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The Best HIIT Routine

Article by JoshVales

Josh is an Expert Trainer and Best-Selling Fitness Author. His mission is to cut through all the B.S. about losing fat and gaining muscle that's spread byso-called 'gurus' and broscience. He wants to help people reach their fitness goals through truth and knowledge.

Josh has written 71 awesome articles for us at Outlaw Fitness

Twitter: @laststopfatloss

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The Best HIIT Routine | Outlaw Fitness http://www.outlawfitnesshq.com/the-best-hiit-training-routine

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The Advantages of a HIIT Routine

For many of us, the idea of doing long, boring cardio sessions is a daunting thought. Luckily, there is an alternative. It’s called High Intensity IntervalTraining, or HIIT for short. It’s a kind of training that will give you a body like those you see above. It involves alternating between periods of low ormoderate intensity and periods of extremely high intensity, and you can do it in a fraction of the time of a normal cardio workout. The problem with HIIT isthat many people don’t really know where to start, in this post I’m going to share with you what is, in my opinion, the best HIIT routine.

On top of losing fat, HIIT routines have a whole slew of things that it does better than regular cardio:

Increases your V02 max much more than steady-state cardio. This means it increases the amount of oxygen your body can take in during exercise.Translation? You’ll be in better shape when you go play ball with the guys.Doesn’t cause you to lose precious muscle mass like traditional steady-state cardio does. When you engage in long, slow cardio sessions, your body canenter a catabolic (or muscle wasting) state. This means your body literally starts to consume its own muscle for energy. This won’t happen during aHIIT training routine. Combined with a slight increase in calories above your maintenance level, HIIT workouts can actually be anabolic, meaning they’ll help you gainmuscle. This is certainly something you can’t get from normal cardio.

Of all the slight variations amongst HIIT routines, the one that works this best is the 30 second/90-120 second split. Let’s break it down for you.

The Best HIIT workout routine:

1. Maximum intensity for 30 seconds.

2. Recovery for 90-120 seconds (only rest as long as you have to).

-Repeat this cycle 6-10 times, depending on your level of fitness. Before your HIIT routine, it’s best to start with a 5 minute warm up at a comfortableintensity. After your HIIT workout, finish with a 5 minute cool-down period before you stop moving completely. Even the longest HIIT workouts can becompleted in about half an hour.


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As time goes on, you will be able to perform this routine without difficulty. At such time, you need to start introducing changes to keep your body stimulatedand to keep progressing. The best way to do this would be to either shorten your rest periods, or increase the length of your maximum intensity periods. Forexample:

Maximum intensity for 45 seconds.

Recovery for 90-120 seconds.

or

Maximum intensity for 30 seconds.

Recovery for 60-90 seconds.

Continue with this until again, you find yourself unchallenged. At that point, do the same thing, either shorten your recovery period, or increase yourmaximum intensity period (or both, if you think you’re hardcore enough). The important thing here is to always progress. If you do the same thing over andover, sooner or later your body will stop being challenged and your fat loss will grind to a screeching halt.

Do I have to run when doing HIIT?

HIIT training routines can be done with any kind of cardio. Whether running outdoors, on a treadmill, on an elliptical, a bike, or a rower, HIIT is a greatoption.

How often should I do HIIT?

HIIT is very intense. It should be eased into your weekly exercise regime and only performed 3-4 times a week. Due to its high intensity, you should never doit more often than this because you’ll risk overtraining and injury.

Are there any variations of HIIT?

There sure are! In fact, there’s a great little infographic that explains HIIT and the most popular varieties of it. Check it out here.

That’s all there is to it. Get out there an have fun!

- Josh

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{ 99 comments… read them below or add one }

Dave Bilden November 17, 2011 at 8:07 am

man your a beast you just took my trx training to a whole new level thanks this was really helpfull

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weight loss tips December 6, 2011 at 3:25 pm

Great site. A lot of useful information here. I am sending it to some friends ans also sharing in delicious. And of course, thanks for your effort!

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bonny December 7, 2011 at 8:54 pm

Thanks josh. The truth will always set you free.kudos

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Austin Alers December 8, 2011 at 11:35 pm

Awesome post! I will keep an on eye on your blog.

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Kiril January 2, 2012 at 3:08 am

Hi,I’ve heard that this training is only effective if you have are at 90% of your maximum heart rate. I dont see anything here about the heart rate…Can anyone tell me more about this?

ThnxKiril

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JoshVales January 3, 2012 at 1:53 am

Hey Kiril,

Generally speaking all HIIT workouts should be done at 80-90% of your maximum heart rate. If your hearts not going that fast – you’re notdoing HIIT. That’s not to say that working out less intensely is a waste of time, it’s simply not HIIT.

Remember though, if you’re working out below 80% of your maximum heart rate, you should be doing it in a sustained matter, lasting at least 20minutes.

Hope this helps,

Josh

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Derrick January 3, 2012 at 9:14 pm

I am going to start doing this but I was curious about the recovery phase. Should I be walking at a quick pace or jogging? I have tried doing variationsof this before and I am usually needing to walk during the recovery phase. I think I am in good enough shape to really work hard at this but I want tobe very specific in what I am doing. Thanks for the help!

