There is zero doubt: sprint intervals reign supreme when it comes to fat loss exercises. Whether you like to do them or not they’ve proven there worth and they are here to stay. Here are 3 cardio sprint workouts to incorporate into your routine if your goal is to burn fat fast and lean out.

Four Reasons to do More Sprints

Sprinting isn’t easy. It’s hard work and takes major energy but you can get excellent results, quickly.

More results in Less Time

Did you know that sprint intervals burn fat faster than steady state cardio? Sprint intervals tax your energy systems in a different way than steady state cardio. The difference affects what kind of fuel your body uses: fat or carbs. Turns out, sprinting triggers your body to more efficiently oxidize fat for fuel.

Workout for workout, you’ll burn more calories during a 60 minute jogging session than you do in a 15 minute sprint interval session. That said, it’s what happens after your workout that pushes the fat loss factors in favor of sprints.

EPOC, excess post-exercises oxygen consumption, is the term we use to describe how much O2 your body consumes, and how many calories it burns, to recover even after you’re done training. ts are a high intensity form of exercise. They require all out effort from your body. Turns out that when you input that much effort, your body has to work harder for a longer period of time to recover.

Burn Calories Without Sacrificing Muscle

It’s really important to make a differentiation here. When we talk about weight loss, we’re talking specifically about fat loss. The terms are used interchangeably but there’s an important distinction between them (and one that’s often ignored).

Sprinting burns fat calories without sacrificing your hard earned muscle.

Why is that important?

For one, the more muscle you have the higher your metabolism, comparatively speaking. Lose muscle = lower your metabolism.

Wait there’s more. When we talk about losing fat, most of us close our eyes and picture a version of us that is smaller but has some curves and shape (definition), that looks great in whatever we put on. Those curves? that definition? That’s muscle. You don’t want to sacrifice that!

Sprinting Improves Heart Health

Among it’s many benefits, sprinting is actually good for your heart health. All out sprints push all of your muscles, including your heart, to work harder. When your heart works harder it gets stronger. This promotes more efficient blood flow, improves your ability to deal with stressors, improves circulation, lowers blood pressure and reduces your chances of heart disease.

Human Growth Hormone Production Increases

HGH is a naturally occurring hormone produced by the pituitary gland that promotes growth (surprise), development, tissue repair, brain function, energy and metabolism. Production typically peaks during your teenage years and slowly declines as your age.

Good news: sprint intervals naturally increase HGH production in your body.

Onwards to the fun stuff!

3 Cardio Sprint Workouts that Boost Fat Burn

Your goal with Ramp It Up is to increase your intensity/speed as your work intervals get shorter. Fair warning: your rest intervals get shorter too so the deeper you get into your workout, the more you’ll be fighting for it.

The nice thing about this workout is that it’s over fast. And the faster you go, the faster it’s over! Keep in mind “rest” doesn’t mean “sit down and stop what you’re doing”. It means slow down to a recovery pace…usually a walk. Don’t stop completely – you want to make sure your muscles stay warm and loose.

This is a great workout to take outside with a friend or group of friends. Your “rest period” will be filled with core exercises designed to hit your abs from every angle. Rest as needed but remember, the harder you work during your workout, the longer your body will burn fat after your workout to recover.

Not getting results? Here’s a sign that you’re not challenging your body enough to push change!