5 Highly-Effective HIIT Workouts for Women

Wouldn't it be great if we could perform short workouts that would torch calories and fat while keeping our metabolisms boosted all day?

It may sound too good to be true, but I can assure you it's not! This form of exercise is called HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, and involves alternating between short bursts of intense exercise, pushing your heart rate to approximately 85-90% of its maximum, and periods of rest or active recovery. 

The main goal is to maintain a near-max heart rate during the workout, with rest periods preventing your heart rate from dropping below around 65% of its maximum. And when you do that, you're able to get your workout quickly checked off your to-do list while ensuring you see incredibly effective results.

I just covered what HIIT is and why you should be doing it, and now I'm going to go over the best HIIT routines for women, so you can get in great shape without dedicating an entire day to the gym.

Table of Contents:

• 5 Best HIIT Workout Routines For Women
• Reddit User's Favorite HIIT Workouts To Try
• Programming Tips For HIIT Workouts
• How To Build The Best HIIT Workout Routine For Women
• Benefits of HIIT For Women
• FAQs

5 BEST HIIT WORKOUTS FOR WOMEN 

Let’s first go over some great HIIT workouts for ladies of different fitness levels, then I will run you through how to build your own HIIT workouts, including some of the best HIIT exercises to use. 

HIIT WORKOUT #1 - Beginner HIIT Workout For Women (At Home No Equipment): 

This HIIT workout is particularly great for women who are beginners. 

For this full body HIIT workout, it is full length, meaning you can throw it on your TV, tablet or phone and follow along to it. The video includes a timer so you know exactly when to start and stop, as well as demonstrations of the next exercise in line during rest periods.

Beginner HIIT Workout:

Workout Details:

Perform each exercise for 45 seconds, followed by a 15-second rest. Complete all 10 exercises in sequence for one round.

• Easier Alternative Movements Included
• Total Workout Time: 10 minutes

If you want more follow along HIIT workouts like this, please be sure to leave a comment, like and subscribe to our Youtube Channel!

HIIT Workout #2 - Female Intermediate At Home No Equipment:

This HIIT workout takes things up a notch. It involves shorter intervals because the exercises are harder and more explosive and intense. This is a good HIIT routine for women who are already in pretty good shape and looking to burn calories. 

Perform each exercise for 20 seconds, followed by a 10-second rest. Complete all 10 exercises in sequence with no rest between them. After completing one round, take a short break and repeat for 2 to 3 rounds. 

HIIT Workout #3 - Female Intermediate to Advance With Equipment:

For women who need a seriously challenging HIIT workout, add some equipment into the mix, and you'll burn fat like crazy.

The best equipment for HIIT workouts are dumbbells or kettlebells. However, flat loop resistance bands can also be great! Because dumbbells are the easiest to access for most, let’s use dumbbells for this intermediate-advanced HIIT routine. 

Workout Details:

• Equipment: A Pair of Dumbbells
• Choose an appropriate weight based on the exercises below and your strength level. You want them to be challenging yet sustainable for 4 rounds. That said, you can switch to a heavier pair or lighter pair mid workout, quickly, if needed.

HIIT Workout #4 - Sprints (Distance):

Sprint workouts are perfect for HIIT. In fact, it is one of the most popular ways to do HIIT, and all it involves are SPRINTS, which makes it extremely accessible and all levels of fitness can do it.

You can control the difficulty simply by how much work you do, how fast you push your sprints, as well as using an incline for your sprints as you become more advanced.

Option 1: 10 x 50m Sprints 

Sprint the 50m then walk back to your starting line and immediately sprint again. So, your rest time is the walking distance back, which should be about ~30 seconds. As such, this workout involves greater rest time than working time, BUT the sprints should be INTENSE. 

Workout Details:

• 5 Minute Dynamic Warm
• 5 Minute Speed Walking or Jogging
• Difficulty Level: Beginner-Intermediate 

Option 2: 10 x 100m Sprints 

Workout Details:

• 5 Minute Dynamic Warm
• 5 Minute Speed Walking or Jogging
• Rest time: Just the walking distance back to the starting line of your 100 meters. Difficulty Level: Advanced 

HIIT Workout #5 - Sprints (Time):

Follow a 20-second-sprint, 90-second-rest format for this program.

