I am interested to hear other folks' exeriences with HIIT (high intensity interval training).
I read about it a few weeks ago and started to integrate in to my exercise schedule. I have lost over two pounds in the past week and 3.5 in two weeks (after about six months of 35 plus weight loss). According to my home body fat scale, I also saw a decrease in fat versus muscle. In July, I was slowing down with loss because I had a week of "required no exercise" following a minor surgery on my back, then struggled to keep up with hip pain for a couple weeks.
For the last two full weeks, I've done three HIIT sessions each week. The basic HIIT strategy is to have one brief burst of intense exercise followed by a moderate and longer "recovery" exercise. I've seen different ratios from different sports. So, I am doing one minute bursts with three minute recovery exercise for twenty minutes. I am adding this on to a 60 minute aerobic/strengthening session from my dvd collection (all livingroom workouts). I do aerobic sessoins at home five times daily (four of which include strengthening).
Various specialty websites recommend only two HIIT per week. I didn't see that until after my 3xweek workouts. I'll cut down to Saturday and Wednesday only. I only have a week left of weight loss then transition over to maintenance. I've also been trying different types of exercise that increases endurance (http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com...-training.html).
Would love to hear what other's might being doing and trade ideas.
I love HIIT. It helps me to get in a good workout and not have to spend hours at the gym. One thing I found is that you don't have to limit yourself to traditional cardio exercises. One thing I like to do is a form of HIIT called Tabata (20 second of intense work followed by 10 second of rest for set of 8 (4 minutes). I put 4 or 5 of these together back to back for an intense 20 minute workout. For example, this morning I did:
Set 1: jump rope
Set 2: burpees (do an internet search if you never done these before)
Set 3: bodyweight squats
Set 4: sprints
Set 5: sit-ups
It really doesn't matter what you do--just do it fast and with high intensity to get your heart rate up. Great thing is I can mix it up with other exercises and I can get a good full-body workout in a short amount of time.
Glad to hear you also do HIIT. I've a couple questions: 1) how do you count the time out (without distracting yourself)? and 2) how do you keep up your intensity?
I was looking more closely at HIIT sites yesterday and it looks like your supposed to walk away almost in tears from exhaustion. So, I wondered if I was maybe more doing Fartlek style which is higher than normal intensity but not "almost death" level.
Note, I always workout at home (since I have small kids). Before finding HIIT, I was doing lots of exercises (like you listed) on 30 second cycles for 30 minutes. Then after finding HIIT, I started 1 minute "football drills" (just intense running in place with moving arms back-n-forth) followed-with 3 minutes jog in place.
Here is a laundry list of exercises I do in my 20-30 minute "free style" I do after I finish my "guided" aerobic (dvd aerobic/strengthening, 60 min):
Regular:
butt kicks
high knees
jumping jacks
sumo squat jacks
during a squat, front punches (fast)
during a squat, upper cut punches (fast)
burpies with high jump
mountain climber (each leg)
jump rope
double time jump rope
tire jumps (each leg)
roller blade skater
Special instruction ones:
single leg sprint (from Kim Lyons)
round robin side kick with bow/arrow arms (both sides)
front kick, side squat with punch (both sides)
high punching bag with mini-skipping (from Kim Lyons)
ducking the punch (followed by #18)
under cut with quad clenches (Kim Lyons)
push-ups, walk with arms, push-ups (followed by #20)
1 minute plank
last section of FIRM/500 cal: arm pulls with butt kicks, side kicks, front lunges, knee lifts (slow, then fast), quick side lunges
Some of the stuff I do indoors so I have a big clock in front of me with a seconds watch. If I do outside, have to look at a watch--but after awhile you get a pretty good intuitive sense of what the times feel like.
On the intensity, I think it really depends on what you are trying to achieve but I basically try to get into an anaerobic range during my work cycles-at the end of the seconds, I couldn't go another step even if someone paid me $100.
