Couple Questions on HIIT

Tom Thorne

Hi,I have began doing HIIT on the X-Trainer.It consists of 5 mins warm up, with 7/8 sets 30 secs sprint/60 sec rest. Including cool down = total of approx 20mins.In the work phase I get my HR 165-170bpm = 92% of my max HR. Should my rest phase continue until my HR has reached a certain BPM say 60% MHR?I ask as during my secs rest phase my HR tends to go no lower than 150bpm/80% and up 160-165bpm in the latter sets.To aid fat loss, how often should I do HIIT. I do a FullBody weights routine 3 times a week - should I do HIIT after those sessions or on rest days?Thanks

Nate--IRL--

Tom Thorne wrote: »

Hi,I have began doing HIIT on the X-Trainer.It consists of 5 mins warm up, with 7/8 sets 30 secs sprint/60 sec rest. Including cool down = total of approx 20mins.In the work phase I get my HR 165-170bpm = 92% of my max HR. Should my rest phase continue until my HR has reached a certain BPM say 60% MHR?I ask as during my secs rest phase my HR tends to go no lower than 150bpm/80% and up 160-165bpm in the latter sets.To aid fat loss, how often should I do HIIT. I do a FullBody weights routine 3 times a week - should I do HIIT after those sessions or on rest days?Thanks

For me my HR never drops below 150bpm on the rest phases, and I usually hit 175 180 on Sprints. I don't feel I'd be doing HIIT if I were to wait for my HR to drop to 60% MHR. Keep to your timing.

Again, for me, I tend to do cardio after weights (4x a week) and have days off, but that is purely personal preference. It is really up to you when you want to do cardio, there is no "Correct" way really. Just don't do it before weights.

Nate

cc87

Maybe this is just me but when i do HITT, I just go as hard as i can for the time im working and rest for the rest. I have no idea what my HR is and dont really care as long as Im working hard.

Tom Thorne

Nate--IRL-- wrote: »

For me my HR never drops below 150bpm on the rest phases, and I usually hit 175 180 on Sprints. I don't feel I'd be doing HIIT if I were to wait for my HR to drop to 60% MHR. Keep to your timing.

Again, for me, I tend to do cardio after weights (4x a week) and have days off, but that is purely personal preference. It is really up to you when you want to do cardio, there is no "Correct" way really. Just don't do it before weights.

Nate

I'll give it a go after weights. But I'm not so sure I'd have the power in my legs to do an effective HIIT session after a full-body weights session.

legend365

Forget numbers and just max out!

If you can walk after, your not trying hard enough.

Mellor

Nothing like the HIIT speed wobble getting off the machine. it means you did it right.

Canis Lupus

I tried HIIT for the first time yesterday but relied on a preset program and incorrectly set the times and level so my sprints were 2 mins long

I "manned up" through a 18km/ph first sprint but failed to regain my breath so reduced the second interval to 16km/ph (felt like death at the end of that 2 mins) wheezed through the rest period like a geriatric

Reduced the third to 13km/ph and felt sick, sweating more than I think I've sweated in my life, looking like death.

Then left the speed the same for the fourth interval and couldn't feel legs anymore. I've never come so close to puking before and couldn't face the final sprint.

Stepping off the treadmill it felt like my legs weren't mine

I'll do it properly next time but still was fun in a sadistic kind of way.

cc87

Mellor wrote: »

Nothing like the HIIT speed wobble getting off the machine. it means you did it right.

The rowing machine is the worst......waiting til you think its safe enough to try standing up!!:D

Tom Thorne

legend365 wrote: »

Forget numbers and just max out!

If you can walk after, your not trying hard enough.

Def feel as if I am maxing out - HR does serve as a decent way of monitoring. After 6/7 sets @30secs sprints my legs are fckued and want to give up and want to rest longer between sets.

Coileach dearg

Why do you all do HIIT on a machine? Get out to a park and start sprinting!!!!

Mellor

Coileach dearg wrote: »

Why do you all do HIIT on a machine? Get out to a park and start sprinting!!!!

If you actually read carefully. Most of us (one exception) are not talking about running.
Stationary bikes, rowing machines etc.
The treadmill is terrible for HIIT at you have to set or have a program available. Adjusting speed is near impossible if you are at full sprint.

hurling_lad

I'd also be curious as to what constitutes a truly effective HIIT workout.

At the moment, I do the following different interval training workouts and was wondering if any or all of them are the sort of HIIT for which all the claims of fat-burning, VO2 max increases etc. are being made.

1) Rowing machine: 20 secs max effort (1:33/1:34 split) + 40 secs rest *12 reps * 2 sets with 3-4 mins rest between sets

2) Rowing Machine: 500m high intensity (1:42/1:43) + 3 mins rest * 6 reps

3) Incline Treadmill: 30 secs each at 9%, 15% and 21% gradient (1:30 altogether) @ 10km/h + 2:30 rest * 6/7 reps

I do the usual 4/5 min warm-up and warm-down routines (when I've got the time) with all these.

I'd be reasonably confident that 1) above is at least very close to proper HIIT rather than standard interval training, but not sure about the other two. The one thing they all have in common is that I'm completely flattened afterwards.

To my mind, the key things to keep in mind are that all reps should be at roughly the same output/speed/time and if you try to 'go for it' for the last rep, you shouldn't really be able to substantially improve on your standard rep output/speed/time - if you are able to, it means you've left too much in the tank and haven't been going hard enough.

Would be grateful if somebody who has a clue about these things dropped a note in this thread.