If you can’t complete all 10 reps before the eighth set, drop the weight by five to 10 pounds. On HIIT 100s sets during Weeks 1-3, when rest periods are 30 seconds or more, perform the first three sets of 10 as fast and explosively as possible. Beyond physical benefits, Six-week HIIT workout plans boost mental clarity and reduce stress through endorphin release, improving your overall quality of life. Your improved muscle endurance translates to better performance in sports and daily activities. You’ll start with just 60 seconds between sets at the beginning of the program and progressively drop rest periods by 10 seconds over six weeks until you have no rest and are doing 100 reps straight through. The high intensity of these intervals recruits fast-twitch muscle fibers and triggers human growth hormone (HGH), which helps muscles stay strong,” explains Tang.If you can continue for longer, you are either an extremely advanced athlete who loves a little bit of pain, or your intensity isn't as high as it should be.If you’re completely new to exercise, don't go truly all out all at once.We’ll see why it’s a big deal in fitness and managing weight.Beginners might start with an at home bodyweight HIIT strength training workout, but experienced athletes can do a HIIT workout with weight training exercises.Beyond physical benefits, Six-week HIIT workout plans boost mental clarity and reduce stress through endorphin release, improving your overall quality of life.For resistance training (weights or bodyweight workouts), a good goal for beginners is to do 8-12 sets for each muscle group per week. If you plan on doing, say, a 10-minute workout, it makes sense to stick to just one or two high-intensity moves and a recovery exercise or two. This can include cardio, bodyweight and resistance exercises,” Tang explains. You should repeat this pattern of back-to-back work and recovery exercises until you’ve reached your desired total workout time. Before lacing up your sneakers to start a HIIT workout, there are a few things to figure out, including your work-to-rest ratio, total workout time and exercises. Blocks of work and recovery are often repeated several times, with some folks opting to stick to just two exercises for their entire workout and others choosing to mix it up with a variety of movements. Sleep is also very important when it comes to healing the body so be sure to get a good night's sleep. When you are done with the cool down be sure to rehydrate and get a well rounded snack or meal to allow those muscles to recover as quickly as possible and start healing. And don’t worry we are doing different exercise in each group so no repeating groups. It also boosts your metabolism, making it great for losing weight. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is changing the game for weight loss. Find the one that best fits you and your fitness goals. Research shows the afterburn effect can last up to 24 hours. But the best way to lose weight and keep it off is to make lasting lifestyle changes. If you keep it up, you can continue to increase your strength, even if you're not in shape when you begin. Consider trying a lower weight or trying it again in a few days. Cold muscles are more prone to injury than are warm muscles. Strength training can be done at home or in the gym. 40-minute Low Impact HIIT Workout To give your muscles time to recover, rest one full day between exercising each specific muscle group. If you want to lose weight, keep off lost weight or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. If you want a more specific range, talk about your target heart rate zone with an exercise physiologist or a personal trainer. And other factors such as your physical activity routines, fitness level and health can all affect your target heart rate range. Use an activity tracker to check your heart rate regularly while you exercise. The gold standard of building muscle is weight training. The additional benefit that comes with burning fat through HIIT is that you can maintain and even build muscle (research study). Choose 15 exercises, and follow a 40-second-work/20-second-rest ratio. Use an online calculator to find your desired target heart rate zone. If you're healthy and want to exercise at a vigorous intensity, opt for the higher end of the zone. The target heart rate zone is the level at which you're exercising and conditioning the heart but not overworking it. Each day consists of a 30-minute HIIT session consisting of various exercises performed in intervals. HIIT workouts can be tailored to suit individual fitness levels and goals, making them accessible to a wide range of individuals regardless of their current fitness level. Check out our full-body bodyweight workout plan with HIIT moves designed for weight loss with zero equipment. The cool-down segment aids in muscle recovery and flexibility enhancement, ensuring a well-rounded fitness session. The Ultimate 20-Minute HIIT Workout Suitable for All Fitness Levels – many people think that low-impact exercises are only suitable for beginners. Low-impact exercises offer a range of benefits. That’s because low-impact training involves keeping at least one foot (or hand) on the floor at any time. High-impact exercises can lead to injuries, most notably if you lack the conditioning to deal with this stress. In fact, I cringe in horror whenever I see a trainer putting an overweight client through a high-impact workout. Here's some beginner HIIT workout