HIIT/Tabata Sprints
ahmedlogic
Posts: 29 Member
How many of you have been doing this type of training for a while, I just wish to find someone who has seen any type of results from this sort of training.
Ever since I have started training, I have mostly been doing more long-term cardio consisting of 30-60 minutes of running/elliptical, etc. I am now hearing a lot of arguments supporting the idea that intense interval training can be much more effective in burning fat and can also build some lean muscle (so it is not a completely aerobic exercise) and that the long-term cardio can actually be counter-productive as it may often cannibalize muscle tissue (in order to fuel the long-term workout). I understand that some may be against this type of training because it does not burn as many calories, especially since you are not training for the same amount of time.
I would like to hear from someone with HIIT experience and about how it has affected weight loss/muscle buildup.
Ever since I have started training, I have mostly been doing more long-term cardio consisting of 30-60 minutes of running/elliptical, etc. I am now hearing a lot of arguments supporting the idea that intense interval training can be much more effective in burning fat and can also build some lean muscle (so it is not a completely aerobic exercise) and that the long-term cardio can actually be counter-productive as it may often cannibalize muscle tissue (in order to fuel the long-term workout). I understand that some may be against this type of training because it does not burn as many calories, especially since you are not training for the same amount of time.
I would like to hear from someone with HIIT experience and about how it has affected weight loss/muscle buildup.
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I would like to hear about this too...0
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all I know is I did my first one 2 days ago....why I chose squats I will forever wonder....however I still can't walk right....I will try it again soon but man am I sore.0
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bump0
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google image a picture of Usain Bolt (a sprinter) and Robert Kiprono (a marathoner). put them side by side and you will see the difference between interval cardio and endurance cardio.0
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I'm glad you posted about HIIT. I'm a member of Lucille Roberts and they offer a HIIT class, which I take (almost) every Tuesday morning (the class is 45 minutes, this includes warm-up and cool-down).
I recommend this type of training, *especially* if you're already deep into a fitness regimen (an active body likes variety -- it's not good to keep repeating the same type of exercise if you're trying to lose weight). As far as weight loss is concern, I'm not sure if I'm the best candidate to give an opinion, as my weight loss has been very minimal over the last year. However, I believe this contributes to factors outside of HIIT -- not sticking to my diet over the holidays, getting older, etc. The woman who leads the class says she burns about 430 calories after a 45-minute HIIT session, but keep in mind she's 120 pounds and leads an active lifestyle, calorie loss will differ with each person.
I've been reading/hearing for a while about the benefits of HIIT. I think Boot Camp is very similar in it's approach, if that's something you'd like to try.
I've heard cardio-only workouts are not the best way to go myself -- and indeed, I've experienced this. I lost 50 pounds 2 years ago, only to gain 25 of it back over the next year. During that year I was trying to lose it, running for an hour on my lunch break -- didn't lose anything. A trainer I know doesn't think running is good for the human body anyway (unless you're a 90-pound Kenyan man) -- while I disagree with this assessment, I do agree with him in the sense that strength-training is where it's at.
Personally, I think one should do both. Cardio to zap the pounds, strength training to form the muscles and keep them zapping fat throughout the day (and I've also read that one should do strength-training first, then cardio). This is why HIIT is good, it combines both, in a way that will give you the most bang for your caloric buck.
So while I can't tell you that I've lost any weight, my clothes are fitting better, and in my experience, it's always been a great class.
But I'd love to know a way to accurately TRACK IT in the Exercise Diary. I've been on a trail-and-error mission since I first joined MFP regarding that issue!
Best of luck, and let me know how you make out!0 -
Look for a guy named newfiedan and taso42. I believe they both do it.0
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I use it and swear by it- 5 sessions a week, 10-15 minutes and I'm done.
Pros:
-Accelerated fat loss and muscle retention. It doesn't add mass per se, but unlike conventional cardio HIIT sessions are too short to use it for fuel.
