Les Mills GRIT is a 30-minute HIIT class combining barbell, bodyweight, and plyometric exercises into a single high-intensity experience. What sets it apart from other HIIT formats is the emphasis on compound strength movements, squats, deadlifts, presses, and explosive power, executed at high intensity within scientifically designed intervals.
Whether you are seeking efficient conditioning, functional strength, or pure cardiovascular challenge, GRIT delivers all three in a class format designed by Les Mills training team.
How GRIT Works: The 30-Minute Format
GRIT follows a structured format designed to maximize results in minimal time. The class opens with a dynamic warm-up elevating your heart rate and preparing joints for movement. The main workout block alternates between strength-focused intervals and cardio bursts, typically following a work-to-rest ratio that challenges your capacity while allowing recovery.
Movements are performed to music with carefully choreographed timing. One instructor leads from the barbell platform while your own barbell and floor space provide the training environment. Les Mills releases new quarterly programming, keeping content fresh and preventing adaptation plateaus.
What Happens During a GRIT Session
A typical GRIT session flows through distinct phases. The warm-up prepares your body and nervous system through dynamic stretching and activation. The main block contains four to six strength segments, each building around a primary movement pattern, upper body, lower body, total body, or power, followed by metabolic cardio efforts.
Peak intensity arrives in the middle portions of class. Your breathing becomes heavy, your muscles burn, and your mind sharpens with focused effort. A cool-down period lowers heart rate and stretches worked muscles. Throughout the experience, instructors provide form cues, modifications, and encouragement.
GRIT vs Other HIIT Formats
General HIIT classes often emphasize cardio-dominant intervals with minimal equipment. GRIT distinguishes itself by centering strength, compound barbell movements performed at high speed. This creates a unique stimulus: explosive power development combined with cardiovascular conditioning.
HIIT Spin, by contrast, anchors the class to stationary bikes, limiting upper-body involvement. GRIT engages your entire body through standing barbell work and floor exercises, building balanced strength and coordination. The result is a more comprehensive training stimulus in the same timeframe.
The Benefits of GRIT
Cardiovascular power improves rapidly through GRIT. Your heart becomes more efficient at delivering oxygen, and anaerobic capacity, your ability to sustain high-intensity effort, increases substantially. Muscular endurance grows as you perform compound movements repetitively under fatigue.
Time efficiency is one of GRIT’s hallmarks. Thirty minutes produces training stimulus equivalent to longer, traditional sessions. The afterburn effect, elevated calorie expenditure in the hours following exercise, persists for hours. Mental resilience deepens through the challenge of high-intensity work.
Is GRIT Suitable for Beginners?
Yes. GRIT’s intensity comes from effort level, not complexity. Every exercise has modifications available. New participants start with lighter barbell loads, the instructors recommend removing weight entirely until form becomes solid. As your strength and conditioning improve, you progressively increase barbell weight and intensity.
Iconic instructors guide modifications throughout class. You control your effort level based on your current capacity. Within weeks, conditioning improves noticeably. Most beginners feel more capable and confident after their first few sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories does a GRIT class burn?
Depending on effort level and body composition, a 30-minute GRIT class burns 200 to 400 calories. The afterburn effect can add another 50 to 100 calories in the hours following exercise.
How often should I do GRIT?
Two GRIT sessions per week, combined with other training modalities, fits well into a balanced routine. HIIT requires adequate recovery, so spacing sessions allows your nervous system to adapt without overtraining.
Do I need to be fit to start GRIT?
No. GRIT meets you where you are. Modifications and load adjustments make the class accessible to all fitness levels. Your effort, not absolute fitness, determines the training effect.
Experience GRIT at Iconic
Ready to challenge yourself? Book your first GRIT class at Iconic Dublin. Our instructors will guide you through proper barbell form, offer modifications, and help you find the appropriate intensity level. You will leave energized, accomplished, and eager for the next session.
