HIIT and...
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maxphia32
Posts: 99 Member
Just started with a personal trainer this week and her style is HIIT workouts, which is great for me I am willing to try anything since I have tried every diet and at home workout program known to man. Since I meet with her only once a week, she gives me 2 other HIIT workouts to do before I see her again. Was wondering what other exercises people do on off days? Do you do weights, cardio, yoga (stretching)? I plan at least 2 other days of working out if not more. My main goal is to lose the 40lbs I have gained since I quit smoking 2.5 years ago, totally due to eating very unhealthy and lack of exercise (and since then entered my 40's and seems almost impossible to lose a pound, but not gain - hehe). Joking aside, what seems to be the most beneficial workout on off days of HIIT, that help recovery and weight loss? Thanks in advance. 
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On off days yoga for beginners (basically stretching) and walking are good. Walking on a faster pace can still be gentle, your heart rate goes up and it's a nice way to get fresh air + the calorie burn. The best recovery for muscles though is sleep. Might not be an exercise but your muscles use the time you sleep to recover themselves stronger. So focus on that aspect too when you start getting used to your new lifestyle habits.2
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If you are actually doing HIIT workouts then you'll need time to recover between sessions. Don't forget that weight loss comes from a calorie deficit not because you are exercising.2 -
Can you describe the actual workouts?
Are they very short duration and close to maximal effort?
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They are short duration, close to maximal effort with about 15-20 second rest inbetween depending on my heart rate. Typically a workout lasts about 15-20 minutes. I understand that weight loss can be acheived without exercise, but I would like to stay active throughout this weight loss journey. 0
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Sorry don't have my workout book at work, but it is a combo of exercises mostly body weight, such as burpees, mountain climbers, variety of push ups, and moving plank poses, etc.0
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They are short duration, close to maximal effort with about 15-20 second rest inbetween depending on my heart rate. Typically a workout lasts about 15-20 minutes. I understand that weight loss can be acheived without exercise, but I would like to stay active throughout this weight loss journey.
I don't think the above reply was saying you shouldn't exercise, rather it was saying what I will repeat slightly differently, if you don't control how many calories you eat, you will not lose weight regardless of the exercise you do as it is really easy to out eat the extra calories burned through exercise.0 -
I did understand that, hence the smiley face since sometimes people may read into someones response.0
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It sounds a bit more like circuit training to me but is you feel it's close to maximal effort then you are stressing your body (not a bad thing!) and need to allow yourself recovery.
On off days I would suggest something lower intensity like walking, swimming, pilates, yoga, low intensity steady state cardio etc.
Personally I think you are missing a trick by not doing strength / weight lifting in your overall weekly routine but unless you do that same day it wouldn't be a good idea (IMHO) to do on days when you should be recovering.
I would discuss with your PT dropping a couple of these workouts and substituting/adding lifting. High intensity training can be a valuable PART of an overall routine but if it crowds out other useful elements then it's not in your overall best interests.
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It sounds a bit more like circuit training to me but is you feel it's close to maximal effort then you are stressing your body (not a bad thing!) and need to allow yourself recovery.
On off days I would suggest something lower intensity like walking, swimming, pilates, yoga, low intensity steady state cardio etc.
Personally I think you are missing a trick by not doing strength / weight lifting in your overall weekly routine but unless you do that same day it wouldn't be a good idea (IMHO) to do on days when you should be recovering.
I would discuss with your PT dropping a couple of these workouts and substituting/adding lifting. High intensity training can be a valuable PART of an overall routine but if it crowds out other useful elements then it's not in your overall best interests.
Thank you for your reply. I do have a couple more months of training, so will definitely ask about weight training. I think in the future that will suit me best. We do have yoga classes and a pool, so I will be looking into those on off days.0 -
I do strength training 3 days a week and HIIT cardio 2 days for 30 minutes along with 30 minutes of steady cardio afterwards. The other two days if I get to the gym ( i call them lazy gym days) if I have time and either do steady cardio or a mix of HIIT and cardio for an hour.1
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It sounds a bit more like circuit training to me but is you feel it's close to maximal effort then you are stressing your body (not a bad thing!) and need to allow yourself recovery.
On off days I would suggest something lower intensity like walking, swimming, pilates, yoga, low intensity steady state cardio etc.
