HIIT: Burn fat and build lean body faster with high intensity interval training

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HIIT: Burn Fat and Build Lean Body Faster with High Intensity Interval Training

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Contents INTRODUCTION YOUR FREE GIFT CHAPTER ONE: WHAT IS HIIT? CHAPTER TWO: THE ADVANTAGES OF HIIT CHAPTER THREE: HIIT VS LISS – WHICH IS BEST FOR WEIGHT LOSS? CHAPTER FOUR: HIIT WORKOUTS FOR THE HOME CHAPTER FIVE: EIGHT WEEK HIIT WORKOUT CHAPTER SIX: MORE ABOUT TABATA HIIT CHAPTER SEVEN: FIVE RULES TO MAKE HIIT MORE EFFECTIVE CONCLUSION THANK YOU!

Introduction Lose weight, look good and feel great! Isn’t that what every diet and fitness plan claims you can achieve? They all do but few can deliver on their promises and the fact that results are slow to materialize is what puts people off continuing. Lack of motivation is the single biggest factor in failure and much of that is down to the boring exercise plans that are touted for weight loss. What you need is HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training. This is for people who are fed up with spending hours on cardio training and not seeing any results. This is for people who want something different in their exercise, something that throws a bit of fun their way as well as cutting down on the amount of time needed for exercise. Now how is that not a winner? Less time exercising, a bit more fun and a whole lot quicker results! Swapping out boring and stead cardio exercise for high intensity bursts of exercise is just the thing to kick start that fat loss cycle and to change the way your mind sees exercise. Want to know more? Read on because I will be explaining to you exactly what HIIT is and how it can benefit you. We’ll be looking at the difference between HIIT and traditional exercise and you will also get a sample plan to try out, along with ideas on how to change things up and make it even more fun with even better results. Time to get physical folks!

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Chapter One: What is HIIT?

The definition of High Intensity Interval training is short bursts of intense physical activity that are unsustainable, together with short rest intervals. This kind of activity kick starts a metabolic disturbance that can push the body into burning more calories in a shorter time for up to 72 hours after the activity. HIIT also works to increase metabolism, improve the function of the cardiovascular system, cut insulin resistance and produce much better and faster endurance level gains than steady-state cardio activity. You can do HIIT training just about anywhere because you don’t need to use any equipment. And, if you are pushed for time, HIIT is the perfect way to get your exercise requirements in a shorter period of time. HIIT is also far more effective at burning off fat than normal cardio exercise but you cannot hasten the results by doing HIIT every single day. Because of the intensity of the activity, your body needs time to heal so aim for no more than two or three days per week – more is not always better, remember that! HIIT training is done in intense bursts at 80 to 95% of your maximal heart rate (estimated). This is the maximum number of heartbeats per minute without over-exertion. Recovery times can be or as long as the activity but are not meant for just sitting down and catching your breath. Recovery is an activity carried out at between 40 and 50% of the maximal heart rate and your workout is an alternate combination of HIIT and recovery. For example, you could jog for one minute, sprint for 30 seconds, jog for another minute, and so on – eventually you will adjust the time so that the recovery an HIIT periods are the same. HIIT isn’t necessarily for people who are already fit and active; it can be used by people of all levels of fitness and even with some medical conditions, such as diabetes or obesity. You can use any form of exercise, such as bodyweight, walking, cycling, swimming, strength training, running or even your regular fitness class. As well as burning off more calories during the activity, HIIT

continues to burn calories after your workout. Post exercise, EPOC or oxygen consumption is usually about a 2-hour period where your body restores to what it was before you began the exercise and this uses energy. With HIIT, EPOC burns off up to 15% more calories, adding significantly to your energy expenditure. A HIIT workout will be more exhausting than a regular workout so longer periods are often needed to recover, at least when you first start. It may be better to o just one HIIT training session a week and then gradually increase to another. Do NOT do them on consecutive days. When you draw up your own program, you will need to think carefully about the intensity, the duration and the frequency of the HIIT and the recovery periods. How Will You Know If You Are Doing It Right? As I said earlier, your HIIT period should be done at more than 80% of your maximal rate and you should be able to describe that period as being hard or extremely hard. Use the standard talk test to determine if you are working hard enough – if you can still carry on a conversation then you aren’t doing it intensely enough. With the recovery period, work at between 40 and 50% of your maximal and you should be exercising at a comfortable rate to help you get ready for the next intense burst. An example would be a 1:1 ratio – perhaps a one-minute period of high intensity followed by a one-minute recovery period. Another example is a 30second very high intensity activity, such as a sprint and then a four or fiveminute recovery period and you can do these three to five times. HIIT is extremely beneficial for anyone who wants to improve their health and lose weight or maintain their current weight. It’s also great for people who don’t have a lot of spare time for exercising and cuts out that age-old excuse of “I don’t have the time to go to the gym”. Do keep in mind that HIIT is very relative to the person doing it – 80% of your maximal heart rate isn’t going to be the same as the person stood next to you and the same goes for the exercises you do to get up to that level. HIIT is easily adapted to beginners and can also be done low-level as well, using the right types of exercise and intervals. One last word before we move on – always get clearance from your doctor before you start HIIT just to

make sure that you can do it safely, particularly if you have any medical conditions.

Chapter Two: The Advantages of HIIT

Because HIIT is a combination of intensive activity bursts followed by lowintensity periods of recovery, it is one of the most efficient ways of exercising in terms of time. A normal HIIT workout should be anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes long but even if you only do it for 10 minutes, you will still see the huge benefits in your health, only you will see them much quicker than if your workout was twice as long and of moderate intensity. The exercise you perform is entirely down to you but you can include all sorts, such as cycling, skipping, bodyweight, running, anything you enjoy doing. For example, if you were using a stationary exercise bicycle, you could pedal as fast as possible for 30 seconds and then cycle slower for several minutes at a lower resistance. This would be one repetition or “rep” of an HIIT workout and you would normally do several of these in one workout. How long your workout lasts will depend on what activity you are doing and the intensity of your exercise. Regardless, the intense activity should result in your heart rate speeding up. Not only are you getting the time benefits when you do HIT, you also get several other health benefits with it: 1. More Calories Burned in Less Time HIIT burns calories much faster than traditional exercise. One study was carried out to compare how many calories were burned during a 30 minutes session of HIIT, running, cycling and weight training. Th result showed that HIIT burned off between 25 and 30% more calories than any of the other exercises. The HIIT in this study was 20 seconds high intensity followed by 40 seconds of recovery. The participants in the study were only exercising for one-third of the amount of time the other groups were exercising for and this is because HIIT burns the same calories in less time. Although each of the sessions was 30 minutes, commonly HIIT tends to be shorter than traditional activity.

