I read up on this a little bit about a year or two ago and it seemed like a great way to preserve muscle and burn off fat very quickly. I've never actually done it myself but I'm interested if anyone else has had success with it.
Anyone here utilize HIIT exercises?
- Thread starter Arkitech
- Start date
That's pretty much what i only do when i do cardio... i just can't stand running or riding for an hour or so. I'm not sure how 'successful' it is compared to normal cardio, since i've never done normal cardio before, but i like it a lot. I feel refresh and energize for the whole day after.
I found this artiicle
What if I told you how to lose all your unwanted bodyfat in just two short weeks with little or no effort?
Well, dream on, buddy. It ain't gonna happen. Losing bodyfat takes work. There are no shortcuts or magic pills (yet). But I will let you in on an effective way to lose bodyfat without turning into some automaton that sits on a stationary bicycle for hours on end daydreaming about the things it would rather be doing. (Let's see, was my last date during the Bush administration or the Reagan administration?)
Granted, most of us are not competitive bodybuilders who have to diet for competitions. For some people, this is powerful ammunition to stay in a perpetual "growth phase" 52 weeks a year (i.e., eating lots and lots to hopefully divert some of those nutrients into muscle mass). For others, it's just an excuse to turn into a lard butt.
Try this simple test to determine whether or not you're carrying too much bodyfat. Take off your shirt in the gym. If a group of people suddenly stop what they're doing, fall to the floor, and begin frantically churning out ab crunches, it's a pretty safe bet you're approaching the tubby stage. Wearing long-sleeve baggy shirts and sweat pants to the gym during a 100 degree heat spell is another indication you've spent too long in the bulking phase.
Here's what I'm proposing: commit eight measly weeks of your bodybuilding life to shedding excess fat and see if you don't look and feel a ton better. If you don't like the idea of doing aerobics, I understand your reluctance. I have good news for you. I've discovered a "better way" to burn off that unwanted bodyfat. And it takes only 4 to 15 minutes a day! If you think it's something you can deal with, then try sticking with it, and I bet you'll be wearing tank tops to the gym in no time. After all, the leaner you get, the bigger you look. Before long, people will be accusing you of all kinds of pharmaceutical indiscretions. ("I just know that sum' beech is on somethin'!")
Besides, shedding the excess fat to expose your muscularity is a great way to gauge your progress, sharpen your eating habits, and best of all, stimulate you psychologically so your workouts will improve, and you'll experience a burst in muscle growth!
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No Mo Slow-Go Cardio!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I know, I know, you already spend enough time in the gym. Your friends and family, prone to exaggeration, already think you have a little cot in the back of the gym with all your Inspiration photos tacked on the wall. Nonetheless, I'm going to ask you to add aerobic exercise to your workout schedule. Don't worry, though, I'm well aware the prospect of spending an ass-numbing hour on the exercise bicycle is not a pleasant one. Most bodybuilders, myself included, are an action-oriented breed. We can't stand to wait in lines, think FedEx is too damn slow, and have a hell of a time sitting down long enough to write an article.
Our need for high levels of stimulation make the prospect of low-intensity aerobic training almost intolerable. Truth be told, I can force myself to sit on an exercise bike for an hour, but I'd really rather shave my head with a cheese grater! Slow-go cardio training is worse than watching golf on television. I want action. I want a physical challenge! I'm a man, not some fluff-ball, pee-in-the-cedar-chips hamster mindlessly spinning a wheel in a cage.
If you're like most "aerobicizers," you probably haven't noticed too much of a difference. And the prospect of spending even less time is probably puzzling you. After all, we've all got some of that "more-is-better" attitude. Listen, too much aerobics burns muscle! Take a look at the vast majority of women who take aerobics classes after work: do they ever transform their physiques? Rarely.
What we need is a different approach to aerobics?something that keeps us interested, takes only a fraction of the time, and melts off fat more efficiently than low-intensity endurance training. Well, I've got just the program. It's called High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). It's an aerobic training program I specifically designed for bodybuilders. The premise is simple: rather than waste time exercising at a slow pace, hoping the fat melts off before you die of boredom, you alternate intervals of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise with periods of near-maximum effort. (As I mentioned earlier, each session takes no longer than 15 minutes, tops.)
