HIIT Question ... Runner Question too?

HisPathDaily

I plan to start (soon or at least in September) to do some interval training on my runs ... I know one of the bigger advantages I hear to HIIT is the post exercise burn (raised metabolism over the next several hours) ... (and for me, still needing to lose some more, is frankly more appealing to me than speed) ... though eventually I want to work on that too ... Regardless ...

I started thinking about doing some short interval training (just to see how it works) ... I was pondering something short like 8-10 minutes before a longer tempo run ... would doing 8-10 minutes of HIIT and then going on a 5-8 mile run make the HIIT benefits pointless? (again, mainly thinking about the elevated metabolism)

I hope I'm making sense here

arc918

My $.02 -if you're really doing HIIT, then no way would you be able to do a tempo run afterwards. HIIT should kick your butt in a verge of death kind of way.

HisPathDaily

Hmm ... Good point. I obviously have not done HIIT yet

My $.02 -if you're really doing HIIT, then no way would you be able to do a tempo run afterwards. HIIT should kick your butt in a verge of death kind of way.

genefabes

hey girl! I added HIIT into my routine a few years ago. and after playing around with it what works best for me is the following:

1. never do HIIT and long distance running on the same day.
2. I do HIIT for 20 minutes 3 days per week on the days that I strength train.
3. 3 other days per week I run moderate steady state for distance. one day will be 5-8 miles, one day 2-5, and one day 1-3.
4. I always warm up by jogging for 5 BEFORE I start the Intense intervals.

you'll love it. it improved strength In my legs and in my cardiovascular endurance. plus it always helps me bust through plateaus. good luck

arc918

I think HIIT is a term that gets overused on these boards. Most runners do some sort of intervals in their speedwork, but this is not HIIT.

All HIIT is intervals, but not all intervals are HIIT.

HisPathDaily

Well, I have a lot of girls, but I'm not one myself ... and if I was one, I probably wouldn't have 4 kids (amazed at my wife's strength on that one!) ... beyond mine!!!

But anyway, excellent points ... I'm trying to structure what this would look like in my routine (as I do want to at least give it a fair shot) but am still formulating this all in my head ... thanks for the pointers.

hey girl! I added HIIT into my routine a few years ago. and after playing around with it what works best for me is the following:

1. never do HIIT and long distance running on the same day.
2. I do HIIT for 20 minutes 3 days per week on the days that I strength train.
3. 3 other days per week I run moderate steady state for distance. one day will be 5-8 miles, one day 2-5, and one day 1-3.
4. I always warm up by jogging for 5 BEFORE I start the Intense intervals.

you'll love it. it improved strength In my legs and in my cardiovascular endurance. plus it always helps me bust through plateaus. good luck

HisPathDaily

True ... perhaps that's the running in me thinking standard intervals still having not experienced actual HIIT

I think HIIT is a term that gets overused on these boards. Most runners do some sort of intervals in their speedwork, but this is not HIIT.

All HIIT is intervals, but not all intervals are HIIT.

wolfchild59

I think HIIT is a term that gets overused on these boards. Most runners do some sort of intervals in their speedwork, but this is not HIIT.

All HIIT is intervals, but not all intervals are HIIT.

This. I do speed training (similar to fartleks) in my race training in order to help my pacing but they aren't nearly as intense as HIIT. It's still interval training, and I often feel like I'm not going to survive to the end of the increased speed distance/time, but it's not something that completely wipes me like true HIIT would. I've seen folks going full out while at the gym and they are barely able to walk to their cars after. But I think that a lot of people here mistake interval training for HIIT.

I plan on adding in some actual HIIT to my workouts after I finish my half marathon training, so it will be interesting to see how that goes.

HisPathDaily

Ha, well clearly not as grand as yours, but that's my thinking too. I had a 100 mile goal that I want to finish for August and once that is out of the way (so I can say I hit it) I want change it up a bit ...

BTW, awesome on the running ... When's the half?

I plan on adding in some actual HIIT to my workouts after I finish my half marathon training, so it will be interesting to see how that goes.

MikeyD1280

you want a 45 min burn that will do better than a 45 min burn? <-- yeah, I wrote that correctly.

Sure, you can run 45 min straight at 8-10 miles per hour

OR

do a 45 min HIIT burn. (I like to do this on a treadmill)
do 2 min at a moderate pace (4-7mph)
then 2 min at a balls to the wall pace, (7-11mph)
then 2 min at a slow to moderate,(3-7mph)
then 2 at a balls to the walls(8-11mph)
and keep going until you get to the end and do 3 min slow then end with a 2 min cool down.

way better results than 45 or even 60 min consistant!

MikeyD1280

You can do Intervals followed by an LT(Lactate Threshold) run. This is known as a peak threshold run. Should only be done once a week, they're very intense.

That stuff about elevated metabolism is true, but that doesn't mean increased fat burning. That thing about burning more fat post workout or how ever that rumor went, is a myth.

