How to Use HIIT Workouts for Weight Loss

Picture this: you hop on the elliptical, press “start,” and 10 minutes later, you’re already checking your phone, wondering if time somehow stopped. Traditional moderate intensity exercise, like steady jogging or cycling at a constant pace, can feel endless.

The worst part? You don’t always see results as quickly as you’d like. That’s where HIIT workouts for weight loss come in to shake things up.

HIIT, or High-Intensity Interval Training, is the ultimate hack for anyone who wants to burn calories, lose fat, and improve cardiovascular fitness, without spending hours on cardio equipment. It’s built around alternating short periods of maximal effort with rest periods or lower intensity moves.

Think sprinting for 30 seconds, walking for 30, and repeating as many rounds as you can. The science? Sports medicine research shows HIIT can help reduce blood pressure, improve aerobic fitness, and even tackle stubborn belly fat more effectively than traditional endurance training.

The best part? HIIT feels less like punishment and more like a challenge. One minute you’re powering through mountain climbers, the next you’re catching your breath before jumping into high knees.

You’ll burn more calories in a short period, keep your heart rate up, and enjoy fat loss benefits long after the workout is done, thanks to that magical post-exercise oxygen consumption effect.

In this article, we’ll explain:

• What HIIT is
• What a typical session looks like
• Best HIIT workouts for weight loss
• How to structure your routine

Ready to make cardio fun again?

What Is High Intensity Interval Training?

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, high-intensity interval training is all about short bursts of intense work periods performed at 80–95% of your maximum heart rate, followed by rest periods or lower intensity moves.

In other words, HIIT isn’t locked into one specific exercise; it’s a training method that can be adapted to almost anything: sprinting, stair climbing, rowing machine intervals, or even bodyweight moves like jumping jacks and squat jumps.

Think of it as a flexible framework. A group fitness instructor might design a HIIT workout using mountain climbers and high knees. At the same time, another might build one around a stationary bike.

The magic isn’t in the move itself; it’s in the structure. Alternating high intensity intervals with short recoverieshelps you burn calories faster, improve cardiovascular fitness, and trigger fat loss more effectively than traditional endurance training or moderate intensity continuous training.

So whether your goal is to lose belly fat, increase muscle mass, or simply improve aerobic fitness, HIIT training scales to all fitness levels and guarantees one thing: you’ll never look at boring cardio the same way again.

What Does A Typical HIIT Session Look Like?

One of the best parts about HIIT is that sessions are short but powerful. Most HIIT workouts last between 20 and 45 minutes, including your warm-up and cool-down. The main set can be as little as 10 minutes. Yet, it delivers more health benefits and fat loss than an hour of traditional moderate intensity exercise.

Why? Because those high-intensity intervals push your heart rate close to its maximum effort, creating a serious calorie burn and even boosting your exercise capacity long after you’ve finished.

A typical HIIT workout alternates between 20–90 seconds of intense exercise, like mountain climbers, high knees, rowing machine sprints, or squat jumps, followed by short rest periods or lower intensity moves to help your body recover.

For example, go all out with jumping jacks for 30 seconds, rest for 20, and repeat as many rounds as you can handle. That’s the beauty of interval training. It’s simple, scalable, and effective.

The great news? HIIT can be tailored to all fitness levels. Beginners might start with 20 seconds on, 20 seconds off, while advanced athletes push through longer work periods and shorter recoveries.

In short: HIIT is short, sweaty, and seriously effective.

Best HIIT Workouts

If you think all HIIT classes are the same, Crunch Fitness is here to prove you wrong. From strength-based circuits to cardio-packed turf challenges, each program is designed to push your limits in a fun and unique way.

Whether you want to build muscle, torch calories, or simply switch things up from your usual routine, there’s a HIIT style here for everyone. Below, you’ll find the most popular Crunch Fitness workouts to help you discover the perfect fit for your fitness goals.

4X4HIIT

A beastly, ultra‑tough 75-minute HIIT challenge using four rotations through four customized “quads”, each packed with hardcore exercises and strategic timing splits to elevate both strength and cardio endurance.

AccelerateHIIT

A 45-minute advanced cardio-burning class on turf featuring intense drills, brief recovery breaks, and all-out cardio blasts guaranteed to leave you drenched in sweat.

Badass Bootcamp

Push past your comfort zone in a full-body resistance and circuit-based training class that leaves you confident, sweating, and feeling accomplished.

Battle HIIT Out

Bring teamwork and competition to the turf: partner up and out-rep each other at stations, then face off in reaction drills for ultimate bragging rights.

BuildHIIT

A progressive eight-station workout designed to enhance strength, balance, VO₂ Max, and muscle endurance, with rounds that build in difficulty to elevate your foundational fitness.

CTC Launch Pad

A mission-based trio workout where squads of three tackle strength, cardio, and plyometric drills across three “missions”, intense, plyometric-powered circuits designed to make you feel like you’ve launched into orbit.

Dropset HIIT

Go all out in this strength-focused dropset training class, follow the rack, then hit a core set to reinforce stability and sculpt your midsection.

ExtremeHIIT

A relentless, heavy-hitting fusion of station, turf, and core work that combines strength, cardio, and endurance for those who crave an extreme challenge.

Heavy Metal HIIT

Rock out while working out: this class combines heavy metal lifts with turf-based cardio rounds, turning you from roadie to rockstar.

Line HIIT Up

Travel down 10 turf “lines” filled with drills using slam balls, dumbbells, agility ladders, and core work, capped with a fast-paced “Fast Lane Finisher” that’ll challenge your speed and endurance.

Muscle Maker

Focus on precision: a strength-oriented class that targets multiple muscle groups using form-driven movements to sculpt both upper and lower body power.

