Is HIIT the most misused term on these boards?

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arc918
arc918 Posts: 2,037 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
All HIIT workouts are intervals, but NOT all interval workouts are HIIT.

I'm not even a HIIT guy. I'm a distance runner, generally focused on marathon & half marathon training. I usually do intervals once a week (mile or half mile repeats). 7 x 1/2 mile repeats (at 5k pace) with 90 second jogs in between is a great workout for me, but it is not HIIT.

Repeats of walking for a two minutes and jogging for one minute is a good workout, but it is not HIIT.

Intervals are good whether or not they are HIIT, but those of you not doing HIIT shouldn't think we are reaping the benefits.
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Replies

  • MissFit0101
    MissFit0101 Posts: 2,382
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    bump
  • Trail_Addict
    Trail_Addict Posts: 1,350 Member
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    I only call it a HIIT workout if it made me nauseous or about to collapse.
  • kmp411
    kmp411 Posts: 30 Member
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    I only call it a HIIT workout if it made me nauseous or about to collapse.

    EXACTLY... I feel like crawling out of the gym when I'm done
  • savlyon
    savlyon Posts: 474 Member
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    So to clarify, HIIT is HIGH INTENSITY...meaning sprinting/walking, right? There should be a dramatic difference between the two intervals, correct?
  • emily356
    emily356 Posts: 318 Member
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    Heard this term a lot, still have no clue what HIIT is... someone please tell me!:)
  • Gwen7121
    Gwen7121 Posts: 126 Member
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    I didn't even know what it was until recently. :) I don't think I could keep up with it, although I've recently added tabata training to my workout.
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    Not sure, but it's definitely up there with "starvation mode" and "toning"
  • emily356
    emily356 Posts: 318 Member
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    Hahahaha!!!
  • kmp411
    kmp411 Posts: 30 Member
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    So to clarify, HIIT is HIGH INTENSITY...meaning sprinting/walking, right? There should be a dramatic difference between the two intervals, correct?

    Using the treadmill as an example yes... Typically I do 9 - 11mph for 30-60 seconds (depending on mood) then drop down to 3.5 -4 mph for 2 mins..repeat
  • Jonesie1984
    Jonesie1984 Posts: 612 Member
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    Bump and Agreed. I interval train A LOT but I only do HIIT rarely because it wipes my butt out! It's not an everyday/every workout thing.
  • savlyon
    savlyon Posts: 474 Member
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    So to clarify, HIIT is HIGH INTENSITY...meaning sprinting/walking, right? There should be a dramatic difference between the two intervals, correct?

    Using the treadmill as an example yes... Typically I do 9 - 11mph for 30-60 seconds (depending on mood) then drop down to 3.5 -4 mph for 2 mins..repeat

    haha, ok, that is what I do, although I'm not as fast. I usually do 1 min at 8-9 mph and then 1 min at 4 mph. I was just thinking, ummm....do I know what I am doing? Ya, I guess so.
  • grapenutSF
    grapenutSF Posts: 648 Member
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    Tabata might be another misunderstood term.

    http://www.tabataprotocol.com/

    Wrong: "I just did an hour of tabatas."
    Right: "Those tabatas made me crave death just to put an end to it."
  • fatty2fabby
    fatty2fabby Posts: 415 Member
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    Not sure, but it's definitely up there with "starvation mode" and "toning"

    ^ this
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    High Intensity Interval Training and yes it's go 'til you almost can't anymore for 30 seconds or 1 minute depending on the program, catch your breath almost for like 90 seconds and the go all out again. I do this 2x per week. I bus from the endorphis for 2 to 3 hours afterward then would really like a nap. Jacks your metabolism for about 2 hours afterwards.
  • Trail_Addict
    Trail_Addict Posts: 1,350 Member
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    Tabata might be another misunderstood term.

    http://www.tabataprotocol.com/

    Wrong: "I just did an hour of tabatas."
    Right: "Those tabatas made me crave death just to put an end to it."

    If you can finish a Tabata workout without wishing for death, then it wasn't a Tabata workout; it was just an interval workout. :laugh:
  • summertime_girl
    summertime_girl Posts: 3,945 Member
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    Repeats of walking for a two minutes and jogging for one minute is a good workout, but it is not HIIT.
    That may in fact be high intensity for some. I think it's all relative.
  • bahacca
    bahacca Posts: 878 Member
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    TOTALLY agree. I do HIIT 1-2x a week. I do it on a bike because I know I'll be flying off the back end of a treadmill if I had to go full speed on one. I'm sure people think I'm NUTS pedaling so freakin hard for 30 seconds at a time it looks like the bike will just take flight. In 16 minutes I am DRIPPING sweat. I didn't know the effects the first time I did it and nearly fell over getting off the bike. I now know to do a few minutes on the bike after, get off of it SLOWLY, hold onto it and stretch a bit before even attempting to walk. And then, when you walk, you walk like a flamingo because your muscles are just like "WTF just happened???" I haven't looked at the pedal thingy to see how fast I'm going when I'm going full speed. I'm not even sure I can concentrate to lift my head up to look at the thing, but next time I'll try.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
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    No, starvation mode is the most misused term on these boards.

    But your point may be second on the list.
  • jenlb99
    jenlb99 Posts: 213 Member
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    Tabata might be another misunderstood term.

    http://www.tabataprotocol.com/

    Wrong: "I just did an hour of tabatas."
    Right: "Those tabatas made me crave death just to put an end to it."

    If you can finish a Tabata workout without wishing for death, then it wasn't a Tabata workout; it was just an interval workout. :laugh:

    Hahaha NO KIDDING.

    I do 20 minutes of Tabatas 3 times a week and it fricking kills me. HIIT is nothing in comparison.
  • summertime_girl
    summertime_girl Posts: 3,945 Member
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    Tabata might be another misunderstood term.

    http://www.tabataprotocol.com/

    Wrong: "I just did an hour of tabatas."
    Right: "Those tabatas made me crave death just to put an end to it."

    If you can finish a Tabata workout without wishing for death, then it wasn't a Tabata workout; it was just an interval workout. :laugh:

    In conjunction with HCG?

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