inspiration! Here's another sample workout for you. Of course, a proper diet and enough sleep is needed for the best results and adequate recovery. About this workoutAfter a gradual cardio warm up, we jump right into this bodyweight only cardio HIIT workout that doesn't require any equipment at all. High intensity interval training (HIIT) provides cardio training, but can also help build muscle, which is a great bonus. With this workout, my goal was to design an efficient, thorough cardiovascular challenge in the form of HIIT, that especially targeted the large muscles of the lower body. Everyone can enjoy a workout from the comfort of their home with this 30 minute total body low impact cardio workout. Do each circuit two to four times, depending on your fitness and the training time available. Begin with 5-10 minutes of low-impact cardio, e.g., cycling, rowing, or on an elliptical. But, before you begin, make sure you spend a few minutes preparing your body for what you’re about to do. Now you know the benefits of low-impact training and how effective it can be, here is a full-body low-impact HIIT workout to try. If you are fed up with aches and pains causing start-stop training, low-impact exercises could be a viable alternative. “The most accessible workout is the one you can actually stick to — which makes these perfect for anyone with an unpredictable schedule.” “If your technique starts to fall apart or the weight slows you down so much that you can’t move explosively, it’s too heavy for a HIIT setting.” When choosing which weights to use, Tang recommends selecting weights based on your rate of perceived exertion (RPE). What did you think of this workout? Remember, you shouldn't do HIIT more than 3 times a week. Complete four rounds in total with minimal rest between sets. Looking to lose weight, improve endurance, or just spice up your fitness routine? HIIT is built on short bursts of intense exercise followed by rest or easy movement. We’ll see why it’s a big deal in fitness and managing weight. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is now a top choice for fitness and losing weight. In fact, low-impact training can be as effective as things like hopping, running, and jumping, but without all that unwanted joint stress. So, long story short, no – you should not do this workout every day. While I admire and applaud your motivation and dedication, I don’t recommend doing this workout every day. So, if you do choose to perform fewer circuits, make sure you do the others the next time you work out. Doing all three will ensure you train all your major muscles. Pair it with 2-3 strength sessions for best results. Don't do it more than 3 times per week. Finish slower, rest less. Finish faster, rest more. Circuit 1: Cardio Movements I’ve provided the work and rest intervals, but feel free to adjust them according to your fitness. Therefore, if you want to get fit and burn fat while being kinder to your joints, low-impact is the way to go. So, rather than being a less effective alternative to things like running and jumping, low-impact exercises offer a wide range of advantages and benefits. You may have a higher or lower maximum heart rate, sometimes by as much as 15 to 20 beats per minute.High intensity interval training (HIIT) provides cardio training, but can also help build muscle, which is a great bonus.Want to reduce body fat, increase lean muscle mass and burn calories more efficiently?"For example, if you do 20 seconds of high knees, your 40 seconds of recovery might be marching in place," she says.HIIT workouts range from 5-30 minutes.By combining the metabolic boost of HIIT with the strength benefits of dumbbell exercises, you create a powerful workout that targets fat loss and muscle building simultaneously.This approach creates an intense metabolic demand that torches body fat while preserving muscle mass.HIIT sessions are also highly customizable, making them easy to tailor to your personal schedule and preferred training style. The Afterburn Effect: Continuing to Burn Calories Remember, you shouldn't do HIIT more than 3 times a week.All of this requires energy in the form of calories and fat, which gives your metabolic rate a slight boost even after you’re done working out.You don’t have access to equipment, and you’re low on time.Here’s a 40 minute total body workout with weights that will leave no muscle behind.You can burn 100 to 250 calories or more, depending on your weight and how hard you work out.In a 45-minute HIIT workout, you can burn 300 to 600 calories or more. You'll burn calories for hours post-workout as your body recovers from the high-intensity exercise, she explains. In terms of reducing fat, HIIT and moderate-intensity workouts both burn fat, but, again, HIIT does it in much less time. For resistance training (weights or bodyweight workouts), a good goal for beginners is to do 8-12 sets for each muscle group per week. Bodyweight Squat In just 5 minutes a day, you can improve your cardiovascular fitness, boost your metabolism, and burn calories like never before. These HIIT workouts for women are just what you need to get a heart-pumping cardio session to sweat and burn calories! One of our favorite ways to burn maximum calories in minimum time is with HIIT workouts for fat loss. HIIT workouts are a great way to get your heart rate up and build muscle in a short period of time. Rowing machine exercises are an excellent way to fit in a cardio workout while also getting