A Beginners Guide to HIIT Training

Whether you’re looking for a workout that burns a lot of calories or you’re simply trying to get into fitness, HIIT training can be a great introduction to your fitness routine. 

Like any new workout, it can be tough to know where to start — which is why our expert personal trainers at Fitness First have answered the most important questions about HIIT training to help your fitness goals reach new heights. 

What is a HIIT workout?

A HIIT — also known as High-Intensity Interval Training — workout consists of short, high-intensity exercise intervals.

Most HIIT workouts consist of a fast, higher-paced load that’s followed by a short period of rest or an exercise of lower intensity. This is then repeated in small, manageable sets. The aim is to get your heart rate up to a level that you can’t sustain for long — typically in excess of 80% maximum — whilst challenging the body and allowing you to burn more fat in less time. 

If you’re interested in taking on HIIT — or any other activity — come and experience it for free.

What are some of the benefits of HIIT workouts?

HIIT has many benefits, but one of the biggest advantages is that you can get maximum health benefits in minimal time.

Some of its other benefits include:

1. Major muscle groups can be worked simultaneously
2. Huge exercise variation meaning you can easily change up your routine
3. Helps to reduce your resting heart rate
4. Short sessions work well for those who are under time restraints
5. Increased fitness levels
6. Increase Anaerobic and Aerobic capacity
7. Beneficial to the cardiovascular system
8. Burn a large number of calories in a short amount of time

Is HIIT good for burning fat?

HIIT is a great tool to aid weight loss, but it’s not necessarily better or worse than the next tool. 

“As a training session, no. If the session is exercised correctly, it should predominantly be carbohydrate (sugar) burning as this is the body’s preferred fuel source for such high intensity.” 

“However, if your EPOC remains high after such an intense session, the body will switch to an aerobic state, which then burns fat as a fuel source.”

It’s important to remember that, in regards to weight loss and weight management, the total calorie expenditure throughout a 24 hours period largely contributes to weight loss. As HIIT is so calorie demanding, it can be great in weight loss management. 

Why are HIIT workouts effective?

You don’t need to spend hours in the gym to see results. “HIIT workouts can be effective as you’re able to force large amounts of training load in a very short period of time.” 

“This helps to maximise that time period and produces a high EPOC (Excess Post Oxygen Consumption) meaning that elevated rate in metabolism increases calorie burn and forces a high adaptive state.” 

HIIT workouts are also effective because of their time efficiency. They’re easy to fit in around your day, with sometimes as little as 20 minutes being just the right amount for a good session. You can easily complete a HIIT workout at home or in the gym, and they can be scaled to progress and regress as far as needed. 

What sports are benefited by HIIT training?

HIIT training can be beneficial for most sports — but it works best when it’s customised and programmed specifically to the sport. 

“Every sport has drills and exercises that directly translate to competition performance. If these exercises are utilised effectively, then HIIT style workouts can benefit all sports!”

If you’re looking for something that’s a bit more specific, sports that involve stop and starts with sudden bouts of high-intensity effort that’s then followed by low intensity are the best. Think Rugby League, Football, Hockey and Boxing to name a few. 

What are some of the best HIIT exercises for beginners?

For beginners, our personal trainers recommends “non-complex movement patterns and limited equipment is best. Start with something simple like a standard bodyweight squat.”

“To really maximise the intensity part of the workout, burpees, mountains climbers, walkouts, thrusters and lunge jumps can be great.”

Remember, yes, HIIT workouts should be intense but don’t push yourself too hard too fast as this can result in injury and other setbacks. 

How long should a HIIT workout be and why?

When it comes down to it, it all depends on your level of fitness and experience. 

Our expert personal trainers recommend “short sessions of around 20-45 minutes due to the demanding nature of the exercise — this includes the period of time needed for the warm-up and cool-down”. Any longer than this and you won’t be able to hold the intensity required to make it through the workout!

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How long should you rest between HIIT intervals?

When you’re taking on a HIIT workout, it’s so important that you rest between intervals. Make sure not to resist the active recovery time in between muscle groups as it’s just as vital as the actual workout itself. 

When you’re working out “rests should be short intervals. The 1:1 work-to-rest ratio is probably best for the longest rest period, but more traditionally a 1:30 is used. So for example, Tabata 20/10 for four-minute rounds.”

Essentially, you want to rest for just long enough for the muscles to recover slightly, but not long enough for your heart rate to drop too much.

What equipment should I use for HIIT workouts?

Bodyweight or barbells, you can use a wide range of equipment for HIIT workouts. 

“Depending on the user, beginners to intermediates require limited equipment or aim for non-complex moves such as kettlebell swings or goblet squats.”

“For more advanced athletes with drilled technique, then more complex movements can be used instead such as barbell snatches.”

How often should you do a HIIT workout?

Again, it all depends on you, your current training programme, your end goal and where you are in your training cycle. 

“In a peak training week, 2-3 HIIT sessions may be scheduled, but in a recovery week, 1 or possibly none is usually the norm.” 

“Training at such a high intensity has a large (but useful) stress and adaptive nature on the body, particularly on the central nervous system, so optimal recover is ever so important when you’re taking on HIIT.”

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Can I do HIIT workouts with an injury?

If you’re injured, it can be hard to figure out what types of exercises you can do to avoid making it worse.

Depending on the level of injury, workouts can be adapted. With HIIT workouts “a lower-body injury — particularly a knee or ankle one — can make it harder to reach the level of intensity that’s required to push the anaerobic threshold.” 

“If you’ve injured your upper body, such as pulled a ligament, you can still do lower-body HIIT effectively.”

“If you’re hurt, take the intensity down. Keep it low impact and swap squat jumps, for example, with bodyweight speed squats, instead.”

Can you do HIIT training if you’re pregnant?

As with all exercises when you’re pregnant, it’s best to consult with your doctor about how active you can be throughout your pregnancy. 

However “it really does depend on how active the mother was pre-pregnancy, whether there have been any complications so far and at what stage the pregnancy is at.” “Often, if the individual has not done HIIT before, this wouldn’t be the best time to start — but if they’re more experienced then it can be a great workout to take on. Be sure to avoid lateral movements as this can put extra stress on the pubic bone.”

Pregnant women are capable of amazing things, so if you have been active before your pregnancy, you can adopt the same approach of internal training. Remove the high impact, adjust your positions accordingly and avoid high body temperatures. 

Get into HIIT with Fitness First

At Fitness First we have a wide range of classes, personal training sessions and more available for you, no matter your fitness level. 

If you’re looking for some more inspiration, check out The Inside Track to read up on the latest fitness and nutrition advice from the expert personal trainers at Fitness First.