To HIIT or not to HIIT…
Just about everyone and his mama has heard about High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT for short. HIIT has been found to have various advantages over other forms of exercise for both fat loss and retaining muscle mass. It seems everyone has jumped on the HIIT bandwagon and regularly talk about how they do 40 minutes or so of HIIT and so on. The problem is, most of the people who claim to be doing HIIT are not. A quick hint: if the person was doing true HIIT, they would not be able to do 20 minutes of it, much less 40!
Many, if not most, people seem to confuse HIIT with regular interval training. HIIT is in fact a form of interval training, but not all interval training is HIIT. Put simply, Interval training is a varying of intensities within the same workout, where you alternate a low intensity bout with a higher intensity bout. That’s the general nature of interval training, but it aint HIIT training folks. HIIT training, is a low intensity/no intensity bout alternated with a maximal intensity bout. By maximal, I mean 100% effort, which of course, no one can achieve for more then 20-30 seconds at a time.
There are various ways to perform HIIT, but all have that in common, and what most people think they are doing for HIIT is really just old fashioned interval training. For example, the other day I did 4 minutes of walking on a treadmill at 3.5mph hour followed by 1 minute of running at 8.5mph (which for my short legs is pretty fast pace!) and repeated the cycle 5 times, which meant I was doing a 1:4 run/walk that lasted about 30 minutes including warm up and warm down. Was that HIIT? No, it was not. It was interval training, which is effective and productive training, but it’s not HIIT.
There are many ways to perform HIIT training, from Tabata protocols (the most intense form of HIIT) which may only last 4-5 minutes to other versions. For example, my current HIIT protocol goes like so: after a brief warm up – 5 minutes or so on the treadmill – I will use a stair stepper type machine and will do 1 minute low intensity followed by 30 seconds all out, and repeat. I will do that for 10 minutes, which is literally all I can stand. When I say “all out” I mean 100% intensity, nothing held back, as fast and as hard as my legs can move me, similar say to a full sprint on a track.
I like the stair stepper because it’s non-impactive on the joints and it’s easy to speed up and slow down quickly, but there are many ways to do HIIT training. The fact is however, most people claiming to do HIIT are not…another essential point is, HIIT is not for everyone. It requires a higher level of fitness, and many people are better off starting with various interval programs similar to what I wrote above vs. HIIT. Done too often, and or combined with other forms of high intensity exercise (e.g., weight lifting, etc.) HIIT can and will lead to over training and or injury, or as James Krieger concludes in his excellent review on the topic below
“HIIT carries a greater risk of injury and is physically and psychologically demanding, making low- and moderate-intensity, continuous exercise the best choice for individuals that are unmotivated or contraindicated for high-intensity exercise.”
Don’t gloss over that part.
Personally, I do HIIT training no more then once per week when combining it with weight training and will usually do the interval training outlined above, or something like it, and keep the HIIT to once per week, and as part of the Hybrid Training program I developed, is very taxing and intense. I will also take time off from the HIIT for a time, and then add it back in for a few months at a time. What follows is a nice review of the science of HIIT worth reading, but keep in mind the realities of HIIT training.
HIGH-INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING:
THE OPTIMAL PROTOCOL FOR FAT LOSS?
By James Krieger
As exercise intensity increases, the proportion of fat utilized as an energy substrate decreases, while the proportion of carbohydrates utilized increases (5). The rate of fatty acid mobilization from adipose tissue also declines with increasing exercise intensity (5). This had led to the common recommendation that low- to moderate-intensity, long duration endurance exercise is the most beneficial for fat loss (15). However, this belief does not take into consideration what happens during the post-exercise recovery period; total daily energy expenditure is more important for fat loss than the predominant fuel utilized during exercise (5). This is supported by research showing no significant difference in body fat loss between high-intensity and low-intensity submaximal, continuous exercise when total energy expenditure per exercise session is equated (2,7,9). Research by Hickson et al (11) further supports the notion that the predominant fuel substrate used during exercise does not play a role in fat loss; rats engaged in a high-intensity sprint training protocol achieved significant reductions in body fat, despite the fact that sprint training relies almost completely on carbohydrates as a fuel source.