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scientific Studies Show HIIT Works
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For years, we've been told low-intensity aerobic exercise is the best method for ridding the body of excess fat. I'm here to tell you that's not the case. You knew deep down, anyhow, that busting your butt burned off more fat than an exercise that allowed you to read at the same time, didn't you? Well, research shows our instincts were right.2,5
The reason this low-effort theory of aerobic exercise came about is a study showed low-intensity exercise burns a greater percentage of calories from fat as opposed to carbs;1 however, when high-intensity exercise is practiced, the research showed the percentage of fuel from carbs is increased, while the amount of fat utilized is greater than or equal to that burned during low-intensity exercise.4
In research, HIIT has been shown to burn adipose tissue more effectively than low-intensity exercise?up to 50% more efficiently!3 In other words, HIIT speeds up your metabolism and keeps it revved up for some time after your workout. The bottom line is HIIT training burns a greater number of total calories than low-intensity training, and more calories burned equals more fat lost. What I'm suggesting is you forget about the "calories burned" readout on the stairstepper or Lifecycle; if you practice HIIT training, the majority of calories burned will come after your workout!
Another reason low-intensity training became popular is the average, where's-my-remote-control American has no tolerance for high-intensity training. But, of course, if you're a weight trainer, high intensity is a part of life.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Add HIIT to Your Schedule!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One of the great things about HIIT training is it can be applied to all sorts of activities?in or out of the gym. Personally, I like running stairs or sprinting, but it can also be done on a stationary bicycle, a stairstepper, or any activity where you can alternate periods of high intensity with periods of low intensity.
The following outline is a general routine for boosting fat loss, one that's worked well for me. Of course, you'll have to develop at your own pace according to your level of cardiovascular fitness. If you follow the program properly, three or four HIIT sessions a week should produce significant fat-burning effects. To prevent overtraining, try to incorporate the program on your weight training "off days." Your HIIT program will likely be most effective if performed first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, but if you can't do it in the a.m., do it at noon, night, whenever!
Let's assume you're going to apply HIIT training to running sprints or stairs, like I do. I work in intervals. For instance, I'll jog for a set amount of time, sprint for a set amount of time, followed by more jogging, more sprinting, and so on, until I've trained for a certain amount of time. (These intervals are outlined in Tables 1 and 2.) Every other workout, you'll add another minute to your HIIT session. For instance, your first two HIIT sessions during week one will each take only four minutes. On the third workout of week 1, you'll add another 30-second sprint followed by a 30-second jog. Every other workout thereafter, you'll add another minute's worth of HIIT training until finally, by the end of week 8, you'll be doing a 15-minute HIIT session.
Of course, depending on your age, level of fitness, and how badly you want it, you'll periodically have to replace one of the jogging or sprint intervals with a brisk walk. After the 30- or 60-second "break," your heart rate will hopefully come back down off the ceiling, and you'll be ready to resume your sprint and jog intervals.
Let's say I'm just beginning. I'll put on my sweats and Nikes and grab my stopwatch and head out to the track. Table 1 indicates I'm supposed to begin with one 4-minute cycle. This cycle is listed in Table 2.
There. That's it. Only four minutes! That's all for the day! After doing this same program twice the first week, I'll add another 60 seconds to my HIIT training, just as indicated in Table 1. Every third HIIT workout is a little more intense, requiring that I add an additional 30-second sprint and an additional 30-second jog. No matter, by this time, my heart and lungs are starting to handle it.
As the weeks go by, I'll gradually add more and more minutes to my HIIT training, until finally, at the end of week 8, I'll be doing 15 minutes nonstop. By that time, the lines between my abs will be so deep I'll have to periodically clean the lint out with a Q-tip. (So that's where I dropped my car keys!)
The important thing to remember is sprinting is a very intense exercise. If you haven't tried to sprint for 30 seconds since you were a kid, you're in for a shock. Don't take off like you're doing a 40-yard dash. A groundskeeper will likely bury you on the spot where you collapse. Thirty seconds of sprinting should get you close to halfway around a quarter-mile track. Although you should ultimately strive to push yourself to run at 90% of your maximum, pace yourself as necessary in the beginning.
