So what is the incredible fat burning secret that makes fitness bootcamp workouts so effective?  It’s a type of interval training called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).  HIIT produces exceptional fat loss because of three main benefits over standard aerobic exercise:

1. Simply put, HIIT creates a higher calorie burn, sweating off more fat in a shorter workout.
2. It drastically improves your cardio capabilities.  While this is often associated with sports performance, having the ability to go faster and recover more quickly translates to more time spent in effective exercise.  More fat burn!
3. The higher intensity stimulates your metabolism for much more afterburn than training with less intensity.  So your calories (and fat) burn will continue long after you’ve finished training.

The third benefit is the well-researched variable that caused participants doing HIIT to lose 9 times as much fat as those doing traditional cardio.  This potent fat burning effect is because of a process called Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC).  EPOC occurs after the body has done intense exercise that drains the muscles of their stored energy.

It takes up to 48 hours to replenish the energy stores and during this time, your body has no choice but to dip into your fat reserves and burn fat for energy.  This is powerful! For two days after your tough workout, while you’re taking a nap or watching TV or sitting in your office, your blood cells have made a non-stop fat burning furnace to create the energy you need to keep living.

But even better, EPOC is only the immediate result of your High Intensity Interval Training.  As you continue this training, your body improves its energy management.  Your muscles will be able to store more energy, so when you eat, your body will fill up your muscle first instead of converting those calories to fat.

Additionally, you will have higher demands for fat release because your fitness bootcamp workouts will be more intense and continue to trigger more EPOC.  And High Intensity Interval Training also activates elevated levels of Growth Hormone, a key fat-burning substance.  Thus, your body can actually be a fat-burning machine.

HIIT is a simple (but not easy!) training concept.  Go fast. Go slow. Repeat. Fitness bootcamp workouts will incorporate this technique in various ways, including:

• Sprints
• High knees
• Squat jumps (and burpees)
• Shuffle runs
• Jumping Jacks

The intervals normally last only 30-60 seconds in a class setting. And pushing yourself to your absolute max for each and every interval is the best way to get the most out of your fitness bootcamp workouts.

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