HIIT or not really HIIT?

ryenday
ryenday Posts: 1,540 Member
edited November 2017 in Fitness and Exercise
I keep seeing comments that suggest an OP is ‘not really doing HIIT’ and was wondering if I am doing HIIT.

What I do is 3x a week. Usually 2x on stationary bike, 1x swimming.

On bike I bike leisurely at resistance 4 (4/20) for about 5 minutes. Then I quick change resistance to 16 (highest I can continue to pedal and not stop) and pedal as fast as I can for 25 seconds. (The resistance change seems to take 3-4 seconds to register on the bike, so it is actually 21 or 22 seconds at high resistance.) Then I quick lower resistance to 4 and work back to leisurely pedaling. I bring the ‘high resistance go fast pedaling’ in 3 times in a 10 minute session.

For swimming, my typical length takes me about 30 seconds. So I work 3 ‘hard as I can’ lengths into a 15 minute set. These ‘go as fast as possible and all out’ lengths take about 21 seconds to do.

So, is this HIIT? Interval Training? A silly waste of time (woo)?

Replies

  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    Exercise that includes higher-intensity intervals is beneficial for improving one’s fitness (arguably it is essential). It does not have to be “textbook definition HIIT”. Almost no one actually needs to do “true” HIIT.

    The negative comments arise when someone tries to make exaggerated claims about HIIT while describing a program that is not HIIT. Plus, as previously stated, there are a lot of people that just want to shout “YOU’RE WRONG” whenever they get an opportunity.

    The type of training you describe will provide fitness benefits. You can do it in many different combinations and they will all be “correct”, even if they are not “true” HIIT.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    Actually, I think most of them get worked up about the opportunity to prove someone wrong more so than to be helpful, but that's the nature of the interweb these days I suppose.

    No. You're wrong. :wink:
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
    Definitely HIIT.

    Finally.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    ryenday wrote: »
    On bike I bike leisurely at resistance 4 (4/20) for about 5 minutes. Then I quick change resistance to 16 (highest I can continue to pedal and not stop) and pedal as fast as I can for 25 seconds. (The resistance change seems to take 3-4 seconds to register on the bike, so it is actually 21 or 22 seconds at high resistance.) Then I quick lower resistance to 4 and work back to leisurely pedaling.

    I'd frame any response in terms of what the objectives of HIIT actually are, largely around improving maximal oxygen uptake as later stage race preparation. In that sense what you're wanting is to build on an already well established aerobic capacity.

    In that context, you're not doing HIIT in the pool, and you might be on the bike. From what you describe is unlikely to be HIIT, with the short total length, long rest periods and judging purely on the basis of "not stopping". It sounds like you're up against the limits of your technique in that respect.

    That is not to say that you're not getting benefit from it. It'll be adding to your aerobic capacity, and engaging a different power chain as you increase the resistance.

    I'm the pool you're almost certainly up against the skill threshold. Swimming doesn't develop the same HR increase that other activities do. Even going all out my max HR in the pool is only just getting into my running aerobic range; 140-150bpm. To be delivering maximal benefits I'd need to be getting it into the 185-195 range.

    The issue that people have with the perpetual HIIT debate is the claims of magic. You're not burning 500 calories, you're not burning a disproportionate volume of body fat and you're not going to get 48 hours of afterburn.

    As long as you're not expecting miracles, then continue what your doing.
  • ijsantos2005
    ijsantos2005 Posts: 306 Member
    You really HIIT the nail on the head!
  • ryenday
    ryenday Posts: 1,540 Member
    MeanderingMammal wrote: »
    ryenday wrote: »
    On bike I bike leisurely at resistance 4 (4/20) for about 5 minutes. Then I quick change resistance to 16 (highest I can continue to pedal and not stop) and pedal as fast as I can for 25 seconds. (The resistance change seems to take 3-4 seconds to register on the bike, so it is actually 21 or 22 seconds at high resistance.) Then I quick lower resistance to 4 and work back to leisurely pedaling.

    I'd frame any response in terms of what the objectives of HIIT actually are, largely around improving maximal oxygen uptake as later stage race preparation. In that sense what you're wanting is to build on an already well established aerobic capacity.

    In that context, you're not doing HIIT in the pool, and you might be on the bike. From what you describe is unlikely to be HIIT, with the short total length, long rest periods and judging purely on the basis of "not stopping". It sounds like you're up against the limits of your technique in that respect.

    That is not to say that you're not getting benefit from it. It'll be adding to your aerobic capacity, and engaging a different power chain as you increase the resistance.

    I'm the pool you're almost certainly up against the skill threshold. Swimming doesn't develop the same HR increase that other activities do. Even going all out my max HR in the pool is only just getting into my running aerobic range; 140-150bpm. To be delivering maximal benefits I'd need to be getting it into the 185-195 range.

    The issue that people have with the perpetual HIIT debate is the claims of magic. You're not burning 500 calories, you're not burning a disproportionate volume of body fat and you're not going to get 48 hours of afterburn.

    As long as you're not expecting miracles, then continue what your doing.

    Lol, not looking for miracles. Just figured if this was actually going to give me a health and fitness benefit, 10 or 15 minutes devoted to it 3x a week (even much less time at the max effort but blocking out the total time at 45 minutes a week) added to my weights and regularly scheduled walking/swimming cardio was a small enough investment.

    I’m not an athlete, have no athletic performance goals beyond fitness really. I’m just an older lady who has started to pay close attention to her health and longevity.

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