You may know from my previous blog post on cardio that low to moderate-intensity cardio is a fat-burning activity, whereas HIIT and weights typically are not.

HIIT and weights are anaerobic activity, which means your body uses glycogen (carbs) as the main fuel source, not fat.

Cardio is an aerobic activity, which means your body uses glycogen (carbs) and fat as the main fuel source. When you do cardio your body gets into the fat-burning zone.

Note that HIIT and weights typically do not burn fat.

CARDIO (longer duration steady state exercise) –> AEROBIC–> BURNS FAT

HIIT (short bursts of high-intensity exercise) –> ANAEROBIC–> BURNS GLYCOGEN

SO WHY DO WE STILL NEED TO DO HIIT THEN?

HIIT is great because it increases your general cardiovascular fitness and your anaerobic threshold. This means that during exercise your body will remain in the aerobic (fat-burning) zone for longer, before switching to the anaerobic pathway.

The result? You can exercise for longer and at a higher intensity and still burn fat.

HOW TO DO HIIT EFFECTIVELY FOR FAT BURNING

The best fat-burning HIIT workout exercise is interval running. It is similar to sprinting but they are not quite the same. Let me explain :)

SPRINTING

If you are sprinting for 15-30 seconds at your absolute fastest speed, with a 30-second rest, your body is using the anaerobic pathway and is predominantly glycogen. 

Sprinting is a great workout. It engages your muscles more and focuses on muscular power. So you’re likely to build more muscles with sprinting than with just steady-state running.

If you don’t mind a more muscular look, then this is probably a great style of workout for you. But if you prefer a more lean and slim look, it might be best to avoid this type of training and focus on interval running instead.

INTERVAL RUNNING

If you are running at a fast but not maximum speed for 90 seconds to 2 minutes, your body will most likely remain in the aerobic zone for the majority of the time. This means you’ll continue to burn fat.

The fitter you are, the longer your body will remain in the aerobic (fat burning) zone before switching to anaerobic.

The result? You’ll burn more fat!

HOW TO GET LEAN LEGS BY USING HIIT – FAT BURNING HIIT

Interval running is the best type of HIIT for fat-burning and achieving a skinny legs for me :) I started to use this technique a couple of years ago when I was training for a triathlon.

I used fast-paced interval runs (not a full-on sprint) to help me develop my cardio fitness faster. And it definitely helped with my cardio fitness, as I expected. But I also noticed something else.

You see, I’m a mesomorph body type and I can build muscle fairly quickly, especially on my legs. And interval running actually helped me lean out my legs. You can read my blog where I talked about how Cardio can help in getting those skinny legs :)

SHOULD I TRY INTERVAL RUNNING?

If your goal is to get slim and lean legs without bulkiness and you want to achieve it a bit faster, interval running could work very well for you. 

This type of workout will help you burn a LOT of calories and is great if you want to challenge yourself.

But there are some things you should take into consideration:

YOUR BODY TYPE

Interval running may not be the best choice for endomorphs. It may cause their legs to bulk up.

If you are not sure about your body type, I have a special body type quiz you can take. It will help you learn your body type in just two minutes, it’s completely free and you will get tips on how to train and eat specifically for your body type :)

WANT TO KNOW YOUR BODY TYPE?

• Complete the quiz in 2 minutes
  
• It’S free
• You will get 3 nutrition and workout tips for your body type

START THE QUIZ NOW

YOUR FITNESS LEVEL

If you are already in pretty good shape and you would like to do it, I would do this once per week at a maximum.

I also need to warn you that it is really difficult. If you are not already fit, I would not recommend it.

But if you are sure you want to try interval running as your fat-burning HIIT routine, don’t do a proper sprint. It’s supposed to be more of a fast-paced interval run. 

This shouldn’t cause bulkiness like short and intense sprints usually do.

Also, make sure you do it on a flat surface. Hill runs are great but you will build more muscle that way.

