How Long Should A HIIT Workout Be To Maximize Your Results?

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How long should a HIIT workout be?

It’s the burning question that we all want answers to. But to be honest, there isn’t really as simple as picking a time limit and going at it full throttle.

See, we all have different ideas of what you’d consider high intensity.

For instance, what might be considered HIIT for a beginner would probably be a walk in the park for a seasoned athlete with plenty of training experience.

This isn’t to say that HIIT becomes ineffective once you reach a certain level…

…Far from it.

It simply means that there’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach when it comes to getting results.

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My Own Experience With HIIT Training

Now, the first time I tried HIIT (and I mean real HIIT) was way back in 2010 when I attempted the original insanity workout from Beach Body.

And because I was unfamiliar with HIIT at the time. I didn’t know that I was in for a world of hurt that would continue throughout the entire program.

Short story long, It kicked my ass; even the warmup was enough to get me gasping for breath.

As far the workout itself, well, let’s just say it was a match made in hell to which there was no end.

This is when I realized that HIIT is hard.

So hard in fact, that after taking a sneak peek at some of the hour-long, rehashed HIIT workouts you see plastered all over YouTube. I realize that most concepts of HIIT don’t come anywhere near to the level of intensity that a true HIIT workout requires.

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What Makes An Effective HIIT Workout?

First things first, HIIT should be intense. That’s the idea, right?

It’s not something you should be able to perform while having a casual conversation with your workout buddy at the gym.

At the very least, you should be struggling to talk. And if you’re really want to test your metal, you should be pushing up to (and beyond) the point of failure multiple times during the workout.

See, pushing beyond your boundaries is ultimately what’s going to make you fitter and stronger. Anything less, and you’re just going through the motions and not really doing anything significant that’s going to skyrocket your results.

Think about it…

How many times do you see people hitting the gym day in day and looking exactly the same as they did 3, 6, or even 12 months previous?

It’s not because they’re not motivated or willing to put in the time. It’s because they’re not pushing themselves beyond their own personal limits.

I think what I’m trying to say here is that hard work yields results.

And it doesn’t matter if this comes from HIIT, lifting weights, or even running a marathon. If you’re not willing to dig deep and push past your comfort zone. You simply won’t get the results you want.

So How Long Should A HIIT Workout Be… Really?

Again it depends, as everyone has different limitations on what they can and can’t do.

For me, the idea of HIIT is to get the most amount of work done in the least time possible. Leaving nothing left in the tank by the time you’re done.

For instance, a full-body movement like burpees performed in quick succession would be more than enough to hammer your body into the ground in less than 5 minutes. Provided you go all out.

On the flip side, performing less technical moves and changing up exercises often (i.e. splitting between upper and lower exercises) will give a lot more time for opposing muscle groups to recover.

The knock-on effect of this is that you’ll be able to workout for longer and get a lot more variety into your training.

Now, as a general rule (and from personal experience), I think that 20-30 minutes (excluding the warmup) is optimal for getting the most bang for your buck.

It’s long enough to get yourself into the fat burning zone. But also short enough to make sure the work you’re putting in is effective.

Any longer and you’re either not working hard enough, or your exercise performance will suffer dramatically.

What About Training Frequency & Recovery

Again, this is all going to depend on your current level of fitness and how hard you work during your HIIT sessions.

Most people will say don’t perform HIIT on consecutive days, and for a beginner, they’d probably be right.

But for someone with a little more training experience under their belt and a high threshold for working out would be more than capable of performing HIIT on back-to-back days.

Obviously, workout intensity is always going to play a part in how fast you recover. So it’s always wise to listen to your body and know when it’s time to take a few days off.

But for a seasoned gym-goer, 20-30 minutes of work (even at high levels of intensity) is more than an achievable goal provided you program it correctly.

Proven HIIT Workout That Will Kick Your Ass

Now, just to finish things off, I want to leave you with a few of my own personal favorite HIIT workouts to give you a taste of what it should really feel like to go all out.

And to make sure it’s all-inclusive. I’ve provided workouts ranging anywhere from 3 minutes all the way up to 20 minutes to give you a little variety.

Try them at your peril…

Upper Body Dumbbell HIIT (3 minutes)

This is a quick finisher I used to do at the end of every session when I used to box.

Although it’s only 3 minutes, it’s great for getting that last little bit of energy out of your system before you’re done.

