The Ultimate HIIT Workout Plan PDF
HIIT workouts involve short bursts of intense exercise followed by periods of rest or lower-intensity activity. This 4-week HIIT workout plan with PDF will help boost your metabolism, burn calories, and improve your cardiovascular fitness.
If you’re looking to get fit and improve your overall health, then a HIIT workout plan could be just what you need.
What exactly is HIIT and how does it work?
High intensity interval training (HIIT) is a type of cardiovascular exercise that involves alternating between periods of high-intensity and low-intensity exercise. The high-intensity intervals are typically performed at or near maximal effort, while the low-intensity intervals are performed at a lower to no effort [2].
The ratio of high-intensity to low-intensity intervals can vary, but a common approach is to perform 30 seconds of high-intensity exercise followed by 30 seconds of low-intensity exercise, repeating this pattern for a set number of rounds or for a set amount of time.
The Primary Benefits of HIIT
There are many benefits to incorporating HIIT into your workout routine. Some of the key benefits include:
Improved cardiovascular fitness
During the intense intervals, your heart has to work harder to pump blood and oxygen for your body. By doing so, your heart endurance improves, resulting in a stronger cardiovascular system.
Increased metabolism
After doing a HIIT workout, you will continue to burn calories. This is known as the afterburn effect or post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). Studies have shown that even after completing the exercise, your metabolic rate will be elevated for several hours [2].
Helps to lose fats
Studies have shown that combining HIIT exercise into your daily routine can help you to lose fat, which in turn results in losing weight. HIIT can produce similar fat loss results to traditional endurance training but in a more time-efficient manner. It helps to reduce body fats and waist circumference, especially for overweight individuals [3].
It is extremely versatile
HIIT workouts can be done using a variety of exercises such bodyweight exercises or ones that incorporate equipment. This makes them highly suitable for individuals with different fitness levels and preferences.
The best HIIT exercises
Let’s take a look at some of the best HIIT exercises to include in your workout plan.
Burpees
Burpees is a full-body exercise that targets the arms, legs, and core muscles. To perform a burpee, start by standing with you feet hip width apart. Squat down and place both hands on the floor, parallel to your shoulders. Shift your weight onto your hands and push both feet back into a high plank position. From there, do a push-up then jump your feet back just behind your hands. Stand back up to starting position and jump up with your hands extended above your head.
Jumping Jacks
Jumping jacks are a classic full-body exercise that is used in cardio sessions and for warm-ups. This exercise primarily works the arm, leg and shoulder muscles. To perform this exercise, you want to start by standing with your feet together, arms by your sides and toes pointing forward. Bent your knees slight and jump out to the sides. As you jump out, swing your arms above your head at the same time. Jump back to the starting position and repeat.
Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers is a great exercise if you are looking to improve your cardiovascular endurance as well as strengthening of the arm, leg and core muscles.
To perform mountain climbers, start by getting into a high plank position. Place your hands on the ground, making sure that it is shoulder width apart and parallel to your shoulders. Pull your right knee into your chest and far as you can and ensure that your arms do not go past your shoulders. Switch sides by placing your right knee back into starting position, pulling the left knee into your chest. Lower your hips down and alternate your left and right knees in and out, as fast as you can.
Always remember to inhale and exhale as you alternate your knees.
Squat Jumps
Squat jumps are a great exercise if you would like to improve your leg strength and power. To perform a squat jump, start by getting into a squat position with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms by your sides and knees bent. Take a deep breath in and exhale as you push your feet to jump up. Land softly back into the starting position. Repeat this, keeping the momentum.
Reverse Lunges
Reverse lunges is an exercise that helps to train the legs and glutes by placing weight on the upper legs.
To perform a reverse lunge, start by holding a dumbbell in each hand and place them by the sides your body. Stand hip width apart and shift your weight onto your left foot. Place your right foot back and bend your both knees until it is at a 90-degree angle. Stand by pushing both knees back up to standing position.
The Ultimate 4-Week HIIT Workout Plan
If you are looking for a bit more of a challenge and to completely transform your body, this may be the right program for you. The Ultimate 4-week HIIT Workout Plan is designed to progressively increase in difficulty each week, so be sure to start at the appropriate level for your fitness level.
