KYLE BATTIS – YOUR FAT BURNING COACH

My name is Kyle Battis CSCS, NSCA-CPT and I specialize in transforming bodies and lives. I look forward to helping you achieve your fat burning goals so you can live each day in the body of your dreams! Train with purpose!

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Fat Burning Q+A – “How many times a week should I do High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts and how many rounds of 4 minutes should I do?” And More Questions About HIIT Workouts Answered…

By kyle On January 10, 2009 Under Fat Loss Tips

Hey there,

For today’s Fat Burning Q+A Robin asks some questions about High Intensity Interval Training workouts for fat loss.

Here is her question:

“Hi Kyle, ..

How many times a week should I do High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts and how many rounds of 4 minutes should I do?

Also, do I have to add seperate cardio and strength training to his workouts?

Is 4 minutes of cardio Tabata really enough? If I did 4 or 8 minutes of dumbbell thruster tabata workouts, does that count as my strength workout for the day or should I add more?

Thank you,”

Robin

KYLE’S RESPONSE TO ROBIN’S QUESTIONS:

How many times a week should I do High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts and how many rounds of 4 minutes should I do?

****No right answer here. As always, it depends on many factors – your current fitness levels, your goals, are you also doing weight training or not?? The answer to that question would affect my answer to you. Other factors to consider are your nutrition, lifestyle, etc. I recommend typically doing 4 min workouts every other day to keep it simple and use that as a starting point.

You can follow that protocol for a week or so and use the “Feedback Loop” to let you know IF that is enough or if you need to do more in order to make progress to your fat loss goals.

Also, do I have to add seperate cardio and strength training to these 4-Minute workouts?

*****Doing 4 Minute workout that incorporate bodyweight exercises like squats, push-ups and dumbbell exercises like “Thrusters” ( a combo exercise with a squat and an overhead press) with are a sort of hybrid combination of cardio and strength training blended together.

If maximal fat loss is your goal then doing a mix of cardio AND strength training is the best approach in my opinion and using these 4 minute HIIT workouts are a great supplementary workout that can be done after weight training sessions OR on off days.

They can also be used as ‘extra’ workouts outside of your normal cardio and strength training sessions.

I have not had much luck with personal training clients who ONLY tried to use these short HIIT workouts to get lean. Unless you are really, really, focused on a calorie defecit AND you bust your butt HARD during your short workouts then I just dont think most people will be able to lose fat doing ONLY this style of workout.

I do know of people who have successfully lost fat using ONLY these Tabata style workouts but they are more of an anomoly than the common demoninator.

Is 4 minutes of cardio Tabata really enough? If I did 4 or 8 minutes of Dumbbell Thruster strength tabata workouts, does that count as my strength workout for the day or should I add more?

*****Some people argue that it IS enough and that this approach does work for them but I personally have not seen great success using these Tabata-style workouts EXCLUSIVELY.

I have used them successfully as a component, part of a greater program, of my entire workout and nutrition strategy. I think that these style of workouts are a great TOOL and that they can be part of an overall workout strategy.

You see,

I view these 4-minute workouts as a TOOL that can be part of a bigger strategy. It’s similar to a Hammer in your toolbox in my opinion,…. it’s just one tool – a good tool…. but not the only tool that you should use.

The important thing to think about is that a skilled Carpenter does not just rely on just one tool (he does not use a hammer for EVERY job – sometimes he needs a screwdriver or a saw or a nail gun).

He has an entire toolbox of tools that he uses at certain times and a different tool at other times – it depends on the job at hand and what he is trying to do.

I believe that you should look at fitness the same way and that these 4 Minute workouts are just another tool in your toolbox.

I use the 4 Minute Workouts on days where I am super busy with work, or days that my workout plans get foiled – these four minute workouts are a great “back-up plan.” I personally use these follow along DVD workouts in those situations sometimes: www.QuatroFit.com

Also, another VERY IMPORTANT point to consider is that the only way you can tell if a particular nutrition and training approach is right for you is to put yourself in a “Feedback Loop.” What I mean by that is that you should track your weight, body fat percentage, and tape measurements at least once per week so you know whether or not what you have been doing is “working or not working.”

That way, if at the end of the week, you test your results and see that you have NOT made progress then that is not failure but simply notice that you need to make a change in your training program, your nutrition, or a combination of both. I highly recommend reading Tom Venuto’s book called “Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle” (www.secretsofburningfat.com) as it is the book I have ever read about fat loss and what it really takes to get rid of the fat and keep it off for good.

Train with purpose,