A Beginner’s Guide to HIIT

Does a shorter, yet more effective workout sound too good to be true?

If you’re doing high intensity interval training (HIIT), it’s not! In fact, research has shown that HIIT can produce health benefits similar to twice as much moderate-intensity exercise, such as running or biking.

The key to HIIT’s effectiveness is in its structure: short bursts of intense exercise followed by low-intensity recovery periods. And when you give all-out, 100 percent effort during the intense bursts, it can be effective in as little as 10 to 30 minutes.

With little to no equipment, you can do a HIIT workout on your own. Try out these two options created by Whitnee Fester, exercise specialist at Avera Sports.

How to HIIT

Do each exercise for 20 seconds, followed by a 10-second rest for a total of 8 times through each combination.

For example, to start HIIT Workout No. 1, do a bent-over row for 20 seconds and rest 10 seconds. Then do a squat press for 20 seconds and rest for 10 seconds. Repeat that combination for a total of eight times. Move on to the next combination – medicine-ball slams and Russian twists – for the same amount of time and repetitions. 

HIIT Workout No. 1

• Dumbbell bent over row / Squat press
• Medicine ball slams / Russian twist
• Sprint strides on a 6-12-inch box or step / Dips
• Body weight squat jumps / Calf raises

HIIT Workout No. 2

• Dumbbell walking lunge / Resistance band row
• Medicine ball split squat jump / Sit-ups
• Double leg jumps on a 6-12-inch box or step / Plank up-downs
• Body weight single-leg RDL’s right leg / Body weight single-leg RDL’s left leg

Or, if you prefer to try HIIT in a group setting, check out AR-FIT at Avera Sports in Sioux Falls.