Week 1
List of exercises:
Burpees
Jumping jacks
Mountain climbers
Squat jumps
Sets and intervals:
Beginner Level
Sets: 3 sets of each exercise
Intervals: 30 seconds work, 15 seconds rest
Intermediate Level
Sets: 4 sets of each exercise
Intervals: 45 seconds work, 15 seconds rest
Advanced Level
Sets: 5 sets of each exercise
Intervals: 60 seconds work, 30 seconds rest
Week 2
List of exercises:
Burpees
Jumping jacks
Mountain climbers
Squat jumps
High knees
Plank jacks
Sets and intervals:
Beginner Level
Sets: 4 sets of each exercise
Intervals: 30 seconds work, 20 seconds rest
Intermediate Level
Sets: 5 sets of each exercise
Intervals: 45 seconds work, 30 seconds rest
Advanced Level
Sets: 6 sets of each exercise
Intervals: 60 seconds work, 30 seconds rest
Week 3
List of exercises:
Burpees
Jumping jacks
Mountain climbers
Squat jumps
High knees
Plank jacks
Lunges
Push-ups
Sets and intervals:
Beginner Level
Sets: 4 sets of each exercise
Intervals: 45 seconds work, 15 seconds rest
Intermediate Level
Sets: 5 sets of each exercise
Intervals: 60 seconds work, 30 seconds rest
Advanced Level
Sets: 6 sets of each exercise
Intervals: 75 seconds work, 45 seconds rest
Week 4
List of exercises:
Burpees
Jumping jacks
Mountain climbers
Squat jumps
High knees
Plank jacks
Push-ups
Squat thrusts
Sets and intervals:
Beginner Level
Sets: 5 sets of each exercise
Intervals: 45 seconds work, 20 seconds rest
Intermediate Level
Sets: 6 sets of each exercise
Intervals: 60 seconds work, 30 seconds rest
Advanced Level
Sets: 6 sets of each exercise
Intervals: 75 seconds work, 40 seconds rest
Remember that it is important to do some warm up exercises before starting your HIIT workout and some cool down stretches afterwards to prevent injury.
By following this 4-week HIIT program, you’ll be well on your way to improving your cardiovascular endurance, metabolism, and to get back in shape. So it’s time to put on your workout clothes and get moving!
Other HIIT Workout Plans
If you are looking for more HIIT workout routine, here are some exercises to try out at home or the next time that you are at the gym.
HIIT Chest Workout Routine
This at home chest workout routine is great if you are busy and you don’t have much time to fit in a 30-45 minutes into your daily routine. It also helps in building a stronger upper body!
Dumbbell HIIT Workout Plan
If you have dumbbells, you can also use them to perform HIIT exercises. Dumbbells will help you to focus on building strength and increase the workout intensity.
Full Body HIIT Workout Plan
Try out this full body HIIT workout if you are looking to target all the parts of the body for maximum impact.
HIIT Workout Plan: FAQs
The frequency would depend on your current fitness level. If you are a beginner, you are strongly encouraged to start doing HIIT workout, 2-3 times a week. As you progress and improve your endurance, you may then start to increase the frequency to 4-5 times a week. Make sure that you allocate rest days between the sessions.
Yes, it is enough. A typical HIIT workout lasts around 15-30 minutes. In fact, shorter and intense sessions yield better results. Studies show that HIIT workouts can produce twice as much health benefits as exercises that are of moderate intensity.
A good HIIT format involves having a work-rest interval. Ideally, you would want it to be short bursts of intense exercise for the working sets followed by a brief period of rest for the resting sets.
Not exactly. Tabata and HIIT workouts differ in their format. Tabata is a more intense version of HIIT with shorter, fixed exercises.
References
[1] Panissa, V. L. G., Fukuda, D. H., Staibano, V., Marques, M., and Franchini, E. (2021) Magnitude and duration of excess of post-exercise oxygen consumption between high-intensity interval and moderate-intensity continuous exercise: A systematic review [online]. Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 22(1), e13099. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.13099
[2] Tinsley, G, and Read, T. (2023) 7 Benefits of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) [online]. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-hiit [Accessed 8 Mar 2024].
[3] Wewege, M., van den Berg, R., Ward, R. E., and Keech, A. (2017) The effects of high-intensity interval training vs. moderate-intensity continuous training on body composition in overweight and obese adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis [online]. Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 18(6), 635–646. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12532
Popular Workouts
Try these popular workouts that will help you get in shape:
Build your upper booty. Work your legs and booty from all angles with this 15-minute bodyweight workout.
Follow the weekly calisthenics workout plan to improve your fitness. All for beginners as well as intermediate programs.
The Spartacus workout plan can help you improve your physical and mental fitness.
WORK OUT WITH JUSTFIT
- Workout Plans
- Fitness Coaching
- Lazy Workouts
- Daily Progress Tracker
Join 2,500,000+ users around the world and get fitter with us. JustFit encourages you to be a better version of yourself!