But take it slow. HIIT can be very tough on the body and hard to recover from if you do it at a very high intensity. In fact, I only really do it about once or twice a week and rest of the week I do more traditional cadio or weights.
What other exercises do you integrate in to your week? I'm heading to maintenance this week and planning my workout schedule.
I'm wondering if I can cut out one of the aerobic only days (my Wednesday) and do formal aerobics four times a week with three of those days including strength training. I am increasing my calorie intake by about 250-300 calories day at first to see if these modifications slow or stop weight loss. I'm hopeful that I'll also be able to add in another 250 calories later as a snack. Just not sure what my "normal" day's calorie needs are at this new weight. I'm quite active even without fitting in aerobic sessions in the mornings.
Now with HIIT, I'm wondering just how effective the calorie burn will be combined with strength training. I'm not planning on weight lifting. My goals are to keep strong, strengthen bones, avoid injuries and renewing current problems (my back, hips, and knees), and overall health. So, if I'm mixing in my stuff, I'm planning on resistance bands, HIIT, and variety of energy burners (listed in an earlier post).
My Current (Weight Loss) Workout
A) Formal Aerobics/Strengthening
1) 4x week 30 min dvd aerobics/30 min dvd strengthening and aerobics combined
4x week 20-30 min freestyle aerobics
4x week sit-ups (crunches with nine focus areas)
2) 1x week 60 dvd aerobics or freestyle aerobics
B) Informal/Active Living
1) walking (about 1-2 hours every day)
2) biking (about 5-10 hours every week depending on weather)
Well, I usually try doing strength training 3 days out of the week and some cardio 3 days. I usually try to do active rest 1 day.
I think your workout schedule looks fine. Looks like you've lost a lot of weight as well. Just go by how you feel and continue to measure yourself to keep yourself in check. I find that I have to be flexible and change things around from time to time to keep interested. I've actually tried the CrossFit WOD (Workout of the Day) for a couple of months and thought they were great as well. Try checking them out at www.crossfit.com.
I totally love HIIT. I have seen it time and time again. If you compare those who run compared with sprinters--the sprinters are leaner.
I get bored on my bike. but besideds walk/running intervals. I do stationary bike 16 mph for 5 min and 22-23 mph for 2 minutes. I do this until I hit 30 min. I think it is amazing for fat loss.
I bought a Taylor body fat scale a couple weeks ago. It seems to be showing for me as losing weight, modestly increasing muscle, and modestly losing fat. Seems to me that I'm finding success. Since I've also been sort of binging (not so much to impact weight loss, just enough to disconcert), I feel like these HIIT activities have some merit to be considered helpful in targeting weight loss.
Since I'm moving away from weight loss to maintenance, I'll use HIIT as building endurance and metabolism. Also, if/when my weight creeps up, I'll strategically use HIIT to pull it (hopefully faster).
I'm not as well read about HIIT as you all, but the way I do the "timing" part is like this. I have a heart rate monitor with an alarm, and I set the target zone to 75-85%. I then work out as intensely as I can until the top alarm goes off, and then moderately until my heart rate comes back down and the low alarm goes off - and then I start pushing again. It seems to be working for me - you can't cheat a heart rate monitor, and I know that the only way I can finish the high intensity section is to push harder! YMMV
I'm giong to check out the crossfit more. Seems at first glance like there's alot to learn. I do have a heart monitor (sending in for repair) and will figure out the alarm tactic. I know there's also the practise of working out until exhausted, slow down to a strong jog, go until exhausted. So, I'll try the different strategies.
I'm off for vacation for 2 1/2 weeks. I am not sure what exactly I will follow while visiting family. I have a few chooses set up: resistance bands and downloaded workouts, dvds, a plan to be a guest at my niece's gym, and just plain cardio moves with timing.
Once I return, I'll be setting up HIIT regularly again.
Energy Burst Exercise for Higher Weight Loss
