cero

QUICK ANSWERS

Does HIIT burn belly fat?

It can help reduce belly fat, including the deeper fat around your organs, but not on its own and not only there

What the research found

  • HIIT reduced abdominal fat and visceral fat, the deeper fat around the organs, with clearer effects in people with overweight 1.
  • In adults with overweight or obesity, HIIT and steady cardio reduced body fat and waist size about as much, but HIIT took about 40% less time 2.
  • Across many studies, HIIT reduced total fat mass a little more than moderate steady exercise 3.

What to expect

Changes in these studies were real but modest, measured over weeks and months. Exercise helps most alongside how you eat, sleep and move the rest of the day. Many people notice better fitness and a smaller waist before the scale moves.

How to train for it

  1. Do 2 or 3 HIIT sessions a week, such as 30/30 or 40/20 for 15 to 20 minutes.
  2. Add strength training on 2 days a week 4.
  3. Stay active on the other days: walking counts.
  4. Keep it up for months, not weeks.

Sources

  1. Maillard F, Pereira B, Boisseau N. Effect of High-Intensity Interval Training on Total, Abdominal and Visceral Fat Mass: A Meta-Analysis. Sports Med. 2018;48(2):269-288. doi.org/10.1007/s40279-017-0807-y
  2. Wewege M, van den Berg R, Ward RE, Keech A. The effects of high-intensity interval training vs. moderate-intensity continuous training on body composition in overweight and obese adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Obes Rev. 2017;18(6):635-646. doi.org/10.1111/obr.12532
  3. Viana RB, Naves JPA, Coswig VS, et al. Is interval training the magic bullet for fat loss? A systematic review and meta-analysis comparing moderate-intensity continuous training with high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Br J Sports Med. 2019;53(10):655-664. doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2018-099928
  4. Bull FC, Al-Ansari SS, Biddle S, et al. World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Br J Sports Med. 2020;54(24):1451-1462. doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-102955

YOUR NEXT SESSION STARTS HERE

Bring the effort.
We’ll keep the time.

Cero is free to download for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.

Download Cero
Cero’s simple timer on iPhone 18 Pro, with the green wave about half full during a high-intensity interval

Cero is a timer, not a medical device. If you’re new to hard exercise, are pregnant or have a health condition, check with your doctor first, and stop if you feel unwell.