Summary – HIIT lets you burn off the same calories in less time 2. Metabolic Rate Stays Higher for Longer Another way that HIIT benefits you actually happens hours after you complete the workout. Numerous studies have shown the fantastic ability that HIIT has to keep your metabolic rate high for hours after you finish exercising and some research has shown that it does this more so than any other exercise. These studies also showed that HIIT could move the metabolism so it burned off fat for energy rather than the glucose produced by carbohydrates. And one more study revealed that a two-minute HIIT sprint could increase your metabolism over a 24-hour period in the same way that 30 minutes of running does. 2-minute sprint versus 30 minutes of running – which one would you prefer? Summary – Because HIIT is so intensive, your metabolism stays high for longer after working out, results in in more calories being burned. 3. It Burns Fat Again, numerous studies have proved that HIIT burns fat. Over 13 experiments involving no less than 424 obese and overweight people showed that both HIIT and normal moderate exercise can both reduce the circumference of the waist and body fat. One more study showed that those who do HIIT for 20 minutes, three times per week, lost 2 kilograms of body fat over 12 weeks without making any changes to their diet. More importantly, a reduction of 17% in visceral fat was also demonstrated and it is this fat that promotes disease as it surrounds all your internal organs. While anyone can cut body fat with HIIT, despite the lower amounts of exercise time required, it is far more effective on those who are obese or overweight. Summary - HIIT produces similar levels of fat loss to normal moderate or endurance exercise but in a much shorter time frame. HIIT can also cut levels of visceral fat. 4. You Can Gain Muscle As well as burning off fat, HIIT can also help muscle mass to increase in some people. However, this is likely to be in the muscles that you use the most, like the legs or the trunk. You should also be aware that this is more

likely to happen in people who led a more sedentary lifestyle to start with. There has been some research, carried out on individuals who are active that shed no increase in muscle mass. While HIIT can promote a smaller level of muscle mass, if this is your goal then you should stick with weight training. Summary – Normally inactive people may experience some small amount of muscle growth with HIIT but weight training is better for this 5. Improvements in Oxygen Consumption When we talk about oxygen consumption, we are talking about the ability your muscles have to use oxygen and one of the best ways to increase this traditionally has been endurance training, long training sessions of cycling or running at steady rates. However, HIIT will give you exactly the same benefits but in a fraction of the time. One study carried out over 5 weeks showed that HIIT, performed for 20 minutes, four times per week, could improve this consumption by up to 9% pretty much the same as the improvement shown from the other study group who cycled for 40 minutes continuously, four times a week. Yet another study was carried out over 8 weeks with two groups cycling on stationary bikes – one group using traditional methods, the other using HIIT. Both groups showed an increase in oxygen consumption by about 25% with just one difference – the traditional group cycled or 120 minutes per week, while the HIIT group, just 60 minutes. Summary – HIIT can help to increase oxygen consumption by the same amounts as traditional exercise but in half the time. 6. Blood Pressure and Heart Rate May be Reduced Numerous studies and research have shown that HIIT can cut blood pressure and your heart rate in people who are overweight or obese, basically in people who are likely to already have high blood pressure. One study carried out over 8 weeks showed that 20 minutes a day, three days per week HIIT on a stationary bike reduced blood pressure by as much as traditional endurance for 30 minutes a day, four times a week. However, the individuals studied already had high blood pressure and HIIT has no effect on blood pressure in individuals who are of normal weight and with normal blood pressure. Summary – HIIT can reduce heart rate and blood pressure in those who have

high blood pressure and are overweight or obese 7. Blood Sugar May Also Be Reduced More than 50 different studies were reviews and the overall result was that HIIT can reduce blood sugar levels and also cause improvement in insulin resistance more than traditional exercise does. This means that HIIT is also beneficially for those who have type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes. Those studies carried out on people with normal blood sugar levels showed that, even then, insulin resistance can still be improved. Summary – HIIT is beneficial for anyone who needs to lower their blood sugar and/or insulin resistance, both in diabetic and in non-diabetic people.

Chapter Three: HIIT vs LISS – Which is Best for Weight Loss?

HIIT – High Intensity Interval Training LISS – Low Intensity Steady State How many times have you gotten half way through a long exercise routine and truly wondered if it is doing you any good? Is this really the way to go to get to your end goal? It really doesn’t matter what that goal is whether it is to run further or faster, to sleep better, to burn more fat or be able to exercise for longer, it is very important that you realize that not all types of cardio are the same. This is more so for when you go running but there are two cardio exercise types to consider – HIIT and LISS. So, what are the differences between these two types of cardio exercise and how do they affect your goals? More importantly, how do they affect how quickly you can reach your goals? Cardiovascular Exercise - LISS vs HIIT Cardio exercise is any type of exercise that raises your heart rate. All cardio exercise is designed to give your heart a workout and your circulatory system, increasing the flow of blood through your body, basically to keep you moving. However, not many people realize that the human body has three energy systems and it is important that you understand these to understand the differences between LISS and HIIT: 1. The Phosphagen System The phosphagen system is the energy system that is kick-started in the initial 10 seconds of any movement. It is used mainly when you do short intense bursts of exercise. The human body stores ATP, phosphates and creatine and it calls on these stores to generate that energy within the first 10 seconds. The phosphagen system is very helpful for anyone who wants to improve performance during explosive or rapid movement. Although this includes HIIT, most people who exercise, typically runners

though, do not see the Phosphagen system as important as finding out about the differences between the other energy systems. All you need to know is that this is the system that comes into play when you begin to move. 2. The Anaerobic System This is the system that gets used as energy for intensive exercise bursts of 10 seconds to 2 minutes. The anaerobic system is the one that is most utilized during a proper HIIT workout and during this short time period, glycogen stores from the muscles is used – as of yet, no oxygen has been used in the process of energy transfer. Doing HIIT and anaerobic training a couple of times a week is a fantastic way to building up strength and speed, increasing your endurance levels, burning off more calories, even while you are sleeping, boosting metabolism and improving your performance overall. It also helps to boost cardiovascular benefits, burn more fat and preserve your lean muscle mass. However, anaerobic training is very intense and shouldn’t be done on a daily basis – your body needs decent recovery and healing time so only do it one or two times a week. HIIT pushes your body’s threshold in terms of anaerobic to carry on doing high intensity exercise so the body will experience something called after burn. This is where it can take your body several hours to return to a homeostatic state – basically, your energy-in, energy-out needs to be rebalanced. However, although you should not be doing HIIT every day, you will still burn off calories even when you have finished the workout so calorie burning can even take place while you are sleeping. The talk test is the best way to test if your training is anaerobic – you shouldn’t be able to speak one word, let alone hold a normal conversation during anaerobic exercise. Do push yourself as far as your physical limits will allow but keep your form. If your form fails, you need to stop. 3. The Aerobic System Once the two minutes is up, your body will begin using oxygen for its energy in the muscular system. Aerobics can be for 10 minutes up to as much as two hours because the oxygenated blood is taking energy to the muscles that you are using.

If you were a runner then long-distance running or training for a marathon would be the best examples of aerobic training and LISS, being low intensity and long in duration, is a good example of that type of training. LISS is best for increasing energy, strengthening the heart, getting the blood flowing better, good cardiovascular health and fat burning, although the fat burning only really happens in the initial workout stages. However, the adaptation principle comes into play here and the body will adapt very quickly to becoming more efficient aerobically. This means that, if you only do LISS and never do HIIT, it will end up being counter-productive to what you are trying to achieve, especially for maintenance and fat burning are your goals. Because this adaptation is very quick, to keep up with it and maintain your calorie burning levels, you would need to run longer and further each time and that is why you should balance LISS and HIIT to get the best results – your body has to keep on guessing and you won’t get to a cardio plateau. You should aim for a certain amount of LISS in your daily regimes if only because of the huge benefits it brings in terms of cardiovascular health. But, if your goal is to be stronger, faster, and fitter, and have better endurance, as well as making the most of a much faster and more efficient metabolism, you should do HIIT workouts one or two times a week as well. With any luck, the comparison between the energy systems in the human body has shown you how best to use LISS and HIIT more effectively to attain your goals. You should also now have a much better understanding of what is going on in your body when you do cardiovascular exercise. This can help you to make your routines far more efficient and speed up reaching those goals.