However, if you are not a well-conditioned athlete/bodybuilder, by all means, check with your doctor before starting a program like this.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HIIT the Bike or Stairstepper
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
High-intensity interval training can easily be applied to riding the stationary bicycle or stairstepper with only slight modifications. As the "sprint phases" tend to be a little less strenuous on the bicycle and stairstepper because of the limitations of the equipment, you'll want to jack up the intensity. In other words, don't use level one or two on either machine; instead, try to do at least level five. Start with a 4-minute "ride" during week 1, alternating between 30 seconds at 50% maximum-level effort and 30 seconds of 90% effort.
Each week, add a couple of minutes to the total amount of time you spend on the bike or stairstepper as detailed in Table 1, using your judgment to determine if and when to jack up the intensity level higher than five.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't HIIT the Dessert Tray!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a great program, but obviously, it's not going to work if you don't pay equal attention to your food intake. I'm not advocating any 1,000-calorie-a-day diet because that's the kind of thing guaranteed to eat up muscle mass faster than one of those strains of flesh-eating bacteria. Instead, reduce your calories only by about 300 to 500 below maintenance levels, and don't go overboard on fats or carbs. (FYI, "maintenance intake" for me is about 2,600 calories a day. So when I'm cutting up, I eat about 2,300 calories a day. I'm 5'9" tall, weigh 195 to 200 lbs, and my bodyfat was at 5.5% after my last HIIT cycle, which I felt was pretty good.) By the way, to maximize the fat-burning effects of HIIT, don't eat for about one hour after your workout. Then have a balanced protein- and carb-containing meal or supplement shake.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Of course, if you're content to do it the old-fashioned way and spend the better part of the day getting intimate with a bike seat and the rest of the day spreading baby powder on your chafed thighs, go ahead. Somehow, the idea of sitting on a bike and going nowhere is a little weird to me. It's like going into the garage and getting behind the wheel and pretending you're going for a Sunday drive. I'll take a high-intensity run on the track or up some stairs any day. But if I have to get on a bike or stairstepper, let me get it over quickly, so I can get back to my computer and work or go home and enjoy a little R&R.
After you've completed an eight-week HIIT cycle, give it a rest; take a couple of weeks off from doing aerobics. Then start a new cycle if you want to get even more cut. I think you'll be quite pleased with the fat-burning effects of this exercise technique.
What if I told you how to lose all your unwanted bodyfat in just two short weeks with little or no effort?
Well, dream on, buddy. It ain't gonna happen. Losing bodyfat takes work. There are no shortcuts or magic pills (yet). But I will let you in on an effective way to lose bodyfat without turning into some automaton that sits on a stationary bicycle for hours on end daydreaming about the things it would rather be doing. (Let's see, was my last date during the Bush administration or the Reagan administration?)
Granted, most of us are not competitive bodybuilders who have to diet for competitions. For some people, this is powerful ammunition to stay in a perpetual "growth phase" 52 weeks a year (i.e., eating lots and lots to hopefully divert some of those nutrients into muscle mass). For others, it's just an excuse to turn into a lard butt.
Try this simple test to determine whether or not you're carrying too much bodyfat. Take off your shirt in the gym. If a group of people suddenly stop what they're doing, fall to the floor, and begin frantically churning out ab crunches, it's a pretty safe bet you're approaching the tubby stage. Wearing long-sleeve baggy shirts and sweat pants to the gym during a 100 degree heat spell is another indication you've spent too long in the bulking phase.
Here's what I'm proposing: commit eight measly weeks of your bodybuilding life to shedding excess fat and see if you don't look and feel a ton better. If you don't like the idea of doing aerobics, I understand your reluctance. I have good news for you. I've discovered a "better way" to burn off that unwanted bodyfat. And it takes only 4 to 15 minutes a day! If you think it's something you can deal with, then try sticking with it, and I bet you'll be wearing tank tops to the gym in no time. After all, the leaner you get, the bigger you look. Before long, people will be accusing you of all kinds of pharmaceutical indiscretions. ("I just know that sum' beech is on somethin'!")
