High-intensity interval training alternates short bursts of hard effort with periods of easier recovery or complete rest. A classic structure might be 30 seconds of fast squats or sprints followed by 30 seconds of walking, repeated for 15 to 25 minutes. During the work intervals you push to a level where talking in full sentences becomes difficult. During the recovery you bring your heart rate back down before the next round.
That is the key difference between HIIT and an ordinary cardio session. Steady-state cardio, like a 45-minute jog, keeps you at one moderate pace. HIIT deliberately swings between high and low. Because the hard parts are so intense, a HIIT session is usually shorter, which is a big part of the appeal for busy people.
A few related terms you will meet on HIIT apps and online HIIT classes:
Mr. Healthy’s evidence check: WHO guidelines suggest adults get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity per week. HIIT counts as vigorous activity, so a few sessions a week can make a real contribution. Research links interval training to improvements in aerobic fitness and cardiovascular markers, but it is not a shortcut around consistency, sleep or nutrition. Most coaches recommend two or three HIIT sessions per week with recovery days in between.
Ms. Exercise’s reality check: if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, joint problems, are pregnant or are returning from injury, speak to your doctor before starting a high-intensity program. Intensity is relative, so a good HIIT platform should always give you a way to scale down.
Interval training is much older than the apps on your phone. In the early 20th century, running coaches experimented with alternating fast and slow efforts. The most famous early champion was the Czech runner Emil Zátopek, who became known for punishing sessions of repeated fast laps with short jogging recoveries. He won three gold medals at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, in the 5,000 m, 10,000 m and the marathon, and turned interval work into running legend.
In 1996, Japanese researcher Izumi Tabata published a study on short, all-out cycling intervals: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, eight rounds. The protocol now carries his name and appears on almost every HIIT app and interval timer. In the 2000s, research groups including Martin Gibala’s lab at McMaster University explored how low-volume, high-intensity intervals could produce training adaptations in a fraction of the time of traditional endurance work. The “short but effective” message went mainstream.
Then came the home-fitness wave. DVD programs like Insanity turned HIIT into a living-room phenomenon in the late 2000s. Boutique studios such as Barry’s built entire brands around interval classes. Gym chains rolled out licensed formats like Les Mills GRIT. The pandemic pushed everything online, and today you can stream a studio-style HIIT class from New York or Melbourne, or let an app generate a fresh workout every time you open it.
For readers who want to go deep, the coaching textbook by Paul Laursen and Martin Buchheit, The Science and Application of High-Intensity Interval Training, is the standard reference among sports scientists.
In the ACSM Worldwide Fitness Trends survey, HIIT topped the list in 2014 and again from 2018 to 2020, but it has since slipped out of the top 10. HIIT has not disappeared. It has been right-sized: professionals now see it as one powerful tool alongside strength, mobility and walking, not a do-it-every-day miracle. That is exactly the lens we used for this guide.
The best HIIT workout is the one you will repeat. This part of the guide is the checklist we used when comparing the best HIIT workouts and platforms.
Some HIIT programs assume you can already jump, sprint and hold a plank. Others start with a “Level 0” or low-impact option. If you are new to exercise or returning after a long break, look for HIIT for beginners: modifications on screen, slower progressions and a clear warm-up.
Live classes give you accountability and a real coach. On-demand libraries let you train whenever you want. App-generated workouts build a new session around your time and equipment. Think about what has kept you consistent in the past.
Many HIIT workouts at home need nothing but a mat. Others add dumbbells, kettlebells or a treadmill. Check what a platform expects before you subscribe, and be honest about whether your neighbours will appreciate burpees at 6 a.m.
Do you want a high-energy instructor shouting you through the last ten seconds, or quiet timer beeps so you can play your own music? This sounds trivial, but motivation decides whether you come back.
HIIT subscriptions range from a few dollars per month to around 40 dollars. Almost every platform offers a free trial of 7 to 30 days. Use it properly: try at least three different workouts before you decide. Some brands also offer live classes in house at their studios, which is a great option if one is near you.
Even the best HIIT workouts work better as part of a balanced week: two or three interval sessions, plus strength, mobility and plenty of easy movement. If you want to round out your training, these HNE guides and reviews are a good next stop:
These are the best HIIT workouts and platforms covered in this guide, grouped by what they do best. Click through to each full review for pricing details, pros and cons and our HNE Index score.
Les Mills GRIT is a 30-minute HIIT class format that comes in three flavours: Athletic for power and speed, Cardio for bodyweight stamina and Strength for HIIT blended with resistance training. You can take it as a live class in house at thousands of partner gyms worldwide or stream it at home through LES MILLS+. Les Mills itself positions GRIT for people with a moderate fitness level, so complete beginners may want to build up first. Mr. Healthy rates the structure highly: twice a week is the recommended dose, which fits neatly into a balanced plan.
