HIIT Questions

F

fitmom24

Cathlete
Hello. I have a few questions about HIIT training. I have been reluctant to give up my steady state cardio days for HIIT training but it seems the more I read the more I'm convinced I need to. I usually do an IMAX 1x a week but am in the middle of a P90X rotation now. I have always done 45-60 min of steady state cardio 3x a week. I am considering changing to a 20-30 min. HIIT session 4x a week with intervals of 1 min. up high, 9-10 on a scale and 2 min. lower, at about a 7. I have no cardio equipment at home so I would have to get my heart rate up just using my body and a step. I have a 2 year old at home and hate to run so running is not an option.

Can you tell me what type of pattern or sequence you perform, the duration, frequency, and if you use a piece of cardio equipment. How long have you been doing HIIT? What kind of results have you seen? Did you loose fat?

My goal here is twofold. I want to loose a layer of fat that hasn't come off as long as I've been working out (15+ years) and eating clean (8+ years). I also want to cut down on the time I spend doing cardio without loosing any heart benefits.

Any comments would be greatly appreciated!

M

p.s. I accidentally posted this in the wrong forum earlier. My apologies.
 
Hi Fitmom24- I am no expert but I do HIIT 2xweek and together with gymstyles I think I'm on my way to getting rid of "my last 10"- I do 21 min. of jump roping (once a week) and Gin Miller Intense or Extreme (whichever one is the interval training-once a week)-when I jump rope (in my kitchen) I turn the timer on for 21 min. and I jump rope fast down to 15 and then I start high intensity for 1 min. and then 1 min. of steady and I do this for 6-7 cycles and jump steady for the last 1-2 min.- I love it- it goes fast and I turn up the music. I also do cardio 2-3 more times in any given week. There is a body building website that talks about HIIT and the benefits- if you want more info. on that let me know or do a search on this website (it's been discussed here before)--hope that helps--deb
 
My opinion, I don't think HIIT should replace steady state, just sub a few steady states with HIIT. When HIIT is done properly, it is very taxing on the heart and therefore should only be done 3 times a week. The heart is a muscle that requires recovery, too.

I do 2 a week, usually. No more than 3. You can do all kinds of variations. You can do longer *hard* intervals or shorten them and make them even harder. You can vary your recovery time (not too long!;-) )

I use to jump rope. Now, I do my intervals on the treadmill, at the track, running a hill, or using the elliptical.

Cathe has some excellent cardio drills in IMAX II that would get your heart rate up.
 
I appreciate the info. Can I get a bit more on how HIIT has worked for you. Were you able to loose fat faster as claimed? Thanks!
 
If you scroll down to the bottom of this article, Alywnn gives a prescription for interval training (HIIT).
http://www.alwyncosgrove.com/Energy-System-Training.html

I sprint using a stationary bike or elliptical. You can do this type of training running. I know someone who uses telephone poles as markers...sprint from one pole to the next, jog from one pole to the next.
John Berardi makes some excellent points about cardio.
http://johnberardi.com/articles/training/cardio_progressions.htm

Well those a just a few links I found helpful. You will find opinions vary across the board where cardio is concerned. It is very confusing.
 
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