20 Minutes of HIIT and only 300 Calories?

TomO said:
Yes, it is good. But it is not HIIT. This is heavy interval training. And it's good, because it will really get your heart pumping. But if it were HIIT, about 30 seconds would be the most you could do on your sprints, because that's about all the body can tolerate at 95% of max hr.
Click to expand...

Could you give me a rough sketch of how you do HIIT ?
 
Indigo said:
Could you give me a rough sketch of how you do HIIT ?
Click to expand...

First of all, people are so hyped up about HIIT when it comes to training - as compared to steady state cardio - primarily for 2 reasons . One , is that compared to steady state cardio, HIIT is a form of interval training ( that has been around for decades ) and interval training is one of the fastest ways to improve your cardio fitness. The second is that, compared to steady state cardio , it optimizes the burning of fat by your body after exercise.

However, when it comes to HIIT, " how to do it " isn't cast in stone IMO. Take the time of your work interval as an example. The work interval doesn't have to be 20 seconds or even even 30 seconds. The landmark study done up here in Canada ( Tremblay et. al ) that associated HIIT with optimal fat loss used rather short intervals ranging anywhere from 15- 30 seconds to much longer intervals ranging from 60 seconds to 90 seconds. Ditto for the rest interval. It can be 1 minute , or it can be longer ( depending on the work interval ). In the study I just mentioned, they let some rest intervals reach a lower threshold heart rate of 120 - 130 beats per minute. In this case, the rest interval lower threshold was the equivalent of about 65%MHR+/- for many of the subjects in the study. In terms of time, getting to this 120-130 beats per minute lower threshold heart rate could easily take anywhere from 1, 2 or 3 minutes of recovery - it varies.

But the key issue when it comes to HIIT is " high intensity ". That said, if you want a general rule to follow, I'd suggest you simply try go ' all out ' during the work intervals - go as hard as you can handle . Now if it is a 15-30 second work interval , you might hit 95% MHR - 90%+MHR going flat out. If you do longer intervals of 1 to 2 minutes ( as you were doing ) , continue to go hard, but you'll likely only be able to sustain something like 80% - 90% MHR. During your rest / recovery interval, you want to slow down to around 60+/-% of your MHR. If you have a heart monitor you can track this and then resume your work interval once your reach that level. Thing is, most of us don't train with heart rate monitors, so you'll have to opt for a simpler approach...such as a timed interval or one simply based on your perceived level of exertion ( i.e when you get most - but not all - of your breath back.)

One suggestion is to go 1 minute hard followed by 2 minutes of ' active ' ( i.e running instead of walking ) recovery. It's a simple 1:2 interval protocol I used when I did lactate threshold training for some of my hockey teams , but it is also is great for fat loss. There is a very reputable strength an conditioning coach named Alwyn Cosgrove who advocates a similar 1:2 protocol ( he calls it " Afterburn " advocating 1 minute hard and 2 minutes active recovery ) aimed directly at optmizing fat loss. So, you could try something like 1 minute on your treadmill at a much higher mph like 10 ,12+ mph, or 8 mph along with an incline of 6+/-...then recover by running at 4 or 5 mph for 2 minutes. If you're are still gasping for air after 2 minutes recovery, just keep recovering till you get almost all your breath back . That could be 2.5 minutes, 3 or 4 minutes, depending on your fitness level. Or ease up on your work interval so you can stick to the 1:2 protocol.

All I'm saying, is that there a lot of ways to structure a HIIT and how you go about it depends a lot on what your current fitness level is and what your goals are. You have to go thru some trial and error to see what works best for you.:)
 
Last edited:
steve99 said:
But I thought HIIT consisted of timed intervals, rather than just going till it burns - it's also quite stressful trying to type in level 10 when you're on the last few!
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's exactly why I don't like the treadmill for HIIT -- that, and the time it takes for the treadmill to slow down to the speed you need to rest.
 
Wrangell said:
On these intervals.

I'd suggest that if you want to improve you cardio fitness and fat loss, a more optimal approach would be to do longer work intervals. Time your work intervals to be around 1 minute at close to 85%+ MHR. Then aim for a rest interval of 2 minutes ( 3+ if you need to in the beginning ) Just remember NOT to to fully recover your breath during your rest interval before you start your next work interval. I'd aim for a 1:2 work/rest interval set...and do 4 -5 sets per HIIT session.
Click to expand...
Thanks Wrangell, its given me something to think about. I don't HIIT very often, but next session on the treadmill, I'll extend the work intervals.
 
Haha, there is so much discussion, even in this thread alone, regarding HIIT. If you don't know what it is by the explanations above, find the stickie. I think it is in the Harsh Truth section created by Leigh. If you still have questions, then come back and ask.
 
Brandon_James said:
Ok, I want to try this exercise, haha. What is HITT? And if someone can give me more info that would be awesome. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Brandon, there are also several posts on HIIT in the Index of WLF "Keepers"
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top