HIIT Training: 3 Effective Workouts for Increased Fat Burning | Hardworkout Magazine
Key takeaways
- HIIT alternates short work periods of high intensity with short breaks or periods of lower intensity, and can be built around running, cycling, rowing or bodyweight exercises.
- A reduced body fat percentage depends on energy balance over time: calorie intake must be lower than total energy expenditure, regardless of how hard the HIIT session is.
- After high-intensity training, oxygen uptake and energy expenditure stay elevated for a period, known as EPOC or afterburn, because the body replenishes energy stores, regulates temperature and restores pH balance.
- For most people, one to three HIIT sessions a week is enough; those who train mainly HIIT and are used to high intensity can do up to four, with rest or active recovery in between.
- HIIT built on running, jumping, burpees and lunges taxes the legs heavily, so these sessions should not be placed immediately before or after a heavy leg workout.
Short workouts can be very demanding when the intensity is high. During HIIT, heart rate, breathing, and energy expenditure increase rapidly, and the intense work periods place great demands on both aerobic and anaerobic energy production.
Regular HIIT can contribute to better fitness and increased work capacity. The high energy expenditure can also help reduce body fat percentage, provided that calorie intake over time is lower than energy expenditure.
In short about HIIT training
HIIT alternates between short work periods of high intensity and short breaks or periods of lower intensity.
HIIT can be performed with running, cycling, rowing, or exercises using body weight and training equipment.
Read more Read less
The high intensity allows for a high calorie expenditure during a relatively short workout.
After high-intensity training, EPOC, also known as afterburn, can keep energy expenditure elevated for a period after the session.
Reduced body fat percentage requires that calorie intake over time is lower than total energy expenditure.
The three HIIT sessions in the program consist of circuit training, Tabata, and a session with dumbbells and a jump rope.
The number of rounds, repetitions, and the length of work periods can be adjusted to your training level.
HIIT should be planned alongside other hard training so that you get enough recovery between sessions.
What is HIIT training?
HIIT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training and is interval training where short periods of high intensity alternate with short breaks or periods of lower intensity.
Work periods can last from a few seconds to several minutes. How long you work and how long your breaks are depends on how the session is structured and how fit you are.
HIIT can consist of running, cycling, or rowing, but also exercises like squats, lunges, push-ups, and burpees. You can therefore structure the intervals in many different ways, both with training equipment and bodyweight exercises.
How much energy does a HIIT session actually burn?
HIIT can provide a high calorie expenditure in a short time because much of the training is performed at high intensity. How much energy you use depends, among other things, on body weight, intensity, duration, and which exercises are included in the session.
Running, rowing, burpees, and other exercises that involve large parts of the body require a lot of energy, especially when performed with short breaks.
What is afterburn (EPOC) and how long does it last?
After high-intensity training, oxygen uptake and energy expenditure remain elevated for a period after the session is completed. This is called afterburn, or EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption).
The body uses energy to replenish energy stores, regulate body temperature, and restore pH balance after the intense training.
[](https://hardworkout.no/etterforbrenning-epoc-styrketrening-hiit-hvileforbrenning/)
Training Afterburn: How strength training (and HIIT) boosts your resting metabolism
Sep 14, 2026
How much afterburn occurs depends, among other things, on the intensity and duration of the session. Hard and long sessions can produce greater EPOC than shorter sessions with moderate intensity.
HIIT can contribute to a higher total energy expenditure, but reduced body fat percentage depends on energy balance over time. To reduce body fat, calorie intake over time must be lower than energy expenditure.
How long does a HIIT session take, and how should you warm up?
The training program consists of three HIIT sessions with different structures. The first is circuit training with running or rowing and bodyweight exercises, the second follows the Tabata format, while the third combines strength exercises with dumbbells and a jump rope.
The sessions take about 20-30 minutes, depending on the number of rounds and how long breaks you need. The number of rounds, repetitions, and work periods can be reduced if the setup becomes too demanding.
Set aside 5-10 minutes for warm-up before you start. Adjust the warm-up to the session you will perform, and gradually increase the pace. Before sessions with strength exercises, you can also do some repetitions of the relevant exercises with body weight or light weights.
Session 1: Circuit training with body weight
The first session is structured as circuit training and combines running or rowing with pull-ups, push-ups, and squats.
Perform all four exercises in succession. When a full round is completed, rest for 1-2 minutes before starting the next.
- Running or rowing: 400 meters
- Pull-ups or chin-ups: 10 repetitions
- Push-ups: 20 repetitions
- Bodyweight squats: 30 repetitions
- Rest: 1-2 minutes
Complete a total of 4-5 rounds.
If you cannot do 10 pull-ups, you can use a resistance band or replace the exercise with lat pulldowns. You can also reduce the distance or number of repetitions to adjust the session to your level.
Session 2: Tabata with body weight
The second session requires no training equipment and uses Tabata intervals with 20 seconds of exercise and 10 seconds of rest.
Each round consists of two exercises performed alternately. Repeat the combination four times. This gives eight work periods and four minutes per round.
Round 1 – repeat four times:
- Mountain climbers: 20 seconds
- Rest: 10 seconds
- Jumping jacks: 20 seconds
- Rest: 10 seconds
Rest 1 minute.
Round 2 – repeat four times: