metabolism high, however H.I.T. builds more overall muscle. And if you have more muscle, you will burn more fat.

HOW H.I.T. BURNS FAT

For instance, we all know that weight training is the most effective type of training for building muscle and burning body fat. You build muscle by breaking it down, and then rebuilding it stronger than it was before. Also known as adaptation. The energy required for your body to repair and rebuild your muscles primarily comes from stored body fat. And again, the more muscle mass you have, the more calories and fat you will burn daily from just being alive.

So why is H.I.T. better at burning fat than traditional strength training? Because the intensity of H.I.T. prolongs the amount of time your body burns fat for muscle repair over traditional strength training. After that, H.I.T. puts your body into Oxygen Debt and is great at increasing Lactic Acid levels. When both are accomplished, your metabolism is boosted, and you use more carbohydrates for energy. Oxygen Debt increases your metabolism to help repay the oxygen it borrowed during your workout, and Latic Acid is made from circulating glucose (carbs) in your blood.

HOW TO USE H.I.T. FINISHERS

For me, H.I.T. works best when combined with a strength program. I usually train 4 days a week, with Wednesday and the weekend off. I will spend the first 20-30 minutes of my training session working on traditional lifts, such as bench, squat, deadlift, dumbbell rows, etc. The last 20-30 minutes are devoted to my H.I.T. finisher of the day. By spending 20-30 minutes (after warming up) on strength training first, your body will be primed for fat burning when you start your H.I.T. finisher.

EXAMPLES OF H.I.T. FINISHERS

It is easy to make your own H.I.T. finisher. And best of all, you can do a different H.I.T. finisher every time you train, based on how you feel that day. I try to include a kettlebell/ dumbbell swing or snatch in every H.I.T. finisher. I will then add some other metabolism boosting movements, such as burpees, to enhance oxygen debt. Here is one of my favorite H.I.T. finishers.

AMRAP (As Many Rounds as Possible) for 20 minutes, keep track of rounds completed.

Single Arm Alternating Shoulder Press (sitting on the ground, legs straight) – 14
Single Arm Alternating Kettlebell/ Dumbbell Swings – 30
Jump Rope – 50

CONCLUSION

Weight training is great for losing body fat and gaining muscle. However, when combined with H.I.T., the results are amplified, and much faster. Not to mention, they will give your most important muscle, your heart, along with your lungs, a boost.

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