Besides, shedding the excess fat to expose your muscularity is a great way to gauge your progress, sharpen your eating habits, and best of all, stimulate you psychologically so your workouts will improve, and you'll experience a burst in muscle growth!
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No Mo Slow-Go Cardio!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I know, I know, you already spend enough time in the gym. Your friends and family, prone to exaggeration, already think you have a little cot in the back of the gym with all your Inspiration photos tacked on the wall. Nonetheless, I'm going to ask you to add aerobic exercise to your workout schedule. Don't worry, though, I'm well aware the prospect of spending an ass-numbing hour on the exercise bicycle is not a pleasant one. Most bodybuilders, myself included, are an action-oriented breed. We can't stand to wait in lines, think FedEx is too damn slow, and have a hell of a time sitting down long enough to write an article.
Our need for high levels of stimulation make the prospect of low-intensity aerobic training almost intolerable. Truth be told, I can force myself to sit on an exercise bike for an hour, but I'd really rather shave my head with a cheese grater! Slow-go cardio training is worse than watching golf on television. I want action. I want a physical challenge! I'm a man, not some fluff-ball, pee-in-the-cedar-chips hamster mindlessly spinning a wheel in a cage.
If you're like most "aerobicizers," you probably haven't noticed too much of a difference. And the prospect of spending even less time is probably puzzling you. After all, we've all got some of that "more-is-better" attitude. Listen, too much aerobics burns muscle! Take a look at the vast majority of women who take aerobics classes after work: do they ever transform their physiques? Rarely.
What we need is a different approach to aerobics?something that keeps us interested, takes only a fraction of the time, and melts off fat more efficiently than low-intensity endurance training. Well, I've got just the program. It's called High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). It's an aerobic training program I specifically designed for bodybuilders. The premise is simple: rather than waste time exercising at a slow pace, hoping the fat melts off before you die of boredom, you alternate intervals of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise with periods of near-maximum effort. (As I mentioned earlier, each session takes no longer than 15 minutes, tops.)
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scientific Studies Show HIIT Works
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For years, we've been told low-intensity aerobic exercise is the best method for ridding the body of excess fat. I'm here to tell you that's not the case. You knew deep down, anyhow, that busting your butt burned off more fat than an exercise that allowed you to read at the same time, didn't you? Well, research shows our instincts were right.2,5
The reason this low-effort theory of aerobic exercise came about is a study showed low-intensity exercise burns a greater percentage of calories from fat as opposed to carbs;1 however, when high-intensity exercise is practiced, the research showed the percentage of fuel from carbs is increased, while the amount of fat utilized is greater than or equal to that burned during low-intensity exercise.4
In research, HIIT has been shown to burn adipose tissue more effectively than low-intensity exercise?up to 50% more efficiently!3 In other words, HIIT speeds up your metabolism and keeps it revved up for some time after your workout. The bottom line is HIIT training burns a greater number of total calories than low-intensity training, and more calories burned equals more fat lost. What I'm suggesting is you forget about the "calories burned" readout on the stairstepper or Lifecycle; if you practice HIIT training, the majority of calories burned will come after your workout!
Another reason low-intensity training became popular is the average, where's-my-remote-control American has no tolerance for high-intensity training. But, of course, if you're a weight trainer, high intensity is a part of life.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Add HIIT to Your Schedule!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One of the great things about HIIT training is it can be applied to all sorts of activities?in or out of the gym. Personally, I like running stairs or sprinting, but it can also be done on a stationary bicycle, a stairstepper, or any activity where you can alternate periods of high intensity with periods of low intensity.
The following outline is a general routine for boosting fat loss, one that's worked well for me. Of course, you'll have to develop at your own pace according to your level of cardiovascular fitness. If you follow the program properly, three or four HIIT sessions a week should produce significant fat-burning effects. To prevent overtraining, try to incorporate the program on your weight training "off days." Your HIIT program will likely be most effective if performed first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, but if you can't do it in the a.m., do it at noon, night, whenever!
