You probably know that getting enough exercise is an important goal, but sometimes there simply aren’t enough hours in the day. When you’re short on time but still want the major benefits of exercise, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts might be the perfect fit. 

These short but intense exercise routines can deliver all the benefits of longer, lower-intensity workouts in a fraction of the time. But there’s a catch: Because they’re so taxing, you shouldn’t do a HIIT workout every day.

So how do you get the most out of a HIIT session? Find out how to structure a HIIT workout, the different types of HIIT to try, and how often to add one to your workout routine.

What Are HIIT Workouts?

HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, covers any workout that alternates between brief periods of high-intensity effort and short rests.

There are lots of different ways to structure HIIT workouts. In general, interval-to-recovery ratios tend to be around 1:2, 1:1, or 2:1, says Peloton instructor Matt Wilpers. Here’s what that could look like in practice:

The idea is that during those brief work periods, you’re really gutting it out, so they have to be short. “Interval durations are typically less than 60 seconds as the intensity is at or near max effort,” Matt says.

How do you know if you’re working hard enough? One way is to check in with your rate of perceived exertion, or RPE. Gauge your effort on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is lying down exerting no effort and 10 is your absolute maximum. The working intervals of your HIIT workouts should land you between an 8 and a 10. If you’re not working that hard, you’re still doing interval training—it’s just not high intensity.

To consistently hit that 8 to 10 exertion level, you have to take your rest seriously, too. The idea is to get your heart rate to slow down as much as possible during the rest period before it’s time to work hard again, says Peloton instructor Olivia Amato.

Then, you repeat those work-rest intervals for your desired amount of time. “On the Peloton App, we have 10-minute HIIT workouts all the way up to 45-minute HIIT workouts,” Matt says.

The Benefits of Doing HIIT

“HIIT workouts are a great form of exercise, especially if you have limited time to train,” Matt says. But the benefits of HIIT workouts go far beyond saving you an extra 20 minutes in the gym.

HIIT can be just as effective—if not more—than longer, steady-state workouts. For instance, a 2019 review published in the World Journal of Cardiology concluded that HIIT offers similar or better improvements in VO2 max (an important marker of aerobic fitness) compared to moderate-intensity continuous training, and in less time. That’s because HIIT enhances your body's ability to utilize oxygen, thus improving your heart health and cardiovascular fitness. HIIT workouts can also help you build muscle and stoke your metabolism. And even though it’s intense, research shows that people tend to find it fun—a small 2017 study published in PLoS One found that 11 out of 12 people enjoyed HIIT more than moderate-intensity steady-state training—and that can go a long way in helping you stick with an exercise routine. 

Types of HIIT Workouts

When it comes to putting together a HIIT workout, there are endless possibilities. Many popular workout formats (including EMOM and AMRAP workouts) can be HIIT, depending on how exactly they’re executed. You can play with the length of your work and rest periods, the exercise type or modality, the overall duration, and more. Here are some established ways to structure HIIT workouts that you might want to try.

Tabata

“I love teaching Tabata format,” Matt says. This popular type of HIIT involves super-short intervals: 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest, according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). You repeat this eight times for a total of just four minutes, making for a really quick—but really intense—workout.

Reduced-Exertion High-Intensity Training (REHIT)

Reduced-exertion high-intensity training, or REHIT, typically shortens the exercise period even further. A REHIT workout might involve just a couple bouts of 10 or 20 seconds at maximum effort, with longer rests around a minute or more. And you usually don’t do REHIT for more than 10 minutes or so, according to the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

30-20-10

This HIIT structure involves 30 seconds of low-intensity work, 20 seconds of moderate-intensity work, and then 10 seconds of all-out effort, per NASM. Typically, you do the 30-20-10 format for a total of six minutes or less. (The 30 seconds of low-intensity work is essentially your active rest.)

Sprint Interval Training (SIT) 

Sprint interval training, or SIT, is exactly what it sounds like: a HIIT workout that involves intervals of all-out sprinting. The work intervals are often done as maximal efforts (think: sprinting as hard and fast as you possibly can). Because it’s intense and high-impact, SIT typically involves shorter work intervals and longer rests and is only recommended for more advanced exercisers.

How Often Should You Do HIIT Workouts?

HIIT is supposed to be intense, so it’s generally not something you should do every day. “HIIT workouts are taxing on the mind and body, so it takes longer to recover from them and absorb the benefits of the training,” Matt says. If you do too many HIIT workouts, you could risk overtraining syndrome, which often brings with it injury, burnout, and plateaus, he adds. One small 2021 study in Cell Metabolism, for example, found that too much high-intensity exercise with inadequate rest can negatively affect metabolic health and blood sugar control.

Instead, aim for just a couple of HIIT workouts each week, depending on the type of HIIT routine you’re doing. “I would say no more than one to two HIIT workouts per week on higher-impact forms of exercise like running,” Matt says. For low-impact workout options like rowing and cycling, stick to two or three weekly HIIT sessions max, he adds. 

5 Ways to Do HIIT Workouts

You can apply HIIT principles to just about any workout you like to do. On the Peloton App, for example, you can do HIIT workouts while running, cycling, rowing, lifting weights, or on a mat with just your body weight.

Before you jump in, keep in mind that because HIIT gets pretty intense, it’s important to make sure you’re ready to work. “Personally, I like to do a bit of a longer warmup before HIIT workouts,” Matt says. If you’re doing a HIIT workout on the Peloton App, stack a five- or 10-minute warm-up class before your main workout session to get your muscles primed and your heart rate up. 