This can be done anywhere outside or on a treadmill. Just run 20 seconds. Distance doesn’t matter. But it is good to keep track of distance as each set or even the next workout you can try to run a little farther. That way you know you are pushing yourself.

After each 20-second set, rest for 90 seconds. Ideally, you will be walking during that 90 seconds. Don’t just stand still (you can walk back to the starting line to keep track of distance or just keep moving forward and see how far you can go!).

Beginner: 7 sprint sets total

To increase difficulty: 

If you like this workout, the next time you do it, try to add 1 more set. However, at some point, you can only increase the number of sets so much. So, to make things more difficult, you can also increase the time or do this workout on an incline. You could even do this on an inclined street or a hill.

Hill sprints are the ultimate sprint HIIT workout, but save it for when you are more advanced because they are BRUTAL.

Related: How to Sprint Faster

Treadmill Sprints: 

One of our favorite ways to do sprints on a treadmill is with the treadmill OFF. That’s right.

Here's how to do it:

• Get on the treadmill. Don’t turn it on.
• Then, holding the front handles, power the belt (get it moving) simply by moving your legs with all your might. As you get going, it’ll be moving just as if it was turned on. 
• For a time frame, perform 15 seconds on, 45 seconds off. Aim to do 15-20 sets.

Redditor's Favorite HIIT Workouts To Try

Interested in a few more HIIT programs to choose from? Here are some favorites based on Redditor's real-life results and experiences.

HIIT Option 1 - Ab Routine:

One Redditor has had success with this ab-focused routine: 

"I have a hideous variation on a tabata one for days when I'm short on time, named tabatABS for obvious reasons: Each move for 30 secs, 4 rounds of each move. In the 30 secs rest, alternate burpees or skipping each complete set. 1 minute rest between each complete set.

1. Reverse burpee get-up (30s Skip) x 4 1 minute rest
2. Russian twist (weighted) (30s Burpee) x 4 1 minute rest
3. Jack knife crunch (30s Skip) x 4 1 minute rest
4. Oblique crunch (30s Burpee) x 4 1 minute rest
5. Side plank dip (30s Skip) x 4 Die a little bit

By the oblique crunch round, my abs are screaming at the prospect of 4 rounds of burpees... And sneezing is always difficult the day after. I love this one as it keeps me moving almost the whole time, feels hard and is painful enough to be satisfying. Plus not much equipment needed." (source)

HIIT Option 2 - Includes Weights:

Looking for a great HIIT program that incorporates weights? This Reddit user has a great recommendation. And if you're looking to make it harder, incorporate unilateral movements into the mix. For example, for KB swings, alternate between using your left arm and right arm.

"I'm a big fan of Jen Sinkler's Lift Weights Faster HIIT workouts. She's put out two huge libraries (both of which I own and love), but also has a bunch online if you google it. They're generally weight-based (hence the name), which I find more fun than a lot of other types of HIIT.

My favorites usually use kettlebells. Two I really like:

• Set a timer for 15-20 minutes and do AMRAP of the following sequence:
• 2 KB double cleans
• 1 KB double strict press
• 3 KB double front squats
• 10 KB swings (single or double)

By the end of this I usually want to die.

• Complete all reps, broken down into as many or as few sets as you want:
• 50 kb goblet squats
• 50 kb double push presses
• 50 kb swings
• 50 bw mountain climbers
• 500 jump ropes

By the end of this, I always want to die." (source)

HIIT Option 3 - Uses Cardio Equipment:

This Redditor's recommendation focuses on cardio equipment for the HIIT routine.

"I like the stairmaster and the treadmill for HIIT, and I do 1:3 intervals for both. I always warm up for 2-5 minutes first. Then, if I'm on the stairmaster, I run up the stairs for 30 seconds at level 15, and walk for 90 seconds at level 2. On the treadmill, I sprint for 30 seconds at 10mph/16kmh, and walk for 90 seconds at 2.5mph/4kmh. I repeat these intervals 10 to 12 times until I've reached 20-25 minutes, and then I cool down for 5 minutes. I do this 3x/week, always after lifting.

