My new trainer says no HIIT?

[K-T]

I started working with a new trainer today, and he wants me to stop doing HIIT. Right now I do it 22 minutes 3-4 times a week (for the past few weeks).
He wants me to do 30 minutes at a steady pace keeping my HR around 150 (he says to keep it in the fat burning zone). From what I understand, doesn't HIIT burn a lot more fat than 30 minutes at a steady pace? He also wants me to be doing this 30 minutes of cardio six days a week! After leg days I can barely walk, let alone do cardio. Plus, I'm on my feet most of the day working and I rollerblade a few days a week as well.

I'm 20 yrs old, 113lbs, 15% bf, trying to lower that to 12-13%
What should I think of what this trainer said??

[Bioteknik]

should should do both.. don't do HIIT as much as you do, throw in some steady state on recovery days.

[killatiger]

HIIT does burn more calories during the same amount of time but if you are not careful you can burn more muscle. That is why it is tricky when you want to get your bf low. HIIT also burns more calories after you workout. I think his idea was to preserve as much muscle as you can and burning fat without the expense of muscle or maybe I'm just smarter than he is.

[K-T]

Well he said I could do HIIT once a week if I really want to, but 6 days of cardio seems like a bit much to me, especially since I do not have a lot of fat to lose.

[killatiger]

6 days of steady state cardio is nothing. It seems like a lot because you have doing HIIT. I would take in consideration of what he says but I personally would not drop HIIT completely. Just not the day of legs or the day before legs. So I would do it 1-2 times a week (HIIT) and steady state the rest, IMO but truth be told your bf goal is going to be decided probably by diet not cardio.

[in10city]

I started working with a new trainer today, and he wants me to stop doing HIIT. Right now I do it 22 minutes 3-4 times a week (for the past few weeks).
He wants me to do 30 minutes at a steady pace keeping my HR around 150 (he says to keep it in the fat burning zone). From what I understand, doesn't HIIT burn a lot more fat than 30 minutes at a steady pace? He also wants me to be doing this 30 minutes of cardio six days a week! After leg days I can barely walk, let alone do cardio. Plus, I'm on my feet most of the day working and I rollerblade a few days a week as well.

I'm 20 yrs old, 113lbs, 15% bf, trying to lower that to 12-13%
What should I think of what this trainer said??

If you're truly doing HIIT 3-4 times per week on top of weight training is probably not the most productive way to go about things. A mix of HIIT and SS would be a more productive way to go about it - if you want to use HIIT as well.

One of my favorite Alan Aragon quotes: "Worrying about how much fat is burned while doing cardio makes about as much sense as worrying about how much muscle is built during weight training."

LISS may burn more fat (and a higher percentage of fat of the energy expended) during exercise but that's not to say that overall energy expediture favors LISS.

And HIIT/anaerobic exercise isn't about burning fat during the session. It's about the cumulative effect of elevated EPOC, metabolic rate, and GH following the session. This translates into a greater 24 hour energy expediture and substrate usage. You can also get the benefits of an increase in enzymes involved in fat utilization and maybe even some muscle growth. Glycogen depletion itself enhances full body fat oxidation too.

SS does create some EPOC. But if the HIIT doesn't surpass a threshold intensity (% VO2 max) and duration, the actual EPOC effect is negligible. It may not be as big as everyone has thought either.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/blo...-a-conclusion/

As I mentioned HIIT does have other adaptive and physiologic benefits that may give it an advantage, but the differences are not profound for the most part. And HIIT really cannot be performed everyday, so binary comparisons are difficult.

[K-T]

truth be told your bf goal is going to be decided probably by diet not cardio.

That's why I'm not sure if 6 days of cardio is really necessary. I guess 30 minutes really isn't that long or difficult, it's just boring. I used to do ALOT of cardio and didn't notice any progress with it, until I started doing HIIT.

[ironman1964bc]

I used to jog and bike alot and always lost strength and muscle fast, along with the weight.