The program that made max interval training famous. Shaun T’s Insanity is a 60-day, no-equipment cardio program built on long bursts of near-maximal effort with short rests. Today it lives inside the BODi subscription, which also unlocks more than a hundred other programs. Ms. Exercise’s verdict: brilliant if you love a challenge and have healthy joints, but this is high-impact HIIT, so it scored lowest on beginner friendliness in our review.
Choose GRIT if you want shorter 30-minute sessions, the option of in-person classes and more variety between strength and cardio. Choose Insanity if you want a fixed 60-day home program with a clear start and finish line and you are happy to jump a lot.
HIIT the Beat, formerly known as Breakletics, is a German app that combines high-intensity intervals with urban movement and breakdance-inspired skills, all led by the music. No equipment is needed, and weekly live online group sessions are included in the membership. Pricing sits at around 17 euros per month or 149 euros per year, with a 7-day free trial. There is no free tier. The coordination element takes a few sessions to click, but it is the most genuinely fun HIIT workout in this guide.
From the team behind the popular Down Dog yoga app, Down Dog HIIT builds a brand-new workout every time you press start. You choose length, level, focus areas, work and rest intervals, and even exclude exercises that bother your wrists or knees. A Level 0 setting makes it one of the most beginner-friendly HIIT programs around. It is very well rated on the App Store and costs about 7.99 dollars per month or 49.99 dollars per year. It earned the highest HNE Index in this guide.
Founded by Krista Stryker, author of The 12-Minute Athlete, this app offers more than 185 HIIT workouts lasting 12 or 16 minutes, using bodyweight or minimal equipment. The base app is free to download, and the Super Athlete upgrade adds a virtual gym for a modest monthly or annual fee. Mr. Healthy likes the honesty of the concept: short, hard and repeatable. Some users find the app design dated, but the workouts themselves are solid.
Group HIIT takes a refreshingly calm approach: its on-demand HIIT videos have no talking, just timer beeps, so you can play your own music. The library covers more than 1,000 HIIT, yoga and mobility classes, plus structured programs from Spark Fit for beginners to Blaze Fit for advanced users, low-impact options and even workouts for kids. There is a 14-day free trial and a Roku channel for training on your TV. Great for families and mixed-level groups.
Pick Down Dog HIIT if you want maximum customisation and a fresh workout every day. Pick 12 Minute Athlete if you prefer set, proven workouts with a strict time cap and a free entry point.
Barry’s X is the digital arm of the famous Red Room studios, with more than 1,000 on-demand HIIT, strength and cardio videos. You get a generous 30-day free trial, then pay 39.99 dollars per month, the priciest digital option in this guide. If a Barry’s studio is near you, you can also mix in live classes in house. Ms. Exercise loves the coaching energy, but beginners should expect a steep start.
Fhitting Room is a New York boutique brand known for kettlebell-based HIIT and strength training with small classes and very hands-on trainers. Its at-home offer includes LIVE! virtual classes and an on-demand library, and you can also book live classes in house at its Upper West Side studio. You will need kettlebells or dumbbells, which makes it a strong pick for people who want HIIT with a real strength component.
The HIIT Factory is an Australian studio brand built around 30-minute HIIT, strength and spin sessions. Alongside its studios, which offer live classes in house, it runs livestream classes and transformation challenges for people training at home. It is a smaller operation than the big names here and publishes less detail online, but it is a genuine HIIT specialist with real coaching.
Barry’s X wins on library size and brand experience. Fhitting Room wins on smaller-group coaching and a stronger kettlebell focus. Both are best value if you can combine streaming with occasional studio visits.
HIIT is no longer the shiny number one fitness trend, and that is good news. It means we can finally treat it like what it is: an efficient, evidence-supported way to build fitness when it is done two or three times a week, scaled to your level and balanced with strength, mobility and rest.
Our quick picks from this best HIIT workouts guide: if you are brand new, start with Down Dog HIIT or Group HIIT and their beginner options. If you want short, no-nonsense sessions, try 12 Minute Athlete. If music is your motivator, HIIT the Beat and Les Mills GRIT will keep you moving. If you want a big challenge, Insanity is still waiting. And if you crave boutique coaching, Barry’s X, Fhitting Room and The HIIT Factory bring the studio to your living room, with live classes in house when you want the real thing.
Use the free trials, listen to your body and remember that the best HIIT workouts are the ones you finish feeling stronger, not broken. See you in the next interval.
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