To do it, grab yourself a set of light dumbbells (10-20 pounds is ideal for most) and perform the following…

Shoulder Press (30 seconds)
High Curl (30 seconds)
Dumbbell Shrugs (30 seconds)
Side Raises (30 seconds)
Bicep Curls (30 seconds)
Alternating Straight Punches (30 seconds)

Now, this workout is heavily focused on both the shoulders and arms, so you should start to feel the burn after a few intervals.

But the real torture comes when you get to the straight punches at the end. Because by this point, you’ll have completely exhausted the muscles in your shoulders and arms.

Tabata Burpees (4 minutes)

If you’re ever short on time and you want a workout that’s going to completely annihilate you in the shortest time possible, then this is it.

All you’re going to do is perform burpees (Tabata style) for 4 minutes.

Here’s what it looks like…

Burpees (20 seconds)
Rest (10 seconds)

Repeat for a total of 8 rounds (4 minutes total)

Even though it’s short, it’s insanely difficult. So make sure you mentally prepare yourself before giving it a go.

Upper Lower Split (10 minutes)

This is another Tabata style workout that follows the 20/10 work to rest ratio.

It’s a little less demanding on the cardiovascular system that burpees, but it requires a great deal of muscular endurance to see it through until the end…

Anyway, here it is…

Wide Pushups (20 seconds)
Rest (10 seconds)
Close Grip Pushups (20 seconds)
Rest (10 seconds)

Repeat 4 more times for a total of 8 rounds (4 minutes)

Rest 2 minutes and then perform the following…

Jump Squats (20 seconds)
Rest (10 seconds)
Jumping/Alternating Lunges (20 seconds)
Rest (10 seconds)

Repeat 4 more times for a total of 8 rounds (4 minutes)

Again, this is a hugely demanding workout, and it’s not really suited to beginners.

So if you’re not quite ready, but you still want to attempt it. Then you could regress the workout a little is to alternate between pushups and squats every two rounds.

Like this…

Wide Pushups (20 seconds)
Close Grip Pushups (20 seconds)
Jump Squats (20 seconds)
Alternating/Jumping Lunges (20 seconds)

Rest 10 seconds between exercises and perform two rounds (4 minutes total)

If you adopt the approach, you’ll find it makes the workout a hell of a lot easier because you’re giving each muscle group adequate time to recover before going at it again.

It sounds simple, but it works.

Full Body Madness (20 minutes)

Last up is a full-body HIIT workout that focuses on 5 major compound movements.

You’ll need a few pieces of equipment to pull this off. But if you’ve got a pullup station and a few weights at your disposal, then it’s a killer workout to get the heart pumping.

Here it is for your unenjoyment…

Deadlift (8 reps)
Parallel Bar Dips (15 reps)
Chinups (6-8 reps)

Rest 1 minute and repeat two more times

After that, rest for 2-3 minutes and then perform…

Dumbbell Split Squats (10 reps each side)
Uneven Pushups (10 reps each side)

Rest 1 minute and then repeat two more times

Depending on how fast you blast through each set, this workout should take roughly 20 minutes.

This will obviously vary from person to person, but it’s a rough guide that should give you something to shoot for.

Taking Your HIIT Workout To The Next Level

So if I’ve done my job, you should have at least a general idea about how long a HIIT workout should be and what actually qualifies as a high-intensity.

I think the main thing to remember here is that there are a lot of variables that come into play that all need to be considered carefully. Especially if you want to get the most out of your workout in the time you have available.

Now, all of the above are just a few examples of how long (or short) a HIIT workout should be.

But give it time, and you’ll probably find that eventually, you have enough knowledge to start programming workouts to suit your own specific needs.

However, I know that everyone’s different. And there’ll be some people reading this who want a plan of action that guarantees results.

So if you’re struggling to come up with your own effective HIIT routine and want a boatload of tried and tested workouts to help you start torching fat from your frame…

…Then I’d highly recommend checking out Workout Finishers 2.0 by Mike Whitfield.

Because not only will you get 51 PROVEN workout finishers that’ll help you build muscle and torch fat in record time. You’ll also learn how to effectively develop your own unique programs to keep you busy for years to come.

Now just to be clear, these workouts are hard, so if you’re not prepared to dig deep and go all-in with these, then they’re probably not for you.

But if you’re hell-bent on getting in the best shape of your life and want a PROVEN plan of action to push you beyond your limits, then this is exactly what you’ve been looking for.

Anyway, here’s the link to take a look: Workout Finishers 2.0