Let's assume you're going to apply HIIT training to running sprints or stairs, like I do. I work in intervals. For instance, I'll jog for a set amount of time, sprint for a set amount of time, followed by more jogging, more sprinting, and so on, until I've trained for a certain amount of time. (These intervals are outlined in Tables 1 and 2.) Every other workout, you'll add another minute to your HIIT session. For instance, your first two HIIT sessions during week one will each take only four minutes. On the third workout of week 1, you'll add another 30-second sprint followed by a 30-second jog. Every other workout thereafter, you'll add another minute's worth of HIIT training until finally, by the end of week 8, you'll be doing a 15-minute HIIT session.
Of course, depending on your age, level of fitness, and how badly you want it, you'll periodically have to replace one of the jogging or sprint intervals with a brisk walk. After the 30- or 60-second "break," your heart rate will hopefully come back down off the ceiling, and you'll be ready to resume your sprint and jog intervals.
Let's say I'm just beginning. I'll put on my sweats and Nikes and grab my stopwatch and head out to the track. Table 1 indicates I'm supposed to begin with one 4-minute cycle. This cycle is listed in Table 2.
There. That's it. Only four minutes! That's all for the day! After doing this same program twice the first week, I'll add another 60 seconds to my HIIT training, just as indicated in Table 1. Every third HIIT workout is a little more intense, requiring that I add an additional 30-second sprint and an additional 30-second jog. No matter, by this time, my heart and lungs are starting to handle it.
As the weeks go by, I'll gradually add more and more minutes to my HIIT training, until finally, at the end of week 8, I'll be doing 15 minutes nonstop. By that time, the lines between my abs will be so deep I'll have to periodically clean the lint out with a Q-tip. (So that's where I dropped my car keys!)
The important thing to remember is sprinting is a very intense exercise. If you haven't tried to sprint for 30 seconds since you were a kid, you're in for a shock. Don't take off like you're doing a 40-yard dash. A groundskeeper will likely bury you on the spot where you collapse. Thirty seconds of sprinting should get you close to halfway around a quarter-mile track. Although you should ultimately strive to push yourself to run at 90% of your maximum, pace yourself as necessary in the beginning.
However, if you are not a well-conditioned athlete/bodybuilder, by all means, check with your doctor before starting a program like this.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HIIT the Bike or Stairstepper
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
High-intensity interval training can easily be applied to riding the stationary bicycle or stairstepper with only slight modifications. As the "sprint phases" tend to be a little less strenuous on the bicycle and stairstepper because of the limitations of the equipment, you'll want to jack up the intensity. In other words, don't use level one or two on either machine; instead, try to do at least level five. Start with a 4-minute "ride" during week 1, alternating between 30 seconds at 50% maximum-level effort and 30 seconds of 90% effort.
Each week, add a couple of minutes to the total amount of time you spend on the bike or stairstepper as detailed in Table 1, using your judgment to determine if and when to jack up the intensity level higher than five.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't HIIT the Dessert Tray!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a great program, but obviously, it's not going to work if you don't pay equal attention to your food intake. I'm not advocating any 1,000-calorie-a-day diet because that's the kind of thing guaranteed to eat up muscle mass faster than one of those strains of flesh-eating bacteria. Instead, reduce your calories only by about 300 to 500 below maintenance levels, and don't go overboard on fats or carbs. (FYI, "maintenance intake" for me is about 2,600 calories a day. So when I'm cutting up, I eat about 2,300 calories a day. I'm 5'9" tall, weigh 195 to 200 lbs, and my bodyfat was at 5.5% after my last HIIT cycle, which I felt was pretty good.) By the way, to maximize the fat-burning effects of HIIT, don't eat for about one hour after your workout. Then have a balanced protein- and carb-containing meal or supplement shake.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Of course, if you're content to do it the old-fashioned way and spend the better part of the day getting intimate with a bike seat and the rest of the day spreading baby powder on your chafed thighs, go ahead. Somehow, the idea of sitting on a bike and going nowhere is a little weird to me. It's like going into the garage and getting behind the wheel and pretending you're going for a Sunday drive. I'll take a high-intensity run on the track or up some stairs any day. But if I have to get on a bike or stairstepper, let me get it over quickly, so I can get back to my computer and work or go home and enjoy a little R&R.
