HIIT & Strength training do I need a rest day in between?

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Replies

  • mizzcasual
    mizzcasual Posts: 223 Member
    I have a HIIT and Strength training plan I go to the gym 3/4times a week.
    Usually I'd focus mainly on hitt but I decided I needed some strength training.

    How would I arrange what days to do what? and both of the plans are full body

    Should it be something like this?

    Tues - HIIT
    Wed- Rest
    Thurs - Strength
    Fri - Rest
    Sat - HIIT
    Sun - Rest/strength

    or could I do this? Do I need a rest day after each of the workouts?

    Tues - HIIT
    Wed - Rest
    Thurs -Strength
    Fri - HIIT
    Sat - Strength
    Sun - Rest
    Mon - rest

    what are your goals?

    I would say more strength, less cardio ..

    Monday - total body strength training
    tues - HIIT
    wens - total body strength
    thurs - HIIT
    Friday - total bod strength
    sat and sunday rest/active rest/etc

    you do not have to do total body stuff ..you could go with a split type routine …or a more structured program like 5x5, starting strength etc...

    My goals are to get toned and lose body fat.

    My workout is on the previous page, i've only just recently decided I wanted to do strength only when I saw a new trainer an noticed his workout was more strength focused than hiit . I'm booking a session again with him next week he might change it.
    The other hiit plan was done by my other current trainer . Those are the plans I have at the moment.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I have a HIIT and Strength training plan I go to the gym 3/4times a week.
    Usually I'd focus mainly on hitt but I decided I needed some strength training.

    How would I arrange what days to do what? and both of the plans are full body

    Should it be something like this?

    Tues - HIIT
    Wed- Rest
    Thurs - Strength
    Fri - Rest
    Sat - HIIT
    Sun - Rest/strength

    or could I do this? Do I need a rest day after each of the workouts?

    Tues - HIIT
    Wed - Rest
    Thurs -Strength
    Fri - HIIT
    Sat - Strength
    Sun - Rest
    Mon - rest

    what are your goals?

    I would say more strength, less cardio ..

    Monday - total body strength training
    tues - HIIT
    wens - total body strength
    thurs - HIIT
    Friday - total bod strength
    sat and sunday rest/active rest/etc

    you do not have to do total body stuff ..you could go with a split type routine …or a more structured program like 5x5, starting strength etc...

    My goals are to get toned and lose body fat.

    My workout is on the previous page, i've only just recently decided I wanted to do strength only when I saw a new trainer an noticed his workout was more strength focused than hiit . I'm booking a session again with him next week he might change it.
    The other hiit plan was done by my other current trainer . Those are the plans I have at the moment.

    if you are new to lifting then I would suggest picking up a copy of starting strength and/or new rules of lifting for woman…and build a program around lifting heavy using compound movements - barbell squat, deadlift, rows, bench press, pull up/chin up, overhead press, etc….I would say four sets each of 8-10 reps…

    keep eating in a deficit and you will lean out …set your macros to 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fats...
  • mizzcasual
    mizzcasual Posts: 223 Member
    Yeah I have chin ups , the goblet squat , trx rows in the previous plan.

    i'll just stick with the current strength plan I have at the moment an probably the trainer will make up a new plan with hiit considered.
    I haven't done deadlifting or anything like that yet.
  • purplishblue
    purplishblue Posts: 135 Member
    I've been wondering this same thing! I just started working out again, and will be doing HIIT and strength training. I too wasn't sure if I should do HIIT, Weights, HIIT, Weights, etc, or do HIIT and Weights, rest, HIIT and Weights, rest, etc.

    The only difference with me is that for now, I'll be doing strictly lower body/abs weight exercises due to a shoulder injury. So... I don't know if that changes things. My goals are to lose fat, gain muscle with an overall weight loss.
  • Mrsallypants
    Mrsallypants Posts: 887 Member
    sounds like a vomit inducing workout.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    sounds like a vomit inducing workout.

    Lactic acid threshold training is vomit inducing. HIIT is nothing.
  • mizzcasual
    mizzcasual Posts: 223 Member
    I did my strength training plan today I was hungry after so I don't try the hiit I was worried I'd faint or something because I don't have the energy. I'm not sure I'd have managed the HIIT mine is a very intense plan.
  • purplishblue
    purplishblue Posts: 135 Member
    *bumb*

    Any other suggestions? Still unsure if it's best to do HIIT and weights on the same day, with a rest inbetween (working out 3 times a week basically), vs alternating HIIT and strength 5 days a week? Goal is weightloss.
  • kapoorpk
    kapoorpk Posts: 244 Member
    My thought process...

    When I was in the process of losing weight, I did HIIT with 3 minute high, 2 minute low intervals, 5 days a week and it torched away 70 lbs of weight.

    Since then, my goal is to recompose, i.e. gain muscle mass while reducing body fat...thus, the approach is a more delicate balance.

    My routine goes as follows with cardio getting done AFTER lifting, deploying most of my energy to heavier lifting:
    (breaking up lifting into 3 muscle groups, rotating through them with 2 days of lifting and 1 day rest from lifting, incorporating HIIT on rest day and on the lightest of the lifting days; preserves muscle gains better)


    M - push muscle - no cardio
    T - pull muscles (smaller muscle group, so added cardio) + HIIT (30 second high, 60 seconds low intensity)
    W - HIIT only
    TH - Legs & abs - no cardio
    F - push muscles - no cardio
    S - HIIT only
    SU - pull muscles - HIIT
    M - legs & abs......so on and so forth...

    This way, every muscle group gets worked out after 3 days of rest while getting focused on roughly twice a week. Prevents over training while stimulating muscles just enough. Compound lifts - the big 4 are incorporated into the routine, i.e. squats, overhead press, deadliest and bench press.

    That is what I do and has worked rather well for me.
  • BennyCH
    BennyCH Posts: 73 Member
    "Abs are done in the kitchen..."

    most of the schedules presented will lead to system overtraining...

    I recommend taking a day off between each INTENSIVE workout, be it HIIT or weights...

    also do not workout longer than 30 minutes, if you can you are not doing it intense enough...
  • MelStren
    MelStren Posts: 457 Member
    The strength training plan is very long I don't think I'd have the energy to do it right after HIIT.

    I've read on here that you should do your HIIT after your strength training.
  • wibutterflymagic
    wibutterflymagic Posts: 788 Member
    Best practice:

    Sunday rest
    Monday lift 45-60mins
    Tuesday 10min HIIT
    Weds Lift 45-60mins
    Thursday 10min HIIT
    Friday Lift 45-60min
    Saturday rest

    or

    Sun Rest
    Monday lift 45mins HIIT 10mins
    Tuesday Rest
    Weds Lift 45mins HIIT 10mins
    Thursday Rest
    Friday lift 45mins HIIT 10mins
    Saturday Rest

    The first is what I do with clients.
    The second scenario is what Dr Layne Norton and Dr Scott Connelly prescribe their clients.
    Both works like a charm.
    Just depends on your ability to recover.

    This is pretty close to what I was going to suggest. I lift 3x week with a light cardio day in between sometimes. Definitely a break day between lifting. Your muscles need that recovery time.
  • looseseal
    looseseal Posts: 216 Member
    In for info.
  • WTramontana
    WTramontana Posts: 10 Member

    I did HIIT with 3 minute high, 2 minute low intervals, 5 days a week and it torched away 70 lbs of weight.


    What was YOUR workout duration for HIIT? 10 min, 20min, 30???

    Thank in advance. :smile:

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