HIIT

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Lulupal00za
Lulupal00za Posts: 4 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Here is a question to anyone who has tried doing HIIT (high intensity interval training) for fitness. Did you see any results and what did you do? Right now I do intervals of 20 seconds high intensity to 40 seconds of rest on the concept2 row machine 4 days a week. I pretty much hate it right now. Every morning I wake up and I think "I really don't want to do HIIT today. I hate it". I've been doing it for about 3 weeks now. I need some serious motivation!

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  • albertine58
    albertine58 Posts: 267 Member
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    if you hate the rower, find something you like instead! I always do HIIT with a variety of exercises, not just one exercise, so it's a full-body workout combining strength and cardio. Here's an example HIIT workout from one of my favorite bloggers - it's similar to what I do, and I've seen great results.
    http://fitnessista.com/2014/05/hiit-scorcher/
  • Awesomers
    Awesomers Posts: 144 Member
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    I really, really love HIIT workouts. I use FitnessBlender.com - there are a variety of videos to choose from. Otherwise, I do HIIT when I run, sometimes.
  • amflournoy
    amflournoy Posts: 6
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    I added HIIT to my routine last month and I've definitely seen results. I've lost more this past 4 weeks than any of my previous months. I use the elliptical on level 10, but you can also use the stationary bike.

    5 min warm up. Then 10 intervals of 30 sec-super fast speed and 1 min-moderate speed. 5 min cool down.

    Hope that helps!
  • Lulupal00za
    Lulupal00za Posts: 4 Member
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    Thanks for your replies everyone!
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    I pretty much hate it right now.

    What other sessions are you doing. If the only rowing sessions I was doing were intervals I'd be bored mindless.

    fwiw I do one or two sessions a week, running, interspersed with long runs and tempo runs another three or four times per week
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    HIIT is just a format for working out- it does not need to be limited to the rowing machine.

    I personally did 2 years of body weight- or KB style combination workouts with 50 seconds on and 10 seconds rest- and they were typically 12-15 minutes- they were brutal- I drug me feet starting my gymboss- but once I started the timer- I was comitted to doing the work, and I Felt great afterwards.

    Even though I had a lot of variety- the work was still hard- and I still mentally had to kind of gear up for it. I never hated it but man I took my sweet time some days LOL.

    If you really don't like it- try something else.
  • ValGogo
    ValGogo Posts: 2,168 Member
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    I love it.

    It's hard, it's makes me breathe heavy, it makes sweat, and I feel so much stronger afterwards. My core is always engaged and whtn it's done I have this huge sense of accomplishment. It's never boring and after the first 15 minutes (not including the initial warm-up), the energy rush is so good.

    Go to FitnessBlender.com for some nice HIIT workouts.

    By the say, I love the She-ra picture.
  • ValGogo
    ValGogo Posts: 2,168 Member
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    I pretty much hate it right now.

    What other sessions are you doing. If the only rowing sessions I was doing were intervals I'd be bored mindless.

    fwiw I do one or two sessions a week, running, interspersed with long runs and tempo runs another three or four times per week

    When I do the rower, I make sure I'm watching something really engaging on TV
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Right now all my exercise comes in the form of yard work, gardening and hiking. But I did Turbo Fire over the winter and it has HIIT training included. It uses plyometric HIIT workouts so the biggest improvements I saw were in leg strength and muscle gains, and in over all cardio endurance. I plan to do it again next winter. I loved the plyometrics.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
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    would also recommend you pick exerciese that maybe you like better before scrapping HIIT.

    i know there are a formats out there similair to yours where there is a lot of rest followed by very short and intense exercise.

    i think if you flipped it tho, 40 seconds on 20 off, you might see better results.
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
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    Here is a question to anyone who has tried doing HIIT (high intensity interval training) for fitness. Did you see any results and what did you do? Right now I do intervals of 20 seconds high intensity to 40 seconds of rest on the concept2 row machine 4 days a week. I pretty much hate it right now. Every morning I wake up and I think "I really don't want to do HIIT today. I hate it". I've been doing it for about 3 weeks now. I need some serious motivation!

    20 seconds on, followed by 40 seconds off, sounds pretty rough. If you're really doing an all out sprint for 20 seconds, than 40 seconds off isn't enough time to recuperate or do anything. Perhaps try going to an all out 30 seconds on, followed by 90 to 120 seconds off. You'll still get a great workout as long as you go all out on your 30 seconds intervals. Also, it'll be a lot less boring b/c with longer down time you can read a book or something.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    would also recommend you pick exerciese that maybe you like better before scrapping HIIT.

    i know there are a formats out there similair to yours where there is a lot of rest followed by very short and intense exercise.

    i think if you flipped it tho, 40 seconds on 20 off, you might see better results.

    Oh man- I missed that- 40 seconds of rest?


    Definitely flip that around- 20 seconds of rest makes me feel bored for hiit- the most I can take is 15- but I prefer 10-12.
  • Lofteren
    Lofteren Posts: 960 Member
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    You can play with the exercises and the intervals. I like hitting a heavy bag for HIIT. I will choose random intervals: 30 sec/30 sec rest, 1 min/1 min rest, 3 min/1 min rest, etc... I try to do it for at least 20 minutes. If I chose longer intervals (and subsequently a slightly lower intensity was accomplished) I'll go for 30 minutes. Then I lay on the ground in the fetal position and pant for 5 min straight.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    When I do the rower, I make sure I'm watching something really engaging on TV

    I don't get that. If you're not engaged with the training, why are you bothering...

    A 60 minute session on the rower is about 15Km worth and worth the effort.
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
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    20 seconds active and 40 seconds of rest? That sounds like an excessive amount of rest. I usually do 20 seconds active, 10 seconds rest, for x number of intervals. I use Fitness Blender, and I think the longest rest they give is about 20 seconds, and that's for 40-50 second active intervals.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    You can play with the exercises and the intervals. I like hitting a heavy bag for HIIT. I will choose random intervals: 30 sec/30 sec rest, 1 min/1 min rest, 3 min/1 min rest, etc... I try to do it for at least 20 minutes. If I chose longer intervals (and subsequently a slightly lower intensity was accomplished) I'll go for 30 minutes. Then I lay on the ground in the fetal position and pant for 5 min straight.

    I'm not going to lie- you're a big dude- so the thought of you in the fetal position after HIIT makes me chuckle a little.
  • WTramontana
    WTramontana Posts: 10 Member
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    I've lost more this past 4 weeks than any of my previous months.

    Thank you for mentioning this; I've been getting into a cardio routine over the past 40 days. I am excited that I am enjoying it and of course want to make sure I maximize the potential for results in the mirror :laugh: . I have been doing HIIT and noticing that the body fat is decreasing (and so is the weight), but then I would read something about traditional endurance "slow and steady...stay in your aerobic zone" cardio and get a little discouraged about all the work being put in.
  • yosassi
    yosassi Posts: 30 Member
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    I was also going to suggest Fitness Blender! Beachbody also has HIIT programs, but they are not free. I swear by this five minute Fitness Blender workout: http://www.fitnessblender.com/v/workout-detail/5-Minute-Butt-and-Thigh-Workout-for-a-Bigger-Butt-Exercises-to-Lift-and-Tone-Your-Butt-and-Thighs/ie/
  • DebTavares
    DebTavares Posts: 170 Member
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    You can try fartlek training. I do it on the elliptical and treadmill and love it.

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