HIIT Advice Needed

shellshalla
shellshalla Posts: 263 Member
edited September 21 in Fitness and Exercise
I'm 21 years old, 5'8'', 151 pounds and trying to break through a plateau...

I started HIIT (high intensity interval training) this week and done it twice so far with a one day break between the days as I saw was advised on most sites explaining it. I have been getting up to 180-190 during the high intensity sprints and down to 160-165 during the "low intensity" minutes. I have been going every other minute, because it seems to take that long to get my heart rate back down to that number. Is that a big enough difference in heart rate or should I let it get down lower so there's a bigger difference between the heart rates? I do 5 minutes of warm up and 5 minutes of cool down also.

One more question...I know not to do strength training on these days (so I do it on the off days) but can i add some brisk walking into the HIIT days because I like to do more then 30 minutes of working out a day.....???

Any advice is greatly appreciated :)

Replies

  • mkgillette
    mkgillette Posts: 4
    Here might be a place to get some of your answers. http://www.intervaltraining.net/Interval_Training_for_Fat_Loss.html
    It seems to me that your heart rate is too high on both ends. You are trying to burn fat not muscle. Try to maybe dial back the heart rate to a high of 160 and then let it drop to about 135. You will have to play with the intensity of the machine until you find the sweet spot. The key to HIIT is that you don't have to do the aerobics for hours on end to get the desired results. Also if you are in a plateau, try cycling your carbohydrate intake. Try to make it arbitary. That way you will keep your BMR stoked and keep your body guessing. The same can be done for protein and fat intake. A set point can easily be stopped when you cycle your foods. Keep up the good work.
  • AnneElise
    AnneElise Posts: 4,206 Member
    not sure about the heart rate question but it seems to me adding walking should be just fine!
  • sunshinestate
    sunshinestate Posts: 110 Member
    I agree, you are young, but that heart rate seems too high. When I do HIIT (I'm 30), I'm supposed to go up to 165 at most.
  • sweetbn
    sweetbn Posts: 318
    It seems to me that your heart rate is too high on both ends. You are trying to burn fat not muscle. Try to maybe dial back the heart rate to a high of 160 and then let it drop to about 135.

    I disagree...
    Low Intensity - 60-65% MHR High Intensity - 80-85% MHR
    Total Calories expended per min. 4.86 6.86
    Fat Calories expended per min. 2.43 2.7
    Total Calories expended in 30 min. 146 206
    Total Fat calories expended in 30 min. 73 82
    Percentage of fat calories burned 50% 39.85%

    Yes the percentage burned is higher in the "fat burning zone" but overall you are still burning more fat in the higher intensity.

    Also your max HR is *estimating*180-210? So I think 180 should be close to 85-90% of max. I think it is good...

    If you can do the intervals fine with the higher HR I say good for you. Probably helps raise your oxegyn consumption even more for the next few hours. :)
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