HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is a trend that isn’t going away and there is a good reason for that – it works! In this blog, Head of Education for ViPR, Stephen Tongue, explores the benefits of HIIT training and how it continues to grow in popularity. ‘It’s a tool you definitely want in your toolbox, however, have you combined HIIT with another of our favourite tools yet’, asks Stephen. ViPR!

ViPR and HIIT are a fun and effective combination, so grab your ViPR and HIIT it with some vivacious vigour.

One of the reasons that HIIT training is so popular is that it can boost our cardiovascular health and fitness in less time than the more traditional LISS (Low Intensity Steady State) cardio training. There’s nothing new there but it is a benefit we’re more than happy to revisit. What is new, though, is that more recent research has also shown that HIIT training can be good for our brains as well as our bodies. HIIT training may help your cognitive ability outside of the gym, helping you concentrate and be more productive. If you have a busy work schedule ahead, it could be beneficial to train before you use your brain.

HIIT training saves us time relative to LISS and is also much more exciting. If you enjoy working hard or have a short attention span, short sharp intervals will see your workouts flash by in a heartbeat. HIIT training isn’t just for cardio machines such as air bikes or curved treadmills – ground-based bodyweight exercises have become an increasingly popular modality, with people jumping, bouncing and burpee’ing all over the gym floor. Loaded Movement Training (LMT) with ViPR adds another layer to this, challenging your movement and demanding more force output, which raises intensity. Add to that the versatility of the ViPR movement series and variety of grips and you have a whole new workout library to light up your HIIT routine.

Generally speaking, HIIT workouts are shorter than LISS workouts due to the increased intensity – typically lasting between 15 minutes and 30 minutes in total. The key element here is the intensity, which should be peaking at around 80-90% of maximum heart rate, which could be for anywhere between 20 seconds and 4 minutes. As this is difficult to sustain, short rest periods are often included to offer a recovery window. Examples of work:rest intervals might include 45secs:15secs, 30secs:15secs, 20secs:10secs but many protocols are available. As a general rule of thumb, allow longer rest periods for less experienced participants.

LMT HIIT drills don’t have to be complex; in fact, for beginners I would recommend you keep the movements really simple and just see what the added load from ViPR brings to the workout. In the beginners’ HIIT video, I have just used ViPR jumping jack variations and ViPR Tilt variations and it certainly feels like a workout. If you do want to get a little more fancy with the footwork and functional patterns, the options are there in abundance. Check out the ViPR Ninja Workout for inspiration, utilising more complex HIIT drills.

ViPR HIIT (beginner)

  • 5-minute warm-up
  • 20:10secs, work:rest
  • Round 1: Lateral Tilt Run/Jack Push x3
  • Rest 1 minute
  • Round 2: Forward & Backward Tilt Run/Jack Press x3
  • Rest 1 minute
  • Round 3: ‘V’ Tilt Run/Jack Twist x3
  • 5-minute cool-down

ViPR Ninja Workout (advanced)

  • 5-minute warm-up
  • 30:30secs, work:rest
  • Round 1: Ice Skater to Jump/Cylinder Catch/Foot Flick & Tilt/Plyo Split Squat
  • Rest 1 minute
  • Round 2: Advanced versions of Ice Skater to Jump/Cylinder Catch/Foot Flick & Tilt/Plyo Split Squat
  • Rest 1 minute
  • 5-minute cool-down

Remember that HIIT training isn’t for everyone due to its high-intensity nature. Participants should have a clean bill of health and a base level of cardiovascular fitness before attempting these workouts.

ViPR brings added intensity to HIIT by adding a light load and helping you achieve peak heart rate faster. Use ViPR to your advantage and make the most of its versatility by developing variations on the HIIT drills you're already using. The novelty of new drill variations will make the workout more challenging and more fun. Have fun HIIT’in up your ViPR.

Stephen Tongue is Head of Education for ViPR. His passion for movement training led to him joining the ViPR Master Trainer Team at FitPro back in 2013. Stephen has remained a part of the team until this day as well as picking up Master trainer positions with other big fitness brands such as TRX and PowerPlate. A successful fitness coach, Stephen has regularly created content throughout his career for national and industry magazines, news bulletins, blogs and social media. Stephen has been motivating people for over 15 years and finds changing the lives of everyday people brings him the most satisfaction.

References and further reading


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  • Liu Y, Abdullah BB, Abu Saad HB (2024), Effects of high-intensity interval training on strength, speed, and endurance performance among racket sports players: a systematic review, PLoS One, 19(1): e0295362.
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