high-intensity interval training

noun

: a form of interval training that alternates very brief periods (such as 20 to 40 seconds) of intense exercise at maximum effort with periods (such as 15 to 30 seconds) of less intense exercise
High-intensity interval training has massive benefits, but it can be daunting (hence the intense).Cosmopolitan
… scientific studies have shown that exercising exclusively in the anaerobic zones (high-intensity interval training) is the best way to decrease body fat and increase muscle mass.The Billings (Montana) Gazette

called also HIIT

Examples of high-intensity interval training in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Creatine can help boost performance during high-intensity exercises, such as sprinting, weightlifting, and high-intensity interval training. Jessica Swirble, Verywell Health, 14 Oct. 2025 There's a lot more to high-intensity interval training than the name alone suggests. Marissa Gold, SELF, 9 Oct. 2025 Using Respin Health’s exercise protocols from processing over 100 scientific articles, Peloton curated a Menopause Health Collection that includes high-intensity interval training, moderate intensity training, strength training, and mindfulness practices. Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 6 Oct. 2025 Researchers at Edith Cowan University in Australia investigated how resistance training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) affect cancer cells. Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2025 Options for tracking include basics like walking, running, and biking, as well as a number of different sports such as basketball, pickleball, and soccer, and other activities like elliptical workouts, high-intensity interval training, pilates, and yoga. PC Magazine, 16 Sep. 2025 James Gladstone, the chief of sports medicine at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine, told me that tennis resembles high-intensity interval training, which has been shown to improve cognitive function and memory in healthy older adults. Alexandra Moe, The Atlantic, 24 Aug. 2025 Muscle Growth and Exercise Performance Creatine is most useful for activities that demand short, intense effort: sprinting, weightlifting, and high-intensity interval training, to name a few. Boutayna Chokrane, Wired News, 13 Aug. 2025 Moderate activities include brisk walking, cycling or swimming; vigorous are jogging, running or high-intensity interval training. Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1984, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of high-intensity interval training was in 1984

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Cite this Entry

“High-intensity interval training.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/high-intensity%20interval%20training. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

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