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JoshVales January 4, 2012 at 1:47 am

Derrick,

That’s a good question actually. As long as you’re giving it your absolutely maximum during the high intensity sprints, you can walk if you needto during the low intensity phase. Only do this for as long as you need to. Over time, as you find yourself better able to recover, begin shorteningyour recovery periods. After a little while, then extend the low intensity period again, but this time do a slow jog. It’s ok if this period is verylong, do it for as long as it takes to catch your breath.

Basically what I’m trying to say is to do it in baby steps. Start slow, walk until you catch your breath. When that becomes very easy, introducethe jogging. Hope this helps,

Josh

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Josh, thank you so much for the information.

I was able to complete my first HIIT workout tonight. I wanted to make sure I am on the right track before I continue however. I did this all on atreadmill. I did 5 minutes at about 6MPH to sttart, then I did 10 MPH for 30 second, 90 seconds at 6MPH. I did about 7 intervals. I was pretty deadafter this and at about 17 minutes. I had no choice but the walk at about 3.8MPH for 5 minute cool down. It seems like a rather short workout but Iwas dead. I typically am dead after my cardio workouts. Should I be doing anything after this workout or this is it 3 times a week for cardio? I did somestretching and now I am having my protein drink as I always do. I am trying to lose the extra 10 lbs around my belly. Hopefully this is the right start inthe right direction! Thanks again for any help you provide! Great advice!

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JoshVales January 5, 2012 at 6:30 pm

For your first time, getting through 17 minutes is awesome! HIIT workouts are short by nature, especially when compared to their longer, lowintensity counterpart.

In addition to your HIIT workouts 3 time a week, I’d recommend doing weight training on another 3 days. That is, one day HIIT Cardio, one dayweight training, one day HIIT Cardio, one day weight training. Take the 7th day off every week. You’ll lose fat much faster when doing cardioand weight training in combination then you will by doing only one of these activities.

You’re off to a good start, keep it up! Hope this helps,

Josh

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Kelly January 11, 2012 at 12:14 pm

I joined a bootcamp style class that does HIIT for one hour classes for 8 weeks. They recommend going 3-4 times per week. My goal is to lose 16 – 20lbs and tone up. I’m down 2 lbs in the first week and hope that continues. However, I don’t know if I want to join up for the next 8 week session as it isexpensive and wonder if I should invest in weights instead to keep up the muscle toning and just do cardio on my elliptical at home or running outsideto keep the weight off?

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I’d recommend the weights. They will stay with you forever, the classes and its benefits will be over in 8 weeks. You can do HIIT on your ownon your elliptical or, even better, outside while running. Do cardio (whether it be normal or HIIT) 3-4 times a week. Do weights on the other 3-4days a week. As long as you watch your diet, you’ll reach your goal of 16-20lbs. Hope this helps!


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Josh

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Alf January 13, 2012 at 8:00 am

Josh, thank you for the info!

Would swimming work for this routine, do you think? If yes, would you say it’s ok to do a longer cool-down (leasurely laps with some breaks)? I askbecause I love being in the water, and would rather not get out right away after anexcercise routine. Any thought on this are appreciated.

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Alf,

I don’t see any reason why you can’t perform HIIT while swimming. Just make sure you can catch your breath adequately on the low intensityportions of your workout. Also, feel free to do as long a cool-down as you’d like. The more you’re moving, the better. Hope this helps!

Josh

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Josh, I have been at my HIIT workouts for about 2 weeks now. I think I am doing pretty good at it. I had a follow-up question however. Since I havestarted this training I seem to be getting stomach craps mid-way through the workout. Do you have any tips or tricks to avoiding them? Thank you forall your help.

Do you do private emails? Or provide training of some sort? Thank you.

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Whenever I get stomach cramps, it means that I’ve eaten too soon before my workout, or I simply haven’t had enough water and I’m quitedehydrated. Water makes a really big difference with stamina and cramps.

Also, the potassium in a banana helps with cramps a fair bit. A banana a day will go a long way in eliminating stomach cramps.

At the moment I don’t do private training, but I’m happy to answer any questions you have in the comment sections of this website. Hope thishelps!

Josh

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Perder peso January 22, 2012 at 7:42 am

Very good tips, I will start tomorrow to do HIIT, I just want to ask something … I will do exactly Insanity Workout 20 min and do not know if you havethe same results as running, the two are exercises for time intervals of high intensity.What do you recommend??Thank you very much!

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Hey Perder,

I’m not sure what Insanity Workout that you’re talking about is. Could you explain what it entails so I can answer your question more clearly?

Josh

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Jesse R March 4, 2012 at 8:33 pm

Perder is probably referring to Shaun T’s workouts.

http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/insanity.do

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JoshVales March 6, 2012 at 2:53 am

Ah, thank you for clearing that up!

Josh

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Colin Brown January 24, 2012 at 3:37 pm

Hi.I’ve been doing HIIT training on a treadmill. I’ve been running at 11.5 mph for 45 seconds then resting for 1 min. I do this between 10-12 times asession.I’ve noticed that, when I’m running at 11.5, my heart rate is up at 181. Should I rest until my heart rate comes down to certain level before picking thepace up again? And would I see better results if I did?

