Fact checked by Is HIIT workout good for beginners? For a newbie, high-intensity interval training may seem a bit intimidating, but this is the most effective way to get the maximum out of a short workout. HIIT training is suitable for everybody. As you push your body to personal limits, HIIT is highly adjustable and flexible enough to suit even avid couch potatoes.
High-intensity training interweaves periods of dynamic intense cardio and weight training with short periods of rest. In a short workout, you send your body into high gear and make the most out of a short time.
You hear of HIIT workouts from every fitness-related channel right now. But you worry that it may be for you, especially when you already see fit and super-strong people sweating it, right? Or you simply don’t have enough knowledge of the topic to start training by yourself at home. No matter your reason, let’s brush over the basics of HIIT that will help you understand it better: why you need it and how to actually start training.
What Are HIIT Benefits for Beginners?
Regular HIIT training comes with numerous benefits for beginners and pro athletes alike.
If you are still at the start of your fitness journey, you’ll see significant changes.
Fat Loss
First of all, you may be interested in the fact that such dynamic exercises burn fat effectively while toning your muscles. This is the aspect that gets advertised on every corner, and rightfully so. In terms of body recomposition (I mention it instead of weight loss as the scales are not the most reliable indicator), HIIT workout brings visible results quicker than other fitness disciplines.
Cardiovascular Effects
HIIT training can be adapted to be more of a strength training, but you still get the benefits of a cardio workout. Meaning, you strengthen your heart and empower your cardiovascular system overall. According to the 2018 study of the regular workout’s cardiovascular effects, all the extra work in pumping blood comes with increased metabolism, improved immune system, and clearer brain activity.
Yoga HIIT: Full Body Fast And Furious Workout
Versatility
HIIT workouts are versatile. For starters, you can choose your favorite activity and add the dynamic interval scheme to them. In time, you combine HIIT with either full-body training and target specific muscle groups in intense intervals as well.
How Often Should You Do HIIT Training?
As a beginner, you should start easy. Do not strain yourself too much, and ALWAYS pay attention to any painful movements, especially in the joints! Be sure you are comfortable with an exercise in the regular tempo before you include it in your HIIT regime.
How long should a beginner do HIIT? Overall, experts recommend starting with 15 to 20-minute workouts 2-3 times a week. This is the perfect regime for a newbie if you are not doing other kinds of training. If you are more advanced, you can either increase the number of days up to 5 weeks or add a couple of other training styles to those 2 extra days instead. It can be perfectly combined with weight training to gain on those muscles!
A quick note before your first HIIT workout: bring a water bottle and a towel for sweat!
Can You Do HIIT Every Day?
You could, but that would be counterproductive. Remember that your body needs proper rest to recover between sessions. Your muscles require 24 hours (ideally, 48 hours) to recover.
Can I Do HIIT Training at Home?
The rise of HIIT popularity in 2020 is partially the result of a huge number of at-home exercises effective for HIIT training!
Can you do HIIT without equipment? Totally! A beginner-friendly full-body routine usually comes with no equipment required anyway. Thus, do not be discouraged if you don’t have fancy machines or trendy bands at home; bodyweight exercises will make you sweat like never before anyway.
If you are eager to try HIIT at home, you can participate in YouTube challenges by fitness influencers and training specializing in HIIT.
Rise up to the challenge!
But how do you do HIIT for beginners? A few personal recommendations:
What HIIT Workouts Are Best for Beginners?
Tabata
This is probably the most widespread type of HIIT workouts at home. These are the rhythmic and quick workout that consists of eight sets of 20-second work and 10-second rest cycles. Tabata suits perfectly for bodyweight training.
As a beginner, you can try this sequence by Heather Robertson:
A quick 10-minute HIIT sequence for beginners:
- Butt kicks – 30 seconds
- Rest – 15 seconds
- Jumping jacks – 20 seconds
- Rest – 10 seconds
- High knees – 30 seconds
- Rest – 10 seconds
- In-out squat jumps – 30 seconds
- Rest – 15 seconds
- Heisman – 30 seconds
- Rest – 30 seconds
- Burpees – 30 seconds
- Rest – 30 seconds
- Squat kick-outs – 30 seconds
- Rest – 30 seconds
- Burpees – 30 seconds
- Rest – 30 seconds
- High knees – 30 seconds
- Rest – 45 seconds; take a longer rest here as we move to the floor to engage your core!
- Mountain climbers – 20 seconds
- Rest – 10 second
- Walkout to plank (stand with your feet shoulder-length, out hands on the ground in front of you, walk forward to a high plank, return to the initial position) – 30 seconds
- Rest – 15 seconds
- Crossbody plank – 30 seconds
- Rest – 20 seconds
- Burpees – 30 seconds
This is an exemplary sequence that will heat up your body in just 10 minutes. It is shorter than your favorite TV show. In fact, you can do a quick 10-15-minute HIIT workout between the episodes and get a quick burst of energy and burn calories.
On average, a 30 minute HIIT workout can burn up to 450 calories. Here is the research. Thus, a quick session for beginners can realistically Brun 150-200 calories. That’s an impressive result in such a short period of time.
Before your first HIIT training, make sure you wear comfortable form-fitting clothes and shoes, know the correct technique for each exercise, and warm-up before the actual training session.
CrossFit VS HIIT: Which Is Better for You?
Remember, high-intensity interval training brings the best results when you push hard and give it all in those short sessions. Every second of your workout should count. In time, you’ll be able to go through longer sessions of about 30 minutes and still feel full of energy after.
