What Is HIIT?
HIIT is a type of interval training workout that pairs short periods of intense exercise with low-intensity exercises. During the high-intensity periods, you’ll aim to increase your heart rate to around 80% of your maximum heart rate. In the low-intensity periods, you’ll briefly recover from the intense exercise. You’ll alternate between different exercises at high or low intensities throughout the workout.
For example, you might sprint for 200 meters to raise your heart rate, jog for 200 to recover, and then repeat the pattern for 10 reps. Typically, HIIT workouts last between 10 and 30 minutes, making them perfect for exercisers on a tight schedule or those who dread spending hours at the gym.
HIIT is often asked about: is HIIT cardio, strength training, or both? The answer depends on how you structure your workouts. HIIT is primarily cardio-focused but can easily incorporate strength exercises for a balanced fitness routine.
Is HIIT Cardio?
HIIT is typically considered to be a cardio workout, as it primarily benefits cardiovascular and heart health. HIIT boosts your heart rate to near-maximum levels, which pushes the cardiovascular system to adapt and strengthen over time. However, since HIIT often includes aerobic and anaerobic exercises, it can double as both a cardio and strength workout.
Is HIIT Strength Training?
While HIIT is more cardio-focused than strength, it can still help you build lean muscle. If you’d like to strengthen your muscles during your HIIT workout, you can include strength-training exercises in your routine to focus on muscle building. For example, you could include bodyweight exercises, kettlebells, or resistance band exercises in your HIIT workout to improve your explosiveness and power.
If you’re wondering ‘is HIIT cardio or strength?’ the answer is: it’s both! HIIT enhances cardiovascular endurance while building lean muscle when paired with strength-focused exercises like kettlebell swings or weighted squats.
The Benefits of HIIT Workouts
If you’re on the fence about whether you should add HIIT workouts to your exercise routine, review the top potential benefits HIIT workouts can provide below:
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Improved Insulin Sensitivity:
HIIT has been shown to lower blood sugar levels and improve insulin resistance, which can be especially beneficial for individuals at risk of type 2 diabetes. -
Visceral Fat Reduction:
Research highlights that HIIT is particularly effective at targeting visceral fat, the dangerous fat surrounding internal organs linked to chronic health issues. -
Boosted Aerobic and Anaerobic Performance:
HIIT improves both aerobic endurance and anaerobic capacity, enabling you to perform better in a variety of physical activities, from running to weightlifting. -
Post-Workout Metabolic Boost:
One of HIIT’s unique advantages is its ability to keep your metabolism elevated for hours after exercise. This phenomenon, called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), allows you to burn additional calories even at rest. -
Efficiency:
For those with tight schedules, HIIT’s short workout times (often as little as 20 minutes) make it an ideal choice to achieve maximum results in minimal time.
With all of the potential benefits of HIIT workouts, they’re a regular part of many people’s exercise routines. Whether you’re looking to burn more calories, squeeze in some exercise during a busy day, or want to do a beginner-friendly workout that will still challenge you, HIIT is a great choice!
Clearing Up Misconceptions About HIIT
Many people believe HIIT is solely a cardio workout, but this isn’t entirely true. While HIIT is excellent for boosting heart health and burning calories, it can also incorporate strength elements when exercises like push-ups, kettlebell swings, or squats are included. Think of HIIT as a versatile workout framework rather than a single type of exercise—it can be tailored to your goals, whether cardio, strength, or a mix of both.
Another common misconception is that HIIT can (and should) be done every day. However, HIIT’s intensity demands proper recovery to prevent burnout and overtraining. Experts recommend limiting HIIT sessions to 2-3 times per week, especially for beginners, and incorporating low-intensity cardio or mobility work on other days to allow your body to recover fully.
What Fitness Level Should You Be For HIIT Workouts?
Due to their many benefits and customizability, HIIT workouts are right for most people, regardless of their fitness level.
If you’re just beginning with HIIT, you’ll likely want to stick to cardio-focused HIIT workouts. Doing so will allow you to get used to HIIT’s intensity before you add in more complicated strength training exercises. Those who want to build more muscle can also switch between HIIT and strength-training workouts throughout the week.
When starting HIIT, many ask, ‘what is the best HIIT workout for a beginner?’ A simple cardio-focused workout might involve alternating 30 seconds of jumping jacks with 40 seconds of rest, repeating the sequence 6-8 times. You can progress by incorporating bodyweight exercises like squats or lunges.
If you do incorporate strength training into your HIIT routine, it’s generally recommended that you be more experienced. Since HIIT workouts are hard on the body and require lots of fast-paced reps, you should be able to perform your strength exercises with the right form even when you’re tired. If you can’t maintain the correct form, you’ll raise the risk of injury.
Give HIIT a Try at City Fitness Philadelphia
If you’re looking for energizing HIIT classes in Philadelphia, our instructors at City Fitness Philadelphia are ready to coach you through a variety of HIIT studio classes. Some of our favorite cardio-focused HIIT classes include Les Mills Grit Cardio and HIIT THE BIKE, which are both designed to get your heart rate up and improve your cardiovascular health. When you’re interested in increasing your strength and building lean muscle, you’ll want to pop in for our 30-minute HIIT Les Mills Grit Strength class.
Learn more about our membership plans, and check out our class schedule to find other HIIT classes you can enjoy! If you have any questions, please contact your local club.