5 Highly-Effective HIIT Workouts for Women

Would not it’s great if we could perform short workouts that may torch calories and fat while keeping our metabolisms boosted all day?

It might sound too good to be true, but I can assure you it isn’t! This kind of exercise is named HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, and involves alternating between short bursts of intense exercise, pushing your heart rate to roughly 85-90% of its maximum, and periods of rest or energetic recovery. 

The major goal is to take care of a near-max heart rate through the workout, with rest periods stopping your heart rate from dropping below around 65% of its maximum. And whenever you try this, you are in a position to get your workout quickly checked off your to-do list while ensuring you see incredibly effective results.

I just covered what HIIT is and why you have to be doing it, and now I’m going to go over the very best HIIT routines for ladies, so you possibly can get in great shape without dedicating a whole day to the gym.

Table of Contents:

• 5 Best HIIT Workout Routines For Women
• Reddit User’s Favorite HIIT Workouts To Try
• Programming Suggestions For HIIT Workouts
• How To Construct The Best HIIT Workout Routine For Women
• Advantages of HIIT For Women
• FAQs

5 BEST HIIT WORKOUTS FOR WOMEN 

Let’s first go over some great HIIT workouts for girls of various fitness levels, then I will run you thru how one can construct your individual HIIT workouts, including a few of the very best HIIT exercises to make use of. 

HIIT WORKOUT #1 – Beginner HIIT Workout For Women (At Home No Equipment): 

This HIIT workout is especially great for ladies who’re beginners. 

For this full body HIIT workout, it’s full length, meaning you possibly can throw it in your TV, tablet or phone and follow along to it. The video features a timer so you recognize exactly when to start out and stop, in addition to demonstrations of the subsequent exercise in line during rest periods.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=/t2Y3DYMSpyw

Beginner HIIT Workout:

Workout Details:

Perform each exercise for 45 seconds, followed by a 15-second rest. Complete all 10 exercises in sequence for one round.

• Easier Alternative Movements Included
• Total Workout Time: 10 minutes

Should you want more follow along HIIT workouts like this, please you’ll want to leave a comment, like and subscribe to our Youtube Channel!

HIIT Workout #2 – Female Intermediate At Home No Equipment:

This HIIT workout takes things up a notch. It involves shorter intervals since the exercises are harder and more explosive and intense. That is a very good HIIT routine for ladies who’re already in pretty good condition and searching to burn calories. 

HIIT Workout #3 – Female Intermediate to Advance With Equipment:

For ladies who need a seriously difficult HIIT workout, add some equipment into the combo, and you may burn fat like crazy.

One of the best equipment for HIIT workouts are dumbbells or kettlebells. Nonetheless, flat loop resistance bands may also be great! Because dumbbells are the simplest to access for many, let’s use dumbbells for this intermediate-advanced HIIT routine. 

Workout Details:

• Equipment: A Pair of Dumbbells
• Select an appropriate weight based on the exercises below and your strength level. You wish them to be difficult yet sustainable for 4 rounds. That said, you possibly can switch to a heavier pair or lighter pair mid workout, quickly, if needed.

HIIT Workout #4 – Sprints (Distance):

Sprints make for an incredible HIIT workout. In actual fact, it’s one of the vital popular ways to do HIIT, and all it involves are SPRINTS, which makes it extremely accessible and all levels of fitness can do it.

You possibly can control the issue just by how much work you do, how briskly you push your sprints, in addition to using an incline on your sprints as you develop into more advanced.

Option 1: 10 x 50m Sprints 

Sprint the 50m then walk back to your starting line and immediately sprint again. So, your rest time is the walking distance back, which needs to be about ~30 seconds. As such, this workout involves greater rest time than working time, BUT the sprints needs to be INTENSE. 

Workout Details:

• 5 Minute Dynamic Warm
• 5 Minute Speed Walking or Jogging
• Difficulty Level: Beginner-Intermediate 

Option 2: 10 x 100m Sprints 

Workout Details:

• 5 Minute Dynamic Warm
• 5 Minute Speed Walking or Jogging
• Rest time: Just the walking distance back to the starting line of your 100 meters. Difficulty Level: Advanced 

HIIT Workout #5 – Sprints (Time):

Follow a 20-second-sprint, 90-second-rest format for this program.

This could be done anywhere outside or on a treadmill. Just run 20 seconds. Distance doesn’t matter. Nevertheless it is sweet to maintain track of distance as each set and even the subsequent workout you possibly can attempt to run a little bit farther. That way you recognize you’re pushing yourself.

After each 20-second set, rest for 90 seconds. Ideally, you shall be walking during that 90 seconds. Don’t just stand still (you possibly can walk back to the starting line to maintain track of distance or simply keep moving forward and see how far you possibly can go!).

