HIIT Help

jgollnick
jgollnick Posts: 73 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello All,

I thought I'd reach out for some experienced opinions.

So I joined MFP in 11/2012. I am down almost 50 lbs so far (sorry no pics available yet) gpoing from 261 to 211. Most of my exercise regime is running and I have gotten a real taste for it. As for a NSV I can run 2 miles straight which is something I couldn't even do whe i was 145 in high school. So know I want to run my first 5k soon and take my training up a notch. I want to try HIIT with sprinting.

I have heard that for beginners doing 20 minutes with 30 seconds intensity and 1 minute relaxed is good. Please correct me if I am wrong. I would love to hear your opinions. Also I am curious to know what I need to do during the rest period. Should I be power walking or doing a light jog. Please Help !

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Replies

  • Joreanasaurous
    Joreanasaurous Posts: 1,384 Member
    I'm actually curious about this as well. I have done Tabata which is 20 seconds on, 10 rest and repeat x times, but that is my limited experience.


    I did google this the other day since I was thinking about it and found this:
    http://m.runnersworld.com/running-tips/run-faster-with-high-intensity-interval-training


    Also congrats on your weight loss! You must be so proud.
  • MariG25
    MariG25 Posts: 89 Member
    Hello, since you're a beginner I would sprint for 30 seconds and then walk for a minute or two then continue for a total of 20 minutes. When you feel that you're ready to kick it up a notch increase the sprint seconds to 45 and reduce your walk time to a minute. You can do this on any cardio machine. when I get on the treadmill I set it at 0 incline, 8.0 speed, for 1 minute and 1 minute walk at 3.0 speed. Good luck =)
  • Inshape13
    Inshape13 Posts: 680 Member
    A lot of people swear by the C25K program, but I did not begin running that way so I cannot give any advice based on those principles. What I can offer to say is that it WILL be difficult in the beginning, but so worth it after some time. When you first start out you may get a burning in your chest so try to catch yourself if you breathe from your mouth and breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth and keep it steady. You will also want to watch how many days you run a week and not run them back to back. I have done a couple 5Ks and currently run sprints on the treadmill at a 9% incline for a min on and then min off for a half hour if I am indoors and 5 mile jog/walk intervals otherwise....if I do them days in a row it still gets my hip at times. Just be easy on yourself and focus on endurance and first then speed and you will get there. Best of luck to you!
  • fruitloop2
    fruitloop2 Posts: 437 Member
    Hello, since you're a beginner I would sprint for 30 seconds and then walk for a minute or two then continue for a total of 20 minutes. When you feel that you're ready to kick it up a notch increase the sprint seconds to 45 and reduce your walk time to a minute. You can do this on any cardio machine. when I get on the treadmill I set it at 0 incline, 8.0 speed, for 1 minute and 1 minute walk at 3.0 speed. Good luck =)

    This is what i do too but my speed is at about 8.5-9 sprint and 4 walk with a 1 incline. I do 1 min sprint 1 min walk.
  • h9dlb
    h9dlb Posts: 243 Member
    I agree - and believe me it does get much easier after a few weeks
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    if you're doing full on sprints, 30 secs of sprinting and make it 90 secs of low intensity walking or jogging. with a warm up and cool down, you should have 8 sprints. That's plenty. You really don't want to overdo it as the injury risk with sprinting is fairly high.
  • jgollnick
    jgollnick Posts: 73 Member
    I love that you guys respond so quickly and always so helpful. Just an FYI I plan on doing my sprinting outside. I tried going 10 mph on a treadmill and the thought of doing a face plant in the middle of a high intensity workout really freaks me out.
  • Sharonks
    Sharonks Posts: 884 Member
    I sometimes think I'm going to do a face plant. I do one minute sprints and 1-2 minutes walking. My goal is to quit breathing really hard during my walk phase. I'm currently at 10 mph and 3.5 mph on 0 incline. I try to find the point where I think I'm going to die by the time I get to the end of my minute then walk long enough to feel like I'm not going to die. I have been thinking of trying to do 12 mph (max on the treadmill I use) for 30 seconds since part of the reason I do HIIT is to increase my regular running speed.
  • phjorg1
    phjorg1 Posts: 642 Member
    9-10 mph is not hiit. thats intervals... 10 mph is a 22 second 100 meter sprint time. thats what 5 year olds can run. hiit means actually going all out.. not half assed.
  • kopmom
    kopmom Posts: 491 Member
    I downloaded the Tabata 4 minute HITT to my ipod...tells me all I need to do
  • MisterDerpington
    MisterDerpington Posts: 604 Member
    9-10 mph is not hiit. thats intervals... 10 mph is a 22 second 100 meter sprint time. thats what 5 year olds can run. hiit means actually going all out.. not half assed.