HOW TO COMPLETE THE INTERVAL RUNNING CIRCUIT

• 5-minute warm-up walk at 6-7km/hr
• 400m run at around 14km/hr (takes about 1 min 50 secs)
• 60-second walk at 6km/hr
• Repeat as many times as you can. If you’re a beginner, aim for 3-5 rounds. If you’re advanced, aim for 8-10 rounds.
• 15 minute cool down walk at 6-7km/hr

NOTE: You do not have to do your 400m run at 14km/hr. However, it must be at a pace that is fast and quite difficult for you to maintain for 2 minutes. After the 2 minutes, you should be in desperate need of a rest. Choose a pace that suits you best. :)

HOW TO DO FAT BURNING HIIT IF YOU DON’T WANT/CAN’T RUN

You can apply this same principle to other forms of gym equipment such as the bike or cross trainer/elliptical even though I have to say that those are not as great as interval running.

But if you can’t run for some reason, here are your alternatives.

INTERVAL TRAINING ON A BIKE OR CROSS TRAINER/ELLIPTICAL

Cycling can cause bulkiness, especially if you are an endomorph body type. And even if you are a mesomorph I would still do it probably once per week.

As for the cross trainer/elliptical, I don’t think that it will really cause bulkiness.

This machine engages your quads so you can gain more leg muscle than you would like. But it’s not the style of workout that will necessarily cause your legs to really bulk up.

If you can’t do interval running for some reason, the cross trainer is the next best thing.

HOW TO COMPLETE THE CIRCUIT 

• Exercise at a medium to high intensity for 90 seconds to 2 minutes.
• Have a rest or reduce the intensity for 60 seconds. I recommend a 60-second break, but if you need 90 seconds, that’s OK. 
• Repeat as many times as you can.
• This does not need to be done at the gym either. You could cycle outside rather than on the treadmill or bike.

CONCLUSION

Getting lean or skinny and toned legs with HIIT is not only super effective but also adaptable to different fitness levels and preferences. By focusing on interval running instead of full-on sprints, you can stay in the fat-burning zone longer, making it a fantastic method for slimming down without bulking up. HIIT can be challenging, but the rewards for your cardiovascular fitness and fat loss are absolutely worth it!

LEAN LEGS PROGRAM 1

If you would like a more specific workout program to target fat loss on your legs and to build lean muscle without getting bulky, check out my Lean Legs Program 1. 

My program contains an 8-week workout plan. But if you grab the Next Level You Package, you’ll also get a nutrition plan for each of the three body types.

Love Rachael xx

P.S. Read this blog post for a body-weight HIIT circuit that won’t bulk up your legs.

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In this article, I’ll explain more about HIIT, what it does for your body, and give you suggestions for how to do HIIT workouts without bulking up. :)

WHAT IS HIIT?

HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training.

During a HIIT workout, you do an exercise (for example high knee runs) for as hard as you can but for a short period of time (less than a minute usually).

After pushing your hardest, you go back to walking, jogging, or some other mellow activity to give your heart a quick break. Then, you repeat the intense exercise again.

These workouts are pretty short. They typically last for just about 10 to 30 minutes. However, that doesn’t make them easy.

Even though most HIIT workouts don’t last more a half an hour, you are guaranteed to be sweating and breathing hard by the end of a session!

SO, WILL HIIT MAKE YOUR LEGS BIGGER, OR IS IT GOOD FOR SLIMMING DOWN YOUR LEGS?

In most cases, yes, traditional, standard HIIT workouts will make your legs bigger over time, especially if you tend to build muscle more easily.

YOUR BODY TYPE AND HIIT WORKOUTS

The impact HIIT has on your body will mainly depend on your body type.

If you’re a mesomorph or endomorph body type, traditional doing HIIT will easily build muscle in your legs and make them bigger.

To find out more about the mesomorph body type, read my blog post on how to eat and train if you are a mesomorph female.

To learn more about endomorph body type, read my blog post on how to eat and train if you are an endomorph female.