Some research suggests that high-intensity exercise is more beneficial for fat loss than low- and moderate-intensity exercise (3,18,23,24). Pacheco-Sanchez et al (18) found a more pronounced fat loss in rats that exercised at a high intensity as compared to rats that exercised at a low intensity, despite both groups performing an equivalent amount of work. Bryner et al (3) found a significant loss in body fat in a group that exercised at a high intensity of 80-90% of maximum heart rate, while no significant change in body fat was found in the lower intensity group which exercised at 60-70% of maximum heart rate; no significant difference in total work existed between groups. An epidemiological study (24) found that individuals who regularly engaged in high-intensity exercise had lower skinfold thicknesses and waist-to-hip ratios (WHRs) than individuals who participated in exercise of lower intensities. After a covariance analysis was performed to remove the effect of total energy expenditure on skinfolds and WHRs, a significant difference remained between people who performed high-intensity exercise and people who performed lower-intensity exercise.
Tremblay et al (23) performed the most notable study which demonstrates that high-intensity exercise, specifically intermittent, supramaximal exercise, is the most optimal for fat loss. Subjects engaged in either an endurance training (ET) program for 20 weeks or a high-intensity intermittent-training (HIIT) program for 15 weeks. The mean estimated energy cost of the ET protocol was 120.4 MJ, while the mean estimated energy cost of the HIIT protocol was 57.9 MJ. The decrease in six subcutaneous skinfolds tended to be greater in the HIIT group than the ET group, despite the dramatically lower energy cost of training. When expressed on a per MJ basis, the HIIT group’s reduction in skinfolds was nine times greater than the ET group.
A number of explanations exist for the greater amounts of fat loss achieved by HIIT. First, a large body of evidence shows that high-intensity protocols, notably intermittent protocols, result in significantly greater post-exercise energy expenditure and fat utilization than low- or moderate-intensity protocols (1,4,8,14,19,21,25). Other research has found significantly elevated blood free-fatty-acid (FFA) concentrations or increased utilization of fat during recovery from resistance training (which is a form of HIIT) (16,17). Rasmussen et al (20) found higher exercise intensity resulted in greater acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) inactivation, which would result in greater FFA oxidation after exercise since ACC is an inhibitor of FFA oxidation. Tremblay et al (23) found HIIT to significantly increase muscle 3-hydroxyacyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase activity (a marker of the activity of b oxidation) over ET. Finally, a number of studies have found high-intensity exercise to suppress appetite more than lower intensities (6,12,13,22) and reduce saturated fat intake (3).
Overall, the evidence suggests that HIIT is the most efficient method for achieving fat loss. However, HIIT carries a greater risk of injury and is physically and psychologically demanding (10), making low- and moderate-intensity, continuous exercise the best choice for individuals that are unmotivated or contraindicated for high-intensity exercise.
1. Bahr, R., and O.M. Sejersted. Effect of intensity of exercise on excess postexercise O2 consumption. Metabolism. 40:836-841, 1991.
2. Ballor, D.L., J.P. McCarthy, and E.J. Wilterdink. Exercise intensity does not affect the composition of diet- and exercise-induced body mass loss. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 51:142-146, 1990.
3. Bryner, R.W., R.C. Toffle, I.H. Ullrish, and R.A. Yeater. The effects of exercise intensity on body composition, weight loss, and dietary composition in women. J. Am. Col. Nutr. 16:68-73, 1997.
4. Burleson, Jr, M.A., H.S. O’Bryant, M.H. Stone, M.A. Collins, and T. Triplett-McBride. Effect of weight training exercise and treadmill exercise on post-exercise oxygen consumption. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 30:518-522, 1998.