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You should rest only until you have caught your breath. Don’t worry too much about your exact heart rate. As you get more fit, you will be ableto continue with the higher intensity portion of the workout with increasingly higher heart rates, while still feeling rested.

You won’t get better results by sticking to a particular heart rate – just go by feel. 181 beats per minute is perfectly normal during a high intensityportion of a HIIT workout. Hope this helps,

Josh

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Keeon February 4, 2012 at 11:19 am

I did a HIIT workout the other day. It went something like this. I did pushups, squats, burpees, mountain climbers and lunges. Each exercise for 30seconds for 4 rounds.

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Awesome, many people don’t realize that they can use body workouts for a variation of HIIT.

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Cray February 7, 2012 at 2:23 pm

Josh,

I love this stuff and finally the general public agrees with us.

Live Well,

TBF Trainer

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7 of 23 7/13/2012 12:58 PM

Thanks for the comment, I agree, HIIT is great!

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Chris Youster February 16, 2012 at 4:18 am

Hi Josh,

I have been going to the gym for nearly 6 years so I have quite a lot of muscle and have been playing Volleyabll for the last 11 months so I no longerneed to be big and just want to get my six pack showing more and look a bit more athletic.

I have been doing HIIT on/off for a while but have been getting back into it the last fortnight on the treadmill for 20 minutes, 30 seconds sprint 90seconds jog then doing some weights of around 80% max 3 times a week.

Can my body cope with that as at the moment I still feel ok but with 2 sessions of Volleyball training on top of that I don’t have time to split my cardioand weights like I used to.

Thanks,

Chris

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Yup, that schedule sounds good to me, as long as you feel ok. Always listen to your body, if your body can’t handle your schedule, you’ll knowit. But on paper, it definitely looks A-OK with me.

Josh

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Jack February 19, 2012 at 11:26 am

I am doing this for the last few years. I now do 12 by 30 seconds flat out sprints out doors,and I just stop and focus on the recovery but, which I havegot down to 25 seconds. The 25 seconds feels like 10 seconds while recovering and the 30 seconds flat out feels like 60 seconds. But the gut wrenchingpart of this session is just 10 minutes.This training is mentally hard, but it’s of such a short duration it’s very doable, and combined with (HIT)strength training every other day one shouldhave a good program.The HIT strength training is psychologically similar to the HIIT, short sessions with single sets to failure.

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Thanks for the comment. It is difficult – it’s meant to be. No pain, no gain But yes, it’s definitely do-able.

Josh

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Emma March 19, 2012 at 7:46 am

Hiya,

I want to lose weight NOT build muscle. I’m a model and was unwell for a while so i have gained 20lbs. This is purely in fat though. I was very skinnywith extremely lean muscle (not much though!!!) I need to get back to this shape, however i am worried that i will build too much muscle, stay thesame size i am but become more solid – not sure if that makes any sense! Basically i am not very big by any means, but need to lose weight but notgain muscle, im worried because im quite slim i will build muscle instead of lose the fat!! I do not want the ‘bulky’ look. Im going more KarlieKloss/Rosie Huntington Whiteley than J-Lo/Rihanna – who are both very thin but very muscular!

Would you recommend HIIT for this? As i have read it is great for fat loss and not building muscle.

Hope that makes sense!

Thanks

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JoshVales March 19, 2012 at 7:44 pm

I wouldn’t recommend HIIT for this, as it will promote some muscle growth in the legs. Instead, I’d recommend marathon cardio, that is, runningsessions of 45 minute to 60 minutes. This will help you lose size all over, and won’t cause you to gain size.

Have a look at this article on how to lose weight in your thighs: http://www.outlawfitnesshq.com/how-to-lose-weight-in-your-thighs

and this one on how to lose muscle: http://www.outlawfitnesshq.com/how-to-lose-muscle-in-your-legs

Also, make sure you’re not eating too much during this time. Whether you gain or lose weight is heavily depended on your eating habits. Ifyou’re eating less than your body needs on a daily basis, you will lose weight. If you’re eating more than it needs on a daily basis, then it is easierto gain unwanted body muscle/fat. Have a look at this article for more information: http://www.outlawfitnesshq.com/how-many-calories-should-i-eat

Hope this helps,

Josh

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Jackson March 22, 2012 at 9:58 am

Hey Josh,

Is a glass of low-fat Chocolate Milk good for your body in terms of post-recovery after a HIIT session? I do take into consideration about the caloriesinvolved in the glass of low-fat Choco Milk as well, thank you!

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Sure is, in fact, I’ve written a post on that very topic. You can read it here if you’d like: http://www.outlawfitnesshq.com/should-you-drink-chocolate-milk-after-a-workout

Josh

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Jackson March 23, 2012 at 1:57 am

Thank you Josh, that was indeed a great article to read.

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LEO March 24, 2012 at 5:59 am

WOW!! Thanks a Lot!!

i have only a question, you said that i must perform it 3 times a week, for example: Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

can i make a 2.5Mph walk for 20mins on the remaining days that must spend for rest?

