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Still confused about HIIT...

vivavegas02 Posts: 96 Joined: 2004/03/18	2004/05/12, 10:56 PM I have read a lot about it... But I am reading conflicting things about how to do HIIT. I read one way which you work your way up, in one minute increments to the max and then back down and up again for a max of 20 minutes. Now I recently read to start out at a medium pace, go high max for 1 minute, then back low for another minute then back high for a 1 minute. Back and forth basically for only 15mins. Which is the right way to do it?
david_s81 Posts: 543 Joined: 2004/04/09	2004/05/13, 12:28 AM The way I have started doing cardio is a five-minute warmup, then a moderate pace. For example; 5.8, and after a minute, I bump it up to 8.5, then 5.8, etc., etc. I burn more calories and run farther than I would if I kept it at a moderate pace, like 6.8, or 6.9. -------------- In order to live, you must be willing to die.
yadmit Posts: 4,670 Joined: 2003/10/05	2004/05/13, 08:41 AM I think you can do both ways... I prefer the second one you have there... t -------------- Tim "I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies, for the hardest victory is over self." Aristotle TimDay@freetrainers.com
Datdanigirl Posts: 452 Joined: 2004/02/11	2004/05/13, 09:39 AM You can do it both ways.. some days do the pyramid, other days do the up and down! I actually prefer a combination of the two myself.. do 30 sec to a minute at 65%, then 75%, 90%, drop back down to 65%, etc.. -------------- : ] ~Danielle Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action. ~Benjamin Disraeli
princesslodgey Posts: 1,748 Joined: 2004/02/21	2004/05/16, 02:50 AM There is a similar sort of training to hiit called fartlek, which gives much the same benefits. It's less structured than hiit - following your warm up , when you feel ready (at no specific time) you work flat out for roughly a minute or until you've had enough - you then bring the pace back and stay at this level until you've recovered and feel ready to go again. I suppose if you weren't self disciplined it might not work so well but it does show that there's no magic time scale to use in hiit as long as you're alternating high intensity with normal then it will probably work.
Toneuc Posts: 5 Joined: 2004/05/18	2004/05/18, 06:16 AM Does anyone know if HIIT is a better way to burn calories as opposed to a standard cardio workout. Also, is it recommended to do everyday or a few times a week. Thanks
asimmer Posts: 8,201 Joined: 2003/01/07	2004/05/18, 07:40 AM HIT will burn more calories in the same amount of time than steady state cardio, yes. I recommend once or twice a week for HIIT and different types of cardio other days. -------------- If you fall down seven times, get up eight.
Datdanigirl Posts: 452 Joined: 2004/02/11	2004/05/18, 12:00 PM FARTLEK? :) I am guessing that is an acronym for something, but I'm not surprised it hasn't caught on like HIIT.. -------------- : ] ~Danielle The deepest rivers flow with the least sound.
princesslodgey Posts: 1,748 Joined: 2004/02/21	2004/05/18, 01:34 PM I don't think it is an acronym, I think it's scandinavian, I think it's maybe used more in europe ?
DanielJLove Posts: 320 Joined: 2004/03/30	2004/05/18, 01:40 PM We used to something called a fartlek in High School, but it was a little different than you explain. It had to do more with distance than time. You went to a quarter mile track and walked the first straight, jogged the first curve, strided the second straight and sprinted the second curve and then started over. Talk about getting winded, whew. Daniel
	2004/05/18, 01:41 PM I have used that goofy little calorie burn counter on my exercise bike to compare hiit and cardio. First off understand that every counter i ever saw gives a different reading of burn. That said I am assuming that if you measure hiit Vs regular cardio on the same machine you at least have a comparison to start with. 20 minutes hiit is about 320 calories burned on my bike. 25 minutes of cardio is around 310. I will absolutly not comment on fartleking. -------------- Foolish consistancies are the hobgoblins of small minds. Charlie
princesslodgey Posts: 1,748 Joined: 2004/02/21	2004/05/18, 01:44 PM charlie, I've found that my calorie counts are roughly the same for standard versus HIIt during the workout but the real gains from HIIT are the post exercise calorie burn - it hikes up your metabolism for a few hours afterwards
david_s81 Posts: 543 Joined: 2004/04/09	2004/05/18, 01:49 PM That's practicing good taste, Charlie. I thought for sure someone was going to burn her for that one. It almost seemed too easy, though. I am not sure about gains with doing cardio vs. not doing cardio. Since I read BB1's post about cardio, I have stopped doing it so much, and I feel like I'm better off. I've been focusing on the workouts instead of dreading my 25 minute bout with the treadmill. -------------- \"Cuz we are the Aqua Teens\"
	2004/05/18, 01:50 PM I think you are right on the continued calorie burn. Also as I said above 20 minutes of hiit burns a little more than 25 minutes of cardio. I still do hiit for a couple of sessions and cardio pace for a couple of sessions and throw in rowing my little blue boat on weekends. The change up keeps the geezers body guessing. -------------- Foolish consistancies are the hobgoblins of small minds. Charlie
	2004/05/18, 01:56 PM David, I do cardio about 4 to 5 times a week but never more than 25 minutes. If I miss it I miss it. I never miss a lifting day. I row the little blue boat for fun. It happens to be good exercise. I also think lifestyle and body fat should temper your cardio amounts. If you sit all day at work, more cardio won't hurt. If you are carrying more body fat than you want, it won't hurt to step up the cardio either. -------------- Foolish consistancies are the hobgoblins of small minds. Charlie
david_s81 Posts: 543 Joined: 2004/04/09	2004/05/18, 07:40 PM Yeah, that's the only reason I do cardio at all anymore. I just have a little extra I wouldn't mind losing. -------------- \"If you do not understand, this is your fault, not ours.\"