HIIT vs steady state cardio
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Love it, works well. But I can only do it once a week or twice if it's a good week.0
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jojoeastcoast wrote: »So what is REAL HIIT?
Some of my fitnessblender.com workouts are labelled HIIT. They will be 20 seconds on, 10 off (in the off you are doing a boxer shuffle) times 4 (total 2 minutes per round)... the HIIT exercises are things like burpee variations, jump squats (OUCH)... Usually there is a strength component breaking up the rounds. I admit -- I canNOT do 4x sets of 20 on/10 off jumpsquats!
It seems to me that many people who think they're doing HIIT are actually doing Supramaximal Interval Training (SMIT) which is basically going all out and then resting and then going all out then resting, etc.
When I've watched my coach do HIIT with his athletes, there is no rest...they're alternating between all out and moderate intensity...so if they're doing sprints, they go full balls for 10-20 seconds and then run maybe run 6-7 MPH for 30 seconds and then it's balls to the wall again, etc...they aren't resting or walking, etc...they're moving.
I'm in pretty decent shape and I couldn't do one of my coach's HIIT programs...but I do work some SMIT which is a very effective way to train...I just think that people get way too wrapped up in THIS vs THAT when in reality they should be doing THIS, THAT, and the OTHER.0 -
Moral of the story --- be glad I got my butt out of bed at 5:30 AM and broke a sweat? That works for me!0
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jojoeastcoast wrote: »Moral of the story --- be glad I got my butt out of bed at 5:30 AM and broke a sweat? That works for me!
that's what everyone should be focusing on...people like to major in the minors though.0 -
jojoeastcoast wrote: »Moral of the story --- be glad I got my butt out of bed at 5:30 AM and broke a sweat? That works for me!
Indeed. That's by far the most important.
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cwolfman13 wrote: »jojoeastcoast wrote: »Moral of the story --- be glad I got my butt out of bed at 5:30 AM and broke a sweat? That works for me!
that's what everyone should be focusing on...people like to major in the minors though.
Lol - so true. Hey brah, I just burned 1000 calories in 45 minutes on the elliptical..
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Hiit is more efficient at burning calories than steady state cardio. -hiit/#slide=6
That's only true in a very limited sense. Yes, on a per-second basis, you'll burn more with HIIT. But you'll have to reduce the amount of time spent exercising by an even bigger factor, relative to MISS cardio. So netting it out, if the goal is to burn calories, MISS is going to be way more efficient for any time period longer than a few minutes.
IMO "vs" puts the conversation in the wrong context. All-round fitness requires both.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »jojoeastcoast wrote: »Moral of the story --- be glad I got my butt out of bed at 5:30 AM and broke a sweat? That works for me!
that's what everyone should be focusing on...people like to major in the minors though.
Lol - so true. Hey brah, I just burned 1000 calories in 45 minutes on the elliptical..
You're my hero....tell me your secret....that could significantly up my beer consumption...0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »When I've watched my coach do HIIT with his athletes, there is no rest...they're alternating between all out and moderate intensity...so if they're doing sprints, they go full balls for 10-20 seconds and then run maybe run 6-7 MPH for 30 seconds and then it's balls to the wall again, etc...they aren't resting or walking, etc...they're moving.
When I was a serious athlete we used to call them "Spanish drills". I have no idea why, I think it might have been something learned from Spanish soccer teams.
But holy crap does it ever wipe you out fast...a half dozen rounds of that will turn the best into a shaking, trembling mess, if they're really giving it their all.
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I prefer HIIT because you burn a ton of calories because you are always moving.0
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I started doing HIIT runs when I couldn't get passed a 9-10 minute mile pace. I was really skeptical - it made no sense to me that running alternating with walking would in any way improve my pace... boy was I wrong. I started out doing a 30 minute HIIT treadmill run that I found on the Internet. Within a few weeks of doing it 2-3 times a week my pace started improving... I went from running 10 minute miles to running 8:20-8:40 minute miles.
I don't think it burns more calories than running a steady even pace for the same length of time... I end up covering the same distance.0 -
Terpnista84 wrote: »Can be more effective for/at what?
Increasing speed? steady state, long and slow (giggity).
Increasing strength/explosiveness? HIIT
Burning calories? hard to compare given varying intensities and durations.
Losing weight? Considering weight loss is about calorie deficit, see the previous answer.
For fat loss. I've read that steady state eventually starts eating away at muscle.
