Basic HIIT Workout Template

About this timer

Thirty seconds of work against fifteen seconds of rest is the ratio most people mean when they say HIIT. It is long enough that the last ten seconds genuinely hurt and short enough that you can hold good form the whole way through, and the 2:1 work-to-rest split keeps your heart rate elevated across the whole set rather than letting it settle between efforts. Eight exercises make one set, three sets make the session.

Best for

• Anyone who has trained before but is not chasing a specific sport
• Bodyweight training at home, with or without a mat
• A session that has to fit inside a lunch break

What to do in the work rounds

• Squat jumps or air squats
• Push-ups, on the knees if needed
• Mountain climbers
• Reverse lunges, alternating legs
• Burpees
• Plank shoulder taps
• High knees
• Glute bridges

Scaling it

Easier

Drop to two sets, or swap the fifteen-second rest for thirty and keep the work the same.

Harder

Keep the rest at fifteen seconds and add a fourth set, or replace two exercises with burpee variations.