I love this routine because it goes by quickly. When I feel like I can't take anymore, I count how many intervals I have left, and it's usually just 2-4 more sprints. I usually watch YouTube while I do it, so I can catch up on my favorite YouTubers and it makes the time go by so much faster."  (source)

HIIT Workout Programming Tips

When it comes to HIIT frequency, two to three HIIT workouts per week is good. Essentially, you want to give your body at least a full 24 hours of rest and recovery between sessions. This includes other kinds of strength training workouts that you may be doing.

If you are a beginner and you are already doing some form of resistance training, start with just one HIIT workout per week, then work up in frequency from there. If you plan to only do HIIT workouts, then you could probably be safe around 3-4 workouts per week, making sure there's a day of rest between each workout.

HIIT Workout Schedules

A lot of women like to just do a few HIIT workouts each week in addition to some form of long-duration cardio. If that’s the case, aim for 2-4 HIIT workouts each week, spread out so you have enough recovery time in-between sessions. 

If you want to do some weight training along with HIIT, here are a few different workout schedules you can follow.

HIIT Schedule 1:

HIIT Schedule 2:

HIIT Schedule 3:

Long duration cardio can also be mixed in during mornings of full body weight training days.

HIIT Schedule 4 (Advanced):

There are so many ways to go about programming HIIT into your workouts. Ultimately, if you are doing a 10-20 minute HIIT workout, you want to give yourself 24 hours before your next workout. If your weight training sessions are intense too, then you need to also give your body and muscles the rest it needs before doing HIIT. 

That said, if you want to do quick HIIT workout finishers a few times a week, then you could throw in a 5-minute HIIT after a couple of your moderate-intensity resistance training sessions per week. That should be more than doable in terms of recovery. 

HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN HIIT WORKOUT

To build a HIIT workout, you need to consider a few things:

• HIIT Exercise: What exercise(s) are you going to choose? A HIIT workout can involve one or many exercises
• Interval Time (Workout Format): Work and rest periods
• Total Workout Time: How many intervals/rounds?

So, let’s go over each of these points briefly. 

1) Best HIIT Exercises for Women:

The best HIIT exercises for women and men are going to be big compound movements and explosive exercises. The only real difference between what exercises women should choose in comparison to men is if the woman in question has some limitations.

For example, a lot of women have trouble with upper body strength movements like push ups. It’s important that you can perform the exercise with high intensity and explosive power when doing HIIT. So, if you lack strength in certain areas, then choose alternative exercises that you know you can perform powerfully.

Here is a list of some of the best bodyweight-only HIIT exercises for women:

• Sprints
• High Knees
• Burpees
• Tuck Jumps
• Mountain Climbers
• Jumping Lunges
• Bicycle Crunches
• Lateral Skiers
• Butt Kicks
• Jump Squats
• Star Jumps
• Jumping Jacks
• Flutter Kicks
• Plank Jacks
• Russian Twists

The great thing about the above exercises is that they are suitable for all levels. Intensity can be controlled and easier alternatives can be made. For example, when it comes to HIIT for beginners, a full burpee may be too difficult, but a half burpee (without the push up and/or jump) is doable for nearly anyone. 

As long as you are getting your heart rate up very high, then it doesn’t matter if you are doing as many reps as the next person. Each person’s fitness level is different, so the look of your “high intensity” will not always be the same as someone else’s. 

2) Best HIIT Workout Formats: 

It really depends on what the exercises are. Is it a core-focused HIIT? Is it a sprinting HIIT? Are you using equipment or just bodyweight movements?

Generally speaking, the best HIIT workout formats (and thus intervals) for bodyweight exercises (and exercises with relatively lightweight equipment) are...

• 20/10: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off is a HIIT interval structure called Tabata. You can do Tabata workouts with one or many exercises incorporated. As you only have 10 seconds of rest, it is usually best done with less exercises or even just one exercise (i.e. 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for 10 rounds doing just Jump Squats, Battle Rope Waves, Burpees, or High Knees, etc.)
• 30/15: 30 seconds on, 15 seconds off. This is another popular option. Usually for the 30/15 format, the workout will involve multiple exercises, not all are explosive, as 30 seconds of work is a long time in the HIIT world. The 30/15 format is also good for HIIT workouts that involve equipment like dumbbells.
• 45/15 or 40/20: 45 seconds on, 15 seconds off OR 40/20. This is a good format for beginners as the movements will generally be less impactful so longer time is needed. In this case, a workout from 10-20 minutes for a beginner with a 45/15 format is good. On the other hand, this interval can be great for people who want to do a really tough yet quick HIIT workout.