5. Coyle, E.H. Fat Metabolism During Exercise. [Online] Gatorade Sports Science Institute. http://www.gssiweb.com/references/s0…20000006d.html [1999, Mar 25]
6. Dickson-Parnell, B.E., and A. Zeichner. Effects of a short-term exercise program on caloric consumption. Health Psychol. 4:437-448, 1985.
7. Gaesser, G.A., and R.G. Rich. Effects of high- and low-intensity exercise training on aerobic capacity and blood lipids. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 16:269-274, 1984.
8. Gillette, C.A., R.C. Bullough, and C.L. Melby. Postexercise energy expenditure in response to acute aerobic or resistive exercise. Int. J. Sports Nutr. 4:347-360, 1994.
9. Grediagin, M.A., M. Cody, J. Rupp, D. Benardot, and R. Shern. Exercise intensity does not effect body composition change in untrained, moderately overfat women. J. Am. Diet Assoc. 95:661-665, 1995.
10. Grubbs, L. The critical role of exercise in weight control. Nurse Pract. 18(4):20,22,25-26,29, 1993.
11. Hickson, R.C., W.W. Heusner, W.D. Van Huss, D.E. Jackson, D.A. Anderson, D.A. Jones, and A.T. Psaledas. Effects of Dianabol and high-intensity sprint training on body composition of rats. Med. Sci. Sports. 8:191-195, 1976.
12. Imbeault, P., S. Saint-Pierre, N. Alméras, and A. Tremblay. Acute effects of exercise on energy intake and feeding behaviour. Br. J. Nutr. 77:511-521, 1997.
13. Katch, F.I., R. Martin, and J. Martin. Effects of exercise intensity on food consumption in the male rat. Am J. Clin. Nutr. 32:1401-1407, 1979.
14. Laforgia, J. R.T. Withers, N.J. Shipp, and C.J. Gore. Comparison of energy expenditure elevations after submaximal and supramaximal running. J. Appl. Physiol. 82:661-666, 1997.
15. Mahler, D.A., V.F. Froelicher, N.H. Miller, and T.D. York. ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, edited by W.L. Kenney, R.H. Humphrey, and C.X. Bryant. Media, PA: Williams and Wilkins, 1995, chapt. 10, p. 218-219.
16. McMillan, J.L., M.H. Stone, J. Sartin, R. Keith, D. Marple, Lt. C. Brown, and R.D. Lewis. 20-hour physiological responses to a single weight-training session. J. Strength Cond. Res. 7(3):9-21, 1993.
17. Melby, C., C. Scholl, G. Edwards, and R. Bullough. Effect of acute resistance exercise on postexercise energy expenditure and resting metabolic rate. J. Appl. Physiol. 75:1847-1853, 1993.
18. Pacheco-Sanchez, M., and K.K Grunewald. Body fat deposition: effects of dietary fat and two exercise protocols. J. Am. Col. Nutr. 13:601-607, 1994.
19. Phelain, J.F., E. Reinke, M.A. Harris, and C.L. Melby. Postexercise energy expenditure and substrate oxidation in young women resulting from exercise bouts of different intensity. J. Am. Col. Nutr. 16:140-146, 1997.
20. Rasmussen, B.B., and W.W. Winder. Effect of exercise intensity on skeletal muscle malonyl-CoA and acetyl-CoA carboxylase. J. Appl. Physiol. 83:1104-1109, 1997.
21. Smith, J., and L. McNaughton. The effects of intensity of exercise on excess postexercise oxygen consumption and energy expenditure in moderately trained men and women. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 67:420-425, 1993.
22. Thompson, D.A., L.A. Wolfe, and R. Eikelboom. Acute effects of exercise intensity on appetite in young men. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 20:222-227, 1988.
23. Tremblay, A., J. Simoneau, and C. Bouchard. Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism. Metabolism. 43:814-818, 1994.
24. Tremblay, A., J. Després, C. Leblanc, C.L. Craig, B. Ferris, T. Stephens, and C. Bouchard. Effect of intensity of physical activity on body fatness and fat distribution. Am J. Clin. Nutr. 51:153-157, 1990.
25. Treuth, M.S., G.R. Hunter, and M. Williams. Effects of exercise intensity on 24-h energy expenditure and substrate oxidation. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 28:1138-1143, 1996.
Will Brink is the owner of the Brinkzone Blog. Will has over 30 years experience as a respected author, columnist and consultant, to the supplement, fitness, bodybuilding, and weight loss industry and has been extensively published. Will graduated from Harvard University with a concentration in the natural sciences, and is a consultant to major supplement, dairy, and pharmaceutical companies.
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This is a very interesting article Mr Brink but do you have a good suggestion for a guide on “true” HIT ?
You don’t seem to recommed any particular book or guide to follow?
Well as you can see, I gave my exact HIIT routine. As mentioned, there are many ways to perform it, on a track, stationary bike, stair stepper, etc, etc. A Google search will bring you to others. Also, there are my specific HIIT guides in the Deluxe Package in my Hybrid Training Program found in BodyBuilding Revealed.
Wow – this is a great explanation. You are spot on that many people throw the word “HIIT” around too loosely. Even the “experts” trip up when they describe their HIIT program and upon closer examination you see that it’s less intense (though still good) interval training.
While I appreciate the article and generally don’t like to leave negative comments, I found the last last paragraph to be rather weak in terms of logic, not to mention insulting, and it really pulls down the entire piece.
It assumes there are only 2 (or 3 ) choices, HIIT and slow to moderate continuous. What about interval training? What about higher intensity continuous? If we choose intervals over HIIT are we “unmotivated” or otherwise unable (injured/heart disease or whatever is being implied)? What if fat loss is a secondary goal or we perceive the risk of injury to outweighs the benefit, etc. ….
I guess it was the word “unmotivated” that got my hackles up, cause I’m real motivated and still not convinced that HIIT needs to be in my program.
I’m not sure I am following you here Tom, not to mention, you apply to me what was actually written by Mr Krieger. I cover interval training, and say it’s a valuable way to train. There is no mention of their only being only 2-3 choices. Regardless, what Mr Krieger is saying, which I quoted (because he’s correct) is that it takes a higher level of fitness and motivation to do HIIT correctly, and it’s not for everyone, nor is it recommend for everyone. It may not be for you for example, which is fine too…good luck with your training.
Hi Will,
I was doing HIIT thirty years ago. You probably were too. But back then it was called “Wind Sprints”. On the varsity football team we did 50 yard wind sprints, in full gear including helmet, until everyone had barfed at least once. You crossed the start line, came back to the line and waited. A soon as the last runner crossed, you took off again. So the fastest runners got the longest rest period. The slowest didn’t even get to catch their breath. We had to do 10 or 20 or more, based on how pissed off the coach was that day.
As you mentioned, the goal it to get your heart rate to better than 90% of maximum. Few people know what their maximum is. These days the only way I can do it is on a treadmill. I set it at 10% incline and run at 6MPM for one minute then jump off for a minute, then do it again. I can usually do six or eight , then I’m toast. I started these a year ago, using 8% grade and running 4MPH.
kevin
I like to use the jump rope when doing my HIIT. I can only go for 20 seconds, running in place, then rest for 1 minute. I can’t do more than 10 minutes. Same with the stairstepper (Will might remember me asking about it on his fatlossrevealed site a while ago). I thought I was doing it wrong because I couldn’t even do like 5 minutes before conking out. Can’t wait to go back to it. 😉
If you are fortunate enough to have an erg (rowing machine, like a concept 2) at your home or gym, this is a great way to do HIIT. I used to row for my college and we did this regularly. Like the stairstepper, you change the speed based on how much you put into it. Also the erg uses just about every muscle in your body so it burns a tremendous amount of calories and can put on some muscle.
I would love the option to use a rowing machine but my gym doesn’t have one. Would cable rows be a substitute? bah, probably not, not enough leg use. Oh well.
