High Intensity Interval Training: Sprint Workout Menu Verywell Fit Nutrition Weight Management Nutrition Facts Nutrition Basics Diets Meal Plans Meal Delivery Services View All News Fitness and Nutrition What to Buy How We Test Products Fitness Gear Nutrition Products Tools Recipe Nutrition Calculator Weight Loss Calorie Goal BMI Calculator Body Fat Percentage Calculator Calories Burned by Activity Daily Calories Burned Pace Calculator About Us Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Search Running Burn More Calories With This HIIT Sprint Interval Workout By Paige Waehner Paige Waehner Paige Waehner is a certified personal trainer, author of the "Guide to Become a Personal Trainer"; and co-author of "The Buzz on Exercise & Fitness." Learn about our editorial process Updated on October 07, 2022 Reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by nutrition and exercise professionals. Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Tara Laferrara, CPT Reviewed by Tara Laferrara, CPT Tara Laferrara is a certified NASM personal trainer, yoga teacher, and fitness coach. She also created her own online training program, the TL Method. Learn about our Review Board Print Verywell / Ryan Kelly This sprint interval workout is a type of high-intensity interval training (HIIT). It helps build endurance, increase your anaerobic threshold, and burn more calories and fat both during and after your workout. For this workout, you'll have a longer warm-up (10 minutes) before going into four all-out sprints at a Level 9 on the perceived rate of exertion for 30 seconds each. Between each sprint, you'll recover at an easy pace for 4.5 minutes, giving you plenty of time to get ready for the next sprint. Precautions You may need more warm-up time if your body doesn't feel ready for the first sprint. Take as much time as you need to get warm so you can avoid injury. Keep in mind that all-out effort is very challenging. If you're an advanced exerciser, your sprints really should be all out, leaving nothing else in the gas tank. The recovery times allow you to refill your tank, pay back the oxygen debt, and do the next sprint. If you're a beginner, start with a beginner interval workout to get used to how intervals feel. Then, gradually work your way up to this workout. HIIT Sprints HIIT sprints start with a warmup period, followed by four 30-second periods of going all out with 4 minutes 30 seconds of recovery at a comfortable pace. This workout is best for intermediate and advanced exercisers who really want a challenge. Time Intensity/Speed Perceived Exertion 5 min. Warm up at an easy-moderate pace 4–5 5 min. Baseline: Increase speed gradually to a comfortable, moderate pace 5 30 seconds Sprint all out as fast as you can 9 4.5 min Reduce speed to a comfortable pace to fully recover 4–5 30 seconds Sprint all out as fast as you can 9 4.5 min Reduce speed to a comfortable pace to fully recover 4–5 30 seconds Sprint all out as fast as you can 9 4.5 min Reduce speed to a comfortable pace to fully recover 4–5 30 seconds Sprint all out as fast as you can 9 4.5 min Cool down at an easy pace 3–4 Total: 30 Minutes 0:55 What is Interval Training and Why Does It Work? Modifications Note that HIIT sessions don't have to be running-based. You can do this workout on any machine, set to a manual mode, or with any outdoor activity such as walking, running, or cycling. This kind of workout is probably easiest outside or on a stationary bike. Add a Dynamic Warm-Up Try starting with a 10 to 15 minute warm-up of dynamic poses that move on every plane, such as: Lateral lungesJumping jacksButt kicksHigh kicksFigure foursKnee hugsArm circles Try This Dynamic Warm-Up Routine Treadmill Workout If you are using a treadmill, you will want to build in more time around the sprint intervals, since it takes a bit for the treadmill to speed up and then slow down. Increase the treadmill speed about 10 to 15 seconds before the interval starts. It will take another 10 to 15 seconds to slow down at the end of the sprint. Recovery Make sure you take the time to cool down and then do a thorough, relaxing stretch. This kind of workout is very challenging on the body. Don't do this workout two days in a row; follow up with recovery day exercise like light jogging, strength training, or some other type of easy cardio. If you really go all out, do this workout about twice a week, with lots of rest days in between to avoid overtraining. 1 Source Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Jung ME, Bourne JE, Little JP. Where does HIT fit? An examination of the affective response to high-intensity intervals in comparison to continuous moderate- and continuous vigorous-intensity exercise in the exercise intensity-affect continuum. PLoS ONE. 2014;9(12):e114541. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0114541 By Paige Waehner Paige Waehner is a certified personal trainer, author of the "Guide to Become a Personal Trainer," and co-author of "The Buzz on Exercise & Fitness." See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit Related Articles Boost Your Speed and Endurance With a Simple Exercise Plan How to Do Sprints: Techniques, Benefits, Variations 4 Running Workouts to Increase Speed and Build Endurance Quick and Effective Treadmill Workouts These 10 Interval Training Exercises Will Help You Get Fit Fast Women Can Add Strength Training to Cardio for Speeding up Weight Loss How to Run Faster Get the Most Out of Your Treadmill With These Walking Workouts Add Intensity With High-Intensity Interval Training New to Working Out? Get Started with This 30-Day Quick-Start Guide Try 10-20-30 Interval Training to Melt More Calories How to Use Target Heart Rate Zones for Exercise The Truth About Your Fat-Burning Zone for Weight Loss Riding Your Way to Aerobic Fitness With Recumbent Bikes 6 Weeks to Fitness for Absolute Beginners At-Home Strength Training for Runners That Require No Equipment When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept All