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HIIT

Beginner HIIT Workout Template

A gentler introduction to HIIT with 20 seconds of work and 40 seconds of rest for beginners.

12 rounds 2 sets 12 min total
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Ready

00:20

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About this timer

Twenty seconds of work with forty seconds of rest inverts the usual ratio, and that is deliberate. When you are new to interval training the limiting factor is almost never willingness — it is recovery between efforts and holding a movement together when you are out of breath. Two sets of six exercises gives you twelve honest efforts with enough rest to do each one properly.

Best for

  • A first month of interval training
  • Returning after a long break or an illness
  • Anyone who has found other HIIT timers leave them unable to finish

What to do in the work rounds

  • Bodyweight squats to a chair
  • Incline push-ups against a wall or counter
  • Marching in place, knees high
  • Step-back lunges holding a wall for balance
  • Standing side bends
  • Glute bridges

Scaling it

Easier
Use the rest fully — sit down for it if you need to. Cut to one set and build to two over a fortnight.
Harder
When the forty seconds stops feeling necessary, move to the basic HIIT template rather than speeding this one up.

How the clock runs

One pass through this timer is 12 rounds and 6 min. The sequence repeats 2 times, so the whole session runs 12 min across 24 intervals. The intervals break down as 6 × 40 sec and 6 × 20 sec.

#IntervalLengthElapsed
1 Exercise 1 00:20 00:20
2 Rest 00:40 01:00
3 Exercise 2 00:20 01:20
4 Rest 00:40 02:00
5 Exercise 3 00:20 02:20
6 Rest 00:40 03:00
7 Exercise 4 00:20 03:20
8 Rest 00:40 04:00
9 Exercise 5 00:20 04:20
10 Rest 00:40 05:00
11 Exercise 6 00:20 05:20
12 Rest 00:40 06:00

Questions about the Beginner HIIT Workout Template

Is twelve minutes really enough?

For someone new to intervals, yes. The point of the first month is teaching your body to recover quickly between efforts, and that adapts faster than you would expect.

What if I cannot finish a twenty-second round?

Stop, use the rest, and start the next one. A partial round done with control beats a full one done badly.