an awesome upper and lower body strength-building workout. Can HIIT workouts build muscle? Finish with a one-minute wall-sit and a one-minute plank. Start with one full minute of mountain climbers. After each round, add one rep to your each exercise in the circuit. Before lacing up your trainers to start a HIIT workout, there are a few things to figure out, including your work-to-rest ratio, total workout time and exercises. The training protocol involves bouts of high-intensity efforts (like sprints), followed by short periods of active recovery (like a walk or marching in place) that allow your heart rate to come back down before it spikes again. The cardio spikes your heart rate, while the strength moves help you maintain — or even build — muscle,” says Tang. Warm up with some light cardio for 3-5 minutes. To get started, here are some awesome examples of HIIT workouts that will improve your fitness and get you ripped in the process. This gives you the opportunity to train multiple muscle groups so that you will build lean muscle while you simultaneously burn fat. Achieve a stronger body and a healthier mind — all-in-one workout with HIIT workouts for men! These workouts can be customized to suit individual fitness levels and goals, making them accessible to people of all ages and abilities. For example, if you are short of time, you might do two or even just one. While this workout does comprise three distinct circuits, you don’t have to do them all if you don’t want to. Subsequently, this exercise is suitable for men and women and will be effective for both genders. Providing you replace, for example, a leg exercise with another leg exercise, you’re free to make any changes you wish. Here is yet another reminder that no matter what, you need to keep an eye on how your body is feeling and how it is recovering after these sessions.You may also realize that when it comes to losing weight, some of the things you hate the most may yield the best results.And remember, these HIIT cardio workouts are only as effective as the effort you put in!You’re keeping your body ‘on’ but easing the intensity so you can recover,” says Liu.These exercises not only burn a lot of calories burned hiit 10 minutes.HIIT workouts are very effective.The following is a challenging HIIT workout with weights we’ve created for advanced athletes who are experienced with the exercises in the workout.This workout can be performed without any equipment, but you may use a couple of light hand weights for extra resistance.Due to the high-intensity nature of HIIT workouts, studies1Wewege, M., van den Berg, R., Ward, R. E., & Keech, A. Exercise intensity also can be seen in your breathing and heart rate, whether you're sweating, and how tired your muscles feel. "HIIT is incredibly effective, but it's also demanding on your muscles and your nervous system. The magic actually happens in the recovery – that's when your body adapts, gets stronger and builds better cardio capacity," she says. "When you work at a higher intensity, you're training your heart to handle stress and then recover from it, which is one of the most important indicators of long-term cardiovascular health", Tang says. This boost keeps burning calories even after you stop working out. HIIT workouts push you hard during intense intervals. Adding high intensity interval training can really change the game. This system burns stored carbs and fats for energy. When you do HIIT, your body goes into excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). It leads to more calorie burn during and after the workout. It works by using short, intense exercise bursts followed by brief rest periods. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a top choice for burning calories and boosting metabolism. Work periods here are typically larger than rest periods, without the consideration for the level of effort expended. If you’re completely new to exercise, don't go truly all out all at once. Work-to-rest ratio is frequently brought in when discussing HIIT, and there are several accepted ratios you should consider. However you do it, what makes HIIT work is the intensity. You can use the HIIT protocol to build your entire workout, or apply it to just a few sets to create super-charged finishers. All you need is you and a clock to get this full body burn in. This “quick and nasty” five-minute routine utilizes plenty of plyometrics to get the body and mind moving. In group fitness settings (and among far too many trainers) HIIT and "interval training" are often used interchangeably. You’re going hard, typically as hard as you can, for a short period of time, then resting for a length of time that’ll let you recover to go hard once again. Check out these eight amazing fat-burning intervals, the ultimate HIIT workout, and the 20-minute HIIT workout to target legs. With high-intensity interval training (HIIT) you can hit it hard and be done in just 20 minutes. This science-backed method is designed for maximum results in minimal time—perfect for boosting strength and burning fat. Torch calories and build lean muscle with this full-body Tabata HIIT workout you can do right at home. "When you work at a higher intensity, you're training your heart to handle stress and then recover from it, which is one of the most important indicators of long-term cardiovascular health", Tang says.In fact, I cringe in horror whenever I see a trainer putting an overweight client through a high-impact workout.So, you’ll