HIIT has grown in popularity since it was introduced to the general fitness community; it promises fat loss, some muscle, and a hard workout in minimal time. It’s an effective training method that blends cardio with high intensity (and sometimes strength work) in an appealing format.
Over time, trainers have modified HIIT, especially in exercise selection. There’s nothing wrong with variation, particularly for specific populations or goals. However, there’s still a right way to perform HIIT, and some exercises are more effective than others; but there’s only one best HIIT exercise: Cycling.
Key Things You Need To Know!
HIIT is a method of training that cycles through intervals of work and rest to train at maximal intensity.
Over the years, the general fitness community has focused on the interval aspect rather than the modality and outcome.
Variations can work and make HIIT exciting, but some exercises are better suited for true HIIT
After looking at it more deeply, it’s clear that cycling is the best HIIT exercise
What Is HIIT Training?
HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) alternates work and recovery intervals to sustain high-intensity effort for prolonged periods (Wen et al., 2019). It relies on short intervals of maximal effort, followed by recovery intervals.
A typical HIIT interval might look like:
10 rounds
20s work (90-95% effort)
40s recovery (60-70% effort)
The recovery intervals are generally short, not allowing for full recovery. Rather, it partially replenishes creatine stores and lowers heart rate and breathing just enough to continue.
As a result:
Heart rate remains elevated.
Glycolytic contribution increases
Metabolic stress accumulates
Fatigue builds across rounds.
This is why it has generally been used to improve both anaerobic and aerobic conditioning, as well as VO2max.
What Makes A Good HIIT Exercise?
While HIIT can involve a variety of exercises, some clearly work better than others. Let’s look at the main criteria.
1. Uses Large Amounts Of Muscle Mass
Remember that HIIT’s ultimate goal is improving cardio and VO2max. This means you need to be able to generate strong demand for oxygen.
To do this, it’s essential that you use an exercise that engages large muscle groups. This is why you rarely see an effective HIIT workout that uses isolation moves like bicep curls or isolations.
Commenting on Tabata, a very intense form of HIIT, researchers specifically note this;
“Exercises using small muscle groups, for example, push-up, and isometric exercises are not recommended, because these do not elevate oxygen uptake during the Tabata-style training.” (Tabata, 2025)
So while you can use smaller exercises in a HIIT-style format, they won’t produce the strong demand on your cardio.
2. Easy To Increase Intensity
This is where many people mess up when selecting HIIT exercises. A lot of times, people pick any exercise and just do it fast or do high reps.
This can work depending on your goals, but it’s usually not ideal.
A good example can be jumping jacks. Jumping jacks can definitely work; however, they can be awkward at high intensity.
Again, true HIIT is meant to be performed at maximal intensities. This is the goal.
3. Easy To Perform
You should be able to perform the exercise easily; simple, fluid movements are ideal.
A good example of what doesn’t work is jump rope. Jump roping is an awesome, simple exercise. However, it’s actually quite hard to go “faster”. Once you get in a groove, that’s it. Unless you are skilled, once you get in a groove, that’s it.
It’s easy to trip when jumping rope. In a 20s interval, losing 2-3s matters.
4. Safe At High Intensity
This one is critical.
Performing any exercise at high intensities instantly increases the risk. However, this increase can be more pronounced in some exercises compared to others.
For example, we love sprinting; we’re not talking about running, but maximal speed sprinting. We think it’s a great movement, but it does carry more risk and isn’t a universal exercise.
5. Should Not Rely On Strength
Using strength exercises in true HIIT doesn’t work. Often referred to as HIRT, this is another form of training with its own unique benefits.
This is because you are now relying on muscular strength and muscular endurance rather than cardio.
Take push-ups: few can perform them steadily for 10 rounds of 30s/30s intervals. Are your muscles tiring, or your cardio?
So strength exercises are great when they’re used in the right context, but they’re just not great for traditional HIIT.
What Is The Best HIIT Exercise?
Now that we’ve outlined the qualities of a good HIIT exercise, let’s identify the top choice.
There are many great exercises that allow intensity, simplicity, and safety. Some of these include Mountain Climbers and Sled Work.
However, one stands out as supreme: Cycling (or Air Assault).
Why Is Cycling The Best HIIT Exercise?
To answer this, we can compare cycling directly to the criteria we’ve just discussed.
We can compare cycling to the criteria we listed above.