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Absolutely, in fact I encourage long, low intensity cardio on your off days. It really complements HIIT well, and it will improve your fat lossresults. Stay well,

Josh

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joe April 2, 2012 at 7:34 pm

Hey, i am very muscular but have some fat around my stomach. About 13 or 15% body fat.I have been doing hiit every second day for a couple of


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weeks and have been watching my diet pretty closely. I am just wondering how long it will take before i see significant reults. Thanks

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JoshVales April 3, 2012 at 2:59 pm

Significant results will take 6-8 weeks. You should see the first real differences in the mirror after about 3 weeks. Try throwing in some lowintensity long distance cardio in with the HIIT. This will speed up your results. Hope this helps,

Josh

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Jin April 4, 2012 at 7:31 am

I want to lose weight overall and become more defined. I have been doing more marathon running with weight training but I want faster results inlosing weight and becoming more defined. Would HIIT along with my current weight training give me these results quicker? I want to lose about 15-20lbs in about 2 month time frame. I want to do this naturally but I am considering protein drinks, if I do would it also help me produce results quicker?

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Yes, HIIT would absolutely get results quicker when added to marathon running and weight training. The more variety, the more your body isstimulated, the better the results. Protein shakes won’t get you results any quicker than eating normal, whole protein. In fact, I’d argue that theyare worse then whole food protein because shakes lack the thermogenic effect of real food. That said, protein shakes are better than no protein atall, so it’s really dependent on your diet.

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jalpesh bhanushali April 4, 2012 at 10:46 am

I do treadmill 5 sets at 3 min each set at high intensity,cyclng 5 sets 2 min each,walk 5 sets 1 min each,I m doing in correct manner or no ,let me know,Iwant 2 lose 25 kgs weight!

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Sounds like a pretty basic cardio circuit. It’s not quite the same as HIIT, as HIIT you won’t be able to sustain 100% intensity for 3 minutes. Tryadding long distance steady state cardio and true HIIT into your routine as well. This should have the pounds falling off.

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Dixie April 5, 2012 at 6:02 am

Thank you for this article Josh, I love it! For a while I’ve been doing some circuit training that incorporated body weight exercises such as burpees andmountain climbers with light weights. After losing a good bit of post pregnancy weight, I feel like I’m ready to intensify my workouts with heavyweights and HIIT, but I get bored easily. I was thinking of using several different exercises in a single HIIT routine…will some something like this be aseffective?5 min warm-up30 sec sprint with 90-120 recovery30 sec mountain climbers with 90-120 recovery30 sec burpees with 90-120 recoveryand repeat all three a second time.5 min cool downI would like to alternate 3 days of weight training with 2 days of HIIT. ! day of steady cardio and 1 day of rest or walking. The goal is to build crazylean muscle. Sound like a good plan?

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Sounds like a great plan. In general, the more variation, the better!


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Rob Brown April 10, 2012 at 8:45 am

Josh,My first HIIT was today, just to see what you think this is what I did,5 minute warm up at 5.0 mph30 seconds at 9.1mph90 seconds @ 5.0 mph (did that for ten minutes)

5 minute cool down…..

20 minutes total. This sound like going in the right direction?

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Sounds good. Definitely the right direction. Just remember to go as fast as you possibly can in the high intensity portions. This is key to gettingthe most out of HIIT. Keep it up.

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steve April 14, 2012 at 12:34 pm

Hey Josh, I am just wondering if you could give me a few diet tips. What not to eat, what not to eat etc.. Thanks

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In short,

Eat:

Lean ProteinComplex CarbohydratesHealthy FatsWater

Stay Away From:

Processed CarbohydratesAlcoholExcess/Added SugarSoda/Juices

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Mozelle Hayden May 21, 2012 at 8:36 am

Hi… I am 188pds 5’2 and just found out that my body fat is 45.s%. Need to get that down quickly? Please Help me!! I also have highbp/chlorlestorol/hypothyroid… I have been on hctz diet/carb diet etc and very disappointed. I am now take spin class monday/wed/frid orsat and tues/wed both strength and zumba. I was told to drink a protien shake (water/powder) w each meal yet I am not sure what mycalorie intake should be I am 55 yrs old. I dont like how I look at ALL!!! Not happy

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JoshVales June 2, 2012 at 9:59 pm

Mozelle,

No need to add a protein shake with each meal, that’s probably way too much protein for you, anyways. I’d suggest reading this:http://www.outlawfitnesshq.com/how-many-calories-should-i-eat

Get your diet under control, continue regular weight loss, and the pounds will fall off. If you’re having serious issues with yourhypothyroidism, your doctor should be the next place to visit.


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Josh

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Tom April 14, 2012 at 1:50 pm

Hi Josh,I did my first hiit today, consisting of 10 reps of 1 minute jump rope and 30 second rest (not doing anything). Am I doing it the right way around? Youradvice suggests less high intensity time than rest, whereas I am using a 2:1 ratio in the opposite direction.Tom

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It’s usually the other way around because when doing HIIT, the high intensity portion is done at an extreme level. For example, if you wererunning, you should be running like you were running away from a cougar that is chasing you. At that pace, it’s hard to keep it up for longerperiods of time, and you need the extra time.

Are you able to get the required intensity up while jumping rope? If not, it may be best to switch to something else. Just don’t cheat yourself –make sure you’re working at 100% capacity during that high intensity phase.