Chapter Four: HIIT Workouts for The Home

Sometimes, we just don’t have the time to go to the gym or go for that long run around the park and that is where HIIT steps in. You don’t need loads of equipment and you don’t need loads of time to get the benefits. For the workouts below, all you need is kettlebells, dumbbells of a medicine ball at the absolute most. Some of the exercises will only require your own bodyweight, nothing else, and all can be done in the comfort of your own home. Ready? Then let’s begin! For all of these workouts, please warm up for a period of three to five minutes using jumping jacks, running on the spot or skipping with a rope. This is important – HIIT is intensive exercise and if you don’t warm your muscles up, you are running a very high risk of injury. Exercise Directions Exercises one through four: Although these contain resistance training you can still do them for HIIT. Each exercise should be done for one minute with weights that are light enough to ensure that you keep the proper form. You are going to go through these four very quickly so make your weight lighter than one you would use for strength training. Between each one, do 30 seconds of jump squats or mountain climbers and rest for 15 seconds or less. After each round (exercises one through four with all the other bits) rest up for three minutes and the then repeat twice more. Exercise 1 1. Kettlebell Swings Bend the knees so they are at an angle of 90 degrees. Your feet should be just over shoulder-width apart, your back should be leaning forward slightly and

you should have a kettle bell held between your legs. Start your swing upwards, thrusting the hips forward and bring the kettlebell up to your shoulder height. Return to your starting position 2. Decline Pushups Put your hands flat on the floor with your head facing down and both of your feet onto a bench. Make sure your back is straight and then lower your body down until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle and the humorous bone is parallel to the floor. Return and repeat 3. Fire Hydrants Start off on all fours. Your hands should be about shoulder-width apart, your head facing down, your back straight. Use your hip abductor to raise one leg to the side, until it is parallel to the floor. Return and repeat with the other leg. Exercise 2 1. Forward Dumbbell Lunge with a Twist Stand up straight and hold a dumbbell out to the front of you. Step forward into a lunge keeping your knees level with or behind your toes and your back knee must not be on the ground. Twist slowly to one side keeping the dumbbell held out in front. Return to the center and push off to your start position. Repeat on the other side 2. Bent Lateral Raise using Dumbbells Lean forward but keep your back straight and hold out a dumbbell in each hand, straight in front of you but below knee level. Raise the dumbbells up slowly until they are level to your shoulders, but still keeping a straight back and with your head looking down. Lower the dumbbells back to the start position and repeat. 3. Plank with a Dumbbell Row Get into position for a push-up, with your feet apart shoulder-width, your head looking down and your back straight. You will be holding a pair of dumbbells. Retaining your position, lift with one dumbbell towards your abdominal muscles and hold it for one second. Drop your arm back to the

starting position slowly and repeat with the other. Exercise 3 1. Weighted Step-ups Begin by holding a dumbbell in each hand and put one foot up on a bench. Lift up your body off the ground, generating the power using the leg on the bench. When you reach the top, switch over to the other food and go back down. Repeat for the opposite side. 2. Chin-ups Use an underhand grip to hold a bar with our hands shoulder-width apart. Your knees should be at a 90-degree angle. Lift your body slowly until your chin is over the bar; return to start and repeat 3. Russian Twists Lie on the floor, bending your knees to a 90-degree angle and your heels on the floor. Hold out a medicine ball to the front of you with your arms straight and twist from side to side, keeping your back at an angle. Exercise 4 1. Weighted Goblet Squats Holding a kettle bell with both of your hands, bring it up under your chin. Twist your feet so your toes are turned out at an angle of 30 degrees. Now go into a squat, making sure your knees push out and your elbows move between your knees. Take it as low as you possibly can while retaining your back arch and then return slowly to your start position 2. Decline Pushups – see above 3. Plank with a Dumbbell Row – see above Exercises five through eight: Perform between 15 and 20 repetitions of each exercise with a 10 second or less break in between each exercise. Repeat until you have worked out for 10 minutes. Exercise 5:

1. Wall Squat and Pulse on the Toes Start with your back flat to the wall and then slide down until you are at a 90degree angle at the waist and knees. Now press back up through the balls of the toes, bringing your calf muscles into play. Slide up and down the wall continuously for three to five inches for 15 seconds. Rest for five seconds by returning to a standing position and then lowering down slowly. 2. Power Pushup and Mountain Climbers This is similar to a normal push up but instead, you don’t just straighten the arms, you push up off the ground, using all your strength and your power and land on your elbows softly. Then do 10 mountain climbers – push your knees to your chest five times on each knee and make them as explosive as you can while retaining form. 3. A Walking Plank Begin in the plank position resting your forearms flat on the ground. Now walk up into a full plank – put your palms flat on the ground and straighten your elbows out. Return to the forearm plank. Make sure you stay steady and controlled at all times and keep your butt and hips in line with your body and engage your abs. Exercise 6: 1. Tuck Jumps Begin in a squat position with your chest up and your knees tucked behind your toes. Now jump, go as high as you possibly can and push your knees into your chest. Land with soft knees on the balls of your feet and lower your heels down. Be quick and intense with this and try not to have a break in between the jumps 2. Woodchoppers You can use a big bottle of washing detergent for this, the heavier the better. Begin with your feet flat on the floor, hip-width distance and your knees should be bent in a half-squat. Turn your body one way to the outer edge of your foot. Tighten up your abdominals and swing your body and your arms holding the detergent, up to the opposite corner, just like you were swinging a

golf club. Make sure your feet stay flat to the floor at all times and repeat equally on both sides. 3. Bear Crawl and Reverse Burpee Get into squat position and then walk your hands to a plank position. Now do a reverse burpee – push your knees to your chest, jump up straight and land in a squat. Your legs shoot back to a plank position and then do a single pushup. Now walk the hands back to the feet and go back to your start position. Keep your movements smooth Exercise 7: 1. Mountain Climbers For this, you need two towels. Start in a plank position and have each foot on a towel. Bring your knees up to your chest twice on each side for a total of four and then push your knee outwards to your elbow twice on each side. 2. Squat Jump and Overhead Press Get yourself a gallon bottle of water – this will weigh about 8.5 lbs. Hold it at chest, keeping your feet together and your elbows in. Jump your legs to just over hip-width and go straight to a full squat, holding the water above you. Now jump your feet back together and bring the water back down to your chest. Do this as quickly as you can. 3. Walking Plank – see above Exercise 8: 1. Knee Tucks Use a towel and do this on a slippery surface. Put the towel beneath your feet and begin in a plank position. Push your knees to your chest while sliding the feet forward but keeping your butt down. 2. High Knees and Squat Jumps Keep your back straight and push your knees to your chest, just as though you were running up the stairs. Land on the balls of the feet with soft knees. Do five on each side and follow this with three jump squats – begin in a squat position with your chest up and your knees tucked behind your toes and your

weight on your heels. Jump up as far as you can and return to a squat, ensuring your knees bend when you land. 3. Bear Crawl and Reverse Burpee – see above Exercise 9: Do these next two movements like this: 10 push-ups A cross body mountain climber – a left and a right = 1 9 push-ups 2 cross body mountain climbers 8 push-ups 3 cross body mountain climbers Continue till you get to one pushup and 20 of the mountain climbers Exercise 10: Do a Tabata workout of 12 minutes with 20 seconds of intense work and 10 seconds of rest Cycle through the following eight times: Squats – 20 seconds Rest – 10 seconds Burpees – 20 seconds Rest – 10 seconds Sit-ups – 20 seconds Rest – 10 seconds