-Increased metabolic rate- your body burns more calories longer after your workout. Conventional cardio burns more calories during the workout, but that burning is pretty much done when the session ends.
-Adaptable- HIIT workouts are completely adaptable to all levels of fitness. Like strength training, the intensity should increase as one gets more accustomed to it, in order to prevent a plateau
-Diversity- HIIT can be done on elliptical, on the street, on stairs, bikes, hills, etc.
Cons:
-High level of effort- A lot of people are scared off by the amount of effort required, but maximum effort yields maximum results.
-Treadmills- I would not recommend doing HIIT on treadmills, simply because the high speeds required could cause a person to fall off, which is a huge injury risk. Another option would be to increase the incline for the higher intensity portions, but in my experience treadmills can take a good 15-20 seconds to raise or lower, meaning the actual time spent sprinting or jogging is diminished
-Burnout- A few years back I had to stop doing HIIT for a while because I got burned out from mentally pushing myself so hard every day.
As for my experience, I've used it in a variety of settings and I actually prefer doing it on the elliptical. I tend to mix it up in order to prevent burnout. Some days I work in longer intervals (30 seconds) and some days I'll go shorter intervals (15 seconds). I'll also alternate from working on pure speed, where I sprint as fast as possible, to cranking up the resistance and trying to maintain a minimum speed.0 -
bump0
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I'm glad you posted about HIIT. I'm a member of Lucille Roberts and they offer a HIIT class, which I take (almost) every Tuesday morning (the class is 45 minutes, this includes warm-up and cool-down).
I recommend this type of training, *especially* if you're already deep into a fitness regimen (an active body likes variety -- it's not good to keep repeating the same type of exercise if you're trying to lose weight). As far as weight loss is concern, I'm not sure if I'm the best candidate to give an opinion, as my weight loss has been very minimal over the last year. However, I believe this contributes to factors outside of HIIT -- not sticking to my diet over the holidays, getting older, etc. The woman who leads the class says she burns about 430 calories after a 45-minute HIIT session, but keep in mind she's 120 pounds and leads an active lifestyle, calorie loss will differ with each person.
I've been reading/hearing for a while about the benefits of HIIT. I think Boot Camp is very similar in it's approach, if that's something you'd like to try.
I've heard cardio-only workouts are not the best way to go myself -- and indeed, I've experienced this. I lost 50 pounds 2 years ago, only to gain 25 of it back over the next year. During that year I was trying to lose it, running for an hour on my lunch break -- didn't lose anything. A trainer I know doesn't think running is good for the human body anyway (unless you're a 90-pound Kenyan man) -- while I disagree with this assessment, I do agree with him in the sense that strength-training is where it's at.
Personally, I think one should do both. Cardio to zap the pounds, strength training to form the muscles and keep them zapping fat throughout the day (and I've also read that one should do strength-training first, then cardio). This is why HIIT is good, it combines both, in a way that will give you the most bang for your caloric buck.
So while I can't tell you that I've lost any weight, my clothes are fitting better, and in my experience, it's always been a great class.
But I'd love to know a way to accurately TRACK IT in the Exercise Diary. I've been on a trail-and-error mission since I first joined MFP regarding that issue!
Best of luck, and let me know how you make out!
I too wish there was a way to track it, sometimes I feel that just putting in a number for the calories is not saying much. I'll start tossing in a few HIIT sessions from now on to mix up my exercise routines. Thanks0 -
I haven't started doing it yet but read up on its techniques and about anaerobic exercise for nearly 2 hours last night and I'm gonna try it out.
I'm not exercising with the goal of burning calories, I'm exercising to get stronger and faster, so I think it suits my needs better.0 -
As for my experience, I've used it in a variety of settings and I actually prefer doing it on the elliptical. I tend to mix it up in order to prevent burnout. Some days I work in longer intervals (30 seconds) and some days I'll go shorter intervals (15 seconds). I'll also alternate from working on pure speed, where I sprint as fast as possible, to cranking up the resistance and trying to maintain a minimum speed.
Thanks for this post, I appreciate your list of pros/cons. Getting on the elliptical will be a different story for me now, I'm definitely going to give HIIT a try on that tonight.0 -
But I'd love to know a way to accurately TRACK IT in the Exercise Diary. I've been on a trail-and-error mission since I first joined MFP regarding that issue!
i'm planning to do mine on my bike trainer, so I can just input the required minutes of moderate and very vigorous intensity which works well.0 -
But I'd love to know a way to accurately TRACK IT in the Exercise Diary. I've been on a trail-and-error mission since I first joined MFP regarding that issue!
i'm planning to do mine on my bike trainer, so I can just input the required minutes of moderate and very vigorous intensity which works well.
Nice, that's probably a much more accurate way.0 -
Part One of my answer (I have to go to class....)
HIIT is amazing for fat loss, and here is why:
HIIT taxes the anaerobic system, which will lead to a higher EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption), which leads to more energy consumed over a period of time (24-72 hours post-exercise) while the body tries to regain homeostasis (cellular stability).
HIIT promotes muscle growth, particularly fast-twitch muscle fibers (fast-glycolytic and fast-oxidative). The build up of lactic acid and Hydrogen ions in the blood signals the release of growth hormone, which will lead to more lean muscle, thus a faster resting metabolism.0 -
my ears are ringing lol, I see you put up the newfie signal, here I am.Look for a guy named newfiedan and taso42. I believe they both do it.
Well lets see here I need to dust off my training books, lol. Ok I was once 198 3ish mths ago. I started with just running as my workouts. Barely running a mile at best.
I then started looking into HIIT and MRT (metabolic resistance training) but that was after about 4 weeks of HIIT). I went from running 1 mile to running 5 in 2 months using HIIT and dropped my resting hr from 75 to 58 in that same 2 mths I dropped nearly 15 pounds overall weight but gained inches on my legs and lost more inches on my waistline. How much I would not be able to say of pure memory. I am here now at 171, still doing some HIIT on the treadmill but more geared towards MRT as the workouts and their benefits last much much longer than just HIIT from a fat loss standpoint. Yes my workouts by most standards are brutal but I spend less time in the gym and more time doing other things and am still losing weight 3 mths in at a steady pace with 0 plateaus, keep in mind though that my diet is strictly geared towards fat loss/muscle gain and keeping the metabolic machine at its peak.0 -
my ears are ringing lol, I see you put up the newfie signal, here I am.Look for a guy named newfiedan and taso42. I believe they both do it.
Well lets see here I need to dust off my training books, lol. Ok I was once 198 3ish mths ago. I started with just running as my workouts. Barely running a mile at best.
I then started looking into HIIT and MRT (metabolic resistance training) but that was after about 4 weeks of HIIT). I went from running 1 mile to running 5 in 2 months using HIIT and dropped my resting hr from 75 to 58 in that same 2 mths I dropped nearly 15 pounds overall weight but gained inches on my legs and lost more inches on my waistline. How much I would not be able to say of pure memory. I am here now at 171, still doing some HIIT on the treadmill but more geared towards MRT as the workouts and their benefits last much much longer than just HIIT from a fat loss standpoint. Yes my workouts by most standards are brutal but I spend less time in the gym and more time doing other things and am still losing weight 3 mths in at a steady pace with 0 plateaus, keep in mind though that my diet is strictly geared towards fat loss/muscle gain and keeping the metabolic machine at its peak.
It seems the overall consensus for HIIT is that it's great. The weight loss with it seems to be a steady type, which is a great thing. Looks like I will start trying to really push myself. At 260 pounds, what kind of HIIT drills would you recommend I try, Newfiedan? I am already starting to adapt it on the elliptical, but is there another type you can suggest?0 -
I'm looking to follow the weekly plans on this site http://www.losebellyfatworkout.com/week1 from intervaltraining.net.0
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I used the treadmill for mine, starting with just speed intervals going from 3 mph up to 8 mph now at 10 mph, then back down again, I do a shorter rest phase now though. There are 1/4 mile laps so for the first 1/3 I walk at 3-4 mph then sprint the remainder at 9-10mph. I got up to that speed then found it not as challenging so I then upped the incline to make it more of a challenge without the added speed. (its a trust issue I have with my shorter legs and treadmills lol). I am not on a 3 % incline for the entirety of the session. I run between 3-5 miles that way.
