How to shed belly fat with HIIT weight training

The best way to get rid of belly fat

Belly fat doesn’t happen overnight. It took weeks, months and even years to develop so getting rid of it will be a work in progress. There are no miracle quick fixes – although with some key tweaks we can speed up the process.

Don’t buy into the quick fix diets. They might help shed some excess weight initially but that weight will come back quickly and you’ll end weighing even more than you did before you started the diet. And unfortunately a lot of the weight that comes back will settle in your belly.

There is a new show on TV – Fit to Fat to Fit – that shows personal trainers who are in tip-top shape gouging themselves for several weeks to gain up to 70 lbs. of excess fat  . . . . . and then what they did to lose this fat, including how they reduced belly fat. It wasn’t some fancy dieting that did it for them but a dedicated and consistent program of healthy eating and HIIT weight training.

Getting rid of belly fat is a whole body effort which means not just losing the fat in your mid-section but losing weight from your entire body. We all have a six-pack but for most it’s hidden under layers of giggly belly fat.

What are some causes of belly fat

We weren’t born to walk around with excess baggage in our waist but along the way life happened  . . . . you got pregnant, you retired from playing sports, the stresses of living, bad genetics, poor eating and inactivity. These are the main causes for the increasing number of size 44 waists and I am sure there are many more reasons. We all have our stories.

The important thing now is the negative impact excess weight – particularly the kind of fat that settles around our waist – has on our health . . . . and what we can do how to reverse these effects.

A very important fact to point out here is that the fat we see on the outside gives us an indication of what’s happening on the inside. When fat forms around our internal organs such as the heart, liver, pancreas, and kidneys we are only making them work harder to do their bodily functions.

Effects of excess weight on our bodies

If your heart has to work harder to get blood circulating then there is less nourishment going to different parts of your body. This can result in an overworked heart leading to higher blood pressure and peripheral neuropathy.

When the pancreas and liver begins to shut down from being taxed with fatty tissue we start to become insulin resistant. They simply can’t produce enough hormones to process food properly or . . . . get rid of toxic waste fast enough. Check out this video from the popular TV show “The Doctors”.

If you are overweight or you know somebody who is – notice how breathing tends to be difficult at times. Shortness of breath can be directly linked to pressure on your lungs from the fatty tissue forming around it. This will also cause you to be tired often, have sleeping issues and a general lack of energy. If this is not addressed soon then a portable oxygen tank will be next.

As I stated above belly fat didn’t happen overnight so to lose it you have to follow certain proven steps.

Steps to reduce belly fat

The following steps – if followed correctly – have been shown time and again to be the best way to reduce belly fat.

Initially you’ll need to jump start your metabolism. This means that you’ve got to be mindful of the timing and the quality of your meals. If you don’t currently eat breakfast then it’s time to start.

Break your fast with a well rounded meal which will give you a satisfied feeling during the first part of your day. Have a healthy snack when you feel ‘peckish’. And eat a nourishing lunch and a light dinner. Changing your diet this way will get your body to adjust to a healthier eating habit which will have your metabolism processing food properly.

Next – incorporate a workout program that focuses on burning fat as a fuel. HIIT weight training is the ideal form of workout to do this. It burns fat and can speed up the weight loss efforts in a short time.  It will give you the best results for your efforts.

When I do HIIT weight training I can feel my body temperature rising after a five minutes. It may take you more or less.

Find that sweet spot when you feel the first few drops of perspiration forming on your forehead – this is when you start burning fat.

We don’t need to do more than twenty minutes of cardio exercises three days per week when doing HIIT. I do weight training on the same day I do cardio and on my off days a light exercise routine.

Keep track of your progress. When you first start any diet or workout program keep  a record of your progress. This will help get you motivated especially when you see the weight coming off – even if it’s just a little at first.

One of the things that help me maintain a consistent weight is intermittent fasting where you eat your meals within a narrow window each day. It could be within an eight hour or twelve hour period for a month. I wouldn’t advise doing HIIT weight training while doing a session of intermittent fasting because of the extra effort need.