Have a fun, fast, fat-blazing indoor workout without feeling like a rat on a wheel.

Exercise machines weren’t created to punish people who eat too much. That’s what diets are for. But men and women spend hours, day after day, churning their arms and legs and waiting for the StairMaster or treadmill to make their bellies vanish. The result: They make it about as far as the average rat.

But your machine workout doesn’t have to be a road-or row-to nowhere. “By decreasing the duration and varying the intensity of your exercise sessions, you’ll get better results in less time,” says Chris Carmichael, founder of Carmichael Training Systems, and coach to Lance Armstrong.

Try OzFit workout plans using  the elliptical trainer, the stationary bike or the treadmill—plus some plyometrics and light weights thrown in for a high-intensity workouts. Your goals: Bust your exercise rut, and your gut, in record time.  Workout for a shorter length of time and get better results.

OzFit Workout Plans are based on HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training).  HIIT refers to repeated bouts of high intensity exercise interupted by rest.  This type of workout plan triggers weight loss and builds fitness quickly.  While the training is intense and difficult, the results are amazing.

Researchers have found that only a few weeks of high intensity interval training produces greater changes in endurance capacity than doing months of moderate intensity execises.   Using OzFit workouts will increase whole-body and skeletal muscle capacity for fat use during exercise.  The key element is putting in a maximum effort during your workout.  OzFit will give you the guidelines and structure to accomplish this every day.

Interval training is the cornerstone of OzFit Workouts.  Interval training builds muscle power that will carry over to your fitness and body-shaping program.  It will increase your stamina and speed.  Best of all, you can get a great workout in without spending too much time in the gym.

You can use your favorite aerobic exercises for interval training, including track or treadmill running, stair-climbers, elliptical trainiers, swimming or cycling.

If you are training for a race, or just working out every day to keep fit, OzFit Workouts are perfect cross-training workouts.  Research studies have found that high-intensity cross-training workouts work muscle groups that aid in increasing stamina, strength, and speed.  Some running coaches believe that the average runner need only run three days a week, and then spend two or three days doing cross-training such as OzFit.  (All OzFit workouts offer cardio, plyometrics, and light weights.)  An added benefit of using OzFit to cross-train is that you will be able to rest the joints and muscles specifically strained during long runs.

Don’t forget to get a good warmup in.  If you warmup properly – if you match the intensity of your planned workout – you will reduce your risk of injury.  You will also set yourself up for a really good workout.  A proper warmup increases heart rate, breathing rate, and blood flow to the muscles, and prepares your body for increasingly intense activity.  You will be allowing your body to work more efficiently once you get into your workout.  As you delve into the OzFit Workout Plans, you will see that you have “easy”, “moderate” and “hard” workouts spread throughout the week.  Plan your warmup to match the workout you have planned for the day.  Once warmed up properly, you will be able to get the most of your workout for the day.

There’s been plenty of debate as to which form of exercise is the most effective way to get into shape. Some argue in favor of aerobic exercise like HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)  while others contend that strength training (resistance exercises, lifting weights) is the best way to go.  With OzFit, you don’t have to choose because each workout is designed to give you a little bit of each.  OzFit Workout Plans offer serious plans that builds lean muscle mass and burns fat calories at the same time.

A well rounded workout plan, whether a strength and conditioning, weight loss or fitness routine, along with a variety of aerobic exercises such as intervals and different cardio training is by far the most efficient method. By performing various resistance exercises in a circuit mixed with cardiovascular exercise, you elevate your heart rate and maximize the amount of calories that your body can burn.

I have written about HIIT before but it is something that I really do prescribe to instead of just another workout alternative. The idea to getting a good workout is to workout hard for a short period of time and really work the muscles.  Take a look at the OzFit Dictionary and the free download for an idea of the exercise sets  and repetitions you will do in any given day.

The way that you do an OzFit workout is to string all of your exercises together and do it as one  set with very little time between exercises. You do this one set and then take a rest and then do it all over again.  It is the way to have a quick but very effective and very intense workout. I used to hate spending an hour training everyday and now I train my body in only 30-45 minutes instead. Nice time saving and I feel like I really worked hard after I am done.  Best of all, I never get bored with it.

You’ll notice that OzFit Workouts call for the use of kettlebells for several sets of exercises.  It’s because we believe they can give you a much better overall workout than dumbbells.

Kettlebells are becoming more and more popular in the U.S.  Traditional dumbbells have a handle directly in line with the wrist and work on one plane of motion and rely on leverage and fixed positions, but kettlebells are unstable and consequently from the second you pick them up involve a full-body motion.

Kettlebells trigger instability as one has to balance them and use all muscle groups to perform lifts.  As a result of the full-body motion involved with lifting kettlebells, a person can get a much better aerobic workout with them than dumbbells.

Kettlebells will produce overall muscle that is dense and strong, whereas dumbbells could allow for certain muscles to become bulkier.

Many runners use what they call “active recovery” days to recover from a very long run, using it as an opportunity to recuperate from the stresses of running.  Research shows that an active recovery can soothe aches and set you up for stronger performances, and is better for you than simply doing nothing.  OzFit workouts, especially light  OzFit days will give you a low intensity workout which will clear out waste products that contribute to soreness and inflammation.  OzFit Workouts will also allow you to train your core and arms…all of which will improve your running performance.

I’ve been running and jogging my entire life and was getting really burned out on doing the same workout everyday.  I wasn’t seeing the results I wanted, either.  I started to hear about a new program called Crossfit and checked into it.  I really liked the premise, but also wanted to keep some cardio in my everyday workouts.  I started to take some concepts from CrossFit and worked in a bunch of short bursts of cardio.  Within two weeks, I started to see and feel incredible results in how I looked and felt.  I started losing fat right away!  The best part?  I absolutely loved my workouts.  I looked forward to them instead of dreading them.  Every day I did something different during my workouts and the next thing you know, I had 12 weeks of programs in my head.  I decided to share those workouts with you.  I hope you give it a try and I hope you enjoy!

If you’ve tried CrossFit workouts, you are going to love OzFit Workouts.  OzFit uses a great mix of cardio, plyometrics, and light weights to get you in the best shape of your life.  OzFit has become the favorite workout of what I like to call “former athletes” who know what it takes to be in shape and how to push through a challenging workout.  OZFit is similar to CrossFit in that you will work your overall body, but adds a good kick of cardio into the workouts.  Give OzFit a try for as little as $9.99 for two weeks of workouts!  You’ll be two weeks closer to a new, fitter you.