Chapter Five: Eight Week HIIT Workout

This next program has been divided into two, each one four weeks. In each one, you will do exactly the same exercises but the stakes will go up. Phase One Weeks One Through Four These are designed to help you get into the frame of mind needed and to get your body ready. Pull in as much intensity as you can in this phase but do keep your own personal limitations in mind. You might think it’s best to really push yourself from day one but it is better to test things out first, gauge the depth as it were. Phase Two Weeks Five Through Eight Now that you have a good understanding of what it’s all about and your body is conditioned, it’s time to work on the extra fat. Because you have already adapted through phase one, your body is going to respond quickly to the extra work you are going to throw at it so keep an eye on your figure as your shape begins to change. In both phase one and phase two, you will follow these formats: AMRAP – as many reps as you can of the moves in a set amount of time, determined up front – normally 10 or 20 minutes. This will keep your focus on the maximum work in the minimum amount of time while giving you benchmarks for progress. For week one, for example, you log how many rounds or reps you have down in total and in week two, you will try to do better than that. Ladders – this is a descending repetition that starts you at a high rate of intensity and ends at the same rate. You focus on doing all the work

efficiently, with maximum efforts to kickstart the most effective metabolic response Strength Circuits – when you move between exercises quickly, your body doesn’t get the chance to recover fully so you are adding in cardio work to increase the calorie burn. To ensure you activate the fast twitching muscle fibers, you should choose loads that are a little heavier than usual. Day One: AMRAP (Full Body) Sled Push Load up a sled in a wide-open space and grip the posts high up keeping your arms straight. Push forwards deliberately, using your knees to drive you forward and keeping your hips as low as you can until you have moved the set distances. Turn and get ready to go in the opposite direction for the next round. Dumbbell Thruster Stand, place your feet about shoulder-width apart and turn out your toes. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height, keeping your elbows turned down. Kick back your hips and go down deep into a squat. Extend your hips and legs and stand up very quickly, using that momentum to push up the weights above your head until your arms are extended fully. Bring the weights back down to your shoulders and repeat straight away. Dumbbell Renegade Row Go into a plank position resting your hands on dumbbells that are under your shoulders and parallel to the floor. Maintain a straight line with your hips, head, and heels and keep your hips square. Alternate rows with the dumbbells, bringing them to your ribs, keeping your elbows close in and head in a neutral position. Dumbbell Walking Lunge Holding a dumbbell in each hand, down at your sides, step forward into a lunge. Bend both of the knees and lower down to the floor, with your knee over the edge of your toes. Using your trailing foot, push off and extend your legs out. Bring the trailing leg to the front and go straight into another lunge.

Repeat on alternative legs. Days Two and Four – Active Recovery When you first start, you are going to want to do this as much as you can to get rid of the fat but that is a big mistake. You should have at least two active recovery days every week, in between training days. Doing some mild activities can get your blood flowing properly, and move vital nutrients into the cells and the waste out. This will push your progress forward and you will even burn a few calories in the process. Some good examples of activities to do on your rest days are: Do these at a pace that is easy to moderate and for between 30 and 60 minutes: Bike Riding Canoeing Hiking Paddle boarding Pilates Swimming Tai Chi Walking Yoga Day Three: Strength & Conditioning Ladders Push-Ups Lie on the floor with your legs extended backward and your hands flat on the floor just over shoulder-width apart keeping your heels, hips, and head in a line. Stiffen your body and lower your chest slowly until your elbows are at an angle of 90 degrees. Push forcibly back up to the start. Goblet Squats Stand straight with your feet placed shoulder-width apart and hold one dumbbell to your chest. Your elbows should be down and your chest lifted up. Bending the knees, squat to at least parallel, lower if you can, and then push up, using your heels, back to standing.

Assisted Pull-Ups Loop a super band around a pull-up bar and stand on a box. Grip the bar overhand and then place one foot into the band Step completely off the box so you are hanging from the bar. Contracting the shoulder blades, push your elbows down and then back so that your chest rises up to the bar. Pause and then return to your starting position Burpees From a standing position, crouch and put your hands on the floor. Jump, pushing your legs back, into a plank. Do one push-u-, bring your feet back beneath you and then stand up and jump as high as you can with your hands stretched above you. Land and go straight into a crouch and repeat. Medicine-Ball Slam Grip a medicine ball in front of you using both hands. Using one movement, lift it above your head, stretching your arms up as far as you can and come up onto the toes. Slam the ball down using your entire body, drop your hips, contract those abs and slam that ball to the ground. Pick up and repeat immediately. Day Five: Strength Circuits & HIIT Barbell Deadlift Stand with a barbell in front of you. Your feet should be at hips width apart and your toes under the bar. Keep your back flat and push your hips back; bend the knees until you can get hold of the bar in alternating grip outside of the legs. Brace to your core, bring the shoulder blades in and then stand, bringing the bar up in a line along your body until it is fully extended. Return slowly back to the starting position, touch briefly down and repeat. Dumbbell Bench Press Grip a dumbbell in each hand and stretch your arms straight out over your chest. Your palms should be facing away. Bend the elbows and drop the weights slowly down until your arms are at an angle of 90 degrees and your elbows and shoulders are lined up. Extend the arms out forcefully to the start and, at the top, squeeze your chest.

Farmer’s Carry Hold a set of kettlebells or heavy dumbbells down at your sides, shoulders retracted. Step forward in small steps keeping the knees bent slightly to stop the weights from swinging; walk fast until you have covered the set distance Airdyne Bike Set the Airdyne to a moderate tension and then pedal as hard as you can, pulling as hard as you can, fast. Do this for the set time, and then remove your feet from the pedals and your hands from the handles until your rest period is over.

Rowing Machine Make sure the foot strap is comfortable across the instep and grip the handles overhand. Plant your heels, straighten your back and arms and push back using your legs as far as you can. Now pull the handle towards your chest, pushing your elbows behind and leaning backward from the hips. Reverse and return to your start position. Inverted Row Put a barbell on a rack at the thigh or lower height. Grip the bar underhand with your hands shoulder-width apart and stretch your legs. Lift up the hips, brace and pull yourself into a straight line. Push the elbows back, pull your arms into your sides and keep your body rigid then pull up. Lower back down and repeat immediately. Create Your Own HIIT Plan HIIT workouts are so effective that you will want to carry on and, while you can choose from thousands of tailored plans, sometimes you might want to create your own. Here’s how to do it: Length A HIIT workout can form a few minutes up to a whole hour. Pick the time length that suits you but, if you intend to go over half an hour, mix in some low intensity exercises as well. Intervals

Because HIIT is based on exercising at your maximal effort for the shortest time, with brief rest periods thrown in, you can set your time intervals for between 20 and 60 seconds. Do be sensible about this. It might sound easy to do burpees for one minute, believe me, that is going to feel like an incredibly long time when you are working at maximum effort. Think about that when you set your intervals. You could follow the Tabata rules of 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated 8 times. Then you rest for 60 seconds. Moves This is the best bit, choosing the exercises you want to do. Pick your favorites and put them all together Mix it up, and make it fun.