Ya your right, cable rows would not work. It is unfortunate that so many gyms have at most only one or two outdated ergs but ten to twenty treadmills.
I believe that the quads are the only muscle group that can work hard enough to deplete oxygen. A heart rate above 90% can’t be achieved using any other muscle group. Technically, sitting in a sauna could qualify as HIIT because the heart is working near maximum capacity as it tries to cool the body.
kevin
Very good point, and that’s my main difficulty in HIIT and why I don’t abuse it.
If you take the idea to the letter you need to Explode! So that you consume a max of energy straight at the start of the move to make sure you get high intensity straight on.
Well usually after few minutes it’s no problem, you’re still fucked from those previous 20-30 sec xD.
here is a routine i made of my own
1 minute walk
3 minute jog
1 minute sprint
1 minute rest
repeat 4 more times
total time 30 mins???? would this be effective and if so how many times a week?
lol dack, u must be ultra fit if u can sprint for 1 minute flat out
And this is the main reason I like http://www.brinkzone.com. Killer pposts.
Another Fantastic write up, I will bookmark this in my Reddit account. Have a good evening.
Hey Will or Mr. Brink i left an email the other day but since i had to change my email any hoo it sounds to me your a little over critical in your assessment of people or persons certain exercise routines, I know your heart and intentions are honorable and your advice is sound but for me i had to find my own way, a pay attention to what worked or didn’t and grow from there thats’ only my humble opinion respectfully. Keep doing what your doing STRENGTH & HONOR!
Not critical in the least, simply supplying the facts as they exist. Read carefully 🙂
I will have to disagree with this. As I understand it, HIIT is a program requiring NEAR maximum intervals, while TABATA training requires maximum intensity.
WRONG. Stop putting your arbitrary labels on things. For instance, the Little method utilizes 1min/75 sec intervals and is IN FACT HIIT. If you are going to call yourself ‘science based’ you need to read the studies more carefully.
Feel free to supply a recent study you feel counters anything I stated above regarding the differences between actual HIIT vs interval training, which may or may not be HIIT. BTW, the time used for the interval has no relation to it being HIIT. You might want to actually “read the studies more carefully” before commenting.
Well one could argue interval time is potentially linked to it being HIIT or not due to the intensity required by the method. What do you think?
Hi Will,
Just a big thanks for the timely article. Saturday is skin fold testing day for me, and my results today showed no progress over the last 3 weeks, even though I’m keeping to a diet of 10 calories per pound of body weight for 6 days per week (I do 15% over TDEE for the 7th day). I do resistance training and cardio too (not high intensity though) so I was feeling pretty depressed wondering where I go to next. Then I saw your tweet and read this article. Just what the doctor ordered! About a year ago I used to do HITT once per week but gave it up as I was worried it would cause me to lose lean muscle. I’m going to ramp up the intensity in my cardio now (i.e. get my heart rate up to 85% for a decent period during the workout), and then if that is ok, throw in a HITT once per week again.
Thanks!
Hi.
I’ve never been a fitness freak, and only started training this year because my stomach was getting a bit out of control. Basically, I’m only doing swimming, and I heard about HIIT after a month of so, and started doing it.
I swim 6 25m laps in about 30-40 seconds, followed by a 1/1.5 minute rest period. I do this Mondays and Wednesdays, while doing my regular endurance swimming on Tuesday and Thursday.
When I’m done doing HIIT, my legs hurts that I can barely walk, I feel like i’m suffocating because of a lack of oxygen. My vision at etimes is blurry, and sometimes I have headache. Once or twice I felt nauseous as well. Apparently, all of this is signs that I’m doing it right. But I guess the proof is in the pudding: I seem to be loosing 0.5 kg each week.
Maybe there is days when I’m only doing it at 95% rather than 100%, and I can tell that I’m not as tired afterwards (Or maybe it’s just me getting fitter) but, I think the most important thing is to have a training program that both have results and which is sustainable (That is, you won’t start chickening out after a couple of weeks.)
