High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) – Ultimate Guide

September 9, 2022 / Workout
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) – Ultimate Guide

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is the best method to lose weight and become fit and hard. Many people that joined high-intensity interval training know that changing the workout condition for 15 minutes is more difficult than walking for an hour. This is not an easy task but we assure that you will get the best results from it.

What Is High-Intensity Interval Training?

High-intensity interval training (HIIT), is a form of cardio workout performed with short, intense bursts aimed at maximizing performance under conditions where the muscles are deprived of oxygen. The alternation between a great strength workout and little workout or between a great strength workout and complete rest for a short time is known as high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

When you sprint to climb up the steps and then walk to step down these stairs you are following high-intensity interval training.

Why High-Intensity Interval Training Is Important?

The high intensity of the workout is impossible to withstand for a long time because the human body needs fuel to run its parts.

For example, if you were asked to run for 20 minutes with high intensity, your body will experience the following stages:

High Intensity Interval Training hiit

1- Phosphocreatine

You will run perfectly for 10 to 15 seconds and maybe tearing like a wind. You are running fast because of phosphocreatine which is a great strength source.

2- Lactic Acid and Anaerobic Glycolysis

But after 10 to 20 seconds the phosphocreatine level will start decreasing and anaerobic glycolysis will prevail the body.

When this point occurs your body will start producing more lactic acid and use it as a fuel. You are trying your best to run fast but your speed getting down and high pressure on your lungs occurred.

If you are an athlete or a hockey player you may resist this condition for more than 10 minutes. But untrained persons have not got such stamina and speed is reduced and they will have to stop.

If you are trying this for the first time then you have to thanks because it will help to change the pH level in the blood. You tried your best but at last, you will lose this 20 minutes running challenge. So choose the best way to work out with high strength for a long time.

3- Oxygen

When you are working hard there will be a great gap that occurred between the demand and supply of oxygen. We always trade with our environment and in this case, we are trading productivity with strength.

When you are brisk walking or doing any low strength workouts then aerobic metabolism activates in your body. During aerobic metabolism, oxygen is required for the breaking of carbohydrates and fats for fuel.

Aerobic metabolism is very effective but at this stage, you will not work hard. This will provide you effectiveness but reduce the strength. This process is very helpful for walking a long time and saving food and water for a long time.

On the other side, if you are running or doing any high strength workout then anaerobic metabolism activates in your body. During anaerobic metabolism, oxygen is not sufficient for your activities.

When anaerobic metabolism predominates in your body it will reduce the effectiveness and you may run with high intensity for a short interval. This will be helpful for you to run away from a tiger to save a life.

Both metabolisms are working in our body and have many benefits and weaknesses. By following high-intensity interval training you may change the high strength activities with low strength activities.

For example, you may sprint for 10 to 20 seconds and then walk for 1 minute.

During high-intensity workout, anaerobic metabolism dominates that is more effective for weight loss and overall fitness of the body.
During lower strength workout, aerobic metabolism dominate and your body recover energy.

4- Hormones

Releasing hormones while working is depends on the strength of the work. During yoga, and other calm workouts, your body will release fewer stress hormones.

But during high intensity works your body will release a large amount of endorphins, growth hormone, and cortisol. All of the hormones have a great impact on the structure and composition of the body.

What you should know about HIIT

There is a wide range of workouts including the high intensity and low-intensity workouts. High-intensity interval training and heavy weight lifting will increase the release of stress hormones.

During the great strength workout, the body will face a disaster because it reduces the supply of oxygen to the tissues in the body and may decrease body fluid while increasing the body temperature. It may damage the tissues permanently.

There will be an increase in the endocrine and defense hormone due to high-intensity workout. It reduces oxygen and increases carbon dioxide in the blood, increases body temperature, reduces body fluid, and increases stress.

During great strength exercise releasing stress hormones increase. But high-intensity interval training will reduce the hormones in your body and you will easily reach your goal.

Why HIIT?

HIIT helps a lot in:

  • excessive fat and keeping the body slim.
  • Improving cardiac activities.
  • Increasing the energy system of the athlete. Such as hockey players.
  • Increasing the ability to work and bear with high-intensity work for a long time.
  • Enhancing the oxidation of carbohydrates and fats in muscles.
  • Decreasing the stress on the mind.
  • Increase the toughness of the body.
  • Increasing the strength, hardness, and fitness by increasing muscle fibers.


High-intensity interval training is very effective. It saves time and gives you the best results. If you do HIIT for only 5 minutes then it will be more effective and sassier than 45 minutes of walk.

How to do HIIT

There is a wide range of methods to follow HIIT. You just have to keep in the mind the main principle of HIIT. You have to alter the high-intensity exercise with low-Intensity exercise or high-intensity exercise with complete rest.

With HIIT, your heart rate is generally at 80 to 95 percent of your maximum heart rate for the high-intensity intervals and 40 to 50 percent for the low-intensity intervals.

The Tabata Study

Tabata study is one of the best researches on HIIT. A person does paddling in a specific interval. He may roll for 20 seconds with full intensity and then relax for 10 seconds. He follows this method for 4 minutes and completes 8 sets of paddling.

How Many Times A Week Should I Do HIIT?

ACSM’s physical activity recommendations for healthy adults, updated in 2011, recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity (working hard enough to break a sweat, but still able to carry on a conversation) five days per week, or 20 minutes of more vigorous activity three days per week. Combinations of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity can be performed to meet this recommendation.

