Hiit

GerryRyan

Ok, just checking if anyone else is using this High Intensity Interval Training ?

I've been reading up on it and am going to be trying it out, test run type of thing, for a few weeks.

Sonderval

Yep, I throw it in with my usual cardio routine every so often. Its pretty intense, but it does work very well. I find it quite dependant on my energy levels, so I usually time it not long after I have eaten as opposed to my usual jogging, which I can slog through any time I choose.

My only piece of advice is start small with it and build yourself up (pretty obvious). It can be initially very draining.

shakeydude

I was just wondering what this HIIT entails and where can I get information on it?? Is it designed to increase recovery time in contact sports such as football/rugby

The_Bullman

I'm wondering how important it is to monitor your heartrate when doing hiit.

When I do it on the cross trainer mine seems to go very high during the instense bit - and take a while to recover to something reasonable.

So I'm a little nervous about doing it. Should I consider getting a heart monitor for doing hiit on a rowing machine or running outdoors?

GerryRyan

shakeydude wrote:

I was just wondering what this HIIT entails and where can I get information on it??

Heres a bit of info I got from here

"HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training is a form of cardio. The explanation is really in the title: it involves intervals of varying intensities, with some of those intensities quite high.

A typical HIIT routine will involve some bursts of "all-out" training followed by periods of lower intensity that allow for active recovery (this means your body can recover somewhat even though you haven't completely stopped exercising).

A popular HIIT method is detailed in Body for Life by Bill Phillips. It involves a few minutes of warm-up, followed by intervals that last a minute. For example, on the treadmill, you might do a minute at 5 miles per hour (mph), then a minute at 6mph, a minute at 7mph, a minute at 8mph, then you drop back down to 5mph and repeat.

This is a popular method, but interval training can be as simple as doing an all-out sprint, jogging until your heart rate reaches a certain level, and then sprinting once again.

The advantages of HIIT training are that you burn more calories in a shorter period of time. You also receive a benefit from EPOC (exercise post oxygen consumption) with research showing that you may elevate your metabolism for up to 24 hours AFTER an HIIT workout. This is definitely a benefit for those looking to trim fat.

The disadvantage of HIIT is that it is high intensity and therefore requires time to recover. Most people can only manage a few (three or four) HIIT sessions per week. If you have already restricted your calories and need to lose more weight, adding more HIIT can be counterproductive if it results in muscle loss. This depends on a variety of factors. Some bodybuilders use HIIT to trim down for competitions, but others prefer LISS (low intensity steady state) cardio because while it takes longer to burn calories, it is easier to recover from."

shakeydude wrote:

Is it designed to increase recovery time in contact sports such as football/rugby

I've played rugby for a few years and I can see this type of training being helpful. In rugby you have short bursts of speed followed by pauses for lineouts and scrums (recovery).

Not sure about it being designed to increase recovery time by much tho, but I'm still reading up on it. I'll get back to you.

edit: found better explanation here