And if you are an ectomorph body type and you how trouble building muscle tone, HIIT will probably help you get toned more easily.

To learn more about this body type, read my blog post on how to eat and train if you are an ectomorph body type.

WANT TO KNOW YOUR BODY TYPE?

• Complete the quiz in 2 minutes
  
• It’S free
• You will get 3 nutrition and workout tips for your body type

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HOW HIIT MAKES YOUR LEGS BIGGER

When you do a HIIT workout, you burn a lot of calories! Because of this, I see many people (especially women!) doing lots and lots of HIIT thinking that it will help them slim down and get smaller legs.

However, HIIT workouts and workouts similar to HIIT (like sprinting, CrossFit, and plyometrics) are often very leg-focused. These routines usually have lots of squats, lunges, and burpees.

These moves will work your leg muscles and make them bigger over time. Building larger, more muscular legs is perfectly fine! However, not all people want their legs to grow.

If you want to incorporate HIIT workouts into your routine, but you don’t want to add bulk, check out this full-body HIIT routine. It will give you an idea of the types of moves you can do that reduce your chances of getting bulky. :)

RELATED POST: DO SQUATS MAKE YOUR LEGS BIGGER OR SMALLER?

THE BENEFITS OF HIIT: WHY YOU SHOULD STILL DO IT

HIIT BURNS A TON OF CALORIES QUICKLY

Most people think that a long workout equals a higher calorie burn. However, with HIIT, you can burn a LOT of calories in a pretty short time period. For example, a 40-minute run and a 20-minute HIIT session will burn roughly the same amount of calories.

This makes it great for people busy with school, work, children, and just life!

YOU BURN CALORIES AFTER YOU’RE DONE WORKING OUT

This is one of the best features of HIIT workouts! HIIT really improves your metabolism during and after the workout. The better your metabolism, the more calories your body burns.

RELATED POST: HOW TO BOOST YOUR METABOLISM

CALCULATE NOW

HIIT HELPS YOUR BODY BECOME BETTER AT BURNING FAT

HIIT is a challenge to your entire body, especially to your cardiovascular system. The more HIIT you do, the stronger your heart will become.

The fitter you are, the longer your body will stay in the aerobic (or fat burning) zone while you exercise.

This means that the more HIIT you do and the stronger your cardiovascular system becomes, the more your body will opt to burn fat over carbs.

RELATED POST: HIIT VS LISS – WHICH IS BETTER FOR FAT LOSS

HIIT HELPS YOU REDUCE YOUR BLOOD SUGAR AND BLOOD PRESSURE

In general, most exercise will help you reduce your blood pressure. This is important because high blood pressure is associated with a higher risk of stroke, heart disease, and lots of other health problems. HIIT is even better than most exercises at reducing high blood pressure.

HIIT workouts can also help your body consistently lower its blood sugars. This is especially important if you struggle with insulin resistance or weight loss.

HIIT IS CONVENIENT

Honestly, one of the reasons people love HIIT is that it is easy to do from anywhere and at any time.

You can do HIIT workouts while you’re traveling in your hotel room. You can do them in your bedroom after a day at school or work. They’re short, so you can squeeze one in while your baby is napping.

HIIT is an easy way to incorporate exercise into a busy schedule!

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU DO HIIT?

HIIT clearly has many benefits! But that doesn’t mean I recommend that people do it all the time.

Instead, I suggest that you incorporate it into your workout routine. I like to do it once or twice a week alongside other types of training like cardio and resistance training.

Here’s why I don’t recommend doing much more HIIT than that:

HITT IS HARD ON YOUR BODY

The point of HIIT is that it is hard. If you can do HIIT every day, you are either incredibly fit or you probably aren’t pushing yourself hard enough during your HIIT sessions.

Your body needs time to rest in between HIIT workouts to recover. You need this recovery time to prevent burnout or, worse, injury.

HIIT CAN RAISE CORTISOL LEVELS

The stress that HIIT puts on your body can raise your cortisol levels. In other words, it raises your stress hormone.