Josh

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Tom April 19, 2012 at 3:13 pm

Thank you.

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You’re very welcome.

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jen April 19, 2012 at 3:38 pm

hey – great article!

i’ve been doing hiit for a few weeks now. i used to sprint outdoors 2x’s a week, but i have kids and blah blah blah….it’s very hard for me to be able torun. so, i have started a new routine and would love your opinion:

tabata time (20 work/10 rest) for 8 rounds:

burpeesmountain climbershigh kneesjumping jacks or fast jump roping

then i rest 1 minute and perform these exercises 3 x’s through:

50 jumping jacks/rope skips5 push-ups20 mountain climbers20 crunches/ab exercise7 burpees30 second plank

i usually extend the last plank to 2 minutes, doing side planks instead.

i have a pretty clean diet – 90/10….maybe 80/20 sometimes.

does this sound okay? i have a very limited amount of time so HIIT has been a lifesaver. again, i’d love your insight/feedback. i’ve lost 20 pounds doingkickboxing, but it’s taken me 8 months. i have 10-15 stubborn pounds to lose.

thanks!


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Sounds great! Nice amount of variety and it’ll definitely hit your aerobic system hard. If you’re eating right, you shouldn’t have too much troublelosing those last 10-15lbs with this routine.

I understand you don’t have much time, but doing long duration cardio one or twice a week might really help in addition to HIIT if you’re havingtrouble with the last super stubborn 5 or so pounds.

Josh

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Waleed April 22, 2012 at 4:54 am

Hey josh,

First of all thanks for this great article. Really impressive tips.I just want to ask you if i can combine the HIIT with weightlifting iam working my body muscles separately like this( saturday chest, sunday back,monday biceps & triceps and on tuesday shoulders) after this i will rest on wednesday then go again with the same cycle. So my question is can i do theHIIT training along with my scheduale ?If my body can take should i do it or i will lose muscles?

Note: basically iam performing 1 min fast jogging and 30 sec fast walking for around 20 min (is this considered HIIT?)

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Hey Waleed,

HIIT won’t cause you to lose your muscles – not at all. You can safely perform HIIT 3 or 4 times per week along with your weight trainingroutine for added fat loss without fearing any muscle loss.

What you describe is definitely interval training, but HIIT is slightly higher intensity. You should be at an all out sprint (pretend you’re beingchased by a cheetah) for 30-45 seconds, and then recovering for 60-90 seconds after by walking or jogging slowly. Give that a try!

Josh

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Maarten Prins April 24, 2012 at 11:55 am

I’ve done years of regular interval training not knowing the difference between it and real HIIT so real significant results were lacking.

Started doing HIIT few weeks back and seen some good results, just wondering what the differences are in 30, 45 or 60 sec interval lapses?

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Hey Maarten,

There is definitely a major difference in results when it comes to weight loss between normal interval training and HIIT workouts. The differencein time lapses can be attributed mainly to your personal level of fitness. As you progress in HIIT, you can add time to your high intensity period,and/or decrease the time in your rest period.

The whole idea is to simply have multiple periods of time where you’re working out at maximum intensity. Naturally, it’s impossible to keep thatamount of intensity up for too long, and that’s where the rest periods come in.

- Josh

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Rony April 24, 2012 at 1:45 pm


13 of 23 7/13/2012 12:58 PM

Just tried HIIT for the first time this week! IT IS GREAT! I feel really well after!

One question I got in mind….what about the incline of the treadmill? Should it be flat zero? or like 1-2 Incline?

My routine : I do 5/6 MPH for 5 minute warm up, then I start sprint at 9MPH (30 second)….and then I do 90 3-4 MPH for 90 second…those 6-7times.

Should I go more than 3-4 MPH I feel like I can jog at 5 like in the warm up.

Thank you this is great stuff!

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Rony,

Awesome! HIIT really does give you a great feeling afterwards. As for the incline, it’s really up to you. An incline will tend to put more focus onthe muscles of the legs, promoting some muscle growth. Flat doesn’t do that to the same extent.

If you feel like you can do more on the low intensity period, this means you’re not putting in enough effort in your high intensity period. Runfaster than 9mph, you should really be at an all out sprint – like your life depended on getting away from something. If you’re doing thatproperly, you will probably not feel like the 90 second rest period is too easy.

However, if you really feel like you’re at your max in the high intensity phase, then you may simply be at a level of fitness which either allowsyou to decrease the 90 second low intensity period (maybe down to 60 second), or to increase the speed of the low intensity period. Your choice.

Josh

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Jenn May 4, 2012 at 7:55 pm

Hey, thanks for the great info. I’ve recently been getting back to the gym and have heard a lot of great things about HIIT. I was wondering if you couldanswer a few quick questions for me though. I want to do strength training too, because I’ve heard that will help me lose the weight I need to evenfaster, and I want to get toned as well. I guess after reading all the comments on here, I’m thinking I’ll do HIIT 3 days a week and then 45 min of lowintensity cardio 3 days a week and rotate days with those. Does that seem okay? But then also I’m wondering, when would be the best times to do mystrength training, on my HIIT days or cardio days? I’ve broken it down to 3 days a week, back/biceps, legs/shoulders, and chest/triceps, but am notsure when would be ideal to do them. And one more thing, I was reading your article on making my thighs smaller, because I do have that problem, Ihave some weight to get off them right now, but even back when I was slim I’m always had more larger, muscular thighs, so I guess my question is,would you recommend me cutting out my legs as far as strength training goes? I appreciate you time and help.

