Professor Martin Gibala and his team at McMaster University in Canada have been researching high-intensity exercise for several years. While still a demanding form of training, the general public could use this exercise protocol with nothing more than an average exercise bike.

This was intended as a gentler option for sedentary people who had done no exercise for over a year. In Jorge Zuniga, assistant professor of exercise science at Creighton University , set out to determine how to fit the highest volume of work and oxygen consumption into the smallest amount of time.

Zuniga's protocol has been implemented with great success by students of his who were participating in Creighton's Army ROTC program. Cadets completing the protocol twice a week saw greater improvements in APFT scores than in years past. Dr Niels Vollaard at the University of Stirling proposed that when high-intensity intervals are done at "all-out" intensities, associated health benefits plateau after performing 2 or 3 sprint repetitions.

This led to the development of a minute exercise routine consisting of easy pedalling interspersed with two second "all-out" cycling sprints.

He shifted the terminology for his to SIT. In a BBC Horizon program in February , Jamie Timmons, professor of systems biology at the University of Loughborough , led Michael Mosley through this exercise bike regimen, each time using three sprints instead of two.

This protocol was performed three times a week for a total of 30 minutes of exercise per week 3 minutes of intense exercise , plus warm-up and recovery time.

Its conclusion was "HIIT is the recommended routine" but "the magnitude of differences in various parameters between regimens was small; therefore, preference for either modality may be up to the individual".

HIIT training and traditional endurance training both lead to significantly improved cardiovascular fitness in healthy adults ages 18—45 but HIIT leads to greater improvements in VO 2 max. Comparing HIIT to moderate intensity continuous training MICT in people with coronary artery disease , HIIT leads to greater improvements in VO 2 max but MICT leads to greater reductions in body weight and heart rate.

For people suffering from coronary artery disease or heart failure , a HIIT regimen is beneficial for substantially improving both groups VO 2 max and overall exercise capacity; with more intense HIIT leading to the greatest cardiovascular improvements.

HIIT significantly lowers insulin resistance compared to continuous training or control conditions and leads to modestly decreased fasting blood glucose levels and increased weight loss compared to those who do not undergo a physical activity intervention.

HIIT can result in modest reductions of subcutaneous fat in young and healthy individuals, but greater reductions for overweight individuals. A systematic review examined the effects of HIIT combined with resistance training in teens ages 10—19 , without providing a nutritional plan.

The study found that 8 to 12 weeks of HIIT combined with resistance training can substantially reduce waist size and body fat percentage. However the study did not find conclusive evidence of HIIT and resistance training being an effective solitary treatment for type 2 diabetes or arterial hypertension , but did find HIIT has the potential to reduce future cardiovascular problems in teens.

HIIT can elicit short term brain improvements similar to those usually observed with aerobic exercise. The American College of Sports Medicine suggests consulting one's doctor before starting a HIIT regimen, particularly if there is a history of coronary heart disease.

This is to ascertain its safety and allow the patient to build up the intensity of exercise without causing harm. There is a risk of injury due to fatigue and overtraining , so it is advised to allow time for recovery.

More specifically, knee and ankle sprains were very common. Based on that, neuromuscular training and pre-strengthening programs are recommended to improve flexibility , particularly before exercise.

A study examined HIIT's physiological effects on fat oxidation in moderately active women. The study found that seven sessions of HIIT over a 2-week period improved whole body fat oxidation and the capacity for skeletal muscle to oxidize fat in moderately active women.

A study examined the effect of HIIT on cognitive performance among a group of children. The authors show that HIIT is beneficial to cognitive control and working memory capacity when compared against "a blend of board games, computer games, and trivia quizzes" and that this effect is mediated by the BDNF polymorphism.

They conclude that the study "suggests a promising alternative to enhance cognition, via short and potent exercise regimens".

A clinical trial assessed the effects of HIIT on vascular health in inactive people and found that HIIT has beneficial vascular effects, based on observed decreases in arterial wall thickness and increase in endothelial function. The trial also found that HIIT had stronger effects than medium intensity continuous training MICT in enhancing flow mediated dilation and lowering pulse wave velocity in inactive adults from the greater blood flow and vasodilation of blood vessels stimulated by HIIT.

