HIIT routine question

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Trytotryharder
Trytotryharder Posts: 41
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok so iv'e been trying out HIIT for the past few weeks and I just have a quick question regarding routines.

Theres two different ones I have tried but I dont know which one would be best for fat loss.

Routine 1 -
2min warm up
20sec high/60 sec low x10

Routine 2 -
2min warm up
15sec high/40 sec low x14

I definitely feel more of a burn doing routine 1 solely because of the extra 5 seconds of high intensity, it seems to make a big difference with the difficulty. However my ratio with my second routine is a lot better and I can do it for a bit longer.

Any ideas on which one i should try and pursue?

Replies

  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
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    Could do what I do.

    12 seconds off, 8 seconds on. For 20 mins.

    I do that on my exercise bike. Works a treat & not as bad as I thought.
  • JakeBrownVB
    JakeBrownVB Posts: 399 Member
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    30 seconds on and 60 seconds off.. thats my 2 cents on it
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
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    30 seconds on and 60 seconds off.. thats my 2 cents on it
    For true HIIT, I agree; there has to be some duration. I try to do HIIT sometimes, but it is very difficult. Most of us do interval training at less than true high intensity, but it still does some good. But if you are after that increased burn that lasts for a while, short bursts won't get you there.
  • K_Serz
    K_Serz Posts: 1,299 Member
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    but I dont know which one would be best for fat loss.

    This is probably a phrase you want to avoid posting in the forums. (you are probably asking yourself "Why?") Just wait, you'll see.

    Anyway, I dont see any specific exercises here. Are you doing an elliptical, is this running, jumping rope, burpees, doing HIIT with weights (circuit training)? Not that any of that really matters, but I am just curious.

    Are you using an HRM to see if you are hitting your zones or just going by how you feel? Some people might only need 30 seconds to get to their max and can only hold it for about 5 seconds before having to come back down. Also, that same person might need a minute of recovery instead of 20 or 30 seconds.

    Getting back to the exercises, since its only 60 secs in duration I am assuming its 1 exercise? Try splitting it into 2 exercises for 30 seconds each, then as you progress and get better 45 etc. Don't be afraid to mix in different exercises that work completely different parts (For example 45 secs of push ups, 45 seconds of squats) Eventually you should be able to chain 3-4 exercises in there for about 3-4 min of intense training followed up with a nice 30 second (or more) rest.

    I personally do HIIT training for performance purposes. Mostly for cardio vascular and muscle endurance; fat burning is just a nice side effect. To burn fat, I try and burn more calories that I am taking in daily.

    In any event, keep moving and eating well. It will come off.
  • Trytotryharder
    Trytotryharder Posts: 41
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    but I dont know which one would be best for fat loss.

    This is probably a phrase you want to avoid posting in the forums. (you are probably asking yourself "Why?") Just wait, you'll see.

    Anyway, I dont see any specific exercises here. Are you doing an elliptical, is this running, jumping rope, burpees, doing HIIT with weights (circuit training)? Not that any of that really matters, but I am just curious.

    Are you using an HRM to see if you are hitting your zones or just going by how you feel? Some people might only need 30 seconds to get to their max and can only hold it for about 5 seconds before having to come back down. Also, that same person might need a minute of recovery instead of 20 or 30 seconds.

    Getting back to the exercises, since its only 60 secs in duration I am assuming its 1 exercise? Try splitting it into 2 exercises for 30 seconds each, then as you progress and get better 45 etc. Don't be afraid to mix in different exercises that work completely different parts (For example 45 secs of push ups, 45 seconds of squats) Eventually you should be able to chain 3-4 exercises in there for about 3-4 min of intense training followed up with a nice 30 second (or more) rest.

    I personally do HIIT training for performance purposes. Mostly for cardio vascular and muscle endurance; fat burning is just a nice side effect. To burn fat, I try and burn more calories that I am taking in daily.

    In any event, keep moving and eating well. It will come off.

    Ive just ordered a HRM now so I can get some proper readings. Would you say that my HR should be at 90%/100% for the whole duration?

    At the moment im doing it on the bike, so 20 seconds as hard as i can and then 60 seconds very light peddling.

    I'm definitely eating enough to lose weight, my BMR is 1,930 and im eating about 1,300 a day, but i guess with my exercise im netting about 1,000, do you think i need to eat more to lose weight? I was netting about 800 calories for 2 months and hardly lost anything so i think this may be where im going wrong
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
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    I'm definitely eating enough to lose weight, my BMR is 1,930 and im eating about 1,300 a day, but i guess with my exercise im netting about 1,000, do you think i need to eat more to lose weight? I was netting about 800 calories for 2 months and hardly lost anything so i think this may be where im going wrong
    If you were netting 800 and not losing weight, there are two possible causes - one would be a rare metabolic condition. When they test people in the lab, a BMR under 1000 is exceedingly rare. The other possibility is that your numbers for consumption and/or burn are not accurate. I am not saying netting under 1000 is healthy, just that if you really are then you will almost certainly lose weight.

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