Chapter Six: More about Tabata HIIT

Tabata is a style of HIIT that has been proven by research to build up your endurance and your strength in the shortest time possible. This is because it consists of sessions of total effort, repeated, with short rest periods. Here’s how you can bring Tabata HIIT into your regular workout. Choose your exercise Choose from these: Box jumps Burpees Jumping lunges Mountain climbers Squat into overhead presses Use this formula: 20 seconds of high intensity activity with your chosen exercise Rest for 10 seconds Repeat 7 more times Rest for one minute Choose another exercise: Choose another and repeat the above or you could give yourself a large pat on the back for one of the hardest exercise regimes you have ever done – in just four minutes. When you think it’s time to make that healthy change, Tabata is the kick-ass calorie burner you are looking for and, if you add in some strength training as well, there really is no limit to your potential achievements. This next training example is a real energy busting routine and if you can complete it successfully, you will be ready to take on the world! Here it is: Equipment

You will need a timer and a set of dumbbells 1. Tabata – each exercise is done alternately for 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest for four minutes total 2. Strength – each exercise is done alternately for 30 seconds work until you have completed 3 reps of each one 3. Tabata – each exercise is done alternately for 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest for four minutes total 4. Strength – each exercise is done alternately for 30 seconds work until you have completed four reps of each one Ready to start? 1. Burpees and Power Skips Do each one for 20 seconds at high intensity, rest for 10 seconds and continue for four minutes, alternating between the two exercises. Begin in plank position with your legs and arms held long and your hands held about shoulder-width apart. Either walk or jump between your hands with both feet until you are in a low squat. Jump up as high as you can, land and then return to the plank position. Now stand with your feet at hips distance apart. Lift up one knee as high as you can and raise up your opposite arm. Jump up straight and then switch over sides, forming a kind of skip. Continue for 20 seconds alternating sides. 2. Push-Ups and Walking Lunges Do each of these for 30 seconds and alternate until you have completed each one three times. Begin in plank position with your arms held at shoulder-width apart. Brace your core, tighten those abs and then lower your chest so it is hovering over the mat. Keep your elbows into your sides and pointing back. Now straighten your arms to push up and go back to the plank position. Next, stand up and place your feet a hips width apart. Step forward in a big step on one foot and stop your body slowly to the floor. Your legs should both be at 90-degree angles as you reach the bottom of your lunge. Draw your rear knee in and bring up to your chest and then repeat on the other side.

3. High Knees and Skaters Do each of these for 20 seconds at high intensity, rest up for 10 seconds. Repeat, alternating between them for four minutes. Begin by standing with your feet placed a hips width apart. Bring one knee up as far as you can and raise up the opposite arm. Switch sides quickly. Continue to alternate for 20 seconds Now stand with your legs a little further apart than your shoulder blades and with your arms down at your sides. Lift a leg behind you at a small angle and go into a reverse lunge – the fore knee should be at a 90-degree angle. B) Lift up one knee as high as it will go and raise the opposite arm, then switch quickly. Continue alternating arms and legs. Swing your arms round to the front of the bent knee and leap your rear leg forward, switching sides with a kind of skating motion. As you switch sides, your arms will alternate too. 4. Renegade Rows and Cross-Behind Lunges Perform each of these for 30 seconds and alternate until you have completed each one three times Start in full plank position holding a dumbbell in each hand. Your arms should be extended and you should be on your toes. Brace your abs and bring your belly in and back towards the spine. Pull up one elbow towards the ceiling and keep it hugged into your side. Return back to position with the dumbbell facing the floor under full control. Switch to the other side and repeat. Now stand with your feet placed at hips width apart. Put your body weight onto the left leg and bring your right leg behind your left. Make sure your hips face forwards, bend both your knees and lower to the floor. Keeping your back straight, your chest lifted, maintain the weight on the front leg. Return to start and repeat on the alternate side.

Chapter Seven: Five Rules to Make HIIT More Effective

Cardio may not be the most exciting of exercises but provided you follow the rules, you can burn more calories, making it all far more effective and worthwhile. Not just any old cardio here though, we are talking about HIIT – that’s what this whole guide has been about. HIIT is the most effective form of cardio ever and, as you already know, it’s all about how you exercise. As a recap, you work hard for a period and then rest for a shorter period and this intensive cycling eats the calories away, during and following your exercise session. EPOC, the Excess Post Exercise Consumption, otherwise termed as after burn, is very valuable, just as valuable as the exercise session itself when it comes to weight loss and fat burning. But, as you now know, you won’t be able to go straight into HIIT if you have not been all that active simply because the intensity of it can cause injury, not to mention overtraining and burnout. The following five rules will help you to maximize your result while keeping yourself as free from injury as possible 1. Ease Yourself in Slowly Before you step into high intensity interval training, you should at least have a base level of fitness in the cardio area. The minimum level is attained after doing cardio for 20 minutes, three days a week for a minimum of one month. After that time, it is recommended that you include a couple of interval training sessions and increase that number over a period of time. To start with, you are highly unlikely to be able to do a full HIIT session so carry on with your usual steady-state cardio and just include a couple of 30 second intervals in. As your comfort level increases and your fitness level improves, you can add a few more until your entire session includes intervals from start to finish.

The intervals can be done over the whole of your workout session but for shorter periods or a lower level of intensity. By spreading out the intervals you are not doing a full HIIT session but it is a really good way of building your stamina up and giving your body the chance to adapt to the new type of training. You can also practice changing your speed during your cardio session. As you get fitter, your intervals can be higher in intensity and longer in duration. 2. Choose the Exercise Mode That You Enjoy the Most If you really don’t like running then don’t start doing running intervals. If you try to do an exercise that you really don’t like or don’t get on with then your chances of success are low to nil – you won’t stay with it. Choose an exercise that you really enjoy doing so long as it fits in with the protocol. Your exercise should be one in which: The large muscle groups are in use, like legs as this will raise your heart rate significantly You can get to top speed and back down again fast You can also choose exercises that are not so traditional such as a 30 to 60 second burst of burpees then a 60 second walk, then repeat. So long as you are working at high intensity and at a fast speed, you can mix and match your exercises to suit you. 3. Be Aware of your Leg Workouts If you do these in the gym you will need to structure each HIIT session so they don’t clash. If your leg sessions in the gym are heavy, the last thing you will want to be doing the next day is a HIIT session. If you do, I can assure you it won’t be to your best ability. Overtraining does nothing more than slow your progress and your recovery times will be longer. You should keep leg work days at least 24 hours apart from a HIIT session. HIIT uses glycogen stored in the muscles and this is what you use for powering your leg workouts too. Keep them far enough apart to allow those stores to build back up again and do some steady state cardio in the meantime.

If you are one of the hard-core bodybuilders, HIIT sessions following leg workouts are a good way of getting into the stores of body fat but it is a way of training that is very demanding and should really be used by very advanced athletes only. 4. Make Sure Your Fuel Up Correctly When you concentrate your efforts on burning body fat, you might end up neglecting your nutritional needs. It is important that you fuel up properly before you start a HIIT workout because you are going to need that energy. This is not a simple basic cardio workout where you can do it on an empty stomach. If you are near to your training time, you need to stock your body up on carbohydrates and proteins that are fast-digesting. This will give your muscles proper fuel and also the amino acids your body needs to rebuild and for energy. Most likely, you won’t eat so many carbohydrates as you would if you were weight lifting especially if you are aiming for fat burning but you will need a minimum of 10 to 20 grams per session. Keep fat intake down to a minimum and don’t forget supplements, such as BCSS, beta-alanine, and caffeine. Also, make sure you have plenty of water to hand in case of dehydration. If you are a weightlifter then your HIIT sessions should be treated exactly the same. You wouldn’t start a weights session without fueling up first because you know full well that it is important to get the right nutrition before you start training. 5. Always Listen to What Your Body is Telling You If you are scheduled to do a HIIT session but your body is screaming that it is tired then listen to it – it's telling you it needs a rest. Instead, do some LISS work but don’t do too much – you will fight back stronger on the following day. If you are just starting out, limit yourself to a single HIIT session each week and then add in a few intervals of shorter duration. Like it does with resistance training your body will adapt to the stress that HIIT puts it under and you will get better but you must listen to what your body tells you or you risk burnout and injury.

