How To

Six things you need to know about… High Intensity Interval Training

Is High Intensity Interval Training a shortcut to fitness?

An example High Intensity Interval Training session

High Intensity Interval Training has hit the headlines as a quick fitness fix (Pic: Giant-Alpecin)
HIIT is said to offer more bang for your training buck (Pic: Media 24)
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Rafal Majka turns himself inside out (pic: Sirotti)
HIIT should be included as part of a varied training programme
Cobbles and pavements, or is that pavé and road furniture?

An example High Intensity Interval Training session

This is a great sprint session to include if you only have 30 minutes available in which to ride but want to get a quality ride in.

Because the sprint efforts are short, don’t ride to either power or heart rate – the intervals should be done at maximum intensity, so simply give it your all.

Five minutes zone one warm-up
30 seconds seated maximum effort
30 seconds rest
30 seconds seated maximum effort
30 seconds rest
30 seconds seated maximum effort
30 seconds rest
Eight minutes easy
Repeat above
Five minutes warm down in zone one

Hungry for more?

If you’re looking to add an additional HIIT session into your training programme, then the length of the intervals can be adjusted up to around five to eight minutes. Recovery should be set at a ratio of 1:1, therefore a five-minute interval should have a five-minute recovery period.

Changing the length of the interval allows you to tailor the session to your own needs. So, if you are a criterium rider you might want to consider 15-second sprints followed by 15 seconds of recovery, to replicate the constant accelerations of a crit. However, if you are aiming to ride a hilly UK sportive or road race then you may want to up the interval length to five minutes to replicate the length of the climbs.