Increased flow mediated dilation allows for greater opening of an artery and increased blood flow, allowing for more oxygen to be supplied throughout the body during activity. Pulse wave velocity is used to monitor arterial stiffness ; which increases with age and high blood pressure, leading to a higher probability of cardiovascular problems including hypertension or a stroke.

A study on the relevance of exercise intensity in lower back rehabilitation, demonstrated higher intensity had a greater effectiveness with back therapy than moderate intensity exercise. Participants in the HIIT group had a decrease in back pain intensity and an increase in back muscle strength.

A study examined the impact of HIIT and moderate intensity continuous training MICT on overweight individuals by measuring the effect on cardiorespiratory fitness CRF. The study found that both forms of training were effective in improving CRF with an increase in VO 2 max, however there was no evidence that either training method was more effective than the other in improving cardiorespiratory fitness.

According to a study HIIT could be used as prehabilitation for men awaiting surgery for urological cancer and it may improve heart and lung fitness within a month before their surgery. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. What links here Related changes Upload file Special pages Permanent link Page information Cite this page Get shortened URL Download QR code Wikidata item.

Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons. Exercise strategy. This article is about the cardiovascular exercise made popular in the s.

For the s weight training, see High intensity training. For other uses, see HIIT disambiguation. Aerobic exercise — Low to high intensity physical exercise Anaerobic exercise — Physical exercise intense enough to cause lactate formation Bodyweight exercise — Strength-training exercise to provide resistance against gravity Boxercise — High-intensity interval training based on boxing Continuous training — Exercise Pages displaying short descriptions with no spaces CrossFit — Branded fitness regimen Fartlek — Human physiological training method Long slow distance — Aerobic endurance training Physical fitness — State of health and well-being Powerlifting — Sport Pages displaying short descriptions with no spaces Power training — Common type of speed and strength training Street workout — Physical activity performed mostly in outdoor parks Strength training — Performance of physical exercises designed to improve strength.

doi : PMID — via journals. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. PMID Retrieved Archived from the original on Sports Medicine. ISSN S2CID Sports Medicine Review. Journal of Diabetes Research.

PMC Current Sports Med Rep. The Journal of Physiology. Physiological Reports. Let's Work Out". There are also debates about whether doing cardio first may result in your strength training being less effective, and vice versa. With HICT, the idea is that you burn calories and you build strength, all in the same workout—saving you time and energy while giving you an effective workout that will give you solid results.

Below is the workout the authors put together, complete with 12 exercises that require no equipment, work all the muscles of the body, and can be done just about anywhere. Do each exercise for 30 seconds, rest for 10 seconds in between and repeat one to three or more times. This is just a sample.

More advanced exercisers may want to increase the intensity by adding weight or trying more advanced exercises. The authors found a number of benefits of HICT including:.

The high intensity of this type of training coupled with the short rests demands more energy than traditional workouts. Because you're moving quickly, you'll want to be very familiar with the exercises so that you have good form, even when you get tired.

Try practicing the exercises with as much rest as you need first and then shortening the rest periods as your fitness improves. Another thing to keep in mind that too much high-intensity training, no matter what kind it is, can lead to overtraining , injury, or even burnout if you don't give your body enough time to recover.

Consider cross training with other activities like cardio, yoga, or Pilates to work your muscles in different ways. Klika B, Jordan C. High-intensity circuit training using body weight: Maximum results with minimal investment. Zickl D. Runner's World. How Many Calories Do You Really Burn Once Your Workout Is Over?

July 6, Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd Edition. Scott CB, Leighton BH, Ahearn KJ, McManus JJ. Aerobic, anaerobic, and excess postexercise oxygen consumption energy expenditure of muscular endurance and strength: 1-set of bench press to muscular fatigue.

J Strength Cond Res. Heden L, Lox C, Rose P, Reid S, Kirk EP. One set resistance training elevates energy expenditure for 72 hours similar to three sets. Eur J Appl Physiol. Bacon AP, Carter RE, Ogle EA, Joyner MJ. VO2max trainability and high intensity interval training in humans: a meta-analysis.

PLoS ONE. Tibana RA, De sousa NMF. Are extreme conditioning programmes effective and safe? A narrative review of high-intensity functional training methods research paradigms and findings.

BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. Use limited data to select advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising. Use profiles to select personalised advertising. Create profiles to personalise content. Use profiles to select personalised content. Measure advertising performance.

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This session is a unique combination of dynamic mat Pilates and HIIT to improve your cardio fitness, build strength and definition, and improve posture in one super-challenging workout.

Duration : 47 minutes. Burn fat and build strength with tough love mega-trainer, Anna Victoria. Expect to see some of her signature booty-focused moves in this HIIT workout, designed to build lean muscle and increase anaerobic capacity.

If you'd like to switch up your regular HIIT with something more dance-y, get around this Jive HIIT workout with Strictly professional Dianne Buswell. She'll get you stepping and moving and sweating, obv! Duration : 45 minutes.

Most HIIT workout schedules are structured around sessions per week, depending on fitness level and desired result.

The workouts are short, but don't forget the importance of rest days and watch out for signs your body needs a breather:. As you've seen, most HIIT workouts will feature heart-rate raising moves, such as jump squats , burpees , commandos, planks , mountain climbers and tuck jumps.

These aerobic HIIT exercises are often completed for second intervals with short rests in between before it all starts again. While there is no one exercise that's the best HIIT exercise, making sure you work to your full capability during the 'on' periods will mean you reap the maximum reward.

It's a gas-on, gas-off way of exercising, so when the gas is on it should really be on. You're working harder, but overall it's a much shorter period of time, so make it count! Targets: glutes, quads, calves, core, shoulders, chest, triceps. a Crouch down, feet just further than shoulder-width apart and hands on the floor.

b With your body weight in your hands, kick both feet out behind you, resting on the balls of your feet. c Jump forward and propel your body up in one swift move, landing in a standing position. Targets: core, back, shoulders, chest, arms, glutes, quads, calves. a Get in a press-up position with hands flat on the ground.

b One hand at a time, lower yourself onto your forearms and hold a plank position. c Raise yourself back into a press-up position and repeat.

Targets: s houlders, hamstrings, core, triceps, quads, core. a To start with, get down into a high plank, keeping your back straight and your head in line with your spine. Your hands should be directly beneath your shoulders, your arms fully extended and your fingers facing forward, slightly spread apart.

Now pump your knees toward your chest one at a time, trying not to rock your torso from side to side. Breathe through it. Targets: quads, glutes, core. a From standing, step back into a reverse lunge with your left leg.

b Push through your right heel to come back to standing, following through with your left leg to raise it in front of you at degrees.

Targets: g lutes, shoulders, triceps, chest, core, hamstrings. c Then, walk your hands back towards your feet. Walkout with push-up. c Perform a push-up, returning to high plank position.

d Walk your hands back towards your feet and repeat. Targets: Quads, hamstrings, glutes, hips, core. b Quickly hop to the left, switching legs and arms.

Try to keep up the pace but if you find balancing difficult, slow the movement down until you feel steady. Targets: q uads, glutes, hamstrings, calves. a Stand straight, with your arms bent at 90°, elbows tucked into your sides, palms facing the floor.

b Run on the spot as fast as you can. Each time lift your leg high enough so your hand slaps the top of your thighs. Get those knees up! Targets: t highs, hamstrings, quads, glutes.

a Standing with feet hip-width apart hinge at the knees to come into a squat position — making sure your knees track over your toes and don't extend past. b With the weight in your heels push back up to standing, squeezing your glutes at the top.

Jump squat. Targets: g lutes, quads, hips, hamstrings. a Lower down into a squat position with your feet hip-width apart. b Powerfully explode upwards by pushing through your heels and using your glutes to jump.

Try to extend your legs fully at the top of the jump. c Land in a squat position and repeat. For a longer plan, may we suggest our exclusive to WH four-week HIIT plan , designed by PT Gauri Chopra. You won't need any equipment, just a yoga mat, a water bottle and commitment to the short, effective workouts three times a week.

GO TO 4 WEEK HIIT PLAN. Marketing Studio Log in. NEW WORKOUT OUT NOW. HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING LES MILLS GRIT ATHLETIC LES MILLS GRIT CARDIO LES MILLS GRIT STRENGTH LES MILLS SPRINT YOUTH Classes BORN TO MOVE YEARS BORN TO MOVE YEARS BORN TO MOVE YEARS BORN TO MOVE YEARS BORN TO MOVE YEARS.

Save on a annual premium plan. TRY FOR FREE Member login Workouts Technique FAQs EQUIPMENT. Workout categories Strength training Cardio workouts Indoor cycling workouts HIIT workouts Ab workouts Dance workouts Flexibility workouts Guided meditation Kids workouts.

STEP INSIDE A WORLD OF SUPPORT WITH LES MILLS. JOIN THE TEAM about training FIND TRAINING Resources. PARTNER WITH US Get In touch. Want more health and fitness inspiration? CHOOSE YOUR FREE GIFT. It found that both HIIT and traditional moderate-intensity exercise can reduce weight and waist circumference.

Some researchers have found that HIIT increases metabolism for hours after exercise even more than jogging and weight training. This is known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption EPOC , informally called afterburn , a measurably increased rate of oxygen intake following strenuous activity.

HIIT is not just a tool to use to lean out. It can improve your overall health, too. A summary of 50 different studies found that HIIT reduces blood sugar levels. Further research shows it can reduce resting heart rate and blood pressure in overweight and obese individuals.

This intense workout template is popular enough that it's become shorthand for just about any type of boutique fitness class that features multiple exercises, different stations, and plenty of sweat.

The term is bandied about so much that many people who have taken a HIIT class might not totally understand why they're pushing so hard through the stop and start nature of the protocol, either.

That doesn't stop HIIT from being a top choice for boutique gyms and fitness clubs—the workouts fit a ton of activity into a brief period, which is ideal for consumers looking for the most bang for their buck and trainers and gyms hoping to slot as many sessions into a schedule as possible.

That's fine for gyms with class slots to schedule, but if your whole fitness routine is only made up of HIIT workout sessions, you need to take a step back and reassess what you're doing. Aiming to add muscle?

HIIT can be a great tool to diversify your training, but you won't be able to make the most gains that way. And if you're taking on any more than two or three HIIT workouts a week, you're doing too much. You'll either push yourself into overtraining if you go as hard as you should be for every session, since you won't give yourself enough time to recover properly, or more likely you'll fail to reach the effort threshold the workouts are designed around.

Be smart about how and when you use HIIT. Some Ways to Do HIIT Workouts. Not necessarily. Here are some of the different types of equipment and training styles you can use as part of a HIIT protocol. Now that you know everything to know about HIIT, here are some HIIT workouts that can keep you off the treadmill for the most part and on a far more fun path to major fat-burn.

Luckily, Ben Feiden, CFSC of Performance HQ has just the thing for you. All you need is you and a clock to get this full body burn in. Get ready to get your butt kicked by Jaimar Brown , C.

Malik Fitness in this installment of our 5 Minutes of Hell series. Grab one set of medium and one set of light dumbbells and cycle through the following five exercises for 45 seconds of work, and 15 seconds of rest for a quick and dirty full body workout.

Ngo Okafor , the owner and founder of Iconoclast Fitness , and two-time Golden Gloves Championship winner goes through another installment of our 5 Minutes of Hell series designed to push you to your limits in a short amount of time.

Complete these eight exercises for 30 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest for a heart-racing HIIT workout. Erik Bartell, C. In only 5 short minutes, this workout will have you contemplating surrender.

Work through these 5 exercises for 45 seconds of work, and 15 seconds of rest. This dumbbell workout from All Out Studio 's High Power HIIT program by trainer Gerren Liles will help you to sculpt your chest, arms, and back while ramping up the pace.

You'll be toast after these 15 minutes. Close-Grip Chest Press - 30 seconds. Close-Grip Chest Press with Crunch - 45 seconds. Close-Grip Chest Press with Crunch and Leg Lowers - 75 seconds. Squat Hold - 45 seconds. Renegade Rows - 30 seconds.

Weighted Walkout to Renegade Row - 45 seconds. Weighted Walkout to Renegade Row to Knee Raise and Twist - 75 seconds. Dumbbell Over-the-Shoulder Chops - 30 seconds. Squat and Over-the-Shoulder Chops - 45 seconds.

Squat Thrust and Over-the-Shoulder Chops - 75 seconds. Cooldown Stretch - 45 seconds. Nellie Barnett, CPT , packed everything you need in this quick minute workout you can do right from your living room.