HIIT Sprints

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thatswhatshesaiddd
thatswhatshesaiddd Posts: 62 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I recently started this. What is the most appropriate sprint/rest time. How long should the workout be?

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  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    edited November 2014
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    How far can you run on a continuous basis and how long does it take you?

    To get best effect from sprint intervals they need to be built on an existing cardiac base.

    fwiw I do three different sessions:

    Warm up for 15 minutes at 6 minute kilometre then -

    Six to ten 400 metre sprints with 60 second rest intervals at a 6 minute kilometre
    Ten 200 metre sprint intervals with 90 second rest intervals at a 6 minute kilometre
    Five 1km max effort with a 180second rest interval at a 6 minute kilometre

    Cool down for 15 minutes at a 6 minute kilometre
  • thatswhatshesaiddd
    thatswhatshesaiddd Posts: 62 Member
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    I usually do 3-4 miles continuously like 4 times a week. Very slow, like at 6 on the treadmill.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    It really depends what outcomes you're looking for then. I think you'd get more benefit as far as your pace is concerned by upping that continuous distance to 6 mile sessions, then start building in sprint intervals and tempo sessions.

    What I've listed above was from my 10K improvement plan, as I'm currently half marathon focussed the speed sessions are similar but complemented by a longer long run, and a longer tempo session.
  • thatswhatshesaiddd
    thatswhatshesaiddd Posts: 62 Member
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    I was honestly looking to maximize my fat loss in a shorter amount of time, and I read that sprinting can do that for me. (Something about V02, but not sure what that is.) I'm not really interested in long distance running. I am afraid I am not sprinting fast enough/ long enough because an 8 on the treadmill is FAST for me.

    Thanks for your input.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    Something like this would be ok for a beginner:

    3317.jpg

    Generally you are looking for a ratio of 1:2 or 1:3 in terms of sprinting to recovery (so if you sprint for 30 seconds then have a recovery time of 60 seconds to 90 seconds.) As you get fitter then the ratio becomes more like 1:1.

    Don't skimp on the warm up / cool down and don't be surprised if you can only do 3 or 4 sprints in the beginning before you are wiped out. It's better to concentrate on the quality of the interval and injury prevention than the actual number.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    edited November 2014
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    Understand. To be honest it's not really going to make much difference. What's probably going to lead to an outcome that you want is to do some resistance training as well as running.

    VO2Max is your ability to exploit oxygen, and working in the highest intensities help to improve that. Working at the lactate threshold helps to improve management of lactate accumulation, so improving your ability to sustain effort.

    I don't use dreadmills, so not entirely sure what 6 or 8 compares to. That said, I also wouldn't do sprint intervals on one as it's not responsive enough.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    MeanderingMammal wrote: »
    that said, I also wouldn't do sprint intervals on one as it's not responsive enough.

    I agree with this. Too much faffing around in my opinion.

    A stationary bike is a much better bet.

  • thatswhatshesaiddd
    thatswhatshesaiddd Posts: 62 Member
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    Thanks so much! If you don't mind clarifying, what do you mean by the treadmill not being responsive enough?
  • CoolBeans520
    CoolBeans520 Posts: 25
    edited November 2014
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    Try the Insanity program its a solid HIIT program. I got shredded when i was cutting a year ago( You sweat like crazy!). Get some thing to measure your heart rate. Especially watch your knees make sure you land soft for any Plyometric exercises.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    thatswhatshesaiddd wrote: »
    Thanks so much! If you don't mind clarifying, what do you mean by the treadmill not being responsive enough?

    I can't speak for the other gentleman but to my mind your interval could be half over by the time you've adjusted the speed on the treadmill, stabilised yourself, got used to the different pace and so on.

    A stationary bike, elliptical or running outside would be better because getting up to speed is easier.

  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    thatswhatshesaiddd wrote: »
    Thanks so much! If you don't mind clarifying, what do you mean by the treadmill not being responsive enough?

    As you're only doing fairly short steady state runs your sprint intervals will be fairly short. Given that it takes a dreadmill time to accelerate then if you're doing a 30 second sprint you spend a chunk of that time not running at capacity.

    For me, part of a sprint interval is getting up to pace as rapidly as possible, so it's up to me to push hard, rather than let a machine dictate my pace.

    I loathe dreadmills anyway, they're dull as hel.
  • thatswhatshesaiddd
    thatswhatshesaiddd Posts: 62 Member
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    MeanderingMammal wrote: »
    thatswhatshesaiddd wrote: »
    Thanks so much! If you don't mind clarifying, what do you mean by the treadmill not being responsive enough?

    As you're only doing fairly short steady state runs your sprint intervals will be fairly short. Given that it takes a dreadmill time to accelerate then if you're doing a 30 second sprint you spend a chunk of that time not running at capacity.

    For me, part of a sprint interval is getting up to pace as rapidly as possible, so it's up to me to push hard, rather than let a machine dictate my pace.

    I loathe dreadmills anyway, they're dull as hel.

    I agree; they're very boring (mine has a TV lol).

    Thanks ya'll. Will try these outside today.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    I can do 5, sometimes 10 minutes, on a dreadmill. I can do 3 hours out in the woods.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    When I think of true sprinting, you are only going for 5-15 seconds. And its certainly not on a treadmill. Recovery is when your heart rate and breathing have come down a good bit but not necessarily back to resting levels.
  • thatswhatshesaiddd
    thatswhatshesaiddd Posts: 62 Member
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    rybo wrote: »
    When I think of true sprinting, you are only going for 5-15 seconds. And its certainly not on a treadmill. Recovery is when your heart rate and breathing have come down a good bit but not necessarily back to resting levels.

    Well, which would you deem more effective at fat loss? I'd much rather do it for 15 seconds, compared to 1 minute.

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