Recommend low impact hiit exercises

seefin · 04-02-2020 9:57am #1

I cycle everywhere and weightlift, however realised I never get out of breath so need to include something to improve cardiovascular. Bought a chest HRM and been doing hiit using exercise bike at home. My knees are in bits though which is starting to interfere with my lifting so need to switch up to something low impact.Not sure if because of the setup of the exercise bike or whether it's the speed that's causing issues that regular cycling doesn't cause. So I've tried Burpees etc but it takes me 3 minutes to get to 90% max heart rate so not really hiit? Any ideas for a good program to increase heart rate to 90%. Has to be done at home unfortunately. Running is out for other reasons. Or should I forget hiit and just go for getting heart rate to eg 65% and keeping it there for as long as possible?

04-02-2020 10:04am

I'd not worry about the 90% thing.........

5 chin-ups / pull-ups
10 press-ups

Repeat 10 times.

seefin · 04-02-2020 11:20am

Augeo wrote: »

I'd not worry about the 90% thing.........

5 chin-ups / pull-ups
10 press-ups

Repeat 10 times.

I don't want to do any weights stuff (even bodyweight ) as doing hiit this on my rest day so maybe interfere with recovery?

04-02-2020 3:07pm

I don't really think the ole recovery spiel applies to most folk who exercise. I'd do chin ups and pull ups the days I'm not doing weights .... I'd not be killing myself in the gym but from my observations not many are

What are your goals with weights etc if interfering with recovery is a worry?

seefin · 04-02-2020 4:23pm

Augeo wrote: »

I don't really think the ole recovery spiel applies to most folk who exercise. I'd do chin ups and pull ups the days I'm not doing weights .... I'd not be killing myself in the gym but from my observations not many are

What are your goals with weights etc if interfering with recovery is a worry?

Am pretty serious about weights. My sessions are very high intensity . Am almost at powerlifting winner level in the 3 main lifts, dont compete but can see from previous years winners what my lifts should be. Aiming for that in next 6 months eg over double bw deadlift, bw bench etc(am female btw). Strength and muscle is my primary goal but cardiovascular can't be ignored either

04-02-2020 5:01pm

Apologies, reps of 5 chin ups/press ups aren't really feasible for most ladies.

seefin · 04-02-2020 5:35pm

Augeo wrote: »

Apologies, reps of 5 chin ups/press ups aren't really feasible for most ladies.

Oi I can easily do 5 chins and 10 press ups ðŸ˜²

Alf Veedersane · 04-02-2020 5:52pm

seefin wrote: »

Am pretty serious about weights. My sessions are very high intensity . Am almost at powerlifting winner level in the 3 main lifts, dont compete but can see from previous years winners what my lifts should be. Aiming for that in next 6 months eg over double bw deadlift, bw bench etc(am female btw). Strength and muscle is my primary goal but cardiovascular can't be ignored either

Time to do those numbers on a platform so.

seefin · 04-02-2020 6:05pm

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Time to do those numbers on a platform so.

Nah I've enough stress in my life. Want to prove I can do it for myself- I'd kinda know then I'd reached my potential - but wouldn't be into competing . My mother knocked any competitiveness out of us when we were kids

Alf Veedersane · 04-02-2020 6:45pm

seefin wrote: »

Nah I've enough stress in my life. Want to prove I can do it for myself- I'd kinda know then I'd reached my potential - but wouldn't be into competing . My mother knocked any competitiveness out of us when we were kids

90% of people that do it are only doing it to do their own numbers and not looking to win. Last competition I was at there was something like 250kg of a difference in totals across my weight class. It's mostly just you vs you.

But worth doing. It's very different to the gym and with a load of people cheering you if you're squatting 40kg or 240kg

seefin · 04-02-2020 6:59pm

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

90% of people that do it are only doing it to do their own numbers and not looking to win. Last competition I was at there was something like 250kg of a difference in totals across my weight class. It's mostly just you vs you.

But worth doing. It's very different to the gym and with a load of people cheering you if you're squatting 40kg or 240kg

Hmm that's interesting- never been to one, assumed would be really intense and competitive. Ok then definitely something I must try in the next few years. Actually sounds lovely . Thanks Alf

Alf Veedersane · 04-02-2020 7:11pm

seefin wrote: »

Hmm that's interesting- never been to one, assumed would be really intense and competitive. Ok then definitely something I must try in the next few years. Actually sounds lovely . Thanks Alf

No it's nothing like that at all. It's really welcoming. There are usually 2, maybe 3 in a weight class with any hope of winning. Everyone else just wants to try do the numbers they want on the platform.

My first comp, the outstanding memory was the noise of people shouting and cheering for me on my third deadlift. I wasnt troubling the winners...that's just the way people support the lifters!

I had a thread on comps and you can see people talking about how enjoyable it is for all

https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057696988/1

seefin · 04-02-2020 7:15pm

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

No it's nothing like that at all. It's really welcoming. There are usually 2, maybe 3 in a weight class with any hope of winning. Everyone else just wants to try do the numbers they want on the platform.

My first comp, the outstanding memory was the noise of people shouting and cheering for me on my third deadlift. I wasnt troubling the winners...that's just the way people support the lifters!

I love that kind of thing. Doesn't happen too often in life that get that sense of comraderie from strangers

Alf Veedersane · 04-02-2020 7:48pm

seefin wrote: »

I love that kind of thing. Doesn't happen too often in life that get that sense of comraderie from strangers

That's part of the reason people find themselves hooked...the atmosphere of a meet.

