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Will I lose muscle if I do HIIT?

Author

Noah Mitchell

Published Jan 15, 2026

Based on the study's findings, here's what we know so far: HIIT may not be the most effective workout routine to build lean muscle mass. HIIT, however, can help preserve or retain lean muscle mass, while MICT can potentially make you lose lean muscle mass if you're trying to lose fat mass at the same time.

Does HIIT affect muscle gain?

HIIT Workouts Won't Build Muscle Like You Think - Workout Tips.

Can bodybuilders do HIIT?

For the short, high intensity intervals, the body seeks out a quick source of fuel, unlike longer more endurance-driven workouts which can break down muscle for small units of energy. For those looking to keep those gains but get the benefits of quick and efficient cardio, HIIT is the way to go for bodybuilders.

Does HIIT burn fat or build muscle?

HIIT burns fat first and more than it builds muscle. This is partly due to it being a cardiovascular exercise, and cardio exercises burn more calories than strength training. You can still build muscles with HIIT programs, but you won't see the same gains as you would from resistance exercises.

What is 1 disadvantage to doing a HIIT workout?

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. Read about tips on how to structure your training year.
20 related questions found

Is it OK to do HIIT 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.

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.

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.

Is a 20 minute HIIT workout enough?

I've found that the sweet spot is somewhere in the 20-30 minute range. If your workout lasts any more than 30-minutes, you're probably not working hard enough to optimize the benefits of HIIT.

Is it okay to do HIIT on rest days?

Yes, rest days can be back to back from workout especially in cardio and HIIT workouts because the body may need more time to recover from the strenuous exercise.

Is HIIT once a week enough?

For this reason, most fitness experts recommend that HIIT be done only a few times each week. If you're able to do them everyday, you're not doing them right. They should leave you feeling exhausted and in the beginning, very sore the next day.

Can I do HIIT on rest days?

“Try to schedule a rest day or yoga in between to allow optimal results.” Basically, we're not telling you not to do HIIT. We're also not telling you to skip exercising on the reg. Fitting in some form of movement each day is good for both your physical and mental health — that's something all the experts agree on.

Is it OK to do HIIT 5 days a week?

Gottschall recommends that you only introduce HIIT after at least six months of consistent exercise, doing a mix of cardio and resistance training across five days a week. “At this point you can replace one cardio session with one or two shorter HIIT sessions, separated by two sleep cycles.”

What kills muscle gains?

Today we will examine 4 post workout habits that very well may be killing your gains….

  • Not Stretching or Cooling Down. This one tops the list because the majority of us simply NEVER do it. ...
  • You Add Peanut Butter in Your Post Workout Shake. ...
  • You Don't Eat Carbs Post Workout. ...
  • You Eat Like a Stray Dog After Training.

How many calories burned 20 mins HIIT?

To test the calorie-burning potential of this type of workout, the American Council on Exercise put together their own 20-minute Tabata Workout. In just 20 minutes, they discovered participants burned between 240–360 calories, or 15 calories per minute.

Can I just do HIIT?

“You can do HIIT one day and steady-state cardio one day,” Schoenfeld says. Bottom line: Keep exploring to find what you like, because that's what you'll stick with. If that's just traditional cardio, great. If that's just HIIT, go for it.

Is HIIT good for core?

To make sure you feel strong, confident and happy in summer outfits – especially that swimsuit – we have designed a special high-intensity interval training (HIIT) core workout. Performing these core-strengthening exercises at a fast, intense pace will not only strengthen your muscles but slim your midsection.

Should you do abs before or after HIIT?

You'll get more out of your ab workout if you do it before cardio because you'll have more energy, "which will allow you to train with more intensity," Lee explained.

Does HIIT give you a smaller waist?

Want to know the ultimate exercise for how to get a slim waist? Evidence has found that high intensity interval training (HIIT) can specifically blast belly fat. A 2018 study found that HIIT significantly reduced total, abdominal and visceral fat mass (fat stored around your vital organs).

Does HIIT burn leg fat?

SO, WILL HIIT MAKE YOUR LEGS BIGGER OR IS IT GOOD FOR SLIMMING DOWN YOUR LEGS? In most cases, yes, traditional, standard HIIT workouts will make your legs bigger over time, especially if you tend to build muscle more easily.

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.

How long does it take for HIIT to see results?

If you are looking to increase cardiovascular fitness and VO2 max, HIIT can offer results in 6-8 weeks. If you are looking to lose fat using HIIT, the results are 100% dependent on your ability to place yourself in a calorie deficit, which HIIT can help with, but is not the only factor involved in weight loss.