HIIT workouts are a very popular form of exercise. It took over the boutique fitness industry with Orange Theory, SoulCycle, and CrossFit. Its attractiveness came from the ability to burn many calories in a very short amount of time. While it can be a great workout, there are definitely limitations to be aware of when incorporating it into your workout.

Max Calorie Burn

The beauty of HIIT is the ability to burn the most amount of calories in the least amount of time. Not only do you burn calories during the workout, but you continue to burn calories for up to 4-6 hours post exercise (known as EPOC), which allows for that greater total expenditure. This is great if you are tight on time, and want to maximize your workouts.  

Just keep in mind the double edged sword of this. It is a very intense form of exercise. Doing it 4-5 times a week without adequate caloric intake, or proper recovery can lead to burning yourself out and under recovering. I never recommend clients do more than 2 or 3 days of HIIT cardio. You are better off pairing it alongside some steady state aerobic work.

Is It Effective?

If you have a short term goal for fat loss, then HIIT can be a useful option to help create that deficit and get you there while saving time. Anything past a 4-6 week goal I would start to phase in other styles of training.

The best way to use it would be your final tool for rapid fat loss leading up to a trip where you want to look good. Start incorporating 2-3 days along with your proper nutrition and aerobic work to help boost that metabolic rate and continue further fat to drop.

If you are just using it for overall health, sprinkle it in as a way to mix up your workouts. This doesn’t have to just be running on a treadmill or using a machine. You can go outside and do sprints, you can create circuits with your resistance training program to still keep the muscle building stimulus from weightlifting while adding in the additional calorie burn. You may even find it was a nice change up from your usual lifting routine.

Remember It’s Just a Tool

No matter how you decide to incorporate HIIT into your routine, remember like all other modalities, it is just a tool for you to cycle through. Always be sure to include a health balance of all forms of cardio training if you are looking for a well rounded physique. HIIT cardio can help you generate more power, and a better stamina for your normal gym sessions, and it’s great for increasing your overall endurance.