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JoshVales May 9, 2012 at 2:03 pm

Hey Jenn, glad I could help.

3 days of low intensity cardio rotated with 3 days of HIIT is an awesome plan. If you want to switch it up a bit, you can even do 10-15 mins ofHIIT, followed by 20-30 mins of low intensity cardio on the same day. That combination has given me pretty wicked results in the past.

Strength training would best be done on low intensity days, HIIT is simply too draining.

I’d say if you’re trying to lose the absolute most amount of body fat in the least amount of time possible, then keep doing your leg exercises. If atsuch a time you get to a point where you’re happy with the level of fat on your body, and your legs are still larger then you’d like, only thenwould I cut leg exercises, and maybe even HIIT, and focus on low intensity cardio for a little while. It’s best to focus on your most importantgoals first. Hope this helps,

Josh

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jen westcott May 8, 2012 at 7:55 am

hey josh,

i’m starting to feel discouraged! i’ve been doing hiit mixed with a day of lower-level cardio for about 5 weeks now. my diet has been very clean – i doindulge in small amounts every once in awhile, but i use a calorie tracker and never blow my caloric intake. if i have a treat, i exercise to balance it out.i thought by doing hiit and some weight training that the weight would come off faster. it’s hard to push myself so hard to workout 4-5 days a weekwhen i am not seeing results. i know it takes time, but how long?


14 of 23 7/13/2012 12:58 PM

thanks!jen

Reply


Jen,

Are you not seeing results on the scale, or in the mirror? They are two very different things because muscle weighs a lot more than fat.

If you’re not seeing any kind of results, it will boil down to your calorie intake. Have a read:

http://www.outlawfitnesshq.com/how-many-calories-should-i-eat

Get this under control, weigh out your foods if you have to as your calorie counter could be off a bit.

All in all, it probably takes a good 2-3 months to see good results.

Josh

Reply

David May 10, 2012 at 7:53 am

Hi Josh,

Great article! After years of low intensity cardio workouts (running and cycling) with little success, considering the amount of time I was putting into it,I’ve finally decided to give HIIT a go. I’m 35 and medium build and my objective is to reduce overall fat specially around mid section. I do exerciselightly on a regular basis so I’m in ok condition. My plan is to do 3 days of HIIT + strength training and alternate with 3 days of low intensity cardioworkouts.

During the 3 HIIT days my plan is to do 30 minutes of strength training followed by 15-20 minute outdoor hill cycling (high intensity uphill andrecovery downhill).During the alternate 3 days my plan is to do 1 hour of low intensity outdoor cycling.

Does this sound like a good plan to achieve my objective of belly fat reduction? And, would you suggest I change my diet depending on whether its aHIIT day or not? If so, any recommendations?

Thanks a million for your help!!David

Reply


David,

That sounds like a great plan, without doubt. If you’re looking for a little extra fat burning, you may want to give running a try as well, maybesub it in for one or two of your cardio workouts when you’re feeling bored. Running is really unparalleled at reducing the overall size of yourbody mass.

As for your diet, make sure you have your calorie intake under control. Refer to this post: http://www.outlawfitnesshq.com/how-many-calories-should-i-eat

For now, I wouldn’t worry about changing your diet at all from day to day. Just make sure you’re eating at or below your TDEE (you’ll find outwhat that is in that article), and you’ll be fine with the amount of exercise you’re doing.

Keep me updated with your progress and let me know if you have any questions.

Josh

Reply

David May 11, 2012 at 12:52 am

Thanks for the response Josh. Yes, will exchange one of the cycling days for running. Will keep you posted with progress and will surelyask for some additional advice further down the line. Thanks again.

Reply


15 of 23 7/13/2012 12:58 PM


No worries! Look forward to hearing from you.

Reply

Jen Westcott May 10, 2012 at 10:00 am

Thanks for responding!

I see very slight changes in the mirror, but I want to crank it up. I do count calories and usually eat 100 less than the counter says just in case it’s off.Question: should I be “eating back” my exercise calories? In other words, I do the BMR test and found out how many I should eat to lose weight(about 1500/day). If I do hiit, I calculate that I burned 150 calories. Then my counter says I earned those towards food (since I already took 500 callsoff previously). Is that ok?

Hope that makes sense?!?

Jen

Reply

Jen Westcott May 10, 2012 at 10:01 am

Also, if I go over one day as a cheat meal, am I ruining my efforts? I follow the 80/20 rule most of the time.