Beginner: 7 sprint sets total

To extend difficulty: 

Should you like this workout, the subsequent time you do it, try so as to add 1 more set. Nonetheless, in some unspecified time in the future, you possibly can only increase the variety of sets a lot. So, to make things tougher, it’s also possible to increase the time or do that workout on an incline. You may even do that on an inclined street or a hill.

Hill sprints are the final word sprint HIIT workout, but reserve it for when you find yourself more advanced because they’re BRUTAL.

Treadmill Sprints: 

One among our favourite ways to do sprints on a treadmill is with the treadmill OFF. That’s right.

Here’s how one can do it:

• Get on the treadmill. Don’t turn it on.
• Then, holding the front handles, power the belt (get it moving) just by moving your legs with all of your might. As you get going, it’ll be moving just as if it was turned on. 
• For a timeframe, perform 15 seconds on, 45 seconds off. Aim to do 15-20 sets.

Redditor’s Favorite HIIT Workouts To Try

Fascinated about a couple of more HIIT programs to select from? Listed below are some favorites based on Redditor’s real-life results and experiences.

HIIT Option 1 – Ab Routine:

One Redditor has had success with this ab-focused routine: 

(source)

HIIT Option 2 – Includes Weights:

On the lookout for an ideal HIIT program that includes weights? This Reddit user has an ideal advice. And should you’re trying to make it harder, incorporate unilateral movements into the combo. For instance, for KB swings, alternate between using your left arm and right arm.

(source)

HIIT Option 3 – Uses Cardio Equipment:

This Redditor’s advice focuses on cardio equipment for the HIIT routine.

 (source)

HIIT Workout Programming Suggestions

In relation to HIIT frequency, two to a few HIIT workouts per week is sweet. Essentially, you must give your body not less than a full 24 hours of rest and recovery between sessions. This includes other forms of strength training workouts that you could be doing.

Should you are a beginner and you’re already performing some type of resistance training, start with only one HIIT workout per week, then work up in frequency from there. Should you plan to only do HIIT workouts, then you may probably be protected around 3-4 workouts per week, ensuring there is a day of rest between each workout.

HIIT Workout Schedules

A number of women wish to just do a couple of HIIT workouts each week along with some type of long-duration cardio. If that’s the case, aim for 2-4 HIIT workouts each week, unfolded so you’ve enough recovery time in-between sessions. 

If you must do some weight training together with HIIT, listed here are a couple of different workout schedules you possibly can follow.

HIIT Schedule 1:

HIIT Schedule 2:

HIIT Schedule 3:

HIIT Schedule 4 (Advanced):

There are such a lot of ways to go about programming HIIT into your workouts. Ultimately, should you are doing a 10-20 minute HIIT workout, you must give yourself 24 hours before your next workout. In case your weight training sessions are intense too, then you want to also give your body and muscles the remaining it needs before doing HIIT. 

That said, if you must do quick HIIT workout finishers a couple of times every week, then you may throw in a 5-minute HIIT after a few your moderate-intensity resistance training sessions per week. That needs to be greater than doable by way of recovery. 

HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN HIIT WORKOUT

To construct a HIIT workout, you want to consider a couple of things:

• HIIT Exercise: What exercise(s) are you going to decide on? A HIIT workout can involve one or many exercises
• Interval Time (Workout Format): Work and rest periods
• Total Workout Time: What number of intervals/rounds?

So, let’s go over each of those points briefly. 

1) Best HIIT Exercises for Women:

The best HIIT exercises for men and women are going to be big compound movements and explosive exercises. The one real difference between what exercises women should select compared to men is that if the lady in query has some limitations.

For instance, quite a lot of women have trouble with upper body strength movements like push ups. It’s essential you could perform the exercise with high intensity and explosive power when doing HIIT. So, should you lack strength in certain areas, then select alternative exercises that you recognize you possibly can perform powerfully.

Here is an inventory of a few of the very best bodyweight-only HIIT exercises for ladies:

• Sprints
• High Knees
• Burpees
• Tuck Jumps
• Mountain Climbers
• Jumping Lunges
• Bicycle Crunches
• Lateral Skiers
• Butt Kicks
• Jump Squats
• Star Jumps
• Jumping Jacks
• Flutter Kicks
• Plank Jacks
• Russian Twists

The wonderful thing about the above exercises is that they’re suitable for all levels. Intensity could be controlled and easier alternatives could be made. For instance, when it involves HIIT for beginners, a full burpee could also be too difficult, but a half burpee (without the push up and/or jump) is doable for nearly anyone. 

So long as you’re getting your heart rate up very high, then it doesn’t matter should you are doing as many reps as the subsequent person. Everybody’s fitness level is different, so the look of your “high intensity” is not going to all the time be similar to another person’s. 

