HIIT suggestions?

This'll do it

http://tabatatraining.org/

Thank you! The tapata training was very useful. Do you normally keep strict to the four minutes or add on to it? I think at least mentally id have a hard time sticking to such a short workout.

I usually do it at the end of my workout.

I sprint for twenty seconds (100% effort) rest for ten. I repeat it 8 times.

If you're doing it correctly you won't be able to go longer than 4 minutes.

Zuzka has a great youtube channel w free full length high intensity workouts. I tried one, and even though I nearly finished insanity, I couldn't get through 15 minutes with this chick! I'm working on it each day.

I've done tabata-style bodyweight work with alternating rounds of kipping or jumping pull-ups, clapping push-ups, jump squats or deck squats, and either pulse-ups or combat sit-ups. Never been too happy with the pulse-ups or combat sit-ups, so last time was 12 rounds total alternating between pull-ups, push-ups, and squats.

i dont know anything about insanity, p90x, zumba or any other trends but i do know all about being on a tight schedule. What i do is cardio first (20-30 min) as hard as i can or HIIT, then i go from 1 strength training exercise to the next without any rests BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM. I think people call that intervals. So long as youre working different muscles you dont need to take the 30 secs to rest in between

and i skip stretching altogether so i can get back to my desk in time

Very interesting article but it doesn't really discourage me. I'm interested in the HIIT stuff and have definitely had good results. Though it does help express why I feel I'd be a cheater doing 4 minutes because I would not put out the type of maximal work they say requires a proper "Tabata". I will likely continue to do longer interval sessions and just push as much as I can. Drowning and sweat and starving for oxygen lol

Not meant to discourage, just that people need to know what is High Intensity and what is doing things a little bit harder for 20 seconds. I love all sorts of HiiT but mainly use HIRT to get maximal heart rate. Also, progressive ladders bodyweight or with resistance I find gives ME the best workout in a 40 minute burst of activity with no rests but doing exercises that are hard, harder, easy, hardest, hard, easy, hardest then back to hard.

You can count reps and make a game of tabata or HIRT, or as a measure of improvement.

Example - front squats with DB's - 1st round - 15 reps, 2nd rd 15r, 3rd rd 15r, 4th rd 10 r, and then count reps on last round which in some cases may be zero, and of course if you peaked during any round and had to skip a round that would be Zero. Over the weeks, you should see final round improvement like getting to 8th rd 8reps - then of course you increase the DB weight. You can do that with all resistance exercises, time the round, count the reps, keep intensity very high.

edit - of course some people gog easy in the early rounds to then get a final round score, that really really defeats the object.

Adding to this: you can also do pyramids. Start with 1 rep the first round, then do 2 reps, 3, 4, etc. up to failure. Once you've reached failure, then start going back down (if you got 12 reps, the next round is 11, then 10...). You can also make the steps multiples of some number instead (2,4,6 ... 6, 4, 2). I've done steps of 5 for push-ups and it is a helluva workout.

When I mentioned Ladders in an earlier post, it is a reverse pyramid - start at the high number and go down and then back up (back up - never been done I up the DB weight). I do not focus on one exercise but usually 6 exercises and I start at 8 on each.

e.g.

lunges with dumbbells resting on shoulders (I keep my back straighter this way - personal thing) onto bench - left leg then right leg
DB chest press - wide
DB chest press - tricep focus
side step onto weight bench with high knee DB's one shouldered on lifting leg and other by side for high knee - left leg - right leg
cable machine squat and one arm row at top - left arm - then right arm. Sometimes do CM Squat with DB pendulum swing
shoulder press or lateral raises with DB - (although intense this provides the natural pause to get HR down)

I use 4 different DB weights, the transitions are also slight rests - slight!

Get yourself a 20lb sledge hammer and a tire

A variety of matching tires and sledgehammers. throw tires, lift tires, beat tires, drag tires, fast feet through tires, press tires, row tires, the joy of tires - prefer tyres though being British.

haha, id love to grab a variety of tires and sledgehammers, but im constrained to a fairly tight living space with no yard to speak of though it would be a lot of fun.

Which is the reality of most people. And then you get a cockend who says nothing more but "get a 20lb sledgehammer and a tire" no explanation or anything but they may as just say, "I am an insecure cockend, I need to type something about something and eventually a thread I comment on they go - HELL YEAH YOU ARE SO COOL and then I go and have a w-a-n-k on the back of I am so cool because I am nearly part of an internet commuuuuueeeertayyyyyy

I'm sorry, I was under the impression that most fitness enthusiasts would know what to do with a 20lb sledgehammer and a tire. I find it interesting that you go around calling people insecure but you are the one who randomly began distributing unsolicited insults. You must be a really tough guy to hide behind your keyboard and crack jokes at people about whom you know nothing.