Reply

alex May 19, 2012 at 12:58 pm

Hey josh, I have been doing hiit for nearly 2 months now and have seen pretty good results. I do 8-10 sets of 20 seconds sprinting and 20-30 secondsresting. I do this every second day. I am just wondering if at some point or right now if it is necessary to change up my routine and if so how should Ichange it?Thanks

Reply

JoshVales June 1, 2012 at 3:55 am

You can do steady state cardio for a few weeks. You can do a combination of say 15 minutes of HIIT, and 25 minutes of steady state cardio. Youcan alternate HIIT days with steady state days. There is an almost unlimited number of variations, and there isn’t one that is “right.” Justchanging your routine every 2-3 months is enough to keep your results steady and predictable, while avoiding plateaus. Hope this helps,

Josh

Reply

mike monsil May 23, 2012 at 8:40 pm

hey-

i want to do HITT with burpees. What should I be doing on the other days when im not doing HITT>

Reply


Mike,

You can do weight training, you can do long distance low intensity cardio, or you can take a day off. It’s completely up to you!

Josh

Reply


16 of 23 7/13/2012 12:58 PM

Mike M. May 24, 2012 at 8:38 pm

Hi Josh-

Great site and great advice here. I wonder if you could answer my question. Im 44 years old and looking to get lean muscle and stay at a healthyweight. Im 6’4, 208lbs. I’ve started eating lo-carb.

I, like some of the folks here think body movement exercises (burpees specifcally…with all their variations) are great for HIIT. They also seem like atime saver as you are strengthening your musces.

My question is:

You recommend incorporating weight training on the off-days. Since I am doing burpees, can or should I still be doing weight training? Is that too muchstrength training for a week?

To be honest with you I sometimes feel that I could just workout doing various types of burpees. Im just confused when people say alternate HIIT withweight-training.

Thanks

Reply


Mike,

Burpees for the most part are not strenuous enough on your muscles to warrant taking time off of weight training. I say keep going with both.

There’s nothing wrong with doing HIIT with different types of burpees, if you feel that is enough for you and you’re happy with your results,there’s no need to do anything else.

When people talk about alternating HIIT with weight training, they’re usually running or doing some form of cardio as their HIIT. Therefore itmakes sense to put weight training on the opposing days. Hope this helps,

Josh

Reply

Erik May 26, 2012 at 2:42 pm

Josh,I am going to give HIIT a try but also like to lift weights as well. I came across some articles talking about multi-joint exercises for building muscle andwanted to give that a try as well.

I am trying to lose about 10-15 more pounds of fat. If I do that I should be nice and lean.

A few questions for you.

- What are your thoughts on multi-joint exercises vs. isolation excercises for building muscle?-If I were to rotate multi-joint exercises one day and HIIT the next, 6 days a week would this be a good way to lose fat and gain muscle?-Would I lose more fat doing 2 days of HIIT per week with 1 day of low intensity cardio?

Thanks for your help!Erik

Reply


Hey Erik,

Multi-joint exercises (compound exercises) are definitely the way to go when it comes to building muscle. Isolation exercises have their place,but you should definitely focus on compound exercises. Here’s an article I wrote on compound exercises: http://www.outlawfitnesshq.com/the-best-compound-exercises

Rotating compound multi-joint exercises and HIIT 6 days a week sounds like a great plan to gain muscle.

It’s hard to say if you’d lose more fat doing one day a week of low intensity cardio instead of an extra day of HIIT. I don’t think it’ll make muchdifference one way or another, but for the sake of variety and preventing boredom, doing that might be a good idea.


17 of 23 7/13/2012 12:58 PM

Hope this helps,

Josh

Reply

Ali June 1, 2012 at 10:40 am

hey josh,i’m a beginner and i’ve been skipping for almost a month…i skip for a minute at about 140-160 times per minute then rest for 120 secs…repeating it6-10 times….is this HTTP??……can i do weight training with a single pair of non adjustable dumbells weighing 15 lbs??coz dats all i have right now…

thanx a lot for info

Reply


That is definitely HIIT, though you could reduce your rest time if you wish!

You can weight train with those weights for sure, though after a while you’ll probably want to increase the weight in order to progress. Hope thishelps,

Josh

Reply

Inam June 3, 2012 at 1:35 am

Hey Josh,Really nice information, thanks for that. I have two questions, I hope you can help.

Well I am a beginner in HIIT and now I am doing 1 minute at 8.5 MPH and 2 minutes rest at 3.5-4 MPH ,five sets, three times a week. Doing this for 4weeks but I GAINED 3 pounds ! Why? I want to lose 25 pounds or so, do you think I keep doing or change something? My diet is quite healthy and Ihave not changed portion size because of exercise.

Also, I am aiming to make harder part up to 11 MPH in next 3-4 weeks slowly. Do you think it is fine or I make harder part even higher? What is yourrecommendation?

Thanks

Reply


Inam,

HIIT tends to promote muscle, so your results could very well be the results of that. Muscle weighs more than fat, and that’s exactly why youmay weigh more on a scale, but actually look smaller. Due to this, I don’t suggest using a scale to track fat loss success.

I would add steady state cardio in as well, as well as weight training. This will dramatically increase your results.

As far as the HIIT intensity, there’s no limit. Take it as high and as hard as you can.

Josh

Reply

Inam June 11, 2012 at 5:52 am

Thanks Josh for the reply.

Can I jog 30-40 minutes on my off days from HIIT? Say if I am doing 3 HIITs alternate days, can I jog on the rest days on a slow pace for30-45 minutes? Don’t I need rest from HIIT training? Just curious, if it is not gona over-tain or something.