Conclusion

Phew! Time to catch your breath now! Wasn’t that fun? Wasn’t that a whole lot more exciting that the boring humdrum of a treadmill or a standard jog around the park? Don’t you feel so much better for it? HIIT is a fantastic way to kickstart the fat burning process in your body, a terrific way to make you feel tons better and look great too! You will see your body begin to take shape, the shape you want it to be, right before your very eyes and with that comes a great boost of confidence. And that, right there, is what is missing from so many other plans – the motivation to continue. When you start to see those pounds dropping off, when you start to see the body you used to have re-emerging, you won’t want to stop! And, why should you? HIIT is a fun way to exercise, a much quicker way of exercising that leaves you more time to live your life. Enjoy the experience, there isn’t an exercise plan in the world that will make you feel and look better than HIIT so long as you plan and prepare for it properly!

Thank You! I’d like to say thank you for purchasing my book and congratulations for reading until the end. I love to hear from my reader. If you found the book valuable, then I am glad I wrote it. Your feedback is important to me. I value and appreciate receiving your compliments or suggestions. Could you please take a minute or two and leave a review for this book on Amazon? Click Here to leave a review for this book on Amazon! If you want to leave a private feedback, please email your feedback to: [email protected] P/S: There are surprise bonus at the end!

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BONUS : Free chapters on Intermittent Fasting

Chapter 1: A Little about Intermittent Fasting Intermittent fasting is the recent fad that has taken the world of fitness trends by a storm. Intermittent fasting involves oscillating between periods of fasting and eating healthy. There are studies that prove that this diet helps in facilitating weight loss, improving your immunity and improves your rate of metabolism. In this chapter, you will learn what intermittent fasting is all about.

What is intermittent fasting? Intermittent fasting, as mentioned earlier, alternates between periods of eating and then fasting. This diet has no dietary restrictions. Instead, it focuses on the timeframe within which you are allowed to eat. There are several methods of intermittent fasting. You might have never consciously thought about it. However, all of us end up fasting daily. Think about it. When you are sleeping you tend to fast. Think of intermittent fasting as a mere extension of this fasting period. You can skip having your breakfast and instead have your first meal at noon and the last one at 8pm in the evening. This would imply that you will be fasting for about 16 hours daily and the eating window is restricted to a period of 8 hours. This is the most popular method of intermittent fasting and is referred to as 16/8 method. Despite what people usually think, this is a very easy schedule to follow. Hunger isn’t difficult to manage and tackle. It might be a little difficult initially. However, with time, it does get easier. You aren’t allowed to eat anything during the fasting period. A couple of beverages like tea and coffee are certainly allowed, but in moderation. There are a couple of different forms of intermittent fasting that allow you to eat low-calorie foods in small amounts during the fasting period. Supplements that won’t add any additional calories are allowed as well.

Why should you fast? The concept of fasting isn’t a new one and human beings have been doing this since time immemorial. It could have been done out of necessity or due to the lack of food. There are religious reasons for fasting too. Various religions like Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity talk about fasting. Animals and human beings alike tend to fast when they fall sick. There isn’t anything that is unnatural or unusual about fasting and our bodies have been designed in such a way that they can go for long periods of time without any food. Different processes in human bodies also change when they start fasting. The level of blood sugar, as well as insulin, tends to drop down while fasting and there is an increase in the production of the growth hormone in the body. People follow intermittent fasting since it allows them to shed weight and it is quite an easy way to achieve that goal. Others follow this diet for the metabolic benefits that it has to offer. There’s some research that suggests that this diet can help in providing some protection against diseases that affect the heart and the brain. Intermittent fasting seems like a handy tip that will make your life much simpler, and improve your health simultaneously. The fewer meals you have to plan, the easier your life will be.

Different techniques Intermittent fasting might mean different things for different people. The most common form of this diet is the 5:2 model. In this, the individual will have to fast for two nonconsecutive days in the week. The rest of the days, there is no restriction on the number of calories that you can consume. There are others who might fast daily and have a fasting window that fits in with their schedule. This is like the 16/8 pattern. It means that you will have to skip your breakfast, have your first meal at noon and the last one before 8

pm.

Health benefits Fasting has many benefits to offer that go well beyond weight loss. Fasting can help in improving your overall health and increasing your longevity as well. In a clinical trial conducted by Harvie et al., 2011, they observed that intermittent fasting and caloric restrictions lead to weight loss. There is also a link between cell metabolism and fasting and it was found that fasting periodically can help in decreasing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, aging and so on. Fasting is effective because, during this period, a lot of cells that are present in the body die and the stem cells start working. This starts the regeneration process and produces new cells. Other studies also show that it helps in reducing the amount of bad cholesterol or LDL present in the blood.

When to eat and not what to eat This diet doesn’t place any caloric constraint on those who follow it. The plans for this diet can be personalized quiet easily. It focuses more on the time when you can eat and not what you eat. The food doesn’t matter. What matters is that you adhere to the fasting window. This diet might not work for everyone. Don’t get disheartened. You can try a different variation of the same diet. Also, before you get started with this diet, you should consult your physician or your doctor.

Tips and tricks You have been given tons of information on intermittent fasting and you have probably started getting baffled by it all! You may be worried about how you will be able to cope up with the diet you are going to start now. Well, stop

worrying! This chapter gives you all the tips and tricks you will need to ensure that the fast works for you instead of going down the drain.

Stop Freaking Out! You will have to get rid of your thoughts about the number of hours you can fast. Stop asking yourself if you should only fast for nine hours instead of ten hours! Stop worrying about how consuming a single French fry during your fasting period is going to affect it. Please relax! You have an extremely smart body, which will adapt itself to any changes you may make to your lifestyle. If you are looking at consuming lunch or breakfast one day and want to skip it the next, go ahead! If you are aiming to become an athlete or aiming towards becoming strong and muscular, you will need to be very rigid with respect to your diet. Otherwise, you should just chill!

Keep yourself busy If you have just started your intermittent diet, you will probably have trouble trying to curb your thoughts about hunger. You may sit around and begin to wonder about how hungry you are and will probably crave some form of food. So, let me give you a certain pattern that you could use during the first few days of your fast! Right before the first few hours of your fast, you should consume a huge meal! A huge meal - let us call it a monster meal. You will then stop worrying about when you are going to eat next! You could try sleeping a decent amount of time since you cannot worry about hunger when you are dreaming! Try to keep yourself busy during the day to avoid worrying about your hunger. Lastly, but never the least, keep telling yourself that you do not need to think about hunger since you are a strong person!

You can consume beverages Yes, you have been asked to fast. But, this does not mean that you cannot drink water! All you have been told is to avoid consuming any food with calories in it! You could drink green tea in the morning and even during your fasting period if you want to. You could also drink black tea or coffee during your fasting period. Always keep it simple!

Always listen to your body Each person has a different response to intermittent fasting. You will never be able to gauge how your body will react to the fasting by comparing yourself with people around you. You will need to see how your body is reacting and make the changes required. Are you concerned about having lost too much muscle mass? For this, you will need to start keeping a track of your strength by undertaking strength training routines to assess the intensity of your strength.

Do not expect to see miracles! This is a mistake that every beginner makes when he or she starts any fast. You will want to see results in a week or two. But, what they forget is that a fast is not the only thing that will help. You will need to understand the fact that there are many other factors that will affect the way you lose weight or even the amount of weight you will lose. You have to look at intermittent fasting along with other healthy habits, like exercise and sleep, which will ensure that you lose weight consistently

Chapter 2: Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

Change in the functioning of cells When you don’t consume food for a while, there are multiple things that happen within your body. For instance, the process of cellular repair and regeneration starts. There are changes in the hormonal levels in your body for making fat available for generating energy. While fasting, your insulin level drops down and this facilitates in the burning of fat. There is a spike in the level of growth hormone. There is a positive change in the composition of several genes and molecules that support longevity and immunity against disease.

