Exercise for Weight Loss High Intensity Interval Workouts for Weight Loss By Malia Frey facebook twitter linkedin Malia Frey is a weight loss expert, certified health coach, weight management specialist, personal trainer, and fitness nutrition specialist. Learn about our editorial process Malia Frey Reviewed by Reviewed by Tara Laferrara, CPT on May 30, 2019 Tara Laferrara is a certified NASM personal trainer, yoga teacher, and fitness coach. She also created her own online training program, the TL Method. Learn about our Review Board Tara Laferrara, CPT Updated on September 13, 2019 Print Guido Mieth/Taxi/Getty Images Smart exercisers use high-intensity interval workouts for weight loss. Why? Because high-intensity interval training (also called HIT or HIIT) really works when you want to lose weight. Even scientific researchers have found that HIT training for weight loss really works. But this style of short interval training has to be set up correctly. Do you have to hire a coach to set up the workout? No. You can be your own personal trainer and set up a plan that will help you to lose weight and change your body composition in no time. Here’s how. Set Up Your HIIT Weight Loss Program Before you start an exercise program that involves high-intensity activity, you need to be sure that you are healthy enough for vigorous activity. You’ll be working very hard, so check with your doctor to be sure that you are in good health. Next, you need to include your interval workout program in a well-designed exercise schedule. That means you should be well rested going into the workout and you’ll need a recovery day (not a rest day!) afterward. Never do back-to-back HIIT workouts to lose weight. Believe it or not, this could make the whole weight loss workout plan less effective. Lastly, you’ll need to be equipped with a stopwatch and some method for monitoring your workout intensity. A heart rate monitor works best. If you don’t have a monitor, you can use perceived exertion or take your pulse manually. Best Intervals for Weight Loss Intervals are simply short periods of time. When you do an interval workout, you alternate short periods of hard work with short periods of easier work. The cycle of work/rest is repeated several times in the course of an interval workout. Researchers who have studied high-intensity workouts have used different interval lengths and have found success with different interval types. One good example:2 minutes hard, then 3 minutes active rest, for 5 cycles You can adjust your intervals if necessary. The general rule of thumb is the shorter the interval time, the more intense it should be. But remember that intensity is the key, not duration. Longer intervals are not necessarily better, because you can’t work as hard for five minutes as you can for 20 seconds. Complete HIIT Weight Loss Workout Once you’ve chosen your interval length and workout schedule, it’s time to get to work. Choose your favorite activity for the workout; just about anything works. If you are a runner, you might complete your workout at a sprint track. If you enjoy cycling, you can do interval bike training for weight loss. You can do intervals on stairs, with a jump rope or even by dancing in place. The intensity matters more than the mode. Be sure that you begin your interval training with a seven- to 10-minute steady-state (no intervals) warm-up. It’s a good idea to do a less strenuous version of whatever activity you’ve chosen for the workout. If you’ll be doing running intervals, for example, your warm-up would consist of a light jog or a fast walk. Warm Up: 10 minutes Intervals: 25 minutes2 minutes @ 85% to 90% of max heart rate (working very hard)3 minutes @ 60% of max heart rate (light workload)2 minutes @ 85% to 90% of max heart rate3 minutes @ 60% of max heart rate2 minutes @ 85% to 90% of max heart rate3 minutes @ 60% of max heart rate2 minutes @ 85% to 90% of max heart rate3 minutes @ 60% of max heart rate2 minutes @ 85% to 90% of max heart rate3 minutes @ 60% of max heart rate Cool Down: 10 minutes Total Workout Time: 45 minutes HIIT Weight Loss Program Results A review of interval training programs found that many trainers used a high-intensity interval training program on their clients for two to 16 weeks to see fat loss and an increase in lean muscle mass. Most of the more successful HIIT weight loss programs lasted eight weeks. As you progress through your interval training program, be sure to eat enough protein to help your body burn calories and build muscle with each workout. Following a HIIT-friendly diet will help you to see results faster. And remember that consistency is the most important component of every weight loss program. If you stick with it, you’ll see your fitness level improve and your body change for the better. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Looking to lose weight? Our nutrition guide can help you get on the right track. Sign up for our newsletter and get it free! Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Boutcher SH. High-intensity intermittent exercise and fat loss. J Obes. 2011;2011:868305. doi:10.1155/2011/868305 Additional Reading Boudou P, Sobngwi E, Mauvais-Jarvis F, Vexiau P, Gautier JF. Absence of exercise-induced variations in adiponectin levels despite decreased abdominal adiposity and improved insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetic men. Eur J Endocrinol. 2003;149(5):421-4. doi:10.1530/eje.0.1490421