Is 20mins HIIT training enough?

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charlieaulert
charlieaulert Posts: 127 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Tonight I plan on going on the bike (in the gym).

Following 'lean in 15' apparently 20 mins is enough.

I plan to go flat out for 20 seconds then 40 seconds light pedalling. X 20 = 20 mins?

After this I plan to train my biceps and triceps.

Any thoughts?

Replies

  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
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    Enough for what?

    I think HIIT is being massively over-sold right now. Intervals can be a good way to achieve specific fitness goals (lower the amount of time it takes to recover from an intense effort, for racing so you can bridge a gap and then stick with the faster group, or to raise your threshold) but for most people, a longer, moderate effort is going to pay bigger dividends.
  • filovirus76
    filovirus76 Posts: 156 Member
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    I would do some upper body compound moves as opposed to bicep and tricep iso movements. HIIT is good, but I would only do it once a week, or even once every two weeks.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
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    I think I may misunderstand the actual goal? Please elaborate on this plan tonight and is this part of a regular program?
  • Fluffy2Fit2Shredded
    Fluffy2Fit2Shredded Posts: 40 Member
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    Sounds good to me! I do HIIT 3-4x a week and I change it up each time whether it's elliptical, treadmill, row machine, step ladder, battle ropes, etc. I usually do hard 30 seconds very high intensity to the point where I'm out of breath by 25 seconds then 30-45 seconds to catch my breath and slow heart down depending on the routine I pick that day, just enough time to go "HAM" again. 20-30min depending on the type I do also. My goal is to lose fat, gain muscle and really lean out but not get obsessively big. Usually done after I lift weights to close out my workout. It's helped me lean out more since I could see certain muscles pop out more. Good luck!
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    Personally I'd be inclined to do my strength first, if you really push yourself to your threshold you're going to be pretty tired after 20 minutes of HIIT.
  • sarochka85
    sarochka85 Posts: 103 Member
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    I think I'm falling out of love with HIIT. I get too tired. I've gone back to more steady state cardio lately and found it sweaty, enjoyable and energizing. It doesn't leave me too shattered later in the day AND it doesn't make me extra hungry, unlike HIIT. My scale is finally moving downwards again.

    I really agree with NorthCascades... it's overhyped just now.
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
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    Not sure what the question is, but if you're asking if it's enough for weight loss, sure. Exercise is not required for weight loss.

    I agree with the above poster that I prefer to do strength first, so I can give it my all. I also get so sweaty during cardio that I don't want to go use any machines or benches... just straight home to shower.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
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    sarochka85 wrote: »
    I think I'm falling out of love with HIIT. I get too tired. I've gone back to more steady state cardio lately and found it sweaty, enjoyable and energizing. It doesn't leave me too shattered later in the day AND it doesn't make me extra hungry, unlike HIIT. My scale is finally moving downwards again.

    I really agree with NorthCascades... it's overhyped just now.

    I do one structured interval session a week, hill repeats on a bike. I use a power meter and target 15 % over my threshold, then recover on the way back down. The rest of the week the cardio I do is moderate, I try to spend the bulk of my time in zone 2.

    Like you, I get really hungry after doing HIIT. It lasts through the next day. Just about everyone I've talked to has had the same experience.

    Moderate cardio burns mostly fat, which is basically unlimited even in skinny people. Intense cardio burns mostly glycogen, the immediate but limited energy stored in your muscles and liver. You only have so much and it's vitally important. When you burn glycogen up, your body needs to replenish it, which means you need to eat carbs. I think that's why HIIT makes most people so much hungrier after they do it. Moderate cardio is great for building fitness and burning calories, but doesn't produce the fearsome hunger.

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