The Key to Fast Belly-Fat Loss

Think it's impossible to exercise for less time and lose more fat? It's not — if you do the right moves.

By Annie Hauser, Senior Editor

FRIDAY, July 6, 2012 — Sprinting, not jogging, might be the key to fast abdominal and visceral fat loss, researchers at the University of South Wales found in a study published in the International Journal of Obesity.

The study is the latest addition to a mountain of evidence indicating that high-intensity exercise results in greater fat loss and overall health benefits than moderately intense activities such as jogging.

Eight-second bursts of sprinting repeated intermittently for 20 minutes three times a week helped overweight men lose 4 pounds of body fat in 12 weeks and gain 2.64 pounds of muscle, resulting in a net body-weight loss. Perhaps more importantly, they also experienced a 17-percent loss of visceral fat — that dangerous internal fat that can pad the liver, kidneys, and other internal organs, and cause a host of serious health problems, even in people of normal weight.

Achieving this same effect with moderately intense jogging would take seven hours a week for 14 weeks, says lead researcher Steve Boutcher, PhD, in a university release. (Jogging is still thought to be a more effective method for shedding belly fat than strength or resistance training.) 

“Participation in regular aerobic exercise typically results in little or no gain in muscle mass, whereas moderately hard resistance exercise over months may increase muscle mass," Boutcher says. "The amount of LifeSprints exercise [the program used in the study], however, needed to significantly increase muscle mass appears to be much less." 

The same team of researchers previously found that women can also shed a significant amount of body fat doing sprint stationary cycling for 20 minutes, three times a week. Another recent study found that interval training might also boost heart health.

Easy Interval Workouts

Convinced yet? To help you add sprint interval training to your routine, we turned to Everyday Health fitness expert Jennifer Bayliss, ATC, CSCS. Here's what she recommends:

Beginner Workout:
Warm Up: 5-minute walk building to an easy jog.
Alternate 30-second sprint with 1.5-minute easy jog for 20 minutes.
Cool Down: 5-minute easy jog slowing to a walk. Stretch.

Intermediate Workout:
Warm Up: 5-minute walk building to an easy jog.
Alternate 30-second sprint with 30-second easy jog for 20 minutes.
Cool Down: 5-minute easy jog slowing to a walk. Stretch.

Advanced Workout:
Warm Up: 5-minute easy jog.
Alternate 30-second sprint with 15-second easy/moderate jog for 20 minutes.
Cool down: 5-minute easy jog. Stretch.