keep burning calories burned hiit 30 minutes while resting or doing daily tasks.HIIT or High-Intensity Interval Training takes you on a journey of intense bursts of activity followed by brief moments of recovery.TABATA workouts typically last 4-10 minutes.We’ve all had a workout rut – doing the same thing day in and day out, on the same machine(s), working the same muscle groups.Long-term weight loss takes time and effort.If it doesn't, aim for 20 seconds as fast as possible during this fat loss HIIT workout.As for metabolic rate, like weightlifting and jogging, HIIT increases your metabolic rate.Dr. Ed Laskowski, co-director of Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine, says you should get about 30 minutes of moderate activity at least five days a week. For 15 minutes, prepare to feel the upper body and lower body burn as you perform deadlifts, bent-over rows, hang cleans, squats and presses, and back lunges. A workout that builds muscle mass and reduces body fat? For 12 minutes, complete as many rounds of the three exercises we've listed below as you can. HIIT workouts, particularly when we're talking about the best HIIT workout to burn belly fat, may be grueling, but they are also super versatile. Sprint workouts that include 20 seconds of maximum effort and then walking or jogging for 40 seconds for a total of 15 minutes is a great starting point. Perform each exercise consecutively, taking minimal rest between exercises (about seconds).Ask pretty much any trainer what he or she recommends to clients who want to burn fat the fastest, and the answer will likely be HIIT.To do that, you'll need to burn about 500 to 750 calories more than you take in each day.Then, alternate between pushing as hard as you can for the 30 seconds and then recovering for the next 30 seconds, over and over, until your desired total workout time has elapsed.The training protocol involves bouts of high-intensity efforts (like sprints), followed by short periods of active recovery (like a walk or marching in place) that allow your heart rate to come back down before it spikes again.With high-intensity interval training (HIIT), you can.Looking to lose weight, improve endurance, or just spice up your fitness routine?This science-backed method is designed for maximum results in minimal time—perfect for boosting strength and burning fat. With simple and effective exercises like jumping jacks, jog in place, and vertical jump, you'll be able to build strength and stamina at your own pace. This beginner-friendly workout is designed to ease you into the world of high-intensity interval training. Research shows that just minutes of HIIT can provide the same or even greater cardiovascular and metabolic benefits as an hour of traditional cardio. Now, did you know that HIIT workouts can be as effective, if not more, than longer, steady state cardio sessions? HIIT workouts involve alternating between bursts of vigorous, high-intensity exercise and easy recovery periods. Also aim to do strength training exercises at least twice a week. Before beginning strength training, consider warming up with brisk walking or another aerobic activity for five or 10 minutes. Your body fat percentage will increase over time if you don't do anything to replace the lean muscle you lose over time. It might not burn as many as longer workouts, but you can still burn 100 to 200 calories in just 15 minutes. We’ll see how many calories you can burn in 30, 45, and 15 minutes of HIIT workouts. So, you’ll keep burning calories burned hiit 30 minutes while resting or doing daily tasks. Adding the Tabata protocol to your HIIT routine can help you burn more calories with your bodyweight exercises. “Depending on how hard you row, this could be a real fat burner or, at a slower pace, a steady 20-minute cardio/strength workout,” he says. Choose 5 exercises, this time following a 40-second work/20-second rest ratio, completing 4 rounds total. See below for a list of these 18 beginner HIIT exercises (with timestamps) and a few beginner HIIT workout examples. Paulina Kairys presents 18 fat-burning HIIT exercises for beginners. Again, this is dependent on your diet (the most crucial part of losing weight) and if you are doing proper HIIT workouts (not all circuit training is HIIT! Don't be fooled). Burnout cardio Round - 20 Seconds each with no rest- High Knees- Jumping Jacks- Butt Kickers- Fly Jacks- Boxer Shuffle- Toe Touch Crunches- Torso Twists- March in PlaceYes, HIIT is better than traditional cardio for losing weight.And this links HIIT workouts with numerous health benefits.Alternating between sprint intervals and active recovery is the foundation of a HIIT workout, says New Jersey-based trainer Tina Tang, CPT, NASM.Then, rest 40 seconds, and move onto the next exercise.However you do it, what makes HIIT work is the intensity.If you feel you're in tune with your body and your perceived exertion, you'll likely do fine without a monitor. Your body needs time to recover from training, even low-impact workouts like this one. Rehabilitation and Recovery Support – with less joint stress, low-impact exercises and workouts are ideal for post-injury rehab and recovery. Fat Burning and Weight Management – like all forms of exercise, low-impact training burns calories and fat. And while I have loved every minute of these intense workouts, over 30 years of consistent training has taken a toll on my body. HIIT was originally developed by track coaches to train runners, but it