Losing weight and belly fat Most of the people who take up intermittent fasting do it with the main aim of losing weight. Intermittent fasting ensures that there is a restriction in your food intake. You will end up consuming fewer calories on this diet if you don’t try to compensate for the fasting dates during the times that you can eat. It also helps in enhancing the function of hormones for facilitating better weight loss. There is a breakdown of the fat molecules due to lower levels of insulin, higher level of growth hormone and noradrenaline. Intermittent Fasting not only helps in improving your metabolism, but it also helps in cutting down the calories you consume. Most of the weight that is shed is from the abdominal cavity.

Reducing insulin resistance One of the most common forms of diabetes that can be tackled with this diet is Type 2 diabetes. In this condition, the levels of blood sugar are high and

there is resistance to insulin in the body. Anything that will help in reducing the resistance towards insulin will help in reducing the levels of blood sugar in the body. It’s been shown that intermittent fasting helps in reducing insulin resistance in the body. Fasting helps in protecting them from kidney damage and the other complications that accompany diabetes.

Helps in reducing inflammation Oxidative stress will push you a step closer towards aging and other chronic disease. This occurs when unstable molecules react with other useful molecules like protein or DNA and damage them in the process. There are several studies that show that intermittent fasting can successfully improve the body’s resistance towards oxidative stress.

It’s good for your heart One of the terrible problems plaguing humanity is heart disease. Most of the health markers are related to an increase or decrease in the risk associated with heart disease. Intermittent fasting helps in improving various risk factors like blood pressure, good cholesterol, level of triglycerides and even control the levels of blood sugar. However, most of the data supporting these claims has been collected from animal studies.

Induces cell repair When you start fasting, the cells in the body start the process of waste removal. This process involves the breaking down of dysfunctional cells and the proteins within them. The process of waste removal is referred to as autophagy. An increase in autophagy helps in providing some additional protection against cancer and other diseases like Alzheimer’s. It facilitates the removal of waste that has been building up in cells.

Chapter 3: Intermittent Fasting Methods

Intermittent fasting has become quite trendy in the recent past. It offers a wide range of benefits. Given its popularity, there are different variations of intermittent fasting that have been cropping up. All these methods can be effective. However, there would be one out of all of these that would fit the needs of an individual. Let us look at the most popular methods of intermittent fasting.

16/8 Method This method prescribes that an individual should fast for a period of 16 hours every day. The eating window is restricted to about 8-10 hours. Within this window, you can manage to squeeze in two or three meals. It could be something as simple as skipping breakfast or not munching on anything after dinner. For instance, you can make sure that the last meal that you have is at 8 in the evening. Make sure that you don’t eat anything until 12 noon the following day. This provides you with a fasting window of about 16 hours. It has been observed that it would be better if women fast for a shorter duration of time and don’t let their fasting period go beyond 14-15 hours. For those who feel hungry in the morning and are used to having breakfast every day, this can be hard initially. However, if you were already used to skipping breakfast, then this would be easy. You can have water, coffee, and other beverages that don’t have any calories in them while you are fasting. It would be easier to stick to intermittent fasting if you consume low-calorie meals.

5:2 Diet While following this diet, the individual gets to eat normally on 5 days of the

week and restrict the calorie intake to 500-600 calories on the other two days of the week. This diet is referred to as the Fast diet. On the two fasting days, it is recommended that women should have 500 calories and men can consume 600 calories. For instance, you get to eat normally on all days except the two days when you want to fast. On such days, you can eat two meals consisting of 250-300 calories each depending on your gender. This diet is suitable for all those who feel that they cannot fast for the whole day and who would like to eat a little something.

Eat-stop-Eat This form of intermittent fasting requires the individual to fast for 24-hours, once or twice every week. You will need to fast for 24 hours on this diet. From dinner on one day until dinner the consecutive day, that would constitute 24 hours. For instance, you had your dinner at 7 pm on Monday and you didn’t get to eat until 7 pm on Tuesday, this would be the 24 hours fasting window. You can also do this from breakfast on a given day until breakfast on the following day. You will just need to fast for 24 hours. You can select the timing to your own convenience. You cannot consume any solid food during this diet. However, water, coffee and other beverages that don’t have any calories in them can be safely consumed. That means not adding milk or cream or sugar. You don’t have to necessarily start out with this. You can gradually progress from the 16-hour fasting model. The first stretch of the diet won’t be hard; it is only towards the end that this diet gets a little difficult to follow. This is where discipline and motivation will come in handy.

Alternate day fasting As the name suggests, this diet is all about fasting on every alternate day. There are different variations of this diet. Some variations allow you to eat about 500 calories on every alternate day, and the others require you to observe a strict fast on every alternate day. Most of the lab studies that have been conducted to find the benefits of intermittent fasting have made use of some variation of this diet. A strict fast might sound rather severe and

extreme. Depending upon your comfort level, you can adapt this diet to suit your needs. It is advisable that beginners don’t immediately jump into this method. With this method of fasting, be prepared to go to bed hungry a few times every week. This diet doesn’t show any form of sustainability in the long term.

Warrior diet This involves the consumption of small quantities of raw fruit and veggies during the day and then consuming a single hearty meal at night. Essentially, you will need to fast throughout the day, and then you get to feast at night. The feeding window extends to only 4 hours. This variation of the intermittent fasting diet was one of the first ones to be popular. While following this method of fasting, the food choices that you make should be quite similar to what you would have made had you been following the Paleo diet. You will need to consume foods that are unprocessed. You can eat anything that our cavemen ancestors would have consumed. If it looks like it was manufactured in a factory, stay away from it.

Skipping meals spontaneously There is no structured plan for this. You can reap all the benefits offered by an intermittent fast without having to make any elaborate meal plans. This is quite an easy variation to follow. You will simply have to skip meals spontaneously from time to time. Skip meals whenever you aren’t hungry or you are preoccupied with some work. It certainly is a myth that people will need to eat every couple of hours. Your body won’t start losing muscle or even shift into starvation mode if you go without food for a couple of hours. Our bodies have been designed in such a manner that we can go without food for prolonged periods of time. Missing one or two meals from time to time will not do your body any harm. In fact, it will give your body a break and provide you with an opportunity to cleanse it. So, if you aren’t hungry, you can skip one meal.

Chapter 4: Recommended Foods

There are some who would advocate eating a lot of protein, fruits and vegetables while fasting. Technically speaking, it wouldn’t be fasting if you end up eating all this. Even having some green tea with some honey can effectively be termed as breaking the fast. Just because you aren’t allowed to eat anything doesn’t mean that you avoid drinking water. Have a minimum of eight glasses of water during your fast. Keep yourself thoroughly hydrated. Not only does this keep you hydrated, it can also help you to feel fuller. Other drinks that don’t contain any calories at all are black tea, black coffee, green tea, herbal teas, and carbonated water is permitted. Do try to keep your caffeine intake as low as possible. Allow yourself to indulge in not more than two cups of coffee or any other caffeinated beverage per day. Watch out for the extra calories in milk and sugar. It might seem like a tough call to drink your morning coffee black but you will get used to it. It gets easier when you see the benefits of the intermittent fasting regimen showing. Adding a bit of cream here, a spot of sugar there or even a bit of honey can have the effect of breaking the fast and sending your insulin levels back up. That means your body is not getting the full benefit of the fast. If you are doing a 24 hour fast, keep in mind that this is only for one or two days of the week so be strong about it and push on. You can do it if you really want to. When you first start an intermittent fasting regime, you might experience mild headaches. This is not dehydration (unless you are not drinking sufficient water). Instead, it is a symptom of withdrawal. There is another good reason to watch your caffeine intake – caffeine is a diuretic and, unless you are regularly topping up with water, all those extra trips to the bathroom will take their toll. You may also suffer from a caffeine headache.