PunchHIIT

Tap into your inner fighter with moves inspired by martial arts and boxing; jump, punch, slam, and lift your way to peak athletic conditioning.

SizzleHIIT

A turf-only scorch fest featuring four training styles, Circuit, EMOM, AMRAP, and Reaction Drills, designed to push your strength, cardio, agility, and endurance to the max.

SlamHIIT

Move heavy, fast, and explosively: this total-body turf workout focuses on strength, power, and speed via alternating MAX and MINI slam-set efforts at every station.

StormHIIT

Enter the “eye of the storm” with thunder-and-lightning rounds that escalate across five level changes per station, designed to push your thresholds in an intense, storm-themed format.

StrongHIIT

A strength-centric, advanced HIIT class utilizing Crunch’s HIIT4 unit (and other stations) to up your strength, balance, lung efficiency, and muscular endurance.

SupersetHIIT

Harness the power of supersets in a HIIT setting: paired exercises at five stations deliver “super strength” results in a fast-paced, full-body format.

Tabata 20‑2

A razor-sharp Tabata-style workout in the Combative Training Center: 20 seconds of grueling effort followed by 10 seconds of rest, completed across 10 stations for total-body transformation.

TabataHIIT

Fast, furious, and team-based: six-station, eight-round Tabata loops combining HIIT4 unit and turf work to boost metabolism, speed, endurance, and flexibility.

The CTC Combine

Train like a promising athlete: partner up, tackle strength and endurance stations, then shift to agility and reflex drills for a sharp, full-body, prospect-ready experience.

Ultimate Challenge

Push your limits at each station with grueling one-minute work efforts, record your reps and strive to improve week by week in this tough CTC-style test.

ZipHIIT

Light on fluff, heavy on intensity: this fast-paced circuit blends station work with plyometric turf moves and core drills tailored to enhance agility, endurance, and speed.

How Can HIIT Workouts Help With Weight Loss?

Here’s the good news: you don’t need to spend hours jogging on a treadmill to burn fat. Research keeps proving that HIIT workouts are not only effective but also time-friendly (which means you can still binge your favorite Netflix show afterward without guilt).

Reduce Body Fat

Studies show that high-intensity interval training rivals traditional endurance training when it comes to fat loss, but in less time. A 2021 study found that even without losing “scale weight,” participants reduced both total and visceral fat mass. Translation? You might still weigh the same, but your waist circumference shrinks and your jeans fit better.

Short HIIT regimens are especially great for targeting stubborn belly fat, thanks in part to excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC)—basically, your body keeps burning calories while you’re lying on the couch afterward. Magic, right?

Increase Muscle Gain

HIIT isn’t just about fat loss; it also helps you increase muscle mass. A 2018 study noted that HIIT can stimulate muscle size in individuals with higher body weight or obesity. Another 2022 study showed improvements in muscle oxidative ability (that’s fancy science for your muscles to get better at using energy), leading to muscle gain and fat reduction at the same time. Talk about a win-win.

Burn Calories Fast

If your goal is a serious calorie burn, HIIT wins again. A 2015 study compared treadmill running, cycling, weight training, and HIIT. The result? HIIT burned 25–30% more calories in the same amount of time. So, while others are plodding along on cardio equipment, you’re burning more in less time, and maybe even having more fun.

So yes, HIIT is sweaty, tough, and sometimes brutal. Still, it’s also efficient, science-backed, and way more exciting than endless moderate intensity continuous training.

Structuring Your HIIT Workout Plan

• Frequency: Stick to 2–3 HIIT sessions per week and space them out with recovery days. This gives your body the rest it needs and helps prevent burnout.
• Progression: As you adapt, push a little harder, extend your work intervals, shorten your rest, or add more rounds to keep challenging yourself.
• Form: Proper movement is more important than speed. Whether you’re doing high knees, squat jumps, or mountain climbers, clean technique keeps you safe and makes every rep more effective.
• Add Strength Work: Mix in resistance training on alternate days. This combo not only helps build lean muscle but also boosts your metabolism and makes your HIIT sessions even more effective for fat loss.

Reach your Fitness Goals with Crunch

Crunch’s group fitness classes promote a culture of fun with no judgments. It’s an environment for all types of individuals with various goals. Find a Crunch gym near you to try our free trial membership, or join Crunch now. Your goals are made to be crushed. With Crunch, you’ll have the tools, resources, and support to make it happen.

FAQ’s

Are HIIT Workouts Suitable For Beginners At Crunch Fitness?

Yes! HIIT workouts at Crunch Fitness are designed for all fitness levels, including beginners. Certified personal trainers can adjust intensity, rest periods, and movements so you build strength, confidence, and endurance safely while still getting results.

How Many Times A Week Should I Do HIIT For Weight Loss?

For effective weight loss, aim for 2–3 HIIT sessions per week. This gives your body enough time to recover while keeping your metabolism fired up. Pairing HIIT with other workouts like moderate intensity exercise or strength training can help balance your routine and prevent burnout.

Can I Combine HIIT With Strength Training At Crunch Fitness?

Absolutely! In fact, combining HIIT with strength training is one of the best ways to build lean muscle, improve aerobic fitness, and accelerate fat loss. At Crunch Fitness, you can easily mix cardio intervals with resistance exercises for a balanced, full-body workout.

Do I Need Any Special Equipment For HIIT Workouts At The Gym?

Not always. Many HIIT routines use body weight exercises such as mountain climbers, high knees, or squat jumps. However, at Crunch Fitness, you’ll also have access to equipments, free weights, and other areas to add variety and challenge as you progress.