Old and fat - Is interval training a good idea?

madkcole

I currently do cycling at the gym for anywhere between 30 minutes and 50 minutes about 4x a week. My target heart range is between 115 and 144 (calculated by my trainer). While cycling, I aim to keep my heart rate around 125 to 130 (approx 85% of the max). I've been reading about the benefits of interval training and how it's better for strengthening the heart than the straight cardio I'm doing now. I'd like to try it, but at my age and weight, I'm almost afraid to try it. I really don't think I can exert myself for 30 seconds sprints at or near my max target heart rate. I'm new to exercise, 51 and 240 lbs. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I would think interval training at my age and weight might be dangerous.

I would appreciate hearing everyone's own experiences with interval training, especially people who had or have a lot of weight to lose.

Thanks! - Madelyn
PS - I also do 30 minutes of strength training with a trainer twice a week and have recently added a third day on my own.

JayTE83

Steady state cardio is great for building up initial cardiovascular and aerobic fitness and obviously heart strength. But yes interval or HIIT style cardio is better than steady state cardio, as it challenges the body to constantly adapt, which in turn means the heart has to adapt too. For fat loss a heart rate of 155-170bpm whilst at most intense level will really push your metabolism to burn for longer after you've finished exercising, but I would not recommend going straight in for that level until you have maintained a healthy heart rate during Steady state cardio. Give it perhaps a month then gradually build up to increasing your heart rate using the interval method, ie sprinting at full capacity for 30 seconds followed by 30 seconds of mid pace jogging, then back to sprinting for 30 seconds and so on and so forth. Hope this helps. Good luck

maggiemay530

Madelyn, you had me at "old and fat"! LOL I am 61 and just beginning. I could not do the cycling that you're doing but hope as I increase strength and stamina with my walks and light weight training that I will get more & more active.

I am no one to give advice at this point in my own journey but wanted to come in to say, good, good, good for you for deciding to make some healthy changes in your life! I'm sure you'll get some great info from the pillars of the community here and I'm bookmarking this to check back in, myself. Thanks for posting!

yardprincess

Ok, I have a question that pertains to this thread: is circuit training the same as interval training? I recently decided to try the "Beginner Bodyweight Workout" which I read about on Nerd Fitness.com
( http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/ ) it's a simple routine that I can do at home and use the few weights/dumb bells that my husband doesn't use. According to the site, I should only do the routine 2-3 times a week, that doesn't seem like very much. Any thoughts or suggestions???
Thanks!

ninerbuff

You can interval train at any age. Just apply an exercise you CAN do and intensity you can handle.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff

yardprincess wrote: »

Ok, I have a question that pertains to this thread: is circuit training the same as interval training? I recently decided to try the "Beginner Bodyweight Workout" which I read about on Nerd Fitness.com
( http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/ ) it's a simple routine that I can do at home and use the few weights/dumb bells that my husband doesn't use. According to the site, I should only do the routine 2-3 times a week, that doesn't seem like very much. Any thoughts or suggestions???
Thanks!

No. Circuit training requires little rest between sets. The goal is to hit overall body doing a circuit.
Interval training is usually done with one exercise, but changing the speed or weight to increase the intensity over a short period of time.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

madkcole

Thanks Maggie! You'll get stronger probably sooner than you think. I've been at this for a month and I can that my stamina is getting better. Keep it up!

Yard Princess - I too have been reading Nerdfitness. That's where I first started reading about HIIT. There's some good information there, but I'm a little leary because of my age and overall (bad) shape.

BasicGreatGuy

Good on you Miss Mad for taking positive steps to getting where you want to be in life.

And by the way, you are not old. So, remove that stinkin' thinkin' and replace it with 'excited about the new me I am becoming.'

I wish you well.

Sued0nim

madkcole wrote: »

I currently do cycling at the gym for anywhere between 30 minutes and 50 minutes about 4x a week. My target heart range is between 115 and 144 (calculated by my trainer). While cycling, I aim to keep my heart rate around 125 to 130 (approx 85% of the max). I've been reading about the benefits of interval training and how it's better for strengthening the heart than the straight cardio I'm doing now. I'd like to try it, but at my age and weight, I'm almost afraid to try it. I really don't think I can exert myself for 30 seconds sprints at or near my max target heart rate. I'm new to exercise, 51 and 240 lbs. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I would think interval training at my age and weight might be dangerous.

I would appreciate hearing everyone's own experiences with interval training, especially people who had or have a lot of weight to lose.

Thanks! - Madelyn
PS - I also do 30 minutes of strength training with a trainer twice a week and have recently added a third day on my own.

You're not old, you're just unfit and it's scary ...I get that

But you can do it and as you do you will build the confidence that you can do more

Do you have a diagnosed health / heart issue? I'm assuming not or your would have mentioned it

You have to get used to pushing yourself, having a trainer is great because they can reassure you that everything's ok..but yes you will feel out of breath, and your heart will pump hard in your chest

My HR often gets up to 165 in interval training, and my general workout base is around 145-150 ...it's how quickly it comes down that I watch ...and I go by my ability to speak rather than the 220-age plus percentage calculation

maggiemay530

BasicGreatGuy wrote: »

Good on you Miss Mad for taking positive steps to getting where you want to be in life.

And by the way, you are not old. So, remove that stinkin' thinkin' and replace it with 'excited about the new me I am becoming.'

I wish you well.

This has to be the kindest, sweetest, most respectful reply I have ever seen! You really are a Basic Great Guy!

Madelyn, take this to heart and also thanks for your comment to me above.

lithezebra

I don't see why you shouldn't do interval training. Intensity is relative to your fitness level. You can add spurts of intensity for 15 seconds, if 30 seconds is too much for now, and you can definitely drop down to an easier pace than 80% of your HR max between the intense intervals. I'm 50 and I do HIIT twice a week. I drop down to anywhere from 110 bpm to 120 bpm in between sprinting intervals. (That's about 65% of my max HR, and yours, since we're close in age). It's really hard for me to get my HR up to my max, and I'm pretty sure that my sprints never go above 95%. When I see the number hitting 140, I back off. A few times a week is enough; interval training isn't something you need to do, or that you should do, every day. Good luck!

Azdak

madkcole wrote: »

I currently do cycling at the gym for anywhere between 30 minutes and 50 minutes about 4x a week. My target heart range is between 115 and 144 (calculated by my trainer). While cycling, I aim to keep my heart rate around 125 to 130 (approx 85% of the max). I've been reading about the benefits of interval training and how it's better for strengthening the heart than the straight cardio I'm doing now. I'd like to try it, but at my age and weight, I'm almost afraid to try it. I really don't think I can exert myself for 30 seconds sprints at or near my max target heart rate. I'm new to exercise, 51 and 240 lbs. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I would think interval training at my age and weight might be dangerous.

I would appreciate hearing everyone's own experiences with interval training, especially people who had or have a lot of weight to lose.

Thanks! - Madelyn
PS - I also do 30 minutes of strength training with a trainer twice a week and have recently added a third day on my own.

first of all, we have to define what we mean by "interval training".

Interval training is defined as alternating work intervals with recovery intervals. It does NOT mean "alternating all-out effort intervals with recovery intervals". That is a specific type of interval training, and it is not necessary nor suitable for everyone.

Following the first (and correct) definition of interval training, the "work" interval can be ANY workload intensity that is greater than your steady-state effort. It does not have to be all out--it can be as little as 10% more than what you normally do. Start by doing 4-6, 30-second intervals in your workout where you raise your effort level to the upper end of your target HR range. You can progress by: adding more work intervals, lengthening the work interval and shortening the recovery interval, or working harder during the work interval. Or different combinations of the three.

Using the first (and correct) definition of interval training, I would say that, yes, not only can an overweight, somewhat unfit person do it, interval training is an essential tool for improving fitness. Following the right guidelines, anyone can and should add some interval training in their workout routine.

And that is the primary purpose of interval training--to increase your fitness levels.

Don't be guru'ed into following a program style that is not for you.

WaterBunnie

I think this is a question you'd be better asking your doctor/nurse/trainer.

amflautist

Mad, you are just a young'un. I Was old and fat when I started. 70 yrs old and approx same weight as you. Now I am a lot younger and getting a lot fitter. Go for it! I found out that my HR was capable of a lot more than 220-age. I bet yours is too! Now, at 74, I try to keep my HR between 120 and 140 for a good workout.

Go for it. Love your body. Help it get more fit.

Mr_Knight

madkcole wrote: »

I really don't think I can exert myself for 30 seconds sprints at or near my max target heart rate.

Nobody can sprint for 30 seconds. Anything you can do for longer than 20 seconds is not sprinting.