Avoid anything that is going to cause your insulin levels to spike. You know by now that insulin regulates how much fat is stored in your body so keeping it low while you do your fast ensures that your body is able to release the fat stores so they can be used, instead of continuing to add to them. The places where this fat is deposited are in your stomach, bottom, thighs, arms and hips. Some people advocate eating sugar-free gum while on a fast and the idea behind that isn’t all that stupid. After all, as a human race, we have been chewing leaves and gum tree sap for many thousands of years. However, on a fast, you should avoid all forms of chewing gum. The regular type contains both sugar and calories, being sweetened, usually, with corn syrup. Corn syrup is a sugar form that you know better as glucose. Every time you eat a piece of this gum, your blood sugar levels rise. The sugar-free kind isn’t much better because of the artificial sweeteners in it. A certain percentage of the population also has intolerance to something called phenylalanine, which is found in aspartame and can cause a lot of health problems. Avoid it altogether. The same goes for diet drinks, whether it’s a can of diet soda or a cup of diet iced tea. Steer clear of it altogether while you are fasting. While a can of diet soda, or a stick of sugar-free gum for that matter, don’t have many calories, once again it comes down to the harmful chemicals that are in them and the negative effect they will have on your health. Diet soda has also been shown to increase insulin levels, which is the opposite of what you want. Although one of the biggest benefits of fasting is the weight loss, it is also a good time to give your body a rest from the chemicals that are in so many of the foods that we eat on a daily basis. When it comes time to do a fast day, give the fake drinks a rest and treat your body to a diet of fresh clean water, black coffee, and unsweetened teas.

At the end of the day, it is simple to work out what you can and cannot consume on a fasting day. If you feel like you shouldn’t have something, then steer clear of it.

Chapter 5: How to Get Started- Create a Plan

Getting started with the diet might seem intimidating. This diet is certainly helpful if you want to control your eating habits and shed those extra kilos. However, the intimidation quotient stays the same when it comes to getting started with this diet. It does not go away. Before you get started with this diet, you will need to understand that it is not just a diet but it is a lifestyle. If you accept this fact, then it will be easier to keep going. Like in any culture, eating is a big part of our lives. A lot of our life tends to revolve around this activity. So, opting for this diet will be a lifestyle change. Why don’t we get started with creating a plan so that you can get started with it?

Step 1: Select the fasting method Depending upon your life commitments, personality, as well as your goals, you can select one method of fasting. Choose one that will suit your needs. Your feeding window should be between 10 am and 4 pm if you happen to be a morning person and you enjoy working out in the morning, and you need to eat something in the morning or after you work out. The 24-hour method of fasting is a good option as well. In this manner, you don’t have to worry about the pressure of having to fast daily. The method you should opt for will be eat-stop-eat. You can follow the warrior diet if you think you can get through a whole day with just one meal at night.

Step 2: Research, research, and research You will need to do plenty of research for figuring out the right diet for you. Go through the information provided in this book, check if your priorities and needs would fit into any of the methods mentioned. Select a method that

would work for you. Your research will depend on your goals. Before you begin, determine exactly what your goals are. If you want to change your body composition, by increasing muscle mass and decreasing body fat, then you should try the 16/8 method. If you are looking at anti-aging and preventing of disease, do a 24 or 36 hours fast once a week. Regardless of the fasting method, make sure that the fasting period doesn’t exceed 72 hours.

Step 3: Get the necessary tools There are multiple applications available online that will make your life simpler. There are paid and free apps that will help you in keeping a track of your fast. Intermittent fasting is a trial and error method. You will not know what will work for you unless you try it for yourself. These applications will help you in keeping a track of your eating periods and will help you count your calories as well. You can also maintain a journal for tracking your progress. It certainly helps if you have substantial proof to believe that the diet works.

Step 4: The transition starts Unless you are an all or nothing sort of a person, starting this diet can be difficult. If you aren’t used to fasting, then going for prolonged periods of time without food won’t be easy. You will need to slowly condition your body so that the transition into the diet will be smooth. For starters, you can start by increasing your protein consumption and cut out sugars and unnecessary carbs from your diet. Initially, you can fast for short periods of time and then gradually increase it from there.

Step 5: Find the necessary support Having a support system helps. Starting this diet with a partner will be quite helpful. It could be your friend, your spouse, or even a family member. You can go through the diet with them. Each can use the other as a coach and for some moral support. You can fast together and exercise together. Whenever

you feel like giving up, there would be someone else to keep you motivated and make sure that you are on the right track. It is simpler to shop for groceries and plan your meals when you have got company.

Step 6: Toning down your workouts, initially Often, potency requires minimalism. Much like the strength of coffee or any alcoholic drink dissipates as you dilute it with water, the efficacy of your workouts during intermittent fasting may follow suit if you train too much. But how does overtraining look like in this context? The obvious examples are exercising at very high intensity and for long periods of time. When you exert yourself too much, you will burn yourself out and might end up injuring yourself or fall sick. Don’t opt for any high-intensity workouts during the initial phases of this diet. You can gradually increase exercise. Your body needs to get used to the reduced calorie intake. Only then will this diet be effective. So, give it some time. What does the right intensity feel like? Generally speaking, you’d feel very uncomfortable – lightheaded, very tired and weak or prolonged muscle soreness – during or after working out if you over train. A relatively objective way of determining if you’re exercising at moderate intensity is through the talk test. If you can engage a normal conversation while working out albeit with some difficulty, that’s moderate. If you’re able to carry a conversation in the same manner as you would over coffee with a friend or if you can barely say a word while catching your breath, then you are under (low intensity) or over (high intensity) training, respectively.

Step 7: Delayed gratification Delayed gratification is a good technique. It works extremely well with intermittent fasting. If your co-workers at your workplace have got some sweet treats and you are extremely hungry, your mind will tell you to give in. When the hunger pang strikes you, even a bowl of frosted cereal with milk seems quite appetizing. All that you will need to tell yourself is that you can

certainly eat all that, but not at that given point of time. You can even write down the list of foods that you have denied yourself. This will help in getting your hunger pangs under control.

Step 8: Protein should be a priority Always make sure that you are having your proteins and complex carbs before anything else. You might have something sweet or oily on your eating list. However, it would be problematic if you prioritize these. If you consume such items first, you will end up overeating. Not only are these food items rich in calories, but they are nutritionally deficient as well. All that you will end up with is a tummy ache. It will be helpful if you have planned your meals ahead and make sure that you food has sufficient protein and complex carbohydrates in it. It is likely that you will start craving for these things by the time your feeding window approaches. Make sure that you fill yourself up with grilled chicken, lentils, or any other form of proteins, and some healthy vegetables. You can include a few carbs in the form of sweet potatoes, potatoes, a serving of rice, or something starchy. After all this, you won’t have any space to indulge your junk food cravings. Your eating habits will become healthier without any extra effort.

Step 9: Taking a “before” photograph Before you get started with intermittent fasting, the one thing that you need to do would be to take a photograph of yourself. This would be the “before” photograph. It will help you in getting started with the diet. If you follow the intermittent fasting protocols, you will find the motivation you need to get through. You can gauge your progress by comparing yourself to that image. This will certainly make you want to keep going. After a while, you will see a positive change in your body.

Step 10: Things to keep in mind If you are just getting started with this diet, you will need to be mindful of a

few things. The initial two weeks are the toughest and, after that, it does get easier. This is the toughest time since your body is just getting used to the fasting schedule. You will slowly start to gain control over your cravings, hunger pangs and your appetite too. It can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks for your body to get acclimatized to the diet. So, give yourself some time and let your body gets used to the diet

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