In small doses, cortisol isn’t bad. It helps us act quickly and get through stressful situations. However, over time, cortisol actually changes the way your body burns fat, carbs, and calories. Cortisol causes your body to store fat, especially in the hips and belly.

I personally found myself struggling to lose weight (especially in my hips), and I realized that I had hormonal imbalances. If you’re constantly stressed out, make sure that you’re:

• Getting enough sleep. This is so important!
• Eating healthy food.
• Doing gentle exercises. Yoga and power walking are great too!

IT IS EASY TO USE INCORRECT FORM DURING HIIT WORKOUTS

Because of the quick nature of HIIT intervals, it is very easy to do exercises incorrectly. Many people are so focused on the intensity of the workout that they forget how to do basic moves like squats and burpees.

Poor form can lead to chronic injury, muscle problems, and general aches and pains. Taking a break in between sessions gives you opportunities to strengthen the rest of your body and perform your workouts correctly.

RELATED POST: HOW TO GET LEAN LEGS – WHY YOU NEED CARDIO FOR SLIMMER LEGS

SOME PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO BULK UP

If you’re somebody who loves a bulky, muscular look, that’s great! However, I know that that isn’t the look many women are going for.

If you don’t want to grow your legs or if you want to have lean legs, keeping your HIIT workouts to once or twice a week should keep you from getting much larger.

As always, your body type will play a role, and you can adjust if you’re seeing physical changes that you don’t like.

HOW TO DO HIIT WORKOUTS WITHOUT ADDING BULK

PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BODY TYPE

If you don’t know what you’re body type is, take my free body type quiz.

Knowing your body type will help you better understand how to incorporate HIIT into your workout routine. You’ll also learn how to eat for your specific body type.

DON’T DO HIIT TOO OFTEN

Try adding HIIT to your workout routine just once or twice per week. If you notice that you’re getting bulky, you can try cutting back.

However, if you want to experiment with more HIIT sessions, you can do that too. Just be paying attention to how it impacts your body!

PICK THE RIGHT HIIT ROUTINES

Try to avoid routines that are super leg-focused. Lots of squats, burpees, and jumping can really make your muscles grow.

Here are some of my favorite HIIT workouts that don’t cause bulk:

• HIIT for a slim and toned body
• Full body HIIT workout that won’t add bulk
• HIIT ab workout
• 15 minute HIIT ab workout

HIIT offers a lot of great benefits that I don’t want you to miss out on! However, if you don’t want to bulk up, just be extra mindful of how often you’re doing HIIT and the type of HIIT you’re doing. :)

Love Rachael xx

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But these 2 types of workouts impact your body in different ways. It’s important to know how they work so that you can train in the best possible way for your body and goals!

In this blog post, I’ll explain more about how they work and how they can help you lose weight and burn fat.

WHAT IS HIIT?

HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training. HIIT workouts are a type of circuit training in which you alternate between performing intense moves (like sprinting) and more mellow moves (like walking) to give your body a rest. You’ll be sweating a lot by the end!

Most HIIT workouts are just 10 to 30 minutes long. Remember, these workouts are pretty challenging, so most people couldn’t handle a HIIT workout that lasts much longer than half an hour.

This back-and-forth between extreme and low intensity can be really good for your body. Some of the best benefits of HIIT are:

• Burns a lot of calories in a short amount of time.
• Boosts your metabolism, which leads to calorie burn even after the workout is complete.
• Doing HIIT improves your cardiovascular system, which can help your body be more efficient at burning fat (more on this later!).
• HIIT workouts are convenient! They’re short and you can do them almost anywhere, including a hotel room or your living room.

However, HIIT isn’t something I recommend you do all the time, for several reasons.

• Too much HIIT is stressful on your body. This stress can raise your cortisol levels, which can lead to weight gain.
• HIIT workouts are often very focused on the lower body. Most of them involve exercises like squats, burpees, or sprinting. 2 out of 3 female body types will notice that this makes their lower body bulkier than they would prefer. :)
• Your body needs variety and time to recover between HIIT workouts.

