What do you do for HIIT?

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  • criticaltodd
    criticaltodd Posts: 86
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    Also,

    If I can comfortably stay at 90% or more of my heart beat for two minutes or so, should I? Or stick to less time with rest?
    Really, I have no idea but since the idea is bursts of high intensity, you might not want to extend those too far. Maybe instead just shorten the rests in between?
  • nellyett
    nellyett Posts: 436 Member
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    You don't need a track for HIIT....you can still do it with any other exercise that gets your heart rate near it's max.

    Jump squats, burpees, jump rope, xplosions, box jumps, etc. etc. As long as you are going ALL OUT for the 20 or 30 second interval, followed by a rest period, then it's all good.

    Some do more, but I believe the recommendation is about a 5 min warm up, 10 min of intervals, 5 min cool down. I'm dead after the 10 min so that's more than enough for me :)
  • joansjourney
    joansjourney Posts: 110
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    Check out Fitness Blender on YouTube tons of free HIIT videos all different lengths of times, you can squeeze a workout in no matter how much time you have.

    This was going to be my suggestion.
  • woodml1
    woodml1 Posts: 199 Member
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    Agreed! It's not HIIT, it's just HIT!

    The point of HIIT is to let your heart rate recover fully so you can hit the next I (interval) with as much I (intensity) as you did when you started the workout. If there's not rest, you'll be working at a lower intensity rate at the end of the workout.

    I have alot of HIIT options but my recent fave looks like this:

    5 minute dynamic stretching warm-up
    Step Mill: 30 seconds at level 18, 1 minute at level 4 - 7 sets for a total of about 10 minutes
    Rower: 20 second maximal intensity, 40 seconds rest - 10 sets for a total of 10 minutes
    Jacobs Ladder: 10-15 seconds fast, total body climb, 45-50 seconds slow, lower body only climb - 10 sets for a total of 10 minutes.

    You can also swap any of these out for treadmill or track sprints, stadium runs, or any of your favorite body weight plyo :)
  • Jerseygrrl
    Jerseygrrl Posts: 189 Member
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    A heart-rate monitor makes a huge difference. It sounds like you might be using one since you know you're at 90%.
    You could take the workout you're currently doing and just tweak it to be HIIT. For example, burpees for 90 seconds at max, then 30 seconds at lower intesity, switching off for a total of two minutes. Then do the same thing with jumping rope...you get the idea.
    Lots of great links listed above, but you really don't even need those since you already have an idea of good moves to use.
    Keep up the great work!
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
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    actually im not seeing any specific guidelines for HR%.

    so i guess as long as you are serriously busting *kitten* during one or two of those exercises, and going about 50% in the others, then its apparently technically HIIT.

    I guess my point is that, for it to be HIIT, you need to spend an interval working at near maximum compacity. In order to really keep that up for ten min, you'll need that 50% HR down time. other wise your more likely to be working closer to a medium pace (lol) through the whole work out

    if you can spend 2 min (or any amount of time) at 90%, do that. That is the entire point of HIIT.
  • shortyrock_78
    shortyrock_78 Posts: 19 Member
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    Fitness Blender rocks
  • ChampCrucial
    ChampCrucial Posts: 120 Member
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    I use resources outside of the gym. I ride a bike in the park and I mash it up this steep hill and then cruise it down. I do this a couple of times. I also try to keep up with a car that is going 20mph and up until I feel my stomach burn or my legs are almost to failure

    If I must do it in the gym I do burps to jumping pull ups. I can't get past 12 before I quake and crumble.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
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    i'm an embarrassing sweaty mess during/after

    i only do weights at the gym lol
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    I actually had a guy at the gym and ask me " I don't mean to offend you but why are you so big if you can do HIIT jump roping" My answer was my eating.
  • TheWorstHorse
    TheWorstHorse Posts: 185
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    Also,

    If I can comfortably stay at 90% or more of my heart beat for two minutes or so, should I? Or stick to less time with rest?

    If you are really at 90% of your maximum heart rate, there shouldn't be anything comfortable about it. Even if you are incredibly fit, that's pretty much a full out push and should be very, very hard to do.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
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    lol excellent point

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