Mellor · 05-02-2020 1:14pm

Augeo wrote: »

I'd not worry about the 90% thing.........

5 chin-ups / pull-ups
10 press-ups

Repeat 10 times.

That's not really HIIT though

seefin wrote: »

So I've tried Burpees etc but it takes me 3 minutes to get to 90% max heart rate so not really hiit? Any ideas for a good program to increase heart rate to 90%.

Why 90%?
That's a pretty high HR, you'd probably need a hard steady run to get up there.
In HIIT, might not get up there for a few reps. Which is fine.

Cycling should be pretty low impact. So is rowing. Running not so much

seefin · 05-02-2020 3:37pm

Mellor wrote: »

That's not really HIIT though

Why 90%?
That's a pretty high HR, you'd probably need a hard steady run to get up there.
In HIIT, might not get up there for a few reps. Which is fine.

Cycling should be pretty low impact. So is rowing. Running not so much

That's interesting. I thought was meant to reach 90% in each interval

Brian? · 05-02-2020 6:52pm

Does cycling hurt your knees? If it does I would suggest there’s something wrong with your bike setup or you’re pushing too big a gear.

I notice most people who cycle, but aren’t actually cyclists, tend to have a cadence of under 70rpm. At a guess. Most cyclists, who take it seriously, spin at 90-100rpm. You can get a cadence sensor to measure it.

I’ve little or no knee left and cycling is fine for me. Professional bike fit and spin like Bejaysus.

seefin · 05-02-2020 7:08pm

Brian? wrote: »

Does cycling hurt your knees? If it does I would suggest there’s something wrong with your bike setup or you’re pushing too big a gear.

I notice most people who cycle, but aren’t actually cyclists, tend to have a cadence of under 70rpm. At a guess. Most cyclists, who take it seriously, spin at 90-100rpm. You can get a cadence sensor to measure it.

I’ve little or no knee left and cycling is fine for me. Professional bike fit and spin like Bejaysus.

Regular cycling wouldn't but it's city cycling so never do much speed and would likely be low rpm. I've been doing the Hiit on a cheapie exercise bike at home so it's either the setup there eg saddle not exactly correct height) or its because I'm doing high rpm which wouldn't be used to. Am taking the week off to give knees and ankles chance to recover and will experiment next week. Do you reckon higher resistance and lower rpm would be better for knees than low resistance and high rpm( which I've been doing) . During hiit intervals I'm almost falling off bike I'm pedalling so fast so definitely high rpm. Bike doesn't give details of this. Don't want to upgrade bike if it turns out to be the higher rpm that's causing the knee issues

Brian? · 06-02-2020 7:27am

seefin wrote: »

Regular cycling wouldn't but it's city cycling so never do much speed and would likely be low rpm. I've been doing the Hiit on a cheapie exercise bike at home so it's either the setup there eg saddle not exactly correct height) or its because I'm doing high rpm which wouldn't be used to. Am taking the week off to give knees and ankles chance to recover and will experiment next week. Do you reckon higher resistance and lower rpm would be better for knees than low resistance and high rpm( which I've been doing) . During hiit intervals I'm almost falling off bike I'm pedalling so fast so definitely high rpm. Bike doesn't give details of this. Don't want to upgrade bike if it turns out to be the higher rpm that's causing the knee issues

The higher RPM is definitely better for knees, but the saddle height has to be correct. If you do any cycling with an incorrect saddle height it'll definitely be detrimental to your knees.

A quick check is: Sit on the saddle. With the pedal at the bottom, put your heel on the peddle. If your leg isn't straight then your saddle is too low.

I'm pretty sure there's a bikefit app for iphone you can use to video yourself and it'll tell you what you need to adjust.

seefin · 06-02-2020 3:07pm

Brian? wrote: »

The higher RPM is definitely better for knees, but the saddle height has to be correct. If you do any cycling with an incorrect saddle height it'll definitely be detrimental to your knees.

A quick check is: Sit on the saddle. With the pedal at the bottom, put your heel on the peddle. If your leg isn't straight then your saddle is too low.

I'm pretty sure there's a bikefit app for iphone you can use to video yourself and it'll tell you what you need to adjust.

Will try that at weeken

seefin · 06-02-2020 3:09pm

Brian? wrote: »

The higher RPM is definitely better for knees, but the saddle height has to be correct. If you do any cycling with an incorrect saddle height it'll definitely be detrimental to your knees.

A quick check is: Sit on the saddle. With the pedal at the bottom, put your heel on the peddle. If your leg isn't straight then your saddle is too low.

I'm pretty sure there's a bikefit app for iphone you can use to video yourself and it'll tell you what you need to adjust.

Will try that at weekend. Just to be clear too, on hiit you aren't expected to reach very high heart rate in the first few intervals? Even if only reached it in the last few and maybe for a few seconds of each, thats sign you've pushed yourself hard enough? Maybe that's where I was going wrong, trying to achieve in each interval

Brian? · 06-02-2020 5:13pm

seefin wrote: »

Will try that at weekend. Just to be clear too, on hiit you aren't expected to reach very high heart rate in the first few intervals? Even if only reached it in the last few and maybe for a few seconds of each, thats sign you've pushed yourself hard enough? Maybe that's where I was going wrong, trying to achieve in each interval

I’ll be honest, I haven’t done any hiit in a long time so I can’t really answer.

I use these guys workouts for the bike:

https://youtu.be/UKenONcURLI

Recommend low impact hiit exercises

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