Other HIIT style formats are Every Minute On The Minute (EMOM) and As Many Reps As Possible (AMRAP) Workouts. 

As for sprints, it’s usually the opposite in terms of work and rest time. For example, a sprint HIIT workout may be sprint for 20 seconds, rest for 90 seconds OR sprint for 15 seconds, rest for 45-60 seconds, sprint for 10 seconds, rest for 30 seconds. However, rest is not usually a complete standstill, it often involves either walking or jogging. 

Essentially, with sprints, you want to give it your all for a duration of time or distance (50-100 meters at most) and then rest just enough so your heart rate doesn’t go below 60-65%. If you are in really good shape, you can simply lower your rest time after each sprinting interval. 

3) Total Workout Time:

As we’ve already discussed, you really want to give it your all when doing a HIIT workout. As such, HIIT workouts will not be effective if they are too long. 

Always keep HIIT workouts to around 5-30 minutes. As a beginner, we recommend somewhere in the 10-20 minute range.

Why do we not choose 5 minutes for a beginner? Well, typically beginners will not be able to really push themselves hard enough for 5 minutes to be as effective.

4 Steps to Building A HIIT Workout: 

1. Choose a workout duration (i.e. 10 minutes).
2. Figure out a work/rest interval and the exercises that best suit that workout duration.
3. Calculate the number of rounds if needed.
4. GO, GO, GO 

BENEFITS OF HIIT FOR WOMEN 

When examining ladies specifically, there are three key benefits that women get from HIIT. These are:

1. Women have more potential for burning fat during intense workout than men (and they can handle more workload with this kind of training).
2. Women are more susceptible to thinning bones, which HIIT helps combat.
3. Women have monthly hormonal changes, which HIIT can help mitigate. 

In addition, women get all the same benefits of HIIT as men too, which are... 

1) Efficiency: 

HIIT workouts achieve a lot in a short period of time. With just ~20 minutes of high intensity interval training, you can burn as many calories as a long-duration traditional cardio workout does in around 40 minutes. Plus, you get additional benefits that cardio can’t give you, such as muscle growth. 

Now, it’s not to say that HIIT is better than cardio, but in terms of calorie burn, it’s definitely more efficient. On average, long duration low-intensity cardio burns around 10 calories per minute, whereas HIIT burns 15-20 calories per minute. However, the point of how HIIT burns more calories doesn’t end there... 

2) Metabolism (EPOC): 

After a HIIT workout, your post exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) will be much higher, which means for hours after your workout you will be burning calories at a considerably higher rate. This is because your body is working to restore itself back to pre-exercise levels.

As such, the calories burned with a HIIT workout must also include the EPOC, making it even greater than a traditional cardio workout which doesn’t create the same reaction. 

Overall, this has a great effect on your metabolism, which will help you to shed fat and keep it off. In addition, research has found that HIIT is more effective than steady-state exercise for reducing total body fat, suggesting that HIIT may be a time-efficient strategy for women aiming to lose fat¹.

3) Muscle Growth: 

HIIT is puts a lot of stress on your muscles similar to weight training, which means it can also promote hypertrophy (muscle growth). If you continue making your HIIT workouts a little more difficult over time, you can continue building muscle and strength.

At the VERY least, HIIT will ensure you maintain muscle mass (and strength), unlike cardio where if done in certain ranges of time and speed can potentially cause some muscle loss. For even better results, pair HIIT with strength training to see some serious muscle definition.

4) Versatility & Scalability:

HIIT workouts are both versatile and scalable.

In terms of versatility, you can use different workout times, workout formats and intervals, exercises, and even equipment. This ensures your HIIT workouts never become stale.

As for scalability, because they are so versatile, you can make them progressively harder. HIIT workouts can be highly effective from beginner all the way to elite levels.

On top of all that, HIIT will help you build a strong and healthy heart, improve flexibility and range of motion (bodyweight HIIT workouts are like a form of dynamic stretching), stronger bones, and overall athleticism (balance and coordination). PLUS, you’ll get a serious flow of endorphins soon after you finish!

FAQs 

Additional questions about high-intensity interval training that need answering? I'll do that here!

Is HIIT more effective for weight loss?