Personally I think you are missing a trick by not doing strength / weight lifting in your overall weekly routine but unless you do that same day it wouldn't be a good idea (IMHO) to do on days when you should be recovering.
I would discuss with your PT dropping a couple of these workouts and substituting/adding lifting. High intensity training can be a valuable PART of an overall routine but if it crowds out other useful elements then it's not in your overall best interests.
Body weight exercises ARE strength training. There is no need to actually lift weights unless you are trying to add substantial mass. Push ups and similar exercises are enough for most people's goals.0 -
MoiAussi93 wrote: »It sounds a bit more like circuit training to me but is you feel it's close to maximal effort then you are stressing your body (not a bad thing!) and need to allow yourself recovery.
On off days I would suggest something lower intensity like walking, swimming, pilates, yoga, low intensity steady state cardio etc.
Personally I think you are missing a trick by not doing strength / weight lifting in your overall weekly routine but unless you do that same day it wouldn't be a good idea (IMHO) to do on days when you should be recovering.
I would discuss with your PT dropping a couple of these workouts and substituting/adding lifting. High intensity training can be a valuable PART of an overall routine but if it crowds out other useful elements then it's not in your overall best interests.
Body weight exercises ARE strength training. There is no need to actually lift weights unless you are trying to add substantial mass. Push ups and similar exercises are enough for most people's goals.
@MoiAussi
Yes there are body weight strength training programs - but this isn't one of them.
Look at the duration and content.1 -
Just started with a personal trainer this week and her style is HIIT workouts, which is great for me I am willing to try anything since I have tried every diet and at home workout program known to man. Since I meet with her only once a week, she gives me 2 other HIIT workouts to do before I see her again. Was wondering what other exercises people do on off days? Do you do weights, cardio, yoga (stretching)? I plan at least 2 other days of working out if not more. My main goal is to lose the 40lbs I have gained since I quit smoking 2.5 years ago, totally due to eating very unhealthy and lack of exercise (and since then entered my 40's and seems almost impossible to lose a pound, but not gain - hehe). Joking aside, what seems to be the most beneficial workout on off days of HIIT, that help recovery and weight loss? Thanks in advance.
to the bolded part, if you are not in a calorie deficit then it is not going to matter what kind of training that you do.
Losing weight is a function of calorie deficit...1 -
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I do interval training once a week. It's always hill repeats on the bike. I use a few different hills at different points in my training, a short and punchy one, a longer one, etc. It's an intense workout; I have to be fresh going into it or I'll miss my targets (and then what's the point?) and it takes some recovery afterwards.
Most of cardio I do through the week is at a moderate intensity. That does more for my health in general and burns a crapton more calories. After work I'll spend an hour on the bike if it isn't raining, or go for a walk. I do strength training every third day.MoiAussi93 wrote: »Body weight exercises ARE strength training. There is no need to actually lift weights unless you are trying to add substantial mass. Push ups and similar exercises are enough for most people's goals.
You can build mass without iron. Your body doesn't know or care why your muscles are working. It just adapts to what it does. We're not really talking about a strength program here, though. And some type of strength training is a really good idea for anybody who's losing weight.1 -
My HiiT days are my strength days as well. On other days I am running, cycling and/or swimming. When I actually have more time to workout, I'll be adding in yoga, because yoga is AMAZING!1
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Thank you all. I am definitely eating in deficit, and I realize that is the most important thing to do for weight loss. I will ask my trainer about adding strength training, but for now I will keep my workouts a little lighter on off training days. I just like to keep active, diet alone does not keep me motivated.1
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Always remember, to make something a routine, you need to like doing it. So do whatever you need to keep yourself motivated and you will succeed.0
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Just started with a personal trainer this week and her style is HIIT workouts, which is great for me I am willing to try anything since I have tried every diet and at home workout program known to man. Since I meet with her only once a week, she gives me 2 other HIIT workouts to do before I see her again. Was wondering what other exercises people do on off days?
Congratulations on starting this! I have done brief HIIT-style workouts to stay in shape from time-to-time and they are great for improving strength and ramping up your energy. With three of these a week, I think it will show results quickly if you combine this with staying within your calorie plan.
For your other workouts, I suggest picking a range of activities with moderate intensity that you really enjoy. I like to think outside of the exercise box: plant a garden, walk with a friend in an interesting place, ride a bike, paddle a kayak, take a dance class.0
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