Check out the video below from Men’s Health. You will want to try this routine yourself. I am going to test it out. I’m sure I’ll be through before I get to five!

People who already use interval training do so for either burning fat or for improving their athletic abilities in specific areas. If you have been doing your research about interval training, then you know that it is one of the best ways to burn fat and retain muscle mass.

Sprinting is an effective interval training workout that not only gets you out of the gym but you are changing up your cardio routine. After doing the same routine on a regular basis, your body becomes acclimated and therefore doesn’t respond to your exercises like it should.

You can change up your sprint routines into so many variations that your body won’t get used to the same old thing. With the summer approaching, incorporating some track work is a perfect fit. You don’t need anyone to help you perform these sprints (unless you want to.) All you need is a track, good running shoes, and a stopwatch. Below is a basic sprint interval workout:

Sample Sprinting Interval Routine
Duration: 20 minutes
Routine: sprint for 10 seconds and jog for 1 minute

You repeat this routine until you’ve reached 20 minutes - so you don’t stop after you perform the sprint, you ease into a light jog, then back into a sprint. This is a very basic sprint interval and as you progress, you can vary the sprint time, add in a walk, etc. Sprint intervals don’t need to be done everyday but at least a few times a week.

It is good for more than just a warm-up exercise. Here are a few benefits of the push-up:

• Increases upper body strength
• Strengthens chest, triceps, & shoulders
• Great core exercise
• Beginners can do them (on their knees)
• Can be done anywhere
• Only requires your body weight

There are also so many variations of the push-up. As stated above, beginners can always start off on their knees until they build strength. There are also diamond push-ups, one-armed push-up, and clapper push-ups. One thing to keep in mind is having good form. You want your body to be straight and keep your rear-end from sticking up or slouching. It is also a good idea to perform them at a somewhat slow pace to actually make your muscles work. Sometimes you will see people cranking them out so fast that it is actually the momentum that is doing most of the work.

Below is an example of a regular push-up in action:

If you begin doing push-ups on a regular basis you will be amazed at just how fast you can build upper body strength.

Lately when I am using the weight machines at the gym, I have noticed a man there who does handstand push ups against the wall. I think it is really cool and shows a tremendous amount of upper body strength. He pushes out several reps before returning to the upright position. The entire time he’s doing them, you can tell how hard they are just by the look on his face.

Handstand push ups are not for everyone! In fact, you shouldn’t even attempt them without proper training and supervision. You will need to build up your strength to perform these and the best way to do it is by kicking into the handstand position against a wall and just holding the position for as long as you can. This will help build up your strength and eventually, you’ll be able to complete one rep.

Handstand push ups are a major workout for your shoulders. Once you perfect them using a wall for support, you can use variations such as bars to extend your range of motion. This exercise is one of the many impressive body weight exercises around and is an awesome way to build your upper body strength.

Check out a very cool demonstration of handstand push ups below:

Many body weight exercise enthusiasts turn to the weighted vest to add a bit of difficulty to their workouts. I have used ankle weights before but the weighted vest seems like a better option. With ankle weights or wrist weights, there is unnecessary stress placed on your ankles or feet. A weighted vest seems to distribute the added weight more naturally in your torso area.

Benefits of a Weighted Vest

It is known that the more that you weigh, the more calories you burn per workout. Therefore, if you want to try and up your calorie burn, adding the extra weight could help you burn more calories. The resistance is also great for increasing your strength. Try wearing a weighted vest while doing pull-ups or push-ups. The added weight is sure to make any body weight routine much more challenging.

Another benefit is for increasing speed. Many athletes utilize a weighted vest to build up their speed. The reason being that after training with a vest, once you take it off, you would be able to run faster.

Types of Weighted Vests

There are a ton of weighted vests on the market but for the most part they come in three basic styles:

• Solid - this is the least expensive but is non-adjustable. You also cannot adjust the weight.
• Long - this vest extends down to your hip area. Adjustable weight but more limited in movements due to its length
• Short - this is probably the most popular one as it is adjustable for weights and the short style does not cover up your abs, allowing for more movement.

Check out these body weight workouts with a weighted vest:

One Armed Push-Up

The one armed push-up is a great body weight exercise to perform if you want to really build up your pectoral muscles. It is also good for your triceps and shoulders. Those two muscles are sure to feel the burn. The exercise is performed by placing one arm behind the back and lowering your chest to the ground using your other arm. If you really want a challenge, you can perform this exercise using a medicine ball, kettlebell, or with one leg raised.

One Legged Squat

I have tried the one legged squat and have yet to master one repetition. It is considered one of the best body weight leg exercises around. It is performed by extending one leg out in front of you with your arms up and straight ahead. You slowly lower yourself using the other leg until you hit the parallel bottom position, then slowly raise yourself back up. For added resistance you can also hold a kettlebell or dumbbell.

The Burpee

Performing these always tires me out. It is a great overall body exercise and works well for developing your core muscles. It is a little difficult to put into words how to perform this exercise, so check out the video:

Well — yes, of course you can lose belly fat with interval training. You can lose belly fat with any exercise program if you get serious about your nutrition and incorporate strength training as well. The reason why intervals work so well is because you can exercise effectively and have these benefits included:

• Continue to burn fat after your interval sessions
• You maintain your muscle mass (unlike steady state cardio)
• Calorie burning benefits
• Metabolism booster

It is important to remember that it is a combination of healthy lifestyle changes that determine losing your belly fat. The number one thing to remember is to get serious about your diet. The days of empty calories are no longer if you are truly serious about getting rid of your gut.

Creamy sauces, sugary beverages, alcohol, baked goods, and all of the unnecessary junk in your diet all need to be eliminated. A clean eating lifestyle goes hand in hand with a consistent exercise program consisting of intervals and strength training.

Get Serious About Losing Belly Fat:

• Start eating clean
• Increase your intensity with intervals
• Begin a strength training routine

After you implement the above you will definitely notice changes in your body and the belly fat will disappear.

Watching someone handle their body weight like this is really impressive!

Craig says the challenge is to complete it within in 9 minutes and he says that he can do it in 7 minutes. However, don’t worry so much about the time if you’re not in shape. The point is to do as much as you can and progress over time. The exercises are fairly simple but you may have to substitute for the pull-ups or body weight rows if you don’t have access to perform them.

As always, interval training isn’t for everyone so if you are new to it, consult with your doctor first.

Body Weight 100 Challenge: