Yet another HIIT related question...

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sozzell
sozzell Posts: 166
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey everyone,

So, for the past few weeks I have been doing HIIT sessions running outdoors, instead of just doing a longer moderate paced run like I used to do.

I understand the 'afterburn' thing, but, I wondered, as if with regular cardio, or regular exercise in fact, that if you continue to do the same work-out youbody gets used to it (less of a challenge) and so you'll cease to burn calories at the same rate....or something like that anyway!

I wondered if this can also happen with HIIT? I'm thinking probably not as HIIT in itself is a huge, huge challenge but if someone could clarify I would really apreciate it.

My regime has been this:

30 seconds work, followed by 1 minute walking, then 30 seconds slow jogging, then repeat x 8 (or 10 if feeling hardcore).

I do this 3 times per week(in the afternoons), in addition to 5 days strength training (in the evenings) such as BodyRock or 30DS.

Any advice appreciated :-)

Replies

  • sozzell
    sozzell Posts: 166
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    Anyone? :-)
  • tbirely
    tbirely Posts: 6 Member
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    Yes, your body will get used to it. Normally with a HIIT workout, you try to be progessive anyway. So for a couple weeks you might do 30 second run/ 30 second walk. Then to increase the intensity, you would do 45 second run/30 second walk for a couple weeks. Then to progress from there, you can do 60 second run/ 30 second walk, or 45 second run/15 second walk. As long as you are changing the ratio of run to walk and your running time increases while your walking time decreases, you will be fine. I hope that makes sense!!
  • Heather_Rider
    Heather_Rider Posts: 1,159 Member
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    Also, you NEED to rest more often than you would with a regular extended run. HIIT is great for losing weight, but really hard on your body!
  • Nteeter
    Nteeter Posts: 190 Member
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    Its called a fartlek lol

    wiki'd

    Fartlek, which means "speed play" in Swedish, is a training method that blends continuous training with interval training.[1] The variable intensity and continuous nature of the exercise places stress on both the aerobic and anaerobic systems. It differs from traditional interval training in that it is unstructured; intensity and/or speed can be varied whenever the athlete wishes.[2][dead link][3] Most fartlek sessions last a minimum of 45 minutes and can vary from aerobic walking to anaerobic sprinting. Fartlek training is generally associated with running, but can include almost any kind of exercise.
  • mcrowe1016
    mcrowe1016 Posts: 647 Member
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    Yes, your body will get used to it. Normally with a HIIT workout, you try to be progessive anyway. So for a couple weeks you might do 30 second run/ 30 second walk. Then to increase the intensity, you would do 45 second run/30 second walk for a couple weeks. Then to progress from there, you can do 60 second run/ 30 second walk, or 45 second run/15 second walk. As long as you are changing the ratio of run to walk and your running time increases while your walking time decreases, you will be fine. I hope that makes sense!!

    Like the above says, the idea is that on the low intervals you are going at 30% intensity and on the high intervals you are going at 90%. Some days 8mph might be 90% and other days 9mph will be your 90%. You adjust the speeds to get you to those intensity levels, so your body never really gets used to it because you are continuously making sure you are working at full capacity.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    As you get used to it, you should be upping the intensity. As in, 30 run, 30 sec walk, then 45/15, then 60/15. And you can sub in any multi joint exercise to mix it up. Throw a few sets of Burpees in there. Or mountain climbers. Jumping split squats. Have some fun with it.
  • danni_l
    danni_l Posts: 144 Member
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    Hey,

    I LOVE HIIT - just the best workout for me. I trained for tough mudder in April using HIIT - I hadnt run more than 5k before I started and I sailed through.

    So like everyone else is saying you will just need to increase the difficulty. With sprints, I just increased the distance and lowered the cool down time.

    Also Im fairly injury prone so I try and mix it up a bit as well - so I might do some boxing (something like 400 seconds on a bag at 50% and 200 seconds at 110%) or chuck some burpees, pushups and sit ups in for good measure! Have a break and start again.
    Skipping, weights, swimming - you can easily change things around to make a varied workout which keeps your body working hard.

    There is heaps of stuff on the internet - just google HIIT or fartlek training.

    You just need to be careful as it can be hard on your body - so lots of running might lead to an injury. Just mix it up and keep it challenging. The results are worth it.

    Enjoy : )

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