WHAT IS LISS?

LISS stands for low-intensity steady state cardio. As you can probably already see from its name, LISS cardio is very different than HIIT. LISS is any type of cardio in which you maintain an even and low pace for a set amount of time.

Some examples of LISS include:

• Power walking (one of my favourite types of exercise!)
• Going for a hike
• Cycling at a steady pace
• Swimming at a steady pace

LISS technically is a walk in the park, but that doesn’t mean it is easy. :) It’s totally doable and you should be able to exercise for about an hour, but you should still feel your body working.

LISS might not be as challenging as HIIT, but it is still very important to include in a successful fitness routine. :)

Here are some of the reasons LISS is important:

• LISS is a great way to get into exercise! If you haven’t worked out in a while, a HIIT workout might feel impossible. LISS workouts will be doable for you!
• You can do LISS anywhere! Can you take a walk? If yes, you can do LISS!
• LISS is perfect for recovery. If you’ve recently done a hard HIIT workout or a tough session of resistance training, your body might need a break. LISS is a good way to stay active without overdoing it.
• Your body burns a lot of fat during LISS workouts. I’ll explain more about this later!

WHICH IS THE BEST FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

Both HIIT and LISS are super important for weight loss! But your body responds differently to LISS workouts versus HIIT workouts. They play different roles in helping you lose weight. Here’s how:

LISS BURNS FAT!

Your body needs energy. (Obviously!) And one of the amazing things that the human body does is that it converts the carbohydrates and fat we eat into energy.

Most of the time, your body uses a combination of both carbs and fat for energy. But, depending on the type of workout you do, it will choose to burn mostly fat or mostly carbs.

When do you LISS, you aren’t working out too hard. Your body is still getting plenty of oxygen, and it is more efficient for your body to use fat instead of carbohydrates for energy.

Harder workouts (like HIIT) make it harder for your body to get oxygen. So, your body opts to use carbs as a quick energy source instead of fat. LISS workouts, then, are great because they keep your body in the fat-burning zone.

If this is confusing, no worries! I have a very detailed blog post about how the fat-burning zone works. If you want to understand the zones in more depth, give it a read. :)

Otherwise, just remember this: LISS workouts keep your body in the ideal zone for fat burning. When you take a long walk or do other forms of low, steady-state cardio, your body chooses to use fat instead of carbs!

This is one of the reasons why walking is so wonderful at slimming down legs. It helps you burn fat!

HIIT INCREASES FITNESS LEVELS

HIIT workouts don’t keep your body in the fat burning zone. They mostly burn carbs. So why bother doing HIIT workouts?

Well, besides burning lots of calories and boosting your metabolism, HIIT also makes your heart stronger. HIIT improves your cardiovascular system, which helps you become fitter.

Doing HIIT workouts also boosts your anaerobic threshold, meaning that you’ll be able to stay in the fat-burning (or aerobic) zone for longer.

WHY IMPROVING FITNESS MATTERS FOR FAT LOSS

Think about it like this: We all know that going for an hour-long walk will burn more calories than a 20-minute walk will. We also know that walking at a faster pace for 30 minutes burns more calories than walking at a slow pace for 30 minutes.

The harder or longer you push yourself, the more calories you will burn.

And we also know that the fitter you are, the easier it is for you to do longer, harder exercises.

So, this means that a person who is fitter can stay in the fat-burning zone for longer while also doing exercises that burn more calories.

HIIT helps you become more fit. The fitter you are, the more your body will be able to rely on fat for energy, and not carbs.

JUST DON’T STRESS YOUR BODY OUT!

One thing to remember about doing HIIT is to pay attention to your stress levels. HIIT workouts can increase cortisol in your body. Cortisol is your stress hormone, and it can lead to weight gain!