HIIT is highly effective for weight loss because it causes you to burn more calories at rest long after the workout is over and it boosts your metabolism through this and the fact that it promotes muscle growth. Most people want to lose weight in the form of fat, in which case HIIT is more effective for that kind of weight loss. Interestingly, a study examining the impact of HIIT on different types of fat in overweight women found that ladies experienced significant reductions in total body fat, abdominal fat, visceral fat, and hepatic fat after a 10-week HIIT program².

Is HIIT really better than cardio? 

I can’t say HIIT is better than cardio exercises because they are different. Ideally, you should be doing both because cardio is great for cardiovascular health, and HIIT is superior in terms of calorie burn efficiency, in addition to promoting bone density, muscle growth, strength, and more.

Are HIIT workouts good for belly fat? 

HIIT is great for losing belly fat. While you can’t spot reduce fat, HIIT is shown to be the most effective form of exercise for fat loss. Studies show it will significantly reduce abdominal and visceral fat mass with regular practice. Remember, all the ab exercises in the world won’t help you get a nice toned stomach or six pack unless you bring down your body fat percentage. If you want that, you need HIIT. 

HOW LONG CAN A HIIT WORKOUT BE? 

HIIT workouts can range from 4 minutes up to 30 minutes, but the best average time length is around 10-20 minutes. Beginners should start with around 10 minutes for HIIT workouts. However, as you become more advanced, you can work your way up in time (and/or intensity of the exercises itself - i.e. rather than doing sets of air squats do jump squats). 

Can I do HIIT everyday?

If you are doing HIIT correctly, which means very high intensity, then NO. It’s definitely not recommended to do it every day. HIIT is taxing on your nervous system, so you'll need adequate time to recover or else you will end up overtraining, mentally burned out, and your efforts for muscle growth simply can’t occur considering you aren’t giving yourself enough rest for repair.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR HIIT TO SEE RESULTS?

It really depends on the individual, how hard your HIIT workouts are, how often you are doing HIIT and what other physical activities you are doing. However, generally speaking, with 2-3 HIIT workouts a week, you should see some great results in as little as 4 weeks. If you stick with 2-3 HIIT workouts per week, especially in addition to other moderate intensity resistance training, you will get into the best shape of your life before you know it. 

SHOULD I EAT BEFORE A HIIT WORKOUT? 

First, keep in mind that sustained weight and fat loss depends on maintaining a caloric deficit. While the choice to eat before HIIT may not significantly impact fat and weight loss, it does play a crucial role in optimizing performance. Individuals accustomed to fasted exercise might fare well with fasted HIIT, yet for most, consuming a small meal 30-60 minutes before a HIIT session can substantially improve performance and, consequently, results. I recommend the majority of people eat before longer HIIT workouts, opting for a banana, a scoop of nut butter, or a protein shake.

SHOULD I EAT AFTER HIIT WORKOUT? 

Absolutely. Do your best to eat within 15 to 20 minutes of finishing your HIIT workout. Remember, HIIT is similar to weight training in that your muscles are going to be stressed and need fuel to recover. Get some protein and healthy carbs in after your HIIT workout and you are good to go. Also, drink plenty of water. Hydration is a must for HIIT.

HIIT Workout Plan For Women: Final Takeaways

Hopefully, after reading this, you're Team HIIT and plan to start incorporating this type of workout into your routine. HIIT is a great way to get in a fast workout, rev up your metabolism, and torch calories, helping you to hit your training and physique goals.

And let's not forget, it's fun! Yes, maybe a brutal type of fun, but the feel-goods you get after are so worth it.  So, if you have any interest at all in doing HIIT, get your workout gear on, and get it in!

Train hard, train smart, and the results will follow.

Interested in more great HIIT content? Check out our article on the 6 Best Fat Burning HIIT Workouts For Weight Loss!

References:

1. Boutcher, Stephen H. “High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise and Fat Loss.” Journal of Obesity, vol. 2011. https://doi.org/10.1155/2011/868305.
2. Maillard, Florie, et al. “Effect of High-Intensity Interval Training on Total, Abdominal and Visceral Fat Mass: A Meta-Analysis.” Sports Medicine, vol. 48, no. 2, Nov. 2017. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-017-0807-y. Accessed 5 Dec. 2019.