After you've completed an eight-week HIIT cycle, give it a rest; take a couple of weeks off from doing aerobics. Then start a new cycle if you want to get even more cut. I think you'll be quite pleased with the fat-burning effects of this exercise technique.
iamme
Lifer
- Jul 21, 2001
- 21,058
- 3
- 0
i tried it out for a little while....kicked my ass. i alternated sprinting and walking, 30 seconds each. after 10 minutes i was dog tired. great workout for basketball, since the game is lots of starting and stopping. it makes sense to me that this would be an effective workout, since your body's activity is constantly being changed as opposed to a constant jogging pace.
i haven't been able to try it out for a long time or combine it with weight lifting, so i can't say how well you preserve muscle mass. i've been having back pains lately, so i haven't been able to work out as much as i'd like. however, i plan on incorporating HIIT into my workout routine.
i haven't been able to try it out for a long time or combine it with weight lifting, so i can't say how well you preserve muscle mass. i've been having back pains lately, so i haven't been able to work out as much as i'd like. however, i plan on incorporating HIIT into my workout routine.
I'm going to give this a try on my stepper tonight, hopefully after a few weeks I'll notice some weight loss
Triumph
Lifer
- Oct 9, 1999
- 15,031
- 14
- 81
i tried it for a while and it was tough. but how effective is it for getting your excercise out of the sugar burning zone, and into the fat burning zone? i've always read that the length of time that you excercise is more important than the speed. maybe if HIIT can get you into the fat burning zone faster, it's worth something.
HIIT is useful for conditioning, as the key is to vary your heart rate throughout your workout. Someone that isn't fit is going to have a VERY hard time exercising at 80% of their max HR, and some HIIT calls for this (even if it is only for 30 seconds).
But would'nt that translate into rapid fat loss? Since the person is expending a lot of energy to get their heart rate up to that 80% it seems like it should give the body a shot in the arm to jumpstart the weight loss.
purbeast0
No Lifer
- Sep 13, 2001
- 53,573
- 6,406
- 126
i have tried it before, and it is MUCH MUCH MUCH harder than I expected it to be. the person who told me about the whole HIIT thing explained to me that the reason athletes are so ripped are because of hte way they do their cardio. basketball players, football players, etc, they all do their training for their sports, which are ann stop and go sports. they will be standing still one minute, next minute they are sprinting full speed. thats why you see the majority of them ripped.
he also told me that when you go into a gym and see the people jogging on the treadmill, they typically aren't the ones that are very ripped either, but are more all around fit. they will be slim with some muscle showing, but they won't be really cut. so this put me onto the HIIT to give iti a try, and it truly was harder than i expected.
when I do cardio i try to run harder for shorter amounts of time, instead of following the guide on the treadmill that says what page to keep your heartrate at. if you follow what is on the treadmill, you will lose a good amount of muscle w/the fat, and it takes much longer to see the results when jogging for a longer time, than sprinting and running hard for a shorter amount of time.
from my experience and the ways i have trained cardio, i DEFINITELY recommend to do the harder faster runs for shorter amounts of times than doing the slower paced jogs for longer amount of time. i have seen much better results that way.
god i can't wait for my ankle to heal so i can get back in the gym!!
he also told me that when you go into a gym and see the people jogging on the treadmill, they typically aren't the ones that are very ripped either, but are more all around fit. they will be slim with some muscle showing, but they won't be really cut. so this put me onto the HIIT to give iti a try, and it truly was harder than i expected.
when I do cardio i try to run harder for shorter amounts of time, instead of following the guide on the treadmill that says what page to keep your heartrate at. if you follow what is on the treadmill, you will lose a good amount of muscle w/the fat, and it takes much longer to see the results when jogging for a longer time, than sprinting and running hard for a shorter amount of time.
from my experience and the ways i have trained cardio, i DEFINITELY recommend to do the harder faster runs for shorter amounts of times than doing the slower paced jogs for longer amount of time. i have seen much better results that way.
god i can't wait for my ankle to heal so i can get back in the gym!!