2) Best HIIT Workout Formats: 

It really relies on what the exercises are. Is it a core-focused HIIT? Is it a sprinting HIIT? Are you using equipment or simply body weight movements?

Generally speaking, the very best HIIT workout formats (and thus intervals) for body weight exercises (and exercises with relatively lightweight equipment) are…

• 20/10: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off is a HIIT interval structure called Tabata. You possibly can do Tabata workouts with one or many exercises incorporated. As you simply have 10 seconds of rest, it is generally best done with less exercises and even only one exercise (i.e. 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for 10 rounds doing just Jump Squats, Battle Rope Waves, Burpees, or High Knees, etc.)
• 30/15: 30 seconds on, 15 seconds off. That is one other popular option. Normally for the 30/15 format, the workout will involve multiple exercises, not all are explosive, as 30 seconds of labor is a protracted time within the HIIT world. The 30/15 format can also be good for HIIT workouts that involve equipment like dumbbells.
• 45/15 or 40/20: 45 seconds on, 15 seconds off OR 40/20. That is a very good format for beginners because the movements will generally be less impactful so longer time is required. On this case, a workout from 10-20 minutes for a beginner with a forty five/15 format is sweet. However, this interval could be great for individuals who need to do a very tough yet quick HIIT workout.

Other HIIT style formats are Every Minute On The Minute (EMOM) and As Many Reps As Possible (AMRAP) Workouts. 

As for sprints, it’s normally the alternative by way of work and rest time. For instance, a sprint HIIT workout could also be sprint for 20 seconds, rest for 90 seconds OR sprint for 15 seconds, rest for 45-60 seconds, sprint for 10 seconds, rest for 30 seconds. Nonetheless, rest shouldn’t be normally a whole standstill, it often involves either walking or jogging. 

Essentially, with sprints, you must give it your all for a duration of time or distance (50-100 meters at most) after which rest simply enough so your heart rate doesn’t go below 60-65%. Should you are in really good condition, you possibly can simply lower your rest time after each sprinting interval. 

3) Total Workout Time:

As we’ve already discussed, you really need to offer it your all when doing a HIIT workout. As such, HIIT workouts is not going to be effective in the event that they are too long. 

All the time keep HIIT workouts to around 5-Half-hour. As a beginner, we recommend somewhere within the 10-20 minute range.

Why will we not select 5 minutes for a beginner? Well, typically beginners is not going to give you the chance to actually push themselves hard enough for five minutes to be as effective.

4 Steps to Constructing A HIIT Workout: 

1. Select a workout duration (i.e. 10 minutes).
2. Work out a piece/rest interval and the exercises that best suit that workout duration.
3. Calculate the variety of rounds if needed.
4. GO, GO, GO 

BENEFITS OF HIIT FOR WOMEN 

When examining ladies specifically, there are three key advantages that ladies get from HIIT. These are:

1. Women have more potential for burning fat during intense workout than men (they usually can handle more workload with this sort of training).
2. Women are more liable to thinning bones, which HIIT helps combat.
3. Women have monthly hormonal changes, which HIIT may help mitigate. 

As well as, women get all the identical advantages of HIIT as men too, that are… 

1) Efficiency: 

HIIT workouts achieve lots in a brief time period. With just ~20 minutes of high intensity interval training, you possibly can burn as many calories as a long-duration traditional cardio workout does in around 40 minutes. Plus, you get additional advantages that cardio can’t offer you, reminiscent of muscle growth. 

Now, it’s to not say that HIIT is best than cardio, but by way of calorie burn, it’s definitely more efficient. On average, long duration low-intensity cardio burns around 10 calories per minute, whereas HIIT burns 15-20 calories per minute. Nonetheless, the purpose of how HIIT burns more calories doesn’t end there… 

2) Metabolism (EPOC): 

After a HIIT workout, your post exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) shall be much higher, which implies for hours after your workout you shall be burning calories at a considerably higher rate. It’s because your body is working to revive itself back to pre-exercise levels.

As such, the calories burned with a HIIT workout must also include the EPOC, making it even greater than a standard cardio workout which doesn’t create the identical response. 

Overall, this has an ideal effect in your metabolism, which is able to show you how to to shed fat and keep it off. As well as, research has found that HIIT is simpler than steady-state exercise for reducing total body fat, suggesting that HIIT could also be a time-efficient strategy for ladies aiming to lose fat¹.

3) Muscle Growth: 

HIIT is puts quite a lot of stress in your muscles just like weight training, which implies it may also promote hypertrophy (muscle growth). Should you proceed making your HIIT workouts a little bit tougher over time, you possibly can proceed constructing muscle and strength.

On the VERY least, HIIT will make sure you maintain muscle mass (and strength), unlike cardio where if done in certain ranges of time and speed can potentially cause some muscle loss. For even higher results, pair HIIT with strength training to see some serious muscle definition.