I would like to say that that is not a myth.. think about it,
after you do a HIIT session, or any cardio session, once you are done, your heart does not go BOOM back to 50-60bpm, it is still winding down, well after the workout. and even when the heart goes back to normal, the rest of the muscles are still slowly going back to normal mode. If it was a myth, then we would only feel the burn and the pain DURING the workout, not after, especially days after when your muscles are hating you.. haha

MikeyD1280

You can do Intervals followed by an LT(Lactate Threshold) run. This is known as a peak threshold run. Should only be done once a week, they're very intense.

That stuff about elevated metabolism is true, but that doesn't mean increased fat burning. That thing about burning more fat post workout or how ever that rumor went, is a myth.

I would like to say that that is not a myth.. think about it,
after you do a HIIT session, or any cardio session, once you are done, your heart does not go BOOM back to 50-60bpm, it is still winding down, well after the workout. and even when the heart goes back to normal, the rest of the muscles are still slowly going back to normal mode. If it was a myth, then we would only feel the burn and the pain DURING the workout, not after, especially days after when your muscles are hating you.. haha

I am not saying POC(Post Oxygen Consumption) is a myth. I am saying you burn more fat is a myth. Example, you burn 200 calories at a low intensity exercise you burn x amount of fat. You do a HIIT that burns 200 calories, you will burn x(same amount of fat).

oooo... true that! I know that doing the HIIT my way would burn more calories in 45 min than doing 45 min of consistant running... unless I put it in my mind its HIIT time and give all I got...

HisPathDaily

Interesting options and info ... thanks guys.

NoxDineen

Read up on real Tabata training. You should probably focus just on HIIT runs or tempo runs. If you try to do both either you'll short-change yourself on the HIIT bit or you'll hurt yourself on the tempo bit (running on empty).

Good luck, and please post an update when you've tried it. I'm a new runner (2 months, working on Bridge to 10k now) and I haven't really tried any intervals yet but I'm interested in them. I would love some real world info from somebody smart enough to do research ahead of time.

Nessiechickie

After reading this I have realized I don't really do HIIT either.
I find it so hard on treadmills because of the pace restrictions and also how long it takes to even get up to a fast pace on the speed. Thanks for all the interesting info

MikeyD1280

After reading this I have realized I don't really do HIIT either.
I find it so hard on treadmills because of the pace restrictions and also how long it takes to even get up to a fast pace on the speed. Thanks for all the interesting info

its best if you have a treadmill that has an up and down button to change the mph/kph (<--think I did that one right)
so when it hits that minute mark, you fast hit the button and slow that sucker down, then hitt the button to speed it up.

lucky for me, Mine has a HRM built into the deck, I find that humorous because its trying to tell me my HR while I am walking on a treadmill.. but I know I'm getting a burn because I am drenched when I am done.

arc918

I'm a long time runner - not a HIIT guy (nothing against it, just not part of my training)

the best way for runners to start interval or any speedwork is with fartleks (Swedish for speedplay)

link to an old post of mine about fartleks:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/356724-fartleks-speedwork-101-for-new-runners?hl=fartleks#posts-9151772

wolfchild59

Ha, well clearly not as grand as yours, but that's my thinking too. I had a 100 mile goal that I want to finish for August and once that is out of the way (so I can say I hit it) I want change it up a bit ...

BTW, awesome on the running ... When's the half?

I plan on adding in some actual HIIT to my workouts after I finish my half marathon training, so it will be interesting to see how that goes.

Nice goal on the 100 miles challenge. I'll be hitting just about that mark by the end of August as well (not planned, just how it works out with my training schedule).

My half is getting close, coming up quickly on Sept 2nd. I ran my first one back on April 8th though. Did the same training schedule for both of them, but training in the summer heat has been a very different experience than it was training in the winter. I miss the days I was racing the weather to get back before the rain turned into more than a drizzle rather than trying to get home before I pass out from the sun heating up the morning too fast. lol

But once I finish this half, I'm changing it up to adding in more strength training and going to workouts like HIIT instead of the endurance running, I'm sort of over the hours of running. lol

feisma

bump

Azdak

After reading this I have realized I don't really do HIIT either.
I find it so hard on treadmills because of the pace restrictions and also how long it takes to even get up to a fast pace on the speed. Thanks for all the interesting info

I wouldn't worry about -- see the other posts about fartlek running, peak runs, etc. They are good alternatives to HIIT for increasing fitness, good calorie burns, good afterburn, etc. Don't get me wrong--I'm not knocking HIIT. But it's not absolutely necessary.

HisPathDaily

Thanks again for your input ... in putting together a fresh plan for September (would like something tangible to work towards) this is all helpful in helping make up a routine ... I think I'm going to do a month-to-month thing ... do something for a month and the tweak, and change it up ... but be consistent for a month rather than skipping around day to day trying to find what works best.

This month was fun for me, but I'll be curious what September has ... I think HIIT will certainly play a role, just not sure exactly how much of a role ... I still am going to run (it's just what I love doing) but I think my cross-training days may be mixed with some HIIT ... we'll see.

Anyway, thanks