I dumped a lot of the HIIT using it twice a week or so now for a MRT routine 3/week,0 -
I do my own variations of HIIT. I love doing them on the Elliptical. A good HIIT session, you should be worn out, and not able to do anymore after about 20 minutes. On the Elliptical, I will put it on Random setting, and set the resistance level high. When I am at the hardest level, it will take both my arms, and legs to be able to move the pedals. My heartrate will usually exceed 85% max heartrate for short periods.
On the treadmill, it will usually be a variation of walking for a minute, and running as fast as I can go(safely) for another minute.
I only do HIIT no more than 3 to 4 times per week, and sometimes I will throw some steady state cardio in on other days.0 -
85% max hr? i dunno maybe I go a little to hard I can easily hit 90% according to my hrm, I can push through to as long as 45 mins of it but I am dead afterwards lol, then again adapting to my mrt kicked my butt in just 30 mins and that included short water breaks.I do my own variations of HIIT. I love doing them on the Elliptical. A good HIIT session, you should be worn out, and not able to do anymore after about 20 minutes. On the Elliptical, I will put it on Random setting, and set the resistance level high. When I am at the hardest level, it will take both my arms, and legs to be able to move the pedals. My heartrate will usually exceed 85% max heartrate for short periods.
On the treadmill, it will usually be a variation of walking for a minute, and running as fast as I can go(safely) for another minute.
I only do HIIT no more than 3 to 4 times per week, and sometimes I will throw some steady state cardio in on other days.0 -
If you're doing HIIT for more than 15 minutes.... you're doing it wrong.
Try going max resistance on a stationary bike for 30s on 30s off, if that is too difficult, switch up your intervals: 15s on 25s off etc.0 -
Another one here who uses MRT which is basically a hybrid of HIIT and Weight Training. There are various modalities that you can use Complexes, Density Training, Tabata. I use Complexes using body weight, and I do Tabata 3x a week doing Squat presses. For a 4 minute workout Tabatas are a killer. If they are done right, you will not have energy left to do anything else. When someone says they did 20 minutes of Tabata training I really question whether they are doing it right.
It is basically 8 intervals of 20 seconds each with only 10 seconds rest between them. During the 20 seconds you workout as hard as you can (100% effort). During the 10 seconds rest you stop. There are downloadable mp3 timers that will tell you when to start and stop so you can concentrate on the workout.
I still do straight forward strength training, and some long duration cardio, but less and less all the time.
My experience is like that of NewfieDan, I have seen visible changes in my body since I started this. I just changed things in a major way this week to do my MRT, and my body is feeling it and retaining some water so I have not lost anything so far this week, but I have gone down a size in pants and fit perfectly in large t-shirts again (even medium t-shirts fit ok, but the bulges I have remaining show a lot in medium)
I highly recommend this type of exercise.0 -
at first that was true, but now trust me I go hard, very hard and its not easy but once I hit the wall and learned to push myself I can go longer than that. I vary it up these days but I like my MRT much more these days.If you're doing HIIT for more than 15 minutes.... you're doing it wrong.
Try going max resistance on a stationary bike for 30s on 30s off, if that is too difficult, switch up your intervals: 15s on 25s off etc.0 -
Lot's of great advice, and I don't personally do them often since I am an endurance junkie.
Why I post..... a book I just finished "never let go" by legendary coach Dan John raves about them and prescribes several different workouts with them. It also has a ton of great advice on strength training and life, so it may be worth a read if you are interested.
Good luck!
Ray0
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