HIIT Cardio

[mbwest]

Thanks for the replies people and great article musclesntx.

So i'm assuming (lots of info to disect) that if I want to cut weight, my heart rate needs to be below 55% of its max for atleast 35mins. (so my 25min every morning run is useless? hope not)

Any idea how many calories you will burn in a 40min 55%HR run? Or some formula to work it out?!?

Thanks in advance.

Still not tried HIIT. no watch and i HATE running in circles - i'm soo picky eh!?
MB

[musclesntx]

Originally Posted by mbwest

Thanks for the replies people and great article musclesntx.

So i'm assuming (lots of info to disect) that if I want to cut weight, my heart rate needs to be below 55% of its max for atleast 35mins. (so my 25min every morning run is useless? hope not)

Any idea how many calories you will burn in a 40min 55%HR run? Or some formula to work it out?!?

Thanks in advance.

Still not tried HIIT. no watch and i HATE running in circles - i'm soo picky eh!?
MB

Hey dude,

Read my Understanding Cardio article - it touches on all of this.

b

[Steve7]

How soon before your HIIT Cardio session do you guys eat? I would say probably an hour and a half..?

[musclesntx]

Originally Posted by Steve7

How soon before your HIIT Cardio session do you guys eat? I would say probably an hour and a half..?

ASAP.

[Steve7]

Originally Posted by musclesntx

ASAP.

Oh, so it's different then liftin weights, you eat RIGHT before you do your cardio session. That is what your sayin, right? Lol

[NiteHawk]

I believe he meant the question to be how long do you wait to eat AFTER the HIIT cardio session..

If thats the case, treat it like a weightlifting session and do your normal post workout nutrition...post workout shake and quality meal.

[musclesntx]

Originally Posted by NiteHawk

I believe he meant the question to be how long do you wait to eat AFTER the HIIT cardio session..

If thats the case, treat it like a weightlifting session and do your normal post workout nutrition...post workout shake and quality meal.

My bad - I thought he asked how soon after you should eat. Not sure how I missed that.

Treat it just like training (pre and post).

[NiteHawk]

Originally Posted by musclesntx

My bad - I thought he asked how soon after you should eat. Not sure how I missed that.

Treat it just like training (pre and post).

Not really your fault, he did ask before the cardio session..

[Steve7]

Originally Posted by musclesntx

My bad - I thought he asked how soon after you should eat. Not sure how I missed that.

Treat it just like training (pre and post).

Alright, sorry i must have no asked clearly, i mean when do you eat BEFORE you do HIIT. Like for lifting weights i usually eat an hour and a half before i start lifting. So you said same for pre and post, which means i should eat an hour and a half before i do my HIIT

[musclesntx]

Originally Posted by Steve7

Alright, sorry i must have no asked clearly, i mean when do you eat BEFORE you do HIIT. Like for lifting weights i usually eat an hour and a half before i start lifting. So you said same for pre and post, which means i should eat an hour and a half before i do my HIIT

Like I said - treat it like a regular training session. Glycogen will be your primary source of fuel during training, so you want to make sure you have it available via the diet.

[Steve7]

Originally Posted by musclesntx

Like I said - treat it like a regular training session. Glycogen will be your primary source of fuel during training, so you want to make sure you have it available via the diet.

A lot of people say that they take BCAA's right before they do the cardio though, but I don't really have the money for that, cuz i'd rather spend it on food and protein powder. Do you think it's a big deal that i don't take them?

[musclesntx]

The only thing I think is that you're overcomplicating this whole process to no end...

If you can't afford BCAAs, you can't afford them. I use them and I recommend them as a staple, as leucine is the synthesis trigger. Every wonder why people start gaining muscle almost as soon as they start using whey? I'll give you a hint - it isn't totally due to the caloric increase. Whey has a very high concentration of BCAAs.

I've mentioned it before: with all other things staying the same, I've administered mass doses of BCAAs to high level athletes without altering their training or other parts of the diet and have seen them add as much as 9-14lbs of muscle in one month. These aren't just amateur gym rats, but people that are at the high end of the athletic and genetic spectrum. If it works for them, it will work for you.

