How often is a HIIT Workout good for me?

HIIT and no end. What began as a trend a few years ago has meanwhile become firmly established in the fitness scene. Numerous studies confirm the excellent effectiveness of intensive programs. But how often can I do a HIIT workout without harming myself?

A real HIIT workout is very strenuous

HIIT is the abbreviation for high-intensity interval training. The focus here is on high-intensity. What do I mean by this? Judge your exercises by difficulty levels from 1 to 10. An easy endurance run is 1 to 2, and a faster run is 5 or 6. Conventional strength training is also usually in a range of 5 or 6. In a real HIIT workout, the difficulty level is always at least 7 or 8. Anything below that can be an interval training, but not a HIIT.

Exclusively HIIT is not suitable for the body

Regardless of your fitness level, a HIIT workout always pushes you to your physical limits. Each unit is a great strain on the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems. Therefore, the following must be observed:

• Beginners and sporty re-starters should do a HIIT once or twice a week at the most. Between the units, they should take at least two days off.

• Those who have been training for a more extended period can also do three or four HIIT units a week. However, it is not advisable to do a HIIT on two consecutive days.

A HIIT workout every day is not advisable

Although usually only 20 minutes long, HIIT stresses the heart and muscles. Both structures need sufficient regeneration afterward. Daily HIIT can otherwise quickly lead to overtraining. By the way: If you can perform daily HIIT without problems, you are doing something wrong. The intensity is then merely too low. By the way, a good alternative is a LISS workout. What it is all about is written here. Finally, a tip for all those who like to train at home: you can find many great HIIT-workout on fitnessblender.com.