If you’re not doing anything to retain muscle, eating at a deficit will reduce muscle along with fat. If you keep your protein up and lift weights, you’ll retain more of your muscle. Cardio doesn’t cause muscle loss, calorie deficits do.
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If I'm on a stationary bike & I'm sprinting...the trainer may say to be on your race level (this depends on your strength & experience) & a speed at 130-134. Maintaining this for a minute...or minute and a half! That's exhausting:) During the challenge minutes of riding, the trainer would say be on your race level & maintain a speed at 140-150...30 seconds for three or four intervals...that's HIIT for me:)! At the end of each interval I'm in a sweat pool and sucking wind through my mouth for at least 30-40 second!!! And, drinking water to hydrate!!:). But bottom line, the truth is that a combination of good steady workout and a healthy lifestyle is what will transform your body. I have done it!!0
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jojoeastcoast wrote: »determined_14 wrote: »
Yup, I want to know this too. Although my guess is that whether the Fitness Blender workouts "count" as HIIT depends a lot on our level of effort. From what I gather, HIIT means you go flat-out for your interval, then active-rest, then flat-out. And as tired as I get doing Fitness Blender tabata (even having to stop sometimes), I don't think it qualifies to the level of effort I've heard others describe as HIIT.jojoeastcoast wrote: »So what is REAL HIIT?
Some of my fitnessblender.com workouts are labelled HIIT. They will be 20 seconds on, 10 off (in the off you are doing a boxer shuffle) times 4 (total 2 minutes per round)... the HIIT exercises are things like burpee variations, jump squats (OUCH)... Usually there is a strength component breaking up the rounds. I admit -- I canNOT do 4x sets of 20 on/10 off jumpsquats!
Yes -- I guess I should clarify -- If I could actually complete the round, is it true HIIT?
HIIT works like this:
- Warm up (this is very important).
- Go for 20 - 30 seconds at 100% (some would call it 110%). Literally, you should run this like your life (or your child’s life) depended on it and it was the last 20 - 30 seconds you have left (there won’t be another round).
- Rest for 40 - 90 seconds at 10 - 20% effort (e.g., walking or jogging). In this case, you’re trying to get your heart rate back down below moderate (you can start to talk).
- You repeat the above up nine more times. However, at the point you aren’t fully recovering (for me it is around 7 to 8 rounds), you stop.
- Cool down and stretch (also very important).
Most people aren’t near going full out and are saving themselves for the following rounds. That’s intense intervals, but not HIIT. Also, if you’re doing this for more than 30 minutes, you’re probably not going hard enough during the work sessions.
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joejccva71 wrote: »Terpnista84 wrote: »Can be more effective for/at what?
Increasing speed? steady state, long and slow (giggity).
Increasing strength/explosiveness? HIIT
Burning calories? hard to compare given varying intensities and durations.
Losing weight? Considering weight loss is about calorie deficit, see the previous answer.
For fat loss. I've read that steady state eventually starts eating away at muscle.
It's why you don't see many bodybuilders running 5-10 miles 4-5 days a week.
In fact, most marathon runners aren't really "jacked" per say. Some are, but most have horrible body composition.
That "horrible" body composition is what wins races. If you're an endurance athlete, you want to be as light as possible without becoming unhealthy. The more you weigh, the more calories you need to burn to travel the same distance at the same speed.
By being lighter, you burn fewer calories, which means you can go further and faster at the same level of energy exerted.
Most Tour de France winners are on the extreme low end of the BMI scale because they can climb faster and go further before they become tired.
The sprinters, who are often upwards of 180 lbs vs the 120 lbs of the hill climbers, will never win the overall title because they cannot keep up when going uphill. Their weight slows them down.0 -
AllanMisner wrote: »With a true HIIT session, you are metabolically done. So, if done right, you’ll only be able to handle two (maybe three once you’re trained) a week. HIIT is a good shock to the system type thing, but if you’re looking for cardiovascular health, nothing beats just going on long, steady cardio sessions.
I concur, I'm kinda on the fence with HIIT cardio. For weight loss anyway. What worked for me, personally was long bike rides, several times a week. Now, for caridovascular improvement, I like HIIT. I'm doing T25 and it has helped me a ton in my mountain biking. Hills and soft sand I used to suck wind in, now I just tear it up.0 -
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I find that my body responds better doing HIIT type workouts. Therefore I mostly do that and save the steady state cardio for the days when I still want to workout but my body is in need of a rest from the heavy stuff.0
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