Maybe I'm paranoid, but I would think interval training at my age and weight might be dangerous.

Build up a good cardio base first. And it's not just about cardio - higher intensities put higher loads on connective tissue etc - you want to build up to that or, yeah, you will blow a gasket.

And remember that while moderate intensity cardio is something that can be done every day, when you start doing higher intensity training, rest & recovery becomes very very important.

Good luck!

:drinker:

alfonsinarosinsky

I'm 61, female, 226, 5'10". I have been doing interval training as part of my exercise plan for about 3 weeks. I like it a lot and have been able to go to 1 minute from 15 seconds lol. Now I notice that my heart rate doesn't go up as high as it did. I guess it's time for an increase. No you're not to old

jim180155

I'm 61 and I just got back from cycling HIIT training, sort of. About 15 minutes into my ride I came up to my favorite park bench. Along with giving me a chance to catch my breath and hydrate, I also like to people watch. I can get pretty comfortable on that bench. After about 5 minutes I got back on my bike, aware that I was on pace to beat my personal best, so I hit it hard again, trying to keep my speed up. 15 minutes later I rounded a corner with another bench. I never really noticed that particular bench before, but it too looked pretty comfortable, so I stopped again and spent another 5 minutes enjoying the scenery before getting back on my bike and heading home. It was my fastest time in two years. (The bike computer only averages speeds when I'm moving, not sitting on a bench.)

That's not really HIIT training and I'm not suggesting training like that. But if you like cycling and you like park benches . . . .

yardprincess

Ok what does HIIT mean?

jim180155

High Intensity Interval Training

scottb81

madkcole wrote: »

I've been reading about the benefits of interval training and how it's better for strengthening the heart than the straight cardio I'm doing now.

That's false, even though it is passed around the internet like the gospel. The best way to strengthen your cardiovascular system is steady state (<77% max) about 80% or more of the time and a limited amount of faster training above that.

I'd like to try it, but at my age and weight, I'm almost afraid to try it. I really don't think I can exert myself for 30 seconds sprints at or near my max target heart rate. I'm new to exercise, 51 and 240 lbs. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I would think interval training at my age and weight might be dangerous.

If you have no medical problems then age isn't of concern, especially at 51. However, being out of shape (if that's the case) is. Once you have a solid aerobic base from 3 to 6 months of steady state then you are prepared to do some high intensity intervals and actually get something positive out of them.

Something else that's not said often is that once you start high intensity intervals you're going to get about all the benefit there is to get in about 6 weeks. Then go back to a lower intensity for a while to build your fitness further before the next round of high intensity training.

AllanMisner

As long as you are cleared by your doctor to exercise, interval training is appropriate for anyone. You’re monitoring your heart rate, know what you’re doing and managing it will. Keep on keeping on!

Allan Misner
NASM Certified Personal Trainer (Corrective Exercise Specialist, Fitness Nutrition Specialist)

[Edited by MFP Mods]

madkcole

Thank you everyone! I so appreciate all the feedback and advice! I just love the support here on these message boards!

rdlewis123

If 51 is old, I'm in trouble!! 50 is in my near future and I'm in the best shape EVER!! I started at 208 lbs and now I'm at 151 with real MUSCLE!! Lose that "old" mentality!! You will be surprised at what you CAN do.

madkcole

LOL to all of you who commented on my "old" remark. I titled my post that way to draw all of you in. It seemed like a good attention grabber. RDLewis - Congrats on your achievement! You must be so proud of yourself. You inspire me!

professionalHobbyist

Your intervals are set by you

You could walk fast and then walk slow.

HIIT should not be considered at all

I started 20 months ago with about 140 lbs of bodyfat I don't have now

My interval was slow to fast walk

Take it easy and just stay the course. Gradually add difficulty.

Make an interval a little bit faster

Keep up the good work !!

tomatoey

IMO yes to regular intervals for non-impact cardio only (rowing machine, bike, elliptical, swimming). I would NOT run on a treadmill (or anywhere) if I were you (or me). +1 for building up to it, too.

Doublemeasure

I am 57 and have lost 25 kgs with the help of interval training on an indoor rower. Get a good heart rate monitor and know your HR rates for your age. You will get to know your limits and the best ranges for you. I read lots of info on here and the Concept 2 rowing forum has been a huge help for me. I have my chart on the wall by my rower and watch my HR on the Performance Monitor. You just need to build up to it. Hope this helps?