HIIT: 1st time.. Love/Hate relationship?

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FitandFab33
FitandFab33 Posts: 718 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
After spending some time reading (on this forum, bodybuilding.com, etc) I decided to give HIIT a shot on the treadmill. Holy batman. That IS the cardio for me. I'm talking balls to the wall, all out sprint until I think I'm going to die, then fast walk to catch my breath. Rinse, repeat. I LOVED it.

And then there are my knees. They are not so much a fan of my newfound training. I had ACL replacement/reconstruction in 2004 that has been pretty cooperative until today!

Also: it sort of felt like the belt on the treadmill was slipping when I made impact a few times during the high intensity portion- any solutions? It's not loose- I did the pull/inches test. Is it time for a new belt?

Replies

  • brown6267
    brown6267 Posts: 476 Member
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    Not sure about the belt on the treadmill.

    Have you tried the elipitical (?sp)? I do HIIT on it for 30 seconds as hard as I can go, reset the level to low, repeat in 60 seconds with the level set to high. HIIT has really helped me drop the weight.
  • FitandFab33
    FitandFab33 Posts: 718 Member
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    Not sure about the belt on the treadmill.

    Have you tried the elipitical (?sp)? I do HIIT on it for 30 seconds as hard as I can go, reset the level to low, repeat in 60 seconds with the level set to high. HIIT has really helped me drop the weight.

    I thought about it because it's low impact, but I work out at home (new mom and I put together a home gym) and don't have one. I've run across a few cheap ellipticals on craigslist and similar sites but wasn't sure if it'd be for me. I guess if my knee keeps acting up I might have to give in and get one.

    I'm so glad to hear you've gotten good results with HIIT. I think it's a style of running I can get into long-term!
  • SnackPack
    SnackPack Posts: 21 Member
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    My bad knees love the Elliptical. I can get some intense HIIT going. I do 5 min warm up and warm down with 90 second intervals for 15 min. The total of 25 min is a great burn and I can use a combination of speed and resistance to really push myself.

    It works for me and I really enjoy it.
  • bahacca
    bahacca Posts: 878 Member
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    I LOVE HIIT. I do it on a bike as the treadmill frankly scares me when I'm going above about 7mph. Now that i'm done training for my 1/2 marathon, I cannot wait to get back into it. So much easier than running 6-10 miles--and way less time consuming!
  • anitamiron
    anitamiron Posts: 73 Member
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    Turbo Fire is all HIIT. Its amazing. Dancing and intense cardio. I love HIIT.
  • FitandFab33
    FitandFab33 Posts: 718 Member
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    SnackPack: Dang, I guess I'm going to have to get an elliptical! :-)

    Bahacca: Congrats on your 1/2! That is such an amazing accomplishment! One day I'll be there.. maybe ;-)

    Anitamiron: I'll have to look into it- I need to complete the 2 programs I have before I buy another though! Hopefully in about 120 days I'll be ready for it :-)
  • gxm17
    gxm17 Posts: 374
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    Turbo Fire Low Impact HIIT: Love, love, love at first workout.
  • MeeshKB
    MeeshKB Posts: 120 Member
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    For those who love HIIT on the treadmill, check out this app. I absolutely love it! It sets up progressively more challenging interval workouts for you and syncs up your music to your workout so your footfalls match the beat. It is awesome! It seriously keeps me pushing much harder and for much longer than I ever did without it.

    http://www.lolofit.com/apps/beatburn_treadmill

    They have one for the elliptical too. I haven't tried it, but if it's anything like the treadmill one, it will be awesome. :-)

    ETA: It has workout programs for walking, walk/jog and running. Even the walking program can be extremely challenging at the advanced level. I am continually amazed at how high my heart rate can get from a low impact workout. Walking at 4.7 MPH is a heck of a challenge. Love it!
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,967 Member
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    I've been thinking of trying it... so you just go as fast as you can for about a minute then rest and repeat a few times?
  • soehlerking
    soehlerking Posts: 589 Member
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    I've done HIIT, but I'm impatient with the 1:2 ratio you're supposed to do (fast:slow). Also, I lose my running form when I sprint that fast--I get blisters from running on the insides of my feet (my natural leaning exaggerated) and my hips just don't like it. But it does great things for you; it helped me burst through a plateau once! I've also read that it should only be done 1-2x/week because it takes such an intense toll on the body. I'm not sure any of that information was helpful for you (sorry)!
  • FitandFab33
    FitandFab33 Posts: 718 Member
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    hesn92: HIIT- high intensity interval training- with running basically running fast/sprinting one minute (think 10 mph or whatever is really a push for you) then 2 minutes of "recovery (walking at 3.5-4 mph). I basically googled it and started. There's a free interval trainer app that helps.. IT TRAINER I think..