    Except this is a site where a lot of people are trying to lose weight and get in shape. 10mph is a sprint to an overweight and out of shape person like a lot of us are. HIIT has to do with exertion levels. Not speed.
  • phjorg1
    phjorg1 Posts: 642 Member
    i have a very hard time believing the average myfitnesspal person cant outrun a 5 year old in a sprint. so that's exactly my point. hiit is based on exertion, and most people dont exert themselves. there is zero reason for anyone non hurt and non morbidly obese to run slower than 18 second 100m times. 16 should be doable for most.
  • jgollnick
    jgollnick Posts: 73 Member
    i have a very hard time believing the average myfitnesspal person cant outrun a 5 year old in a sprint. so that's exactly my point. hiit is based on exertion, and most people dont exert themselves. there is zero reason for anyone non hurt and non morbidly obese to run slower than 18 second 100m times. 16 should be doable for most.

    Jacoby Jones mentioned on Dancing with the Stars that he runs 100 yards in 14 seconds. I doubt most of us are only 2 seconds behind a world class wide receiver. Nice try though troll. GET OFF MY THREAD! :laugh:
  • InspiredSAM
    InspiredSAM Posts: 98 Member
    i have a very hard time believing the average myfitnesspal person cant outrun a 5 year old in a sprint. so that's exactly my point. hiit is based on exertion, and most people dont exert themselves. there is zero reason for anyone non hurt and non morbidly obese to run slower than 18 second 100m times. 16 should be doable for most.

    I have a hard time believing you are so arrogant. HITT is based on exertion, and everyone has their own physical limits. The point is to spike your heart rate. For some, running at 6mph accomplishes that.
  • InspiredSAM
    InspiredSAM Posts: 98 Member
    I've been using the C25k app, but they have you jogging in intervals and not sprinting. But the concepts are the same: all out, recover, repeat. Good luck!!!
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    I love that you guys respond so quickly and always so helpful. Just an FYI I plan on doing my sprinting outside. I tried going 10 mph on a treadmill and the thought of doing a face plant in the middle of a high intensity workout really freaks me out.

    i'm glad you said that. I think HIIT on the treadmill is a pain in the *kitten* and potentially dangerous. think sprinting on a real surface is going to be a much better workout for you.

    my 2 cents is that you can full on stop for your rest period if thats what you want to do. the benefit from HIIT isn't really how long your doing something but the intensity. So i'd do whatever really helps you hit it when your in the sprint. I'd also say 45 sec is close to the ceiling because you really want to be pushing yourself as hard as you possibly can.

    9-10 mph is not hiit. thats intervals... 10 mph is a 22 second 100 meter sprint time. thats what 5 year olds can run. hiit means actually going all out.. not half assed.

    good thing that actual mph has nothing to do with the HIIT equation. If the OP is concerned about doing it 'by the book', get a HRM
  • phjorg1
    phjorg1 Posts: 642 Member
    and yet hiit has less to do with heart rate.. its defined as 170% vo2max. so hrm is useless. speed would actually be a better indicator by far.

    also lol to whoever said nfl wide recievers have a 14 second 100m sprint time. thats some serious denial to believe that. every reciever in the nfl has 10-11 sprint times. and yes, 16 seconds is possible for most anyone. any average dude with no sprint training can run 16 seconds. 18 should be doable by badically everyone regardless unless we are talking actual disabilities here. in which case you should not be doing hiit anyway. l2get facts people. stop sucking in your workoyts and actually try.

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