Some women see that HIIT burns a lot of calories. They want to lose weight, so they do too much HIIT. Unfortunately, overdoing HIIT can actually have the opposite effect: it can cause you to gain weight, especially in the love handle area.

In my experience, stress can be a major hindrance to weight loss! It took me time to figure out, which is why I’m so vocal about sharing this information with women. If you haven’t read my story about hormones and weight loss, feel free to read it in this blog post. :)

Also, doing lots of HIIT can cause you to build a lot of muscle in your lower body. This means your legs will actually get bigger instead of smaller.

This is why I don’t recommend doing HIIT more than once or twice a week.

BOTH BURN CALORIES

HIIT workouts help you burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time. That’s one of the reasons I love HIIT. It’s efficient!

But you can still burn a lot of calories doing LISS. It might take you longer, but it is easier on your body. You can do longer sessions of LISS than HIIT and still get that sweet calorie burn.

Because both HIIT and LISS burn calories, they can both help with weight loss!

FOR BEST RESULTS, COMBINE HIIT AND LISS

The best way to lose weight is to combine low and high-intensity cardio. :)

If your goal is fat loss, I suggest doing LISS 5-6 times a week and 1-2 HIIT workouts a week.

Both LISS and HIIT can play super important rules in your fitness journey! Make sure you check out my 8-week lean legs program if you’re wanting more in-depth workout plans to help you lose fat. :)

And as always, if you have any questions, feel free to ask! xx

Love Rachael

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So here are my favourite 15 minute workouts that don’t require any equipment or gym! Perfect for when you’re short on time and can’t make it to the gym, or you just don’t feel like going too hard.

If you want to, you can use a yoga mat for comfort.

Enjoy! :)

15 MINUTE CIRCUIT

HOW TO COMPLETE THE WORKOUT

Set a timer and repeat this circuit as many times as you can in 15 minutes (without stopping!).

This circuit might seem easy, but it will make you sweat and burn lots of calories :)

GO!

1. 10 MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS (EACH LEG) 

2. 10 PLANK STAR JUMPS 

3. 10 PUSH-UPS 

4. 10 METER BEAR CRAWL 

15 MINUTE CARDIO WORKOUT 

HOW TO COMPLETE THE WORKOUT

I love cardio! And power walks are my favourite (the longer, the better). But I don’t always have the time to do it. So when I’m on a tight schedule I’ll do a short cardio workout like this one.

1. POWER WALK/SLOW JOG – Spend the first 4 minutes warming up with a power walk or slow jog

2. 30 SECONDS FAST RUNNING AND 30 SECONDS JOGGING – Spend the next 7 minutes alternating between 30 seconds fast running and 30 seconds jogging

3. 4 MINUTE JOG/POWER WALK – Finish with a 4 minute cool down jog or power walk

If you have any workout requests, please let me know in the comments! And if you want to see more of my workouts, you can find them here.

And I should mention that my 3 Steps To Lean Legs Program (which is designed to help you get lean and toned legs) includes FULL body workouts similar to these.

So if you like this style of training, you might want to give it a go. :)

Love Rachael Xx

The post #159 My Favourite 15 Minute Workouts appeared first on Rachael Attard.

1. Start Your Morning Off With A Walk

Many people don’t realize, but walking is actually a great fat burning activity. Sure it won’t burn as many calories as other forms of exercise, but it WILL burn calories, and WILL use fat as the main fuel source, especially when done first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Read more here on why I love walking to help get lean.

2. Eat Breakfast

I know you’ve heard this before, but breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. It kickstarts your metabolism, literally. After going 8 or so hours without food, your body is in a semi starvation mode. The longer you go without eating, the more fat your body is going to start storing. So try to eat breakfast within 1-2 hours of waking up (depending on your workout schedule).

Also try to make breakfast your biggest and most carb heavy meal of the day. Having a big breakfast will keep you full throughout the day, meaning you’re less likely to make bad food decisions when it comes to snack time. Your body is also better at metabolising carbs in the morning. So if you want bread or a big fruit smoothie, now is your best chance! Read more here about the best breakfasts for fat loss.

