HIIT question

  • So I am wanting to get back to walking (after a broken foot this summer)since I will not be able to ride my bike this winter. I have been doing BFL cardio, but I was worried I might not be able to keep up the high intensity part for a whole minute (due to foot) so I tried HIIT. I am wondering if I did it right and if this will really be beneficial for losing weight:

    I warmed up at about 3-5 intensity for 3 minutes. Then I walked a good clip, about 6-7 for the distance over 2-3 mailboxes (walking on my street), and then did 9-10 intensity (speed walking) over 2-3 mailboxes, then repeated (without warm-up), until I was pretty tired, and then cooled down 3 minutes. The whole process only took 25 minutes, though. Will this be beneficial?
  • well from my experience HIIT-real one- is done at very very high intensity, and if at the end your knees are shaking and you feel like throwing up then you have done it right

    thing is to start HIIT someone should have very good aerobic and anaerobic fitness

    and it seems that HIIT is better for weight loss and keeping muscle than regular exercise, but its hard to keep up with it since its so hard to do regularly

    i would do a search on HIIT on running or bodybuilding or even boxing forums, i figure they have some good info
  • You don't have to be enormously fit to benefit from HIIT.

    Your HIIT training that you mentioned ireishgreengables sounds just about spot on to me. If your perceived exertion was level 9-10 (about max) for the high intensity bits then that's ok. You can also mix up the intervals so that you get a longer rest between high intensity bits. The aim of HIIT is to increase the higher intensity time and decrease the lower intensity time, when you feel to have the timings right, then try and go a bit faster on the high intensity sections. You will see a huge improvement in your fitness.

    HIIT can be done regularly as a cardio exercise. You probably can't do an hour of HIIT every day, but the HIIT that you do do, will be much more beneficial than the same time spent on constant cardio.

    Always listen to your body and remember what is high intensity for you, may not be high intensity for someone else, but as long as you have a high perceived exertion then you're doing it right!
  • Thanks 2frustrated. That's helpful. I am thinking that, by virtue of today's soreness, I got a good workout in some ways.
  • There was a discussion somewhere here this summer. I printed off a workout table - which too me awhile to find Anyway, checkout this website: www.musclemedia.com/training/hiit.asp I think your program sounds like a good start. The idea is to increase intensity instead of time.