I’ve been doing HIIT for months now and love the results (though dread the workout at times). It is very tough, by the seventh set my bpm is up to 161 (I’m 51). I use the eliptical and go all out for 30 sec. and low intensity for 90 sec for eight sets and a total of 4 min all out. It is brutal. I’ll do this two to three times a week. I do 5×5 compound excersises m/w/f/. I love/hate them but the feeling is awsome. More energy, more definition and profound apetite control. I do get sore at times and will lay back. My question is about the hormonal effects. Are they substancial? Espesially HGH which declines with age. Also the lactic acid threshold is through the roof by the last three sets. Doesn’t this has an effect on HGH also?
Yes, but what real effect it as is unclear actually. GH can be spiked by many means, and whether that transient spike really impact body comp is unclear at best. Training too intense too long can also be a negative on hormones, so balanced approach is still best practice.
How do you know if it’s truly HIIT? The only way is using a heart rate monitor. I follow the Mercola protocol: 30 seconds with the heart rate approaching maximum, then 90 seconds active rest done for a total of 8 sprints and rest cycles. I use a treadmill set at 9% grade. I rev the machine up to 7 minute per mile pace while straddling the belt. I jump on and run 30 seconds exactly then straddle the belt while it slows to a walking speed. After 60 seconds I straddle it again while the machine speeds up to 7mpm pace. At exactly 90 seconds I jump back on the belt for the next sprint. I wear a heart rate monitor. At my age, 55, my maximum heart rate is calculated at 165. On the treadmill I hit 160 on the first sprint, increasing in subsequent sprints and by the final sprint I’m around 170. Mercola recommends an eliptical trainer rather than a treadmill. Mine is on its last legs so I’m planning to switch to an eliptical.
kevin
There are 2 factors to consider. If you are training for any kind of sport that requires endurance, running, soccer, MMA, etc. then HITT is not sufficient to improve your aerobic capacity. Also the “afterburn” or EPOC is only a small % of the total calories burned.
The problem with HITT it is that most people can’t do it very often without getting hurt, it requires, specialized equipment for most people unless they are good at running oor biking or something similar, and it isn’t really much fun.
Steve
Mentzers training is HIT. His was weights not cardio and he didn’t believe in cardio
HIT and HIIT and no relation to each other BTW.
There are all sorts of fun and creative ways to get a HIIT effect. In my training studio we use concept 2 rowers, schwinn airdyne bikes are awesome, the versa climber is a fantastic piece of equipment to do short sprints on. I have used treadmills in the past, but i’m not a big fan because if you’re really hitting your maximum effort limit, you run the risk of getting spit off the back of the treadmill when you can’t maintain that max pace anymore. I know some people love ellipticals, but maybe i’m a snob, I just don’t like them, I’ll never put one in my gym, and I never recommend a client get one or get on one.
Here are some other great ways to do HIIT with less expensive equipment or no equipment. 15-20 seconds of dumbbell or kettlebell snatches on one arm, rest 15-20 seconds, then 15-20 seconds on the other arm. Repeat for 8-10 rounds per arm. You could do a similar interval with burpees, kettlebell swings, battle rope, prowler pushes, thrusters, hill sprints, squat jumps, ball slams, punching or kicking a heavy bag, jump rope double unders or running in place, jumping lunges, kipping pullups, etc etc etc.
One of my assistant trainers and I do something similar with Jiu Jitsu and wrestling practice. We do all out maximum effort sparring drills for 60-90 seconds, rest 1 minute, and repeat for about 20-30 minutes. If we go a full 30 minutes we are toast for a couple of days. Although by the end our maximum effort starts to turn to degraded rubber limbed dog crap.
Get creative and think outside the box. Just use common sense and be smart and safe about what you’re doing. If your form is degrading, be honest with yourself and realize you’ve gone past your maximum effort window, and are now being risky and the benefits will most likely start to decline. Adjust the work intervals and rest intervals so that you can maintain close to your best form throughout your work sets while trying to hit maximum intensity or speed.