Also , can I do weights on the days when I do HIITs? Or preferably on the days when I do slow jogging?

Thanks for your help


18 of 23 7/13/2012 12:58 PM

Inam

Reply


Absolutely Inam, take a day off once a week. That can be your break. Then, every 8 or 9 weeks, take a full week off of trainingcompletely.

I myself do weights on days where I do HIIT, simply because HIIT workouts are shorter than long distance workouts, but it reallyjust comes down to personal preference.

Josh

Reply

Ali June 3, 2012 at 6:32 am

sorry…it was supposed to be HIIT…my bad…n thanx a lot

Reply

Ali June 3, 2012 at 6:33 am

sorry…it was supposed to be HIIT not HTTP…my bad…

anyways thanx a lot

Reply

Jay June 16, 2012 at 6:31 pm

hay thanks so much for explaining this for meI only just tripped up on this HIIT thing and didnt really understand it until now..

Ok atm im doin about 40 mins on a treadmill on a high incline to try and lose weight every other dayKinda like speed walking..my heart rate reaches around 150 mark (im 40)to integrate HIIT into my tredmill routine would this mean i should do an intense sprint for say 45 seconds and then kool down for 90~120 second andrepeat tis 6 ~10 timeswould that help me lose fat?

Also how can i work out my max heart rate

Thank again for the info

Reply


Jay,

You got it, and you can do it on a flat level on the treadmill too.

Your max heart rate can be determined if you use a heart rate monitor on the treadmill, or have one of your own. Your heart rate will naturallyrise and fall with the intervals. This is normal, and part of the reason that HIIT works so well when it comes to fat loss. HIIT mimics real lifesports activities that burn lots of fat. Hope this helps,

Josh

Reply

Jay June 17, 2012 at 7:05 am

Hi JoshThanks for taking the time to reply


19 of 23 7/13/2012 12:58 PM

Ok about the max heart rate thingI remember when i use to work out there was a formula to work out your maximum heart rate based on your age

example (uk)

Male athletes – MHR = 202 – (0.55 x age)Female athletes – MHR = 216 – (1.09 x age)

So for me based on this formula my max heart rate is 180

as HIIT involves intense training methods, there can be a little confusion to determin what your level of intensity is.But I read somewhere not sure if it was here that you should aim for 90%of your Max Heart Rate (MHR), when reaching the intense stage.

So if i get my heart rate up to this level on my treadmil for 45 secondsand then cool down as mentioned before and repeat 6 ~10 times

would that be a good place to start?

Cheers again

Reply

Jay June 17, 2012 at 7:30 am

ooops .. sorry i meant to say 80% of my MHR not 90%

Reply

Carlos June 20, 2012 at 7:28 pm

Hi Josh,

thanks for this great information.

i tried doing my 1st HIIT last night just to see if i can handle it and i don’t know if i do it right.

Treadmill:as warm-up: 5 mins walk @ 5mphthen after my 5 mins mark, i crank the speed to as fast as i can handle, vary from 12~14mph for 1 min

then walk 2mins walk(rest) @ 3~6mph (is that ok?)

i did all(6) of my High Intensity and Rest inside 20mins.. total of 30mins with warmup and cooldown..

after the training i still have energy left but i don’t know what to do(actually after catching my breath, i feel great that i think i can run more). so i just go home, eat then sleep. i don’t know if i do it right because i don’t know how to monitor my heart rate.

thanks again..

Reply

JoshVales July 2, 2012 at 6:47 pm

Sounds like you’re doing it right. Just remember to give it 100% intensity when you’re in the high intensity phase. It’s ok if you can only keep itup for 20-30 seconds. On the low intensity portion, make sure to recover and bring your heart rate down (so you’re not out of breath anymore),before doing another high intensity interval. Keep up the good work!

Josh

Reply

Paul June 21, 2012 at 12:32 pm

Hi this is a great article ! I need some help though on something which i can’t find a decent answer anywhere. Basically I am a skinny build but i havelots a belly fat. I want to loss that belly fat but I really want to bulk up some what. Will heavy weightlifting 3 days a week and HIIT on 3 other daysthat I am not weightlifting help me achieve fat loss and also to build muscle? I have read that building muscle mass and losing fat is extremely difficult.So I was hoping if u think lifting heavy and HIIT will help me achieve my goal? Thanks I look forward to your reply.


20 of 23 7/13/2012 12:58 PM

Reply


Paul,

That’s a great plan for losing fat while building muscle. In general, it’s hard to do both, and it’s better to focus on a single goal. Beginnershowever can usually manage to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time for the first few months. If anything can do it though, it’s weight liftingand HIIT.

If you’re not seeing the result you want, try to focus on one goal at a time, build muscle, then cut down after a few months. Let me know ifthere’s anything else I can do to help.

Josh

Reply

Paul July 1, 2012 at 8:03 am

Hi Josh, I posted a comment about over a week ago now and I’m wondering if you could please answer my question, it’s just that I am really stuck onthe problem I posted to you.Thanks

Reply


Hey Paul,

Sorry I’ve been backed up due to the huge number of comments! I did get back to you though. Hope it helps,

Josh

Reply

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