Remember: No matter the modality you choose, you should be reaching that 8-10 level of effort on your high-intensity intervals.

1. HIIT Cycling

One of the perks of doing HIIT on the bike is that it spikes your heart rate while remaining relatively low-impact on your joints, especially compared to other cardio modalities like running. Your lower body will do a majority of the work as you use your calves, hamstrings, and quads to pull and push the pedals with increased speed, intensity, and resistance during intervals.

People usually need less ramp-up time during a HIIT cycling workout compared to how long it takes people to speed up during a HIIT running workout, Matt says. Because of that, he prefers to teach HIIT cycling with shorter intervals, such as 15-30 seconds of work.

When it’s time to recover, “make sure to take off the resistance and pedal slowly to catch your breath,” Olivia says. “The harder your effort is, the easier your recovery should be.”

Where to start: On the Peloton App, try a HIIT Ride, HIIT & Hills Ride, or Intervals & Arms Ride. Going into your first few HIIT cycling workouts, try limiting your work interval efforts to a 7 out of 10 RPE to prevent you from gassing out too early in the ride, Olivia says. Toward the end of the class, you can let yourself get closer to a 10 out of 10. It’s also a good idea to start with a shorter (15- or 20-minute) HIIT ride and see how you feel. When you’re ready, you can challenge yourself with longer sessions.

2. Treadmill HIIT + HIIT running

HIIT running—which often involves increasing the intensity by upping your speed and/or incline—has some serious benefits. Like other types of HIIT, it’ll give your cardiorespiratory fitness a boost, but it can also help you run faster, build stronger leg muscles, and increase your power. There are a lot of different ways to do a HIIT workout while running, from hill repeats and sprint training to track workouts.

And again, it’s often short and sweet—a bonus for runners who don’t have hours to spend out on the road. “HIIT workouts that are 10-20 minutes are great because they’re effective and efficient,” Olivia says. “If you’re truly working all-out on your efforts, that should be all you need to get in a good workout.”

Matt sticks to intervals of 30-45 seconds on the treadmill because “it typically takes people some time to speed up within the interval to get near maximal efforts.” Then, recover with a slow jog or even a walk to get your heart rate down before the next HIIT effort, Olivia says.

Where to start: Test out a 20-minute HIIT run on a treadmill or outdoors with Peloton’s audio-only outdoor runs.  

3. HIIT Cardio

Tapping into a HIIT cardio floor workout on the Peloton App is a quick way to gain some total-body power on top of that heart-healthy interval work, Olivia says. And if you’re just starting out with HIIT, doing it on the floor might be a good way to increase your endurance or push your interval time. During the work intervals of HIIT cardio, you can expect to do high-intensity (and often plyometric, or jumping) movements like jump squats, burpees, and mountain climbers to really get your heart rate up. Many HIIT Cardio workouts use just your body weight, so you can do this type of HIIT training wherever, whenever.

When it comes to recovery on the floor, don’t feel like you have to keep moving as you might on a bike or treadmill. “Just standing and breathing before your next effort is a great way to prepare for what’s next,” Olivia says. 

Where to start: If you’re new to HIIT cardio, start with a 10-minute HIIT cardio class to get used to the intensity and pace of these workouts. Once you’re more comfortable with the circuit, dial it up to a 15- or 20-minute routine to increase the number of intervals you’ll get in one workout.

4. HIIT Rowing

Rowing workouts also lend themselves to a HIIT format because you can bust out short periods of hard work and then transition to resting before your form starts to falter, Matt says. When he teaches HIIT rowing classes, he likes to warm up for at least five minutes and keep the intervals to just 5-20 seconds.

HIIT rowing “is really about quality over quantity,” Matt says: If you can’t maintain an 8-10 effort level on one of the intervals with proper rowing form, it’s better to rest longer and aim to tackle your next interval strong, he says.

Where to start: The Peloton App has HIIT rowing workouts as short as five minutes and as long as 30. Start with something around 10 or 20 minutes so you have enough time to warm up and get a feel for doing intervals on your rower. Then, you can add more time—or scale back a bit—as needed.

5. HIIT Strength

HIIT strength workouts kick a HIIT cardio routine up a notch by adding weights or focusing on exercises that build muscle power and size. But don’t be fooled: Unlike slower traditional strength training, your heart will definitely still be beating fast. Your work intervals might include compound exercises, such as weighted lunges or squats, rows, and push presses, as well as plyometric moves like squat jumps and jump lunges.

Where to start: Make sure you’re comfortable with bodyweight HIIT cardio workouts first. Then, progress to a short routine using weights, like Assal Arian’s 20-minute HIIT cardio with medium dumbbells. If you’re up for more of a challenge, you can try a class with heavier weights and/or go for a longer time, like Logan Aldridge’s 30-minute HIIT cardio with heavy dumbbells. 

The Takeaway

High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, is an efficient, effective way to exercise when you’re short on time or want to push your limits. HIIT workouts alternate between brief periods of high-intensity exercise and rest periods. Over time, this workout format can help your heart and lungs use oxygen more efficiently, boost your cardiovascular fitness and metabolism, and help you build muscle.

There are various structures for HIIT workouts, including REHIT and Tabata, and you can do HIIT on lots of different types of equipment, including treadmills, bikes, and rowers. You can also do HIIT running outside, bodyweight HIIT cardio on the floor, or even add weights for HIIT strength. No matter which type of HIIT workout you prefer, make sure you’re giving yourself plenty of rest—and stick to three high-intensity workouts a week, maximum, to avoid injury and burnout.