    soehlerking: I got impatient with the 1:2 ratio so I tried it at 1.5:2 but I about died so I went back to the original so I could finish all 7 rounds.. :-)
  • ixap
    ixap Posts: 675 Member
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    Just ramp up slowly if you haven't been doing any sprinting prior to this. The fast accelerations are really really hard on the muscles and joints as compared to a steady pace run. If you're already having knee pain, more reason to proceed cautiosly. In other words, I wouldn't suddenly replace all of your weekly workouts with this or add tons of rounds from week to week - I'd add them in slowly so your tissues have time to adapt.
  • titanium2012
    titanium2012 Posts: 64
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    I do this as well. I can really tell that this helped when I added it.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    I love HIIT interval training. Here is a solution...get outside and do them! there is a park by my house with a road that cuts through it. I drive over and have a spot paced out at about 30 to 40 yards and go all out. I like to do about thirty seconds all our with a 45 to sixty second rest....plus you get to get outdoors and get off the treadmill!
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    if you are really feeling like killing yourself try doing sprint training with tabata intervals. You sprint 20 seconds all out rest ten seconds and then repeat about eight times....freaking BRUTAL!!!!
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I have had ACL surgery and I am a bit worried about what you describe. I have never heard of the pull/inches test. Do you mean a Lachmann test or a 'drawer test'? If so, it is really hard for someone to do those tests who does not have experience, and I think it is almost impossible to do on yourself, since you have to be completely relaxed.
    It is unlikely you have an ACL problem if it has been fine until now and you have not had a definite traumatic incident to that knee. Still, pregnancy loosens ligaments, I believe.
    How bout getting it checked out?
  • FitandFab33
    FitandFab33 Posts: 718 Member
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    I have had ACL surgery and I am a bit worried about what you describe. I have never heard of the pull/inches test. Do you mean a Lachmann test or a 'drawer test'? If so, it is really hard for someone to do those tests who does not have experience, and I think it is almost impossible to do on yourself, since you have to be completely relaxed.
    It is unlikely you have an ACL problem if it has been fine until now and you have not had a definite traumatic incident to that knee. Still, pregnancy loosens ligaments, I believe.
    How bout getting it checked out?

    Haha- I was actually referring to the treadmill belt pull test! Sorry I was unclear in the original post:-) Although I frequently claim to know it all I would NOT attempt to examine my own tendon/ligaments.. The pain I have in my knee is pretty centered around the incision itself, so I'm thinking it's just scar tissue.
  • FitandFab33
    FitandFab33 Posts: 718 Member
    Options
    I love HIIT interval training. Here is a solution...get outside and do them! there is a park by my house with a road that cuts through it. I drive over and have a spot paced out at about 30 to 40 yards and go all out. I like to do about thirty seconds all our with a 45 to sixty second rest....plus you get to get outdoors and get off the treadmill!

    I would LOVE to do it outdoors but I have the munchkin (single mom with an infant). So.. for now I live with the treadmill. The spring will be a different story..
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I have had ACL surgery and I am a bit worried about what you describe. I have never heard of the pull/inches test. Do you mean a Lachmann test or a 'drawer test'? If so, it is really hard for someone to do those tests who does not have experience, and I think it is almost impossible to do on yourself, since you have to be completely relaxed.
    It is unlikely you have an ACL problem if it has been fine until now and you have not had a definite traumatic incident to that knee. Still, pregnancy loosens ligaments, I believe.
    How bout getting it checked out?

    Haha- I was actually referring to the treadmill belt pull test! Sorry I was unclear in the original post:-) Although I frequently claim to know it all I would NOT attempt to examine my own tendon/ligaments.. The pain I have in my knee is pretty centered around the incision itself, so I'm thinking it's just scar tissue.

    Silly me. I am relieved.

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