Plan and run HIIT sessions at your gym

Start with the session and the people attending

High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, uses periods of work separated by recovery. For a gym operator, planning the session means organising the space, equipment and staff support as well as the timetable.

Have a qualified coach set the exercises, work and recovery periods, and options for the people attending. This guide covers the operational setup, not a training prescription or a fixed interval format for every member.

Plan around the equipment available

Walk through the proposed session on the actual floor. Count how many people can use each station, identify equipment shared with other members and check whether moving between stations will interrupt normal training.

Agree alternatives with the coach before the session. If one station needs the only rower in the gym, decide how the group will rotate or whether that station needs to change. Avoid leaving staff to improvise equipment arrangements once the group arrives.

1. List each station and the equipment it needs.
2. Check quantities and space for the planned group size.
3. Agree the movement between stations and where staff will stand.
4. Prepare coach-approved alternatives for unavailable equipment.
5. Allow time for setup and returning the floor to normal use.

Give members a clear introduction

Before starting, explain the order of the session, how transitions work and how to ask for help. Make sure participants know who is supervising and that they can discuss a different exercise or session option with that person.

Keep the first explanation practical. Demonstrate the station flow and let the coach handle technique, suitability and intensity. A timer can organise intervals; it cannot replace the coach’s judgement about the person training.

Be clear about what the app records

speclo gives members workout plans based on their gym’s equipment, exercise guidance and a way to record their training. Keep the gym inventory accurate and show members how to finish a recorded workout.

A staff-led interval session may not match the workout a member has open in the app. Do not ask them to record exercises or sets they did not complete just to make the activity appear in the dashboard.

This setup does not depend on speclo monitoring heart rate or technique, changing intervals in real time, or automatically recording class attendance. Staff remain responsible for organising and supervising the session.

Review the session before repeating it

Ask the coach where transitions slowed down, which equipment caused queues and whether members understood the format. Ask participants what was unclear and whether they want help planning their next visit.

Review class attendance using your booking or staff records. Review speclo activity as recorded workouts, rather than treating the two measures as interchangeable. Use those observations to adjust the next session’s capacity, layout or introduction.