has crossed over to the fitness industry due to its fat-burning benefits confirmed many times over in scientific studies. This is in sharp contrast to the typical steady-state cardio most people do at a moderate intensity, such as walking on a treadmill at 60 to 70 percent of their max heart rate. Stick to the following workouts for a full, six weeks while keeping your diet clean, and that shredded body you could never achieve through endless cardio sessions will be yours very soon. This afterburn effect can last up to 24 hours, meaning you continue torching calories long after leaving the gym. With Hundreds, you’ll do 10 sets of 10 reps for one exercise per muscle group. Home HIIT exercises require minimal equipment, making them accessible to everyone. You’re probably familiar with high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Your cardiovascular system becomes more efficient at delivering oxygen to working muscles, while your anaerobic capacity improves dramatically. The exercises should feel like a seven out of 10 on the RPE scale. In practice, this might look a bit like one of these workouts. However, if you plan to work out longer, it might make sense to pick three to four heart-thumping moves and three to four recovery moves to mix things up and stay engaged, Liu says. “The 'one exercise and rest' format is the simplest version of HIIT, but not the only one. Each hard interval should be 45 seconds, and each recovery should be 30 seconds (less fit individuals might want to bump up the recovery to 45 seconds as well. No matter what your fitness and experience levels are, ensure you are always using the proper form and technique. For example, a beginner might do a HIIT workout with 30 seconds hard, 60 seconds easy, then progress to 45 seconds hard, 45 seconds easy, and then finally to 60 seconds hard, 30 seconds easy. For example, your work and rest intervals might each be 30 seconds. Let’s consider the above as we compare HIIT to traditional fitness regimens that involve cardio and weightlifting. All in all, the exercises chosen for a beginner HIIT workout will be as difficult for the beginner as the exercises an advanced person is doing during their advanced HIIT workout. In any case, the goal is to get up to 90-95% of your max heart rate each set, then when resting, not let it drop below 65%. So, you could do workouts that use 15 seconds work, 35 seconds rest or 20 seconds work, 40 seconds rest or 30 seconds work, 30 second rest. So if it was a 10 minute Tabata workout, you’d have done 20 sets, which is 6.6 minutes of work. With less chance of hurting yourself, low-impact workouts are often more sustainable and make it easier to exercise consistently. Because low-impact training is very joint-friendly, you have one less excuse for skipping your workouts. Compared to some high-impact exercises, this may lead to more significant increases in strength and muscular endurance. Even this amount of weight loss can lower your risk of some long-term health conditions. Losing 5% of your current weight may be a good goal to start with. Track your diet and exercise in a journal or an app. If you prefer to keep your weight-loss efforts private, take some steps to stay on course. It's up to you to make the changes that lead to long-term weight loss. When it comes to weight loss, HIIT is excellent and trumps all other forms of cardio training, including LISS1. When people think of cardio to burn fat, they often think you have to jog outside or on the treadmill. What that means is that you are combining short bursts of intense exercise with varying periods of rest or lower-intensity exercise. And with benefits for weight loss, health, and muscle building, everyone should be doing them.You can design your own high-intensity interval workouts with just about any exercise.Rest for 1-2 minutes when you get to the top or bottom of your ladder, so you can work as hard as possible when you start your ladder again.The goal is to accumulate as many calories as possible across all four intervals.”You’re probably familiar with high-intensity interval training (HIIT).Compared to some high-impact exercises, this may lead to more significant increases in strength and muscular endurance.It emphasizes power moves that will have your heart pumping, and it targets all of your major muscle groups.In this way, a HIIT workout with weights combines cardio and strength training workouts, maximizing workout efficiency. It really is the best time of year. Whether you’re at the gym or your home, this workout will have you feeling like a serious beast 💪🏼 Marathon Handbook was founded in 2016 and is run by an independent team of coaches, runners, and fitness enthusiasts. Lasting a total of 18 minutes, this circuit workout includes treadmill sprints, ab bicycles, and a farmer's walk march. And remember, these HIIT cardio workouts are only as effective as the effort you put in! If you give yourself a minutes frame, you can see how many times you can go up and down the reps ladder during that time. The options are endless, as you can use any exercise, including those in your weight training routine. You perform 20 seconds of all-out high-intensity exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest. Instead, stick to one minute until you’re able to do all 10 sets for 10 reps. Then, the next week start reducing the rest period.If you don’t have access to kettlebells, you can use a dumbbell.And do not rest between arms. If you can’t do 10 