Toasthead
Diamond Member
- Aug 27, 2001
- 6,621
- 0
- 0
I alternate this with long runs every other day 6 days a week. It is incredible effective and I whole heartedly endorse it. One thing you have to watch out for is to make sure you are adjusting the intesnisty to make sure you are reaching you % of maximum as you get more used to it. I find on the stairmaster I sometimes find myself sticking to my 'old' prgressinon when I really should be kicking it up a notch.
My question is how the heck do you know what is 80%-90% of your maximum output? Do you just go as fast as you can until you almost pass out or puke?
iamme
Lifer
- Jul 21, 2001
- 21,058
- 3
- 0
No, you do'nt need to monitor your heartrate... that's just what's physiologically is happening to you if you do HIIT properly, but i don't know a single person that actually monitors their heartrate.
I utilize my own set of exercises similar to high intensity interval training: are you guys ready for the secret?
I call it 15's.
I do 7 different sets of exercises and within each set are 15 reps. I
continually do 7 sets but each time I do the full 7, the reps drop down
to the next number: so 7 sets of 15 reps each, and then 7 sets of 14
reps, and then 7 sets of 13, etc. till 7 sets with 1 rep each.
The sets I do are:
Jumping Jacks
Pushups
regular crunches
knee in air crunches
legs in air crunches
leg lifts
--interrupt with 1 hand pushup to get up--
squats
All this is done continuously and must be done in a certain set time limit, appx 15-20min depending on your abilities.
So in the end, I end up with 120 each.
However, I've upped the reps to
16 from now on and you're supposed to up it once you can handle it.
If you think this sounds wussy, try it once. In less than 1 month time, I did this only 3 times every 7 days, I was a lot leaner and conditioned and you could see body definition.
I did not lose a single ounce of muscle and I lost 3 inches off my waist. This was all in 1 month.
I call it 15's.
I do 7 different sets of exercises and within each set are 15 reps. I
continually do 7 sets but each time I do the full 7, the reps drop down
to the next number: so 7 sets of 15 reps each, and then 7 sets of 14
reps, and then 7 sets of 13, etc. till 7 sets with 1 rep each.
The sets I do are:
Jumping Jacks
Pushups
regular crunches
knee in air crunches
legs in air crunches
leg lifts
--interrupt with 1 hand pushup to get up--
squats
All this is done continuously and must be done in a certain set time limit, appx 15-20min depending on your abilities.
So in the end, I end up with 120 each.
However, I've upped the reps to
16 from now on and you're supposed to up it once you can handle it.
If you think this sounds wussy, try it once. In less than 1 month time, I did this only 3 times every 7 days, I was a lot leaner and conditioned and you could see body definition.
I did not lose a single ounce of muscle and I lost 3 inches off my waist. This was all in 1 month.
When I started, there was no way to do this in only 15 minutes. 30 minutes was a good goal when you first start doing this kinda stuff. But I've conditioned to the point where 15 minutes is attainable. Remeber, it's done continuously.
Oh, u could easily modify the routine to do different types of pushups each time, different crunches and add more if you see fit.
The reason 15's work well is because it provides a motivation to finish the sets by counting down. Most people who are not prone to exercise lack motivation. The psychological effect of counting down sets allow people to continue.
This can be done during a lunch hour break or even at home. You'll feel the burn in no time if you start this. I've already convinced a bunch of people and many have said the same thing, it's the amazing how you're pushed to just finish and how fast results are visible. Screw dieting and running endlessly on treadmills.
man! when i just convinced myself to do hiit, i now see your workout and want to do it. . . decisions decisions.
15 jumping jacks for 7 reps is 105 jumping jacks right? then 105 pushups, crunches, leg lifts and squats. Then do 14 of each 7 times. Thats another 98 of each and so on and so forth. How can you do this in 15-20 minutes?
I thnk I have this thing all wrong.
TRENDING THREADS
-
Discussion Zen 5 Speculation (EPYC Turin and Strix Point/Granite Ridge - Ryzen 9000)- Started by DisEnchantment
- Replies: 25K
-
Discussion Intel Meteor, Arrow, Lunar & Panther Lakes Discussion Threads
- Started by Tigerick
- Replies: 21K
-
Discussion Intel current and future Lakes & Rapids thread- Started by TheF34RChannel
- Replies: 23K
-
-
Facebook
Twitter