3. Drink Lots Of Water

One of the worst habits you can have, is not drinking enough water! Water is an absolutely vital part of any healthy lifestyle and / or weight loss program. Aim for at least 2-3L of water per day. I usually drink 3L, and more when I’ve done an intense workout. Here are some tips to help you drink more water.

4. High Intensity Exercise At Least 3 Times Per Week

HIIT is an awesome exercise because it burns a really high amount of calories in a short period of time, so it’s great for those of you that are time poor. But the best part is, after your HIIT workout, you will continue to burn calories. This is due to EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption).

EPOC basically means that your body needs oxygen at a higher rate than before the exercise, to restore your body. So internally, your body is still working hard after your workout, resulting in more calories burnt. Yay!

Aim for a HIIT session at least 3 times per week to get lean and feel amazing!

5. Prepare Your Lunches

Being unprepared with your lunches can lead to you getting takeaway for lunch and making bad food choices. Plan ahead! I write down all of my meals for the coming weeks and then do one big grocery shop to last me the entire week. I then spend a bit of time on the weekend preparing my meals. It is a better of effort, but it means you will be cooking less during the week and because the healthy food is already there and prepared ready to go, you are less likely to get takeaway. Plus it will save you money on dining out.

6. Get A Good Night’s Sleep

Sleep is so important! Getting 8 hours is actually critical to helping you control your hunger. Sleep helps you to control the hormones that regulate the feelings of hunger and fullness. If you don’t get 8 hours of sleep, chances are you are going to be feeling hungrier than normal.

Not only that, having quality sleep is also important. Make sure you go to bed and wake up at a regular time each night, that you avoid technology (and work) at least 1 hour before bed and that you sleep in a dark room.

7. Take Some Time To Relax

Being busy and stressed all the time can actually lead to weight gain. Your body will pump out more cortisol (the stress hormone) causing fat storage (especially around your mid section) and also affects your sleep. Make sure you take a little bit of time everyday to relax!

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1. HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING

I’m sure you’ve heard this a lot already, but HIIT is a super effective method of reducing body fat. It takes about half the time compared to a normal workout, you burn lots of calories in a short amount of time, and you continue to burn calories after your workout. If you’re not doing HIIT, then you are definitely selling yourself short. Incorporate HIIT into both your weights and cardio workouts.

I have a few different HIIT workouts on my blog here and here.

2. GET A PROGRAM

I’m not just saying this because I’m a personal trainer, but having a structured program is much more effective than just going to the gym and deciding when you get there what you are going to do. Having a program is the only way that you will be able to track your progress, plan your changes and it is also good for keeping yourself accountable.

You may plan to go to the gym or exercise 5 times in one week, but things pop up during the week and you skip a day here and there, and then before you know it, it’s the end of the week and you’ve only managed to go 3 times. If you have a program, you are less likely to skip your workouts!

If you don’t have a personal trainer, do a bit of research yourself and design your own little program. You can have a look at my full workout program here.

3. DON’T KEEP DOING THE SAME THING ALL THE TIME

Your body needs variety otherwise it will adapt to your current workouts, and you won’t progress. You may even reach a plateau. This is why you need to keep challenging yourself. You should be aiming to either lift a little heavier, do more reps, go a little bit longer, have less rest, try new exercises, etc each week, and this is why you need the program. I change up my own and my clients programs every 4 weeks, and make sure there are small improvements every week too.

4. REST

Sometimes when you get in routine, it can actually be hard to have a rest day. But rest is part of the program and you need it. If you don’t have a rest day, your body will be too fatigued and won’t have enough time to repair the muscle damage. So if you continue to workout, you won’t be able to workout at your maximum effort, you are more likely to result in injury, and you can even experience a plateau. So make sure you’re taking at least one rest day per week. If that’s still too hard, try an active recover such as going for a walk or doing yoga instead of doing nothing.

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