A HIIT workout mixes shorts bursts of activity with even shorter rest periods. Ideally, you work to your maximum capacity during the short bursts of activity. Because you are pushing your limits, these workouts tend be shorter, rarely passing the 30-minute mark.
HIIT workouts are scalable to any fitness level, making it a popular format for group fitness classes. Your goal is push yourself to 90 percent of your personal max in the intense intervals, and this varies among individuals. Using the rate of perceived exertion scale to measure your efforts helps keep the workout individualized.
HIIT formulas for the work-to-rest ratio are 2:1. For example, you work for 40 seconds at your max and rest for 20, repeating this pattern for five to 10 sets. The Tabata Protocol might be the most well-known HIIT workout. Its eight rounds of 20-second intervals followed by 10 seconds of rest make it one of the hardest four-minute workouts you've ever done.
• HIIT workouts are efficient; since you're working to your max, you burn more calories in less time.
• Adding intervals into your workouts helps you burn more fat during your sweat session.
• Interval workouts, compared to steady-paced ones, have a higher after-burn effect, meaning you continue to burn calories after your workout is over for a longer period of time.
• HIIT workouts also increase your endurance. So when you do go for a long, steady-paced run, you can go further.