Need advice on HIIT using stationary bike

[nickysduck2]

Hi everyone. My name is Daphane and im new to the forum. I need some input and advice on doing HIIT with a stationary bike. I am 35 years old, 170 pounds and 5"11. I have been exercising for 30 minutes a day 5 days a week at a regular pace for the past 3 months and have only lost 5 pounds.I want to lose at least 10-15 more or at least look good in a bikini.

I count calories and practice calorie restriction and also bought a total gym which I have also been using for the past 2 weeks for strength training. I have read a lot about HIIT and tried it 3 months ago but was not strong enough to do it for longer than 3 seconds lol! After building up my legs the last 3 months though I tried it again today and am a bit discouraged. I warmed up for 5 minutes, then went all out for 30 seconds as fast as I could go.

Im not sure how accurate my bike's readings are but it said I was going 37 mph.My normal pace is between 17-20mph.I have my resistance set on a medium level 6 which is easy for me once I get warmed up. After that first hard part I pedaled back at 17mph for a minute than gave it my all again for another 30 seconds at 35mph. I was only able to do this (pedal hard) 3 times before I almost fell out! I had to get off the bike and lay down for a minute I got so dizzy.I thought I was going to pass out or have a heart attack my heart was beating so fast and my legs went numb.

After laying down for about a minute (feeling disappointed in myself) I got back on the bike, pedaled easy for a couple minutes then gave it one more hard workout for 15 seconds and I was washed up. My total time on the bike was only about 10 minutes. This is very hard! I read that you had to go at least 15 minutes for it to be effective so im disappointed in myself for not being able to last that long. Im hoping to work up to 15 to 20 minutes doing this.My legs are like jello!

I really want to lose weight with this and am committed. I never miss a workout and am serious about burning calories. My questions are, since I only lasted 10 minutes today should I get back on the bike later this afternoon at my normal slow pace to burn more calories since my workout was so short or was that 10 minutes enough for today?

Also, I was planning to continue my 5 days a week routine on the bike working up to at least 15-20 minutes of HIIT on Monday,Wednesday and Fridays and just doing 30 regular minutes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I also use my total gym 3 days a week to build my arms and core.Does this sound like a good routine? Any advice would be great!

Thanks
Daphane

 

[dswithers]

There is a lot of debate, even among fitness professionals:
1. what constitutes High Intensity Interval Training, verses just Interval Training (not to mention Tabata Training, which is kind of like HIIT on steroids)
2. what form of exercise can be used (sprinting, uphill sprinting, cycling, treadmill, stationary bike, other body weight exercises, barbell, dumbbell or kettlebell movements)
3. How many intervals and what total time is most effective
4. how many times a week is most effective to perform HIIT

One thing most people agree upon is that if you are performing HIIT correctly, it is very difficult, and should leave you just short of puking (or even puking) and just short of passing out. You will certainly need to build up to multiple intervals, like starting with 2 or 3 and gradually increasing to 6-8 as your fitness level improves.

HIIT requires that during high intensity interval you are moving at 100% of your maximum capability and when you have to reduce the rate your high intensity interval should end and you should perform the low intensity interval until you can move at the high intensity rate again. Recommended times for the high intensity interval range from 10 to 60 seconds. I would generally stay in the 10-20 seconds range, simply because no one can perform an all out sprint for more than about 20 seconds, without reducing their pace.
I think there are some stickies around the site on HIIT, but if you ask a dozen fitness professionals you will probably get a lot of different opinions as I noted above, so you will just have to use commonsense, try some different things and see what works for you.

On the subject of counting calories, there is also a lot of debate over whether the total calorie number is most important or the types of foods you eat are more important. For example if twins were to each eat 1000 calories a day, but one ate 1000 calories of donuts (and both took vitamin and mineral supplements to insure they got the required nutrients and both started at the same weight and body composition and fitness level) and the other ate 1000 calories of steak who would loose weight the fastest and who would loose more fat weight? Obviously, neither diet would likely be particularly healthy in the long term, but I am taking it to the absurd extremes. Some experts would claim that they would both loose the same amount of weight because the both took in the same number of calories. Diet is another area where some commonsense and experimentation to find what works best for you is in order.

 

[Albert Smith]

You are going in the right direction believe me. Just don't expect more result and put extra pressure on your body. This type of attempt may bring negative result. So be careful at this stage.

Are you feeling uncomfortable regarding your current routine then revise it in comfortable way. Just make sure your body can endure it. Keep in mind our body is the most adaptable and it always take time.

What i want to suggest you that you need to follow your current routine for next couple of month. Your idea of running in the bike in the afternoon is also appreciable. But try to spend more time on the bike in the morning. Spending 10 minute on the bike in afternoon is enough.

What i have noticed that you want to burn more energy and you are committed. Then you need to restructure your routine in advanced level.

All i want to suggest you that just keep continue your current routine for couple of month. Couple of month later tries to restructure your routine in advanced level.

Spend at least 1 hour for per day and five days for per week. Just don't give up at this stage. Mind it you need to work more hard and spend more time at this stage. It would be painstaking period but you would get noticeable amount of result at this time. Be more committed and keep up your hard works.

 

[simplesol]

Hi Daphane!
Boom! You're working hard all right!
I am a British Cycling Coach and I could do with some more candidates like you!
But I have to agree with another post in that you must be careful not to over train.
If you do a hard HIIT session then I would not do anything else that day! It is normal to feel dizzy etc afterwards, that shows you have been working hard.
However I would work up to this intensity gradually. You are jumping in quite quickly especially if you are going at 37mph (which may not be accurate I am sorry to tell you...).
I appreciate that you want to be in the bikini as soon as you can but please make sure you eat enough to power your fitness. Under eating will just result in poor performance, injuries and despondency.
Here is a typical 1/2 hour bike routine that I have seen work well hundreds of times.
Print it out and tape it to your handlebars!

10 minutes warm up
1 min hard effort
15 secs recovery
1 min effort
30 secs recovery
2 min effort
30 secs recovery
2 min effort
1 min recovery
2 min effort
30 sec recovery
1 min effort
30 sec recovery
1 min effort
15 sec recovery
30 sec effort
10 min warm down

That should take you 34 minutes in total.
Make each effort a flat-out total blast.
If too hard initially then just half the effort times.

Any questions, get back to me okay...

Best of luck Daphane

Let me know how you get on!
Sol