HIIT

Sports abbreviation · Fitness and Exercise

HIIT
Stands forHigh-intensity interval training
CategoriesSports

HIIT stands for High-intensity interval training, a fitness and exercise abbreviation.

Workout style alternating short bursts of near-maximal effort with brief recovery periods, such as 30 seconds of sprinting followed by 60 seconds of walking. Sessions are often 10 to 30 minutes long.

Example: Monday: 20-minute HIIT on the bike, 30 seconds hard, 90 seconds easy.

Usage notes

The Tabata protocol, 20 seconds of all-out work and 10 seconds of rest for eight rounds, comes from research by Izumi Tabata published in 1996. HIIT improves aerobic fitness in less time than steady cardio but is more demanding to recover from. Pronounced "hit".

More fitness and exercise abbreviations

  • DB – Dumbbell
  • DOMS – Delayed-onset muscle soreness
  • EAA – Essential amino acids
  • EMOM – Every minute on the minute
  • EPOC – Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption
  • FTP – Functional threshold power
  • HRV – Heart rate variability
  • IIFYM – If it fits your macros
  • KB – Kettlebell
  • LBM – Lean body mass
  • LISS – Low-intensity steady state
  • MET – Metabolic equivalent of task

See all 35 fitness and exercise abbreviations →