Confused, re: 'How Much to Exercise'

Hello all,

Recently, Jillian Michaels sent out a newsletter on the recommended amount of daily exercise (http://www.jillianmichaels.com/fitness-and-diet-tips/how-much-to-exercise) for weight loss. She supports the WHO recommendation of 60 minutes, yet most of her recent videos (except 'Boost Metabolism' and 'Trouble Zones') are around 30 minutes, including warm-up and cool-down. Even her infamous 30 Day Shred is only 20 minutes per level.

Does this mean that 20-30 minutes of high intensity interval training (HIIT) is comparable to 60 minutes of an easier workout? I feel like the more I read on how much to exercise, the more I find conflicting information, even from the same sources. Suggestions?

Thanks!

essentially yes.

No, it means that 60 min videos don't sell as well as 30 minute videos.

If you are expecting any actual "expertise" from Jillian Michaels, you are going to be waiting for an awfully long time.

30 day shred is NOT a HIT workout, not by any stretch of the imagination.

The main reason why you see "conflicting reports" is that there is no single answer that is best for all individuals. The second reason is that much of the information you find, either on the internet or is the media, is geared towards self-promotion, not instruction.

There is research that suggests that, for certain individuals, following a HIT or HIIT type routine results is a higher rate of fat loss per unit time--probably due to a greater "afterburn" effect. So far, the studies I have seen have looked at pretty strenuous workouts over a relatively short period of time. I haven't seen anything that looks at a long-term effect, either for effectiveness or compliance. The studies have not really looked that much into overall fitness or performance gains.

My experience is not conclusive and may not even be relevant, but I have been trying to include some HIIT type workouts and "metabolic" workouts in my routine for the past 6 months or so. I enjoy them, but I am not sure they would be effective for me as the major part of my routine. Maybe it's my age (56), I don't know. I recently went through a 2-3 week stretch at work where a special project ramped up my hours to 60-70 per week. Since I didn't have as much time, I did basically HIIT workouts 3x/wk to compensate. It is now 10 days after I resumed me regular routine and I am barely within 80-85% of my "pre-HIIT" workout performance. It's like I took those 2-3 weeks off completely. Like I said, not conclusive by any means, but interesting.

A huge number of people have been very successful losing weight on a "traditional" program of, say, 4-6 cardio sessions, 40-60 min each with a couple of strength training sessions per week.

There is research that suggests that the same person responds differently to a diet/exercise program if they are at 30%-40% body fat than if they are at 20%-25%. So what might be right for a person at the beginning of a program may no longer be as effective 6-12 months down the road.

Not everyone can do high-intensity work. Some people who chase fitness trends THINK they are doing HIT or HIIT, but just end up doing less exercise, but not getting the same quality or workout.

So there is no one definitive answer. I would say that, in general, beginners, less fit individuals, more overweight individuals will benefit the most from a "traditional", higher-volume aerobic/strength/low-calorie diet routine. As one becomes more fit and reduces body fat, one will likely see better continued results by including more HIT and HIIT type routines, with a much lower calorie deficit.

Your personal experiences are interesting Azdak because they are the opposite of mine. I am in my 50s also and have limited training time. Before I got injured, I was doing a lot of metcon and strength/conditioning and less of the LSD - long, steady, distance (i.e., cardio) that is typical of an endurance athlete. I found I was getting fitter faster than my peers who did a lot of lower intensity stuff for longer period of times.

But I wasn't doing Jillian Michael's shred! I was doing Crossfit, swinging kettlebells, and doing other HIT -- the kind of stuff that makes you think you might have to puke after. :laugh:

Right now I'm injured so I'm doing a lot of LSD and no intervals and (almost) no tempo work and I can feel that I'm getting slower. I am only maintaining my fitness and not pushing it to the next level either. Plus it takes *forever*. Last week I did a 7 hour bike ride. I'd much rather do a 4 hour bike ride and 1 hour of intervals than spend my whole Sat. doing one workout!