1. Uses Large Amounts Of Muscle Mass- Your lower body contains half the muscles in your body! If you opt for Air Assault, you’re now literally using every muscle in the human body.
2. Should Be Easy To Increase Intensity– This is where cycling really stands out, as you have several options to increase intensity:
Increase cycling speed
Increase resistance (or change gears on the road cycle)
This can allow a person to manipulate these variables to allow maximal intensity in a sustained effort.
It’s also smooth. Cycling is essentially one continuous rep, so there’s no jerkiness. This makes it much easier to increase intensity.
3. Should Be Easy To Perform- Again, another obvious and important standpoint. Compared to other exercises like running, cycling is basic and doesn’t require a ton of learning or fitness level.
Proper set-up is definitely important, and there are some key points, but relative to other exercises, it’s easy.
Everyone can cycle; literally everyone. This makes cycling:
A great beginner HIIT exercise
A great HIIt exercise for overweight trainers
A great HIIT exercise for special pops.
A great HIIT exercise for the elderly or youth
At the same time, it works for elite athletes.
4. Safe At High Intensity- Again, huge benefit. Cycling is relatively safe to perform at high intensities. Injuries from cycling are generally due to overuse rather than acute injuries, such as a muscle tear.
At the same time, it’s a no-impact exercise, so it’s easy on the joints.
5. Doesn’t Rely On Strength- Cycling can 100% improve leg strength; ask anyone who has ever climbed hills; it sucks!
However, if you’re using a stationary bike or even cycling on flat ground, you can increase or decrease the resistance to what’s necessary.
Best Evidence For Cycling For HIIT Training
So far, we’ve covered the benefits and practical reasons for cycling. But what evidence supports its effectiveness in HIIT?
We think there’s one piece of proof that cements Cycling as the supreme form of HIIT training: Dr. Tabata and his Tabata Protocol.
We mentioned Tabata above, but it’s an ultra-intense “HIIT type” of protocol. It was created by Dr. Tabata for the Olympic ice skating rink and consists of:
20s work interval at 100% intensity
10s rest
Repeat 8 times.
While it has been modified in the past, one of the most important variables of Tabata is the exercise modality: Cycling (specifically a cycle ergometer).
Cycling was specifically chosen by Dr. Tabata for the reasons outlined above. He’s also mentioned that while some exercises can work as substitutions, cycling is still the true form of Tabata.
FAQ: What Is The Best HIIT Exercise? (It’s Cycling)
1. What is the best exercise for HIIT?
Cycling is the best overall HIIT exercise because it allows for high power output with low impact. You can reach true max effort without being limited by skill, coordination, or joint stress.
2. What is a good beginner HIIT exercise?
Cycling is ideal for beginners because intensity is easy to control. You can adjust resistance and speed instantly, allowing you to train hard without excessive impact or technical breakdown.
3. Is cycling better than running for HIIT?
For most people, yes. Running in HIIT is often limited by impact, fatigue, and general endurance. On the other hand, cycling allows you to sustain higher intensity with less risk and more consistent output.
4. What type of exercise is best for high-intensity interval training?
The best HIIT exercises are those that allow maximal effort without being limited by skill or injury risk. Cycling, sled pushes, and rowing are strong options, but cycling is the most accessible and sustainable for most people.
5. What equipment is best for HIIT workouts?
A stationary bike is one of the best tools for HIIT. It allows precise control of intensity, quick transitions between intervals, and the ability to push to near-max effort safely.
Cycling And HIIT Training: Final Say
As you can probably see now, cycling is the supreme form of HIIT training. It’s intense, easy to perform (form-wise at least!), and easy on your joints. One of the best things about cycling is that it really lets you push it.
There’s something about its smoothness that is comfortable yet can be brutal at the same time. During your next workout, throw in some cycling HIIT at the end of your workout and really push yourself; you’ll be able to feel the difference.
Reference
Tabata I. (2019). Tabata training: one of the most energetically effective high-intensity intermittent training methods. The journal of physiological sciences: JPS, 69(4), 559–572. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12576-019-00676-7
Tabata. (2025). Tabata training in perspective. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. 50: 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2023-0506
Wen, D., Utesch, T., Wu, J., Robertson, S., Liu, J., Hu, G., & Chen, H. (2019). Effects of different protocols of high intensity interval training for VO2max improvements in adults: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Journal of science and medicine in sport, 22(8), 941–947. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2019.01.013