sets of 10 reps with one minute of rest, don’t reduce the rest each week. Even if you’re not an athlete, this benefit will ring loud and clear in your workouts. VO₂ max (sometimes called oxygen uptake) is a measure of the volume of oxygen your body can take in and use during maximal exertion. When the heart can pump blood throughout the body more easily, it experiences less wear and tear and can function better for longer. Cardio, on the other hand, prolongs muscle stress, which can increase the likelihood of muscle loss over time, Tang adds. Perform each set for seconds and take seconds rest between sets For those who are advanced, you can increase the intensity to challenge yourself further. If you’re a beginner, adjust the timing and rest periods. Ready to transform your weight loss routine? Being first introduced in the 1950s by Arthur Jones, it’s the ultimate fitness thrill ride where you can push yourself to the limit and give everything you’ve got. HIIT or High-Intensity Interval Training takes you on a journey of intense bursts of activity followed by brief moments of recovery. It will work your total body and only requires a pair of dumbbells. Holly joined the Fit Father Project in May 2019 as a regular writer, contributing articles on health, wellness, exercise, and nutrition. Advanced Fat Burning HIIT Workout for 30 minutes HIIT workouts make your body work harder, leading to a bigger metabolic boost. The aim is to keep your heart rate up the whole time. These cycles are repeated several times, lasting 10 to 20 minutes. It’s all about short, intense workouts followed by rest or easier movements. When you go back to your regular regimen, where you’re resting a couple of minutes between sets, your muscle recovery will be quicker, thus allowing you to get more reps with the same weight on successive sets and delivering a greater stimulus. The benefit of a HIIT kettlebell workout like this one is that you are building strength and metabolism boosting lean muscle mass, while at the same time you're able to burn off a great deal of calories. If your heart rate isn’t getting high enough, you might need to either increase your weights or shift to more compound exercises involving multiple major muscle groups. Therefore, particularly when doing strength training HIIT exercises with weights, do not include exercises in your HIIT workout that you are still trying to master from a technical standpoint. In this way, a HIIT workout with weights combines cardio and strength training workouts, maximizing workout efficiency. Liu agrees, noting that activities like incline walking, stair climbing or rowing are all great because they can generally be performed safely as athletes fatigue. Moves you can go all out on, and easier ones you can slot in during your recovery blocks. It’s best to do HIIT 2-3 times a week, with a day off in between. Doing HIIT every day can lead to overtraining and increase injury risk. The Fitness Blender Family is full of working professionals, parents, and students – some of you even fit into all three categories – so I know I’m not alone when it comes to trying to fit exercise into a busy schedule. But, if you feel your workout more in your joints than you’d like, low impact is probably the way to go. That’s not to say you have to give up high-impact training if you enjoy it and it produces the results you want. Everyone benefits from exercise, no matter their age, sex or physical ability. The health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity are hard to ignore. This may be the case for people who have diabetes or more than one risk factor for heart disease, and for men over age 45 and women over age 55. Before starting a vigorous exercise program, you may want to talk with a member of your health care team, who may suggest that you have certain tests first. It's even safe for those with heart disease and type 2 diabetes. "Cardio-style HIIT can help preserve muscle. The high intensity of these intervals recruits fast-twitch muscle fibres and triggers human growth hormone (HGH), which helps muscles stay strong", explains Tang. This is a perk you don't get from a steady-state cardio workout, such as a run, a bike ride or a row. "This is called the 'afterburn effect'. It's real, but it's short-term and not as dramatic as it's sometimes made out to be", says Liu. All of this requires energy in the form of calories and fat, which gives your metabolic rate a slight boost even after you're done working out. "As a result, it improves how well your body can use oxygen, how quickly you can produce power, and how efficiently you recover—all in a short workout". An activity tracker can be used to count steps, find out distance traveled and monitor other fitness information. If you feel you're in tune with your body and your perceived exertion, you'll likely do fine without a monitor. Talk to a health care professional if you have any medical conditions or you're not sure how hard you should exercise. A HIIT workout alternates work intervals of 85 to 95 percent max heart rate and rest periods that won’t drop your heart rate below 60 to 65 percent max. For example, 20 seconds at max effort doing a full-body exercise like burpees, followed by 10 seconds of rest, and repeat this interval 20 times. However, HIIT workouts, even with beginner exercises, will be brutal. If you are new to fitness or you are simply stuck in your current mode of low-to-moderate intensity workouts, HIIT can be intimidating.