HIIT EXERCISES – SELECTION

Examples of typical aerobic exercises are:

RowingCyclingStair climbingSwimming
RunningButt KickSplit SquatSpider Plank
Elbow to Knee TwistWheel RunTreadmillBoxing
Riding Outdoor BicycleFast Feet RunZig ZagPower Skips
Plyo JacksAstride JumpsMontain ClimberSplit Jacks
Split SquatJump SquatJump RopeLateral Speed Step

Resistance Exercises

You will select different compound exercises that require more oxygen for resistance training. These exercises may include:

Burpees
Kettlebell Swings
Jumping
You may also choose combo exercises. (Devil press, Iron Cross, Battle rope – such as)

You may do pushup, pull-up, jumping from one bar to another, and repeating it.
You may combine front squat with pressing of head and standing straight.
Weight lifting and sprawling.
You may exercise by combining resistance exercise and cardiac exercises.

You may run 100m with full intensity after a set of weights.
You can climb the hill with full intensity and do pushups there.
You can carry a heavy bad for increasing the stamina.

How To Customize HIIT

You may select the best exercise for HIIT to decrease the risk of injuries due to extra workout and making this more interesting.

You may alternate combine exercises with sport-specific exercise if you are preparing for sports. Click on the list of exercises in the menu to see all the exercises specific to the sport.

For instance:

If you are a soccer player then you may do sprinting.


Jumping is the best exercise for basketball and volleyball players.

Sandbag workout for boxers. etc. You may customize the period for your workout

You may do great strength workout for 10-60 seconds according to your intensity.
You also set your relax or low strength workout between 10 – 60 seconds.
If you are doing HIIT for the first time then long interval for recovery and short interval for great strength workout is best.

Great strength means full of your intensity don’t compare your high-intensity exercise with others. If you are doing HIIT for the first time then fast walking and climbing of a hill is enough for you.

Don’t try to start sprinting from the first day. Keep it in mind to follow the best high intensity and low-intensity training for HIIT.

Advantages of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

HIIT is very beneficial but some of the most prominent benefits of HIIT are describing here which will impress you and you will start this. It is an alternation of great strength workout with low strength workout or with rest.

If you are a beginner then you may start HIIT by sprinting with full intensity for 30 seconds and then walk for 60 seconds. If you repeat this exercise for 15 minutes then it will be very helpful for you to lose fat.

1- Well-organized

If you are a busy person then HIIT is the best option for you. You can do HIIT during your lunch break and may get fitness with other works.

According to different researches, if a person does HIIT for 15 minutes 3 times a week then you will get better results than the person who runs for a complete hour.

Research by the college of sports medicine in 2011 stated that two weeks of HIIT will enhance aerobic metabolism more than eight weeks of a long training period.

Tabata is the most convenient method for HIIT it saves your time. If you only have four minutes and you want to do HIIT then you can follow Tabata protocol. The researches shows that there will be a 28% increase in anaerobic metabolism and a 14 % increase in v02max. It looks good.

2- More Fat Burn

HIIT is very beneficial to burn calories more than steady-state exercises and also helps to improve the repair cycle for your body.

If you do HIIT then you may lose more fat and calories in a day than you lose with other steady-state exercises.

If you go for a morning walk with your friend then you will have to discuss this benefit of HIIT with him.

3- A Way Towards A Healthier Heart

Anaerobic condition is when your body has a deficiency of oxygen and you are not breathing properly. Your heart will pump more at this condition and you will feel that it’s jumping out of the chest.

The anaerobic condition will have a great impact on your body. According to a study in 2006, a person will be able to bicycle double than before, after 6 to 8 weeks of HIIT.

4- No Equipment Is Required

You can add exercise according to your desires. If you have no equipment then you can add running and jumping in your HIIT.

You will add jumping like high knees jumping and fast feet jumping bin your HIIT to increase the heart rate and reach your goal quickly.

You do not need any equipment to start even some equipment will affect the productivity of HIIT.

For example dumbbells less the effectiveness of your training because it will push your biceps and not increase your heart rates as much you want.

5- No Muscle Loss

If you start dieting for losing excess fat in your body so may also lose muscles. Many cardio exercises may increase the loss of muscle mass.

If you want to preserve your muscles then follow HIIT and weight loss exercises because they help you to reduce weight by losing fats.

HIIT helps you to lose weight without damage to your hard-earned muscles.

6- Increases Metabolism

HIIT is very beneficial for the burning of fats and losing weight without any damage to muscle mass.

It also has a great advantage to increase the production of human growth hormones in the body.

It may increase their production by more than 450 percent after a workout in 24 hours. The human growth hormone is very beneficial for the burning of calories and also helps to decrease the aging of a person.

7- Highly Adaptable

If you are a busy person and stay at your office or working area for a long time of a day then no need to worry you can do HIIT anywhere at any time.

You do not have to take extra time and place for HIIT you can do it anywhere and anytime you want.

You can arrange your High-intensity interval training and set time according to your goals. Most of the person that do HIIT they choose this because of its adaptability and effectiveness.

Key Takeaways

High-intensity interval training is very beneficial because it shows results in some days and has a great variety of workouts according to different goals.

It gives you better results in less time and you will not get bored while doing this.

HIIT is not an easy exercise you have to work out with high intensity and have to take interest in it for the best results.

Hiit Workout Routine

In Tabata protocol, you follow the setup of 20 seconds of high-intensity workout and then relaxed for 10 seconds. You may repeat 8 sets of workout in 4 minutes. If you are a beginner then you can start with this fast protocol.

beginner hiit workout plan

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Posted by
Robert George
Robert, a certified fitness coach skilled in creating personalized exercise programs, excels in offering emotional support and motivation to her readers. As a fitness copywriter and coach, she has inspired countless individuals to overcome barriers and achieve their full potential.