4) Versatility & Scalability:

HIIT workouts are each versatile and scalable.

When it comes to versatility, you should utilize different workout times, workout formats and intervals, exercises, and even equipment. This ensures your HIIT workouts never develop into stale.

As for scalability, because they’re so versatile, you possibly can make them progressively harder. HIIT workouts could be highly effective from beginner all of the option to elite levels.

On top of all that, HIIT will show you how to construct a robust and healthy heart, improve flexibility and range of motion (body weight HIIT workouts are like a type of dynamic stretching), stronger bones, and overall athleticism (balance and coordination). PLUS, you’ll get a serious flow of endorphins soon after you finish!

FAQs 

Additional questions on high-intensity interval training that need answering? I’ll try this here!

Is HIIT simpler for weight reduction?

HIIT is extremely effective for weight reduction since it causes you to burn more calories at rest long after the workout is over and it boosts your metabolism through this and the proven fact that it promotes muscle growth. Most individuals need to drop a few pounds in the shape of fat, through which case HIIT is simpler for that sort of weight reduction. Interestingly, a study examining the impact of HIIT on several types of fat in chubby women found that women experienced significant reductions in total body fat, abdominal fat, visceral fat, and hepatic fat after a 10-week HIIT program².

Is HIIT really higher than cardio? 

I can’t say HIIT is best than cardio exercises because they’re different. Ideally, you have to be doing each because cardio is great for cardiovascular health, and HIIT is superior by way of calorie burn efficiency, along with promoting bone density, muscle growth, strength, and more.

Are HIIT workouts good for belly fat? 

HIIT is great for losing belly fat. While you possibly can’t spot reduce fat, HIIT is shown to be probably the most effective type of exercise for fat loss. Studies show it’s going to significantly reduce abdominal and visceral fat mass with regular practice. Remember, all of the ab exercises on the planet won’t show you how to get a pleasant toned stomach or six pack unless you bring down your body fat percentage. Should you want that, you would like HIIT. 

HOW LONG CAN A HIIT WORKOUT BE? 

HIIT workouts can range from 4 minutes as much as Half-hour, but the very best average time length is around 10-20 minutes. Beginners should start with around 10 minutes for HIIT workouts. Nonetheless, as you develop into more advanced, you possibly can work your way up in time (and/or intensity of the exercises itself – i.e. somewhat than doing sets of air squats do jump squats). 

Can I do HIIT on a regular basis?

Should you are doing HIIT appropriately, which implies very high intensity, then NO. It’s definitely not advisable to do it day by day. HIIT is taxing in your nervous system, so you will need adequate time to get better or else you’ll find yourself overtraining, mentally burned out, and your efforts for muscle growth simply can’t occur considering you aren’t giving yourself enough rest for repair.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR HIIT TO SEE RESULTS?

It really relies on the person, how hard your HIIT workouts are, how often you’re doing HIIT and what other physical activities you’re doing. Nonetheless, generally speaking, with 2-3 HIIT workouts every week, it’s best to see some great leads to as little as 4 weeks. Should you persist with 2-3 HIIT workouts per week, especially along with other moderate intensity resistance training, you’ll get into the very best shape of your life before you recognize it. 

SHOULD I EAT BEFORE A HIIT WORKOUT? 

First, bear in mind that sustained weight and fat loss relies on maintaining a caloric deficit. While the alternative to eat before HIIT may not significantly impact fat and weight reduction, it does play a vital role in optimizing performance. Individuals accustomed to fasted exercise might fare well with fasted HIIT, yet for many, consuming a small meal 30-60 minutes before a HIIT session can substantially improve performance and, consequently, results. I like to recommend the vast majority of people eat before longer HIIT workouts, choosing a banana, a scoop of nut butter, or a protein shake.

SHOULD I EAT AFTER HIIT WORKOUT? 

Absolutely. Do your best to eat inside 15 to twenty minutes of ending your HIIT workout. Remember, HIIT is analogous to weight training in that your muscles are going to be stressed and want fuel to get better. Get some protein and healthy carbs in after your HIIT workout and you’re good to go. Also, drink loads of water. Hydration is a must for HIIT.

HIIT Workout Plan For Women: Final Takeaways

Hopefully, after reading this, you are Team HIIT and plan to start out incorporating this sort of workout into your routine. HIIT is an ideal option to get in a quick workout, rev up your metabolism, and torch calories, helping you to hit your training and physique goals.

And let’s not forget, it’s fun! Yes, possibly a brutal sort of fun, however the feel-goods you get after are so price it.  So, if you’ve any interest in any respect in doing HIIT, get your workout gear on, and get it in!

Train hard, train smart, and the outcomes will follow.