Food is your most important substance. Most people that are trying to do HIIT aren't at the physical level to even be doing it. It isn't really going to be extremely effective for a beginner IMO - it isn't to be used to replace slower cardio. The ping it puts on your CNS will lead to OTS quite quick if you aren't conditioned. Evaluate your training history and your needs and determine if you should be HIITing. I can't answer these questions for you because in reality, I know nothing about you, your experience or your goals.

[Merk0135]

I eat some oatmeal and a bannana before I do HIIT and supplement with BCAAs before and after as well. I also make sure I eat after HIIT too but I don't eat the same amount pre and post that I would on a regular lifting day. I don't burn as many calories during a 10-15 minute HIIT session that I do during a 1.5 hour workout.

[mbwest]

Hi all,
Great thread, just trying to get back into training now with my main goal to cut fat not too worried about muscle.

Yesterday I tried some HIIT, i did 200m sprint, 200m walk (8laps of the track) plus a warm-up of about 3 laps. I found it amazingly difficult but I didnt feel like i worked long enough. I was thinking maybe a 20-30min jog first and then do this HIIT for 15 mins. Any suggestions? I really want to burn the fat from my stomach.

I hear people talking about 10-30sec max efforts but someone I spoke to said if im spring max effort any shorter than about 200m i just wont feel the benifit. What do you think? I was going to try today: Sprint the long sides and walk/jog the corners?

Does it matter whether i walk or jog the corners? (during my rest period) - I was REAL tired?

Anybody tried HIIT in water? Top speed swim 1 legnth slow swim 2 legnths? What do you think?

Thanks in advance for any help guys/girls.

This site recommends a 50%/50% (jog/sprint balance)...
Muscle Media

[jproudj]

Remember it's 'High Intensity Interval Training' so I would keep it below 10 minutes, certainly to start with. If you're not totally knackered you're doing it wrong. Unless you're Michael Johnson any longer than that is normal cardio, albeit still interval cardio. Different principles then apply. You can do whatever you want but people do HIIT for the metabolic increase afterwards and less muscle burned, keep going for too long you're undoing the benefits of HIIT.

[jennyd]

Originally Posted by mbwest

Hi all,
I was thinking maybe a 20-30min jog first and then do this HIIT for 15 mins. Any suggestions? I really want to burn the fat from my stomach.

I was going to try today: Sprint the long sides and walk/jog the corners?

Does it matter whether i walk or jog the corners? (during my rest period) - I was REAL tired?

NO!
A 20-30 minute jog first is really defeating the purpose of HIIT.

Sprinting the length of the track and walking/jogging the corners is perfect.
You can do it with block lengths too. Sprint the length of the block and walk/jog the short ends.

[mbwest]

I feel that when I do this HIIT training i'm absolutly knackered but don't feel I have worked for long enought.
I thought the purpose of HIIT was to allow you to burn fat and raise your resting metabolism, could I not do that along with a 30min jog to warm up and burn a little extra fat and also make me feel like I worked a bit harder.

p.s. I dont really want to loose muscle but fat loss is my main goal and I don't really mind if I have to or it makes it work better and faster

[NiteHawk]

You are correct, the point of HIIT is to increase your resting metabolism after the workout. The bursts of higher intensity will increase blood flow to fat and muscle, causing you to release fatty acids. And the effect of this method is increasing your resting metabolism.

It also helps minimize muscle loss.

You should feel tired after the HIIT. Dont gauge the effectiveness on how you feel though. If you are doing it properly, its working. Dont negate the effects of the HIIT by adding extra cardio and going for longer. This will most likely turn into a catabolic event, and thats definitely not what you want.

Remember, its the after workout effects that you are looking for.

[mbwest]

Ok Here is my idea. Monday and Friday = Weights. Tuesday and Thursday = Cardio. Wednesday = Light workout of both.

I addition I want to do a run EVERY morning and not sure if i should do HIIT round the track for 10-15mins or just a plane simple 45 min run -

what you think then?

I addition, if you can be bothered, would you like to explain catabolic and why it is bad - I did look it up but it didnt make much sense.

[NiteHawk]

The catabolic Im referring to is the breaking down of muscle tissue. The body will break it down for energy or to supply other body parts amino acids it needs because of a lack of them. Not good for bodybuilding.