HIIT

Does anyone know any HITT cardio workout for beginners? I would like to do it before I do my lifting for the day.

Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    I'd caution doing any type of intense cardio before lifting (this is different than a warm up). It can have an impact on your ability to increase strength.

    Also, are you talking more calisthenics or true HIIT?
  • jorange88
    jorange88 Posts: 36 Member
    You k is i really don't know. I'm new to all this and wanted to include a fat burning cardio workout with my strength training.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,163 Member
    I'd strongly advise against actual HIIT for beginners. It's a recipe for fatigue, burnout, injury risk, and learning to hate cardio exercise as something that makes one feel miserable. Furthermore, despite what the gee-whiz click-bait pop-culture "health and fitness" sites claim, it's not your best bet for calorie burn. The "afterburn" effect in particular is wildly overstated.

    If weight training is your priority, do that first. After that, your best bet is any form of cardio you enjoy (that doesn't involve more weight work), done at the highest steady intensity you can comfortably sustain for the duration you have available (minus 3-5 minutes) and that leaves you feeling energized rather than drained for the rest of your daily life, and lets you feel fully recovered before your next workout. (Use the 3-5 minutes for a short cool down or stretch.)

    For a beginner (and well beyond) that will burn the most calories, achieve the best cardiovascular endurance improvement, and be healthy and sustainable.

    I'm sorry if that sounds mean or unhelpful, but I think it's good advice. :)

    Best wishes!



  • manupotter9
    manupotter9 Posts: 1 Member
    A good exercise is walking by 1 minute e running by 30 seconds. Doing it 20-30minutes a day can help you :)
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    jorange88 wrote: »
    You k is i really don't know. I'm new to all this and wanted to include a fat burning cardio workout with my strength training.

    Well cardio burns calories, but not necessarily fat (in the grand scheme). What are your goals outside of weight loss? If strength is a goal, than I'd recommend just doing a mind warm up on your lifting days and follow a structured lifting program, like found in the link below.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

    In general terms, finding a cardio plan that you like (I personally do sleds, cycling, rowing machine, and cardio weights) is key to success. There are some good tabata workouts on fitnessblender.com that I enjoyed when I didn't have time to hit the gym.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    edited February 2018
    Does anyone know any HITT cardio workout for beginners? I would like to do it before I do my lifting for the day.
    Sorry that's two bad ideas, HIIT (real HIIT not just interval training with a trendy label) is far too extreme for a beginner not accustomed to exercise. Fatiguing yourself before your lifting is also the way to have a really bad lifting session

    I'm new to all this and wanted to include a fat burning cardio workout with my strength training.
    Forget about fat burning cardio workouts - it's nonsense that should be consigned back to the 1980's. :wink:
    Your fat loss come from a calorie deficit over an extended period of time and not really from one type of exercise.

    If you like a cardio warmup before lifting then a moderate session on a rowing machine or elliptical would work well. (Personally I prefer to do my cardio completely separately and my lifting warmup is warm up sets rather than cardio.)