Great article Will. Keep it up.
Now i know why i can only do it for 10 mins tops, orelse i think i would have a heart attack 🙂
I also like to do it on top of my weight training sessions and i mostly do it when cutting, on off days i might do regular intervals, like you also mentioned, for a longer time, but never longer than 30-40 mins.
Most of my cardio is done in intervals, may it be running, swimming or biking, i really get bored if i stay in a steady pace, and i see better results in terms of keeping my muscle mass this way..
Gotta get me a prowler also 😉
Nice article..
check out the book P.A.C.E. by Dr. Sears for more flexable HIT
Thanks for that awesome artical!
You really have explained it like no other, and that makes this piece essential reading for those wanting to do HIIT.
why not use a heart monitor, that way you absolutely know that you are working at your max and really doing HIIT?
HIIT is what I have used to get into optimal shape in my late 30’s. I have had so many people tell me that I look great and I do look a lot younger than my younger friends. The transformation has been incredible. I give all I got (hard running) for about 150-200m then rest for about 250m. I hate long distance running always have and always will so I had to come up an alternative. I do this for about an hour each day and am very fortunate to live in a very hilly area where I can run uphill for high intensity which is even better. This guy says you can’t so this for more than 20 mins- he is wrong. I have done this for 1-2hrs every day for the past two+ years UPHILL! I love my workout I wish I could share it with the world! I look great and I am mentally kick ass from it, which is why I do this everyday! BTW I lost 60lbs doing HIIT from May 2010, when my doctor pointed out to me that, “ACCORDING TO YOUR BMI YOU’RE OVERWEIGHT!” I was 185lbs/5’4″ and had no idea how I got to that weight, seriously! I’m at 125lbs now and have maintained 125lbs for over 2 yrs! I went from an American size 16 to a size 4/6!! I also cut out ALL preservatives, additives, premade, prepackaged, homestyle, fast food, ALL, and I mean ALL white carbs and any form of sugar. You gotta give up some stuff, seriously. Try it you’ll love it! HIIT FTW!!
That’s not HIIT, that’s interval…
You may run hard but getting to the power you need to really practice HIIT for more than 100 meters each time for the length of time you’re bragging no comment… Plus you walking 250 meters vs. running 150-200, you’re exercise to rest ratio is through the roof and not on the good side. (E.g. Am 3:1 work:rest ratio, you’re 1:10? See my point?)
Watch my post below, those are HIIT ratios independently of how hard you work. When you do something as hard as you can Making SURE you hit 90%+ cardio over 20 sec then get at best 10 sec off then restart again again and again it builds up to an extent you won’t do more than 25min. Honest If you get over that means you progressed and are starting to take it easy.
I love HIIT and after the first couple goes at it I thought I was going to die (I do it with weight intervals included). Now that I’m in the swing of it and stronger I can’t get enough. I don’t know how anyone could do HIIT first thing without putting something in their stomach. You definitely need that nourishment to get you through and not feel like crap midway through your day.
My coach told me “Abs are made in the kitchen.” What I’m seeing is that I need both — exercise and diet. There’s no percentage importance — if you leave on out, you fail. Also of course, water, rest, stretching.
Good article indeed, I very much agree.
When I do HIIT tabata style, I basically have to stop at 15 sec at the end of the full cycle of 10 min (without warm-up or stretch) cause my legs burn like hell and simply refuse to jump!
Last time I did HIIT 30-10 sec, with lots of jumps, burpees, mountain climbing and all, basically stopped at 10 sec @ 4th before last and required a 1 min break before going to the last move. And god I did set up some lengthy break in the middle of my rounds with a 3:1 ratio or people would have to take me to the hospital!
To know if you HIIT is simple, either you’re in pieces at the end, or you got that nice cardio check indicating 90+ % each move or… You’re not doing it.