Now I do 100-120yd sprints on grass and I also do some sprints on a soap box derby hill. I do these 6 days a week in the summer and I do no steady state aerobics whatsoever. I lose no strength doing this kind of training in my upper body but one drawback is I cannot do any leg workouts during the months I am sprinting, although my legs end up looking alot more ripped from sprinting.

My take is your body will change for the better faster doing sprints than jogging, even though the weight loss may not be that different. Also, I hate any inside hiit or aerobic training. That goes for treadmills, elipticals, etc. Its summertime, get outside and do some soccer field sprints and enjoy the sun. They are intense but they do the job.

[mojo18]

He also wants me to be doing this 30 minutes of cardio six days a week! After leg days I can barely walk, let alone do cardio. Plus, I'm on my feet most of the day working and I rollerblade a few days a week as well.

I can't do any cardio on leg days or the day after or I start overtraining them and losing muscle.

[K-T]

If you're truly doing HIIT 3-4 times per week on top of weight training is probably not the most productive way to go about things. A mix of HIIT and SS would be a more productive way to go about it - if you want to use HIIT as well.

One of my favorite Alan Aragon quotes: "Worrying about how much fat is burned while doing cardio makes about as much sense as worrying about how much muscle is built during weight training."

LISS may burn more fat (and a higher percentage of fat of the energy expended) during exercise but that's not to say that overall energy expediture favors LISS.

And HIIT/anaerobic exercise isn't about burning fat during the session. It's about the cumulative effect of elevated EPOC, metabolic rate, and GH following the session. This translates into a greater 24 hour energy expediture and substrate usage. You can also get the benefits of an increase in enzymes involved in fat utilization and maybe even some muscle growth. Glycogen depletion itself enhances full body fat oxidation too.

SS does create some EPOC. But if the HIIT doesn't surpass a threshold intensity (% VO2 max) and duration, the actual EPOC effect is negligible. It may not be as big as everyone has thought either.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/blo...-a-conclusion/

As I mentioned HIIT does have other adaptive and physiologic benefits that may give it an advantage, but the differences are not profound for the most part. And HIIT really cannot be performed everyday, so binary comparisons are difficult.

Thanks so much, great information!

[K-T]

Its summertime, get outside and do some soccer field sprints and enjoy the sun. They are intense but they do the job.

Haha don't worry, I'm outside all the time. Running or rollerblading, wakeboarding, etc...

[Drekkor]

Haha don't worry, I'm outside all the time. Running or rollerblading, wakeboarding, etc...

It's all about the diet. You look good though, not sure what your goal is but I'd dial in a diet / program you can maintain and call it a day

[Thuirwyne]

Here are the final results from Trembblay, Simoneau, and Bouchard.
SS GROUP IT GROUP
Energy Expended (MJ) 120.4 / 31.0 57.9 / 14.4
Fat Loss (mm) 4.5 13.9



Just like any exercise protocol, different strokes for different folks. I've dropped about 3% bf along with 5lbs of fat (strength/muscle circumference have increased) in the past 6 weeks with SS Mon/Fri mornings, HIIT(Max OT 30:30 for 16min)post-workout Tues/Thur. I keep a clean diet year round, but normal foods, just cleaned-up a bit.

What are your weight training routines like?

[Mike263]

You're welcome

[Mike263]

Thanks so much, great information!

You're welcome !

[K-T]

What are your weight training routines like?

I'm doing a 6 day split, each body part once a week. 3 exercises for each body part on average, 3 or 4 sets of 12-15 reps.

[Mike263]

HIIT is greatly overrated for calorie burn.

[devo09]

HIIT is greatly overrated for calorie burn.

maybe for the duration of the workout but it has far more benefits than steady state cardio. HIIT increases the mitochondria inside the muscle cell resulting in more calories burned throughout the day(which is far more important) so if your doing sprints and increasing the mitochondria in the cells your legs you can actually "spot reduce" to an extent

[j. ViLLA]

I started working with a new trainer today, and he wants me to stop doing HIIT. Right now I do it 22 minutes 3-4 times a week (for the past few weeks).
He wants me to do 30 minutes at a steady pace keeping my HR around 150 (he says to keep it in the fat burning zone). From what I understand, doesn't HIIT burn a lot more fat than 30 minutes at a steady pace? He also wants me to be doing this 30 minutes of cardio six days a week! After leg days I can barely walk, let alone do cardio. Plus, I'm on my feet most of the day working and I rollerblade a few days a week as well.

