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Is 1 hour of HIIT too much?

Author

Emily Sparks

Published Jan 24, 2026

Listen to your body, and don't overdo it.” High-intensity workouts should only be performed two to three times per week, according to both Shoecraft and Levine, to make space for adequate recovery and long-term results. Additionally, Levine discourages people from doing HIIT every day.

Is 60 minutes of HIIT too much?

Generally this goes on for 20–60 minutes, but for many people, 20 minutes is plenty. What's more, research suggests people find it more enjoyable than slower cardio work. While trainers agree HIIT is a useful tool in any workout regimen, there are some seriously compelling reasons you shouldn't do it too often.

How long is too long for HIIT?

Timing matters. A typical HIIT session should last anywhere between 4 minutes (like Tabata) and 15 minutes. Overuse injuries can arise if workouts are too long; cap HIIT workouts at 30 minutes.

Can you overdo HIIT?

Too much HIIT can stress the body and disrupt metabolism, the study found. Researchers in this study wanted to explore how much was too much for excessive exercise. They found that problems started when participants began working out nearly every day, with more long periods of all-out effort in each session.

Is 45 minutes of HIIT too much?

Our partners at Les Mills and the research they've commissioned suggest 30-40 minutes a week with your heart rate above 90 per cent. That translates on average to two 30 to 45-minute HIIT workouts a week.

33 related questions found

How much HIIT is too much?

Research shows that 30-40 minutes of training with your heart rate above 90 percent is a suggested maximum cumulative time per week, in order to prevent symptoms of overreaching. The study involved 35 healthy adults who regularly exercised for more than eight hours a week.

Is it OK to do HIIT workouts everyday?

HIIT is a great, safe, and effective workout, but there's no need to do it every day. Keep it to three times per week. You'll still reap the benefits and give your body time to recover properly. Aaptiv has strength training and HIIT workouts you can do at any time.

How do you know if you are doing too much HIIT?

How do I know if I'm HIIT-ing too hard?

  1. Excessive fatigue. Feeling tired all the time or excessively fatigued after a workout is a clue that you're training too hard and your body needs a rest.
  2. Sore muscles for longer than 72 hours. ...
  3. Fitness plateaus. ...
  4. Sore joints and frequent injuries. ...
  5. You're HIIT-ing every day.

Can too much HIIT cause weight gain?

HIIT may stimulate significantly acute cortisol response and chronically high level of this hormone can increase the risk of a number of health issues including weight gain, depression, digestive issues, chronic fatigue, sleep problems and brain fog.

Can I do HIIT 2 days in a row?

Two to three days a week is a solid amount of HIIT, says Wong, as long as you build in 24 hours of rest and recovery between sessions. So if your goal is to work out four times per week, he recommends two HIIT sessions and two resistance training sessions.

Do you need rest days from HIIT?

Because HIIT forces you to work to max exertion with minimal rest, you need to take some recovery days in between your sessions to allow your muscles to re-charge. Doing HIIT two to three times a week is enough to reap its benefits without going overboard.

How many minutes HIIT daily?

ACSM recommends most adults engage in moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise for at least 30 minutes per day for five days per week for a total of 150 minutes per week. Vigorous-intensity training, such as HIIT, should be at least 20 minute per day for at least three days per week or 75 minutes per week.

Is HIIT better than cardio?

HIIT is definitely better at burning calories and helping you shed unwanted pounds. The biggest reason is the anaerobic form of exercise. It burns more calories than cardio both during and after exercising. This phenomenon is called the afterburn effect, or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) effect.

Can you do HIIT 6 days a week?

HIIT done wrong could lead to injuries, burn out, and loss of motivation to continue. Realize that your body can only handle so much intense exercise per week. If you attempt to do HIIT and full-body weight lifting sessions 5 or 6 days a week, it's only a matter of time before your system crashes.

Can HIIT replace cardio?

“Numerous research studies have shown that HIIT programs can yield similar cardiovascular improvements when compared to more traditional, steady-state exercise programs, like running or cycling,” Kusmiesz said.

Does HIIT increase metabolism?

Some researchers have even found that HIIT increases your metabolism after exercise more so than jogging or weight training ( 10 ). The same study also found that HIIT could shift the body's metabolism toward using fat for energy rather than carbs.

Why did I gain weight after HIIT workout?

More Muscle Equals More Weight

All types of workouts, HIIT included, will make you gain muscle. If you are doing HIIT workouts with weights, then you will gain more muscle than someone who does not incorporate them into their routine.

Why am I not losing weight after HIIT?

If you are working a full-time job, going through life moments and doing HIIT classes four times a week, your body might be experiencing an overload, which will decrease your body's ability to shed those extra pounds, thanks to the hormone cortisol.

Will HIIT make me skinny?

One of the many reasons why HIIT workouts are so popular is because they're extremely effective for weight loss. When trying to lose weight, you want to burn fat and build lean muscle to continue to burn more fat. HIIT forces your body to use energy from fat as opposed to carbs. This makes losing fat more efficiently.

How long does it take to get in shape with HIIT?

But, how long does it take for HIIT results? If you are looking to increase cardiovascular fitness and VO2 max, HIIT can offer results in 6-8 weeks.

Is HIIT 3 times a week too much?

Two to three days a week is a solid amount of HIIT, says Wong, as long as you build in 24 hours of rest and recovery between sessions. So if your goal is to work out four times per week, he recommends two HIIT sessions and two resistance training sessions.

What are the disadvantages of HIIT?

Cons of HIIT

It's a highly demanding form of training and can put strain on the body if you don't have a reasonable training base behind you. If a progressive training program is not followed overuse of HIIT can lead to over training and increased injury risk.

Can you do HIIT twice a day?

TWICE PER DAY CAN LEAD TO EXTRA CALORIE BURN

are getting so much attention. But intense exercise such as HIIT can be dangerous to do every day, and even more at risk to do twice a day. Aim to have up to one of the daily workouts at or near maximum effort.

Does HIIT burn belly fat?

Can HIIT reduce stomach fat? The answer is yes, according to a 2018 meta-analysis, which looked at 39 studies involving 617 subjects. “HIIT significantly reduced total (p = 0.003), abdominal (p = 0.007), and visceral (p = 0.018) fat mass,” the study's authors said.

Can HIIT give you abs?

It is well established that the HIIT workouts target the muscles with increased accuracy and are ideal for building the abs and obliques.