In the last few months I have incorporated HIIT in my workouts. I can't stand jogging/running at 5-6 MPH for 30-40 minutes; it bores me to tears and it's no fun. So, I was happy to learn about HIIT as it makes my workouts more interesting and less boring!
However, I am having a hard time figuring out what is right for me. Most sites say something like this:
Sprint hard for somewhere between 20-40 seconds, then walk/rest for between 1-3x's that. Example, sprint at 10mph for 30 seconds, walk for 60 seconds or so. Well, that doesn't work for me. My heart rate doesn't come down fast enough to sprint again that soon in most cases. Yes, that must mean I'm out of shape and my heart isn't ready for that just yet. So, take it a little slower is what I am doing.
My question is this, at what heart rate should I do my intervals within? I don't like basing intervals on time frames. I have a polar strap around my chest that syncs with my phone telling me exactly what my hr is at every moment and even a fancy graph that shows all of my intervals. Usually my intervals over 40 minutes range from 130bpm to 160bpm. I am 42 years old and had a metabolic assessment that tells me my "zones" but basically what it told me was to be in zones 1 and 2 the majority of the time.
I like taking my heart rate up and down 8-12 times in a 40 minute workout. It means less monotony and more calorie burning according to most studies, but I wish I knew where my heart rate should be. Should it be 110-140? 120-150? 125-160? Beats me!
Any input would be appreciated!
However, I am having a hard time figuring out what is right for me. Most sites say something like this:
Sprint hard for somewhere between 20-40 seconds, then walk/rest for between 1-3x's that. Example, sprint at 10mph for 30 seconds, walk for 60 seconds or so. Well, that doesn't work for me. My heart rate doesn't come down fast enough to sprint again that soon in most cases. Yes, that must mean I'm out of shape and my heart isn't ready for that just yet. So, take it a little slower is what I am doing.
My question is this, at what heart rate should I do my intervals within? I don't like basing intervals on time frames. I have a polar strap around my chest that syncs with my phone telling me exactly what my hr is at every moment and even a fancy graph that shows all of my intervals. Usually my intervals over 40 minutes range from 130bpm to 160bpm. I am 42 years old and had a metabolic assessment that tells me my "zones" but basically what it told me was to be in zones 1 and 2 the majority of the time.
I like taking my heart rate up and down 8-12 times in a 40 minute workout. It means less monotony and more calorie burning according to most studies, but I wish I knew where my heart rate should be. Should it be 110-140? 120-150? 125-160? Beats me!
Any input would be appreciated!