I'm 20 yrs old, 113lbs, 15% bf, trying to lower that to 12-13%
What should I think of what this trainer said??

I been doing HIIT cardio in the morning for ONLY 15 minutes with 2 min warm up and 2 min cool down for 5 days a week. I did it for 4 weeks and tracked my results. You can see my progress on my body space and see the difference in the pix. I say stick with it, it worked out for me big time and i'm gonna continue doing it as part of my exercise. I think i got good results in 4 weeks.

[mikeman20]

dont get rid of the HIIT
the problem with cardio is your body adapts to it, especially quickly since you would need to do so much of it to get results. this would make it harder and harder to burn calories while doing it.

now im not saying "no cardio!".. just dont get rid of HIIT

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/aerobic_fallacy.htm

[vegasdsm]

your trainer is a moron... imho... only read your inital post... none of the other responses...

120-140bpm is where you burn fat...anything more you are working on your cardio endurance, imo....

trainer's can get their cert's via crackerjack boxes these days (quote that ****)...

[jacpot]

what does hiit stand for?

[devo09]

high intensity interval training

[imasavage]

I used to do ALOT of cardio and didn't notice any progress with it, until I started doing HIIT.

/thread

So many bad trainers hoping a certain something will work with everyone.

[Wherestherackat]

Just say no to personal trainers.

[Bioteknik]

maybe for the duration of the workout but it has far more benefits than steady state cardio. HIIT increases the mitochondria inside the muscle cell resulting in more calories burned throughout the day(which is far more important) so if your doing sprints and increasing the mitochondria in the cells your legs you can actually "spot reduce" to an extent

sprint work does NOT increase your mitochondria, and in fact working in the anaerobic threshold too much can decrease your aerobic threshold by damaging the mitochondria. mitochondria only work in aerobic conditions, and training in anaerobic conditions too much can decrease your VO2 max. Running wind sprints does not increase your 2 mile time unless you've got a horrible 2 mile time.

[v4lu3s]

sounds like you should stop using this trainer...is this the second or third thread you have been second guessing the trainer?

I have seen plenty of trainers that have their way of doing things, and if the trainee FOLLOWS them it works....but way too often the trainee thinks they are smarter than the trainer, so they do all kinds of other things as well and do NOT follow the direction of their trainer. Then they blame the trainer for their failures.

I watched something similar happen with a friend through the gym, she was prepping for a bodybuilding contest, and hired a trainer/nutritionist....the problem is she also asked 4 or 5 other people who train or compete, and each has their own methods, and they all told her something different. She decided to apply the stuff she liked from each different person.

She ended up walking on stage with double digit bodyfat, and was very smooth, especially in the lower body. My wife followed the same trainer's guidance and ended up walking on stage for figure at around 9% bodyfat and instead of placing last, placed middle of the pack. Not bad for a first show.


My advice is stop second guessing the trainer. If you trust them enough to pay them for their time you should follow their directions, and give them a chance to see if it works for you. If their methods do not you will either leave them or they will change things to better match what works for you.

[in10city]

maybe for the duration of the workout but it has far more benefits than steady state cardio. HIIT increases the mitochondria inside the muscle cell resulting in more calories burned throughout the day(which is far more important) so if your doing sprints and increasing the mitochondria in the cells your legs you can actually "spot reduce" to an extent

It can increase mitochondrial enzyme activity, but not so much mitochondrial density to a significant degree (dependant upon intensity of course).

[Flair4TheGold]

Don't listen to your trainer. He is one of those types who can't do HIIT because it "hurts" so he is trying to bring you down.

[Thuirwyne]

I'm doing a 6 day split, each body part once a week. 3 exercises for each body part on average, 3 or 4 sets of 12-15 reps.

That looks good; do you do any dropsets, and is your last rep of the 12-15 nearly impossible to complete?