logging in HIIT workouts

Circuit training, general

MeanderingMammal wrote: »

Circuit training, general

This is what I do, too. I don't have a fitbit or HRM. I suspect that I am underestimating my burn, but that serves me well in the long run.

MeanderingMammal wrote: »

Circuit training, general

this is what I do but I purposefully drastically underestimate my calorie burn...I generally record burning only 100-200 calories max per 60 minutes of training.

myfitterlife wrote: »

Interesting, I didn't know the HRM will over estimate. So how do you differ between HIIT and intervals?

For a HIIT session I'd normally expect to be completely totalled afterwards, and in need of a recovery session the following day. So if I was running I'd do a 15 minute warm up at easy pace, follow that by ten to fifteen repeats of 100m sprints in the order of 98%MHR with one minute between, and a 15 minute cooldown. The amount of effort leaves you utterly depleted. It's a once a week workout on a par with the long run. Similarly on the bike it would be something similar in terms of structure with the high intensities being in the realms of standing up in the highest gear and still knocking out 80rpm on the pedals.

Intervals would tend to be longer periods of intense effort, longer rest periods, something like 400 metre run repeats or say the turbo trainer session I did last night which was 5 periods of 4 minutes of higher intensity. My heart rate topped out at 200bpm, but that was a function of sustaining 5 periods of effort at comparable intensities.

The reason that HR isn't a good proxy for calorie expenditure in these kind of sessions is that it takes time to come down, and in HIIT rest periods it won't have come down to normal working level by the end of the rest period, so the HRM will assume a higher level of expenditure in the rest period. Also when the HR is in the higher intensity phases the body is working anaerobically, rather than aerobically. The energy channels are different and the body is working less efficiently in terms of burning fuel.

It's also worth noting that in long sessions the heart rate will drift upwards as well, so again providing an artificially high estimation.

Good to know HRM will overestimate, is there a way to adjust?

Some devices use algorithms that are better at accounting for the issues. Garmin and Suunto. I don't think Polar use those algorithms, but they may do in their more advanced devices.

I'll generally just discount about 20% for a threshold session, 30% for an intervals session and up to 50% for sprints.

MeanderingMammal wrote: »

myfitterlife wrote: »

Interesting, I didn't know the HRM will over estimate. So how do you differ between HIIT and intervals?

For a HIIT session I'd normally expect to be completely totalled afterwards, and in need of a recovery session the following day. So if I was running I'd do a 15 minute warm up at easy pace, follow that by ten to fifteen repeats of 100m sprints in the order of 98%MHR with one minute between, and a 15 minute cooldown. The amount of effort leaves you utterly depleted. It's a once a week workout on a par with the long run. Similarly on the bike it would be something similar in terms of structure with the high intensities being in the realms of standing up in the highest gear and still knocking out 80rpm on the pedals.

Intervals would tend to be longer periods of intense effort, longer rest periods, something like 400 metre run repeats or say the turbo trainer session I did last night which was 5 periods of 4 minutes of higher intensity. My heart rate topped out at 200bpm, but that was a function of sustaining 5 periods of effort at comparable intensities.

The reason that HR isn't a good proxy for calorie expenditure in these kind of sessions is that it takes time to come down, and in HIIT rest periods it won't have come down to normal working level by the end of the rest period, so the HRM will assume a higher level of expenditure in the rest period. Also when the HR is in the higher intensity phases the body is working anaerobically, rather than aerobically. The energy channels are different and the body is working less efficiently in terms of burning fuel.

It's also worth noting that in long sessions the heart rate will drift upwards as well, so again providing an artificially high estimation.

Good to know HRM will overestimate, is there a way to adjust?

Some devices use algorithms that are better at accounting for the issues. Garmin and Suunto. I don't think Polar use those algorithms, but they may do in their more advanced devices.

I'll generally just discount about 20% for a threshold session, 30% for an intervals session and up to 50% for sprints.

I heard training at that high of MHR can be dangerous?

^^ ditto. I'm also bothered by the misuse of HIT. The worst has to be interchanging the two terms. HIIT is not the same as HIT. HIT is weight lifting only.

80rpm on a bike is way to low! It's in the range of 120+ rpm and speeds reaching 40+mph while sustaining upper 30s for over 30 seconds. In my amateur racing days, I routinely hit 40+mph sprints but I was one of the slow guys since I can't sustain the lead up that can cover 2k or more.

See http://www.trainingbible.com/joesblog/2009/11/quick-guide-to-setting-zones.html on setting up your training zones based on LTHR.

To get a general sense of what HIIT is, Google Peter Coe, Tabata, Gibala, and Timmons regiment. If done properly, you should feel like puking or there about but YMMV.

HRM is useless for HIIT as the interval will be over before your heart rate catches up: lag time is in the 15 to 30 seconds with 2 to 3 minutes needed to stabilize at the new level of exertion.