How long should you go HIIT?

[Ultrablack]

I usually do it for 15 minutes and I have to literally stagger off of the treadmill after I'm done. Is this too much? I've heard 8-10 minutes is fine, but that doesn't seem like a lot...

[doncarlin]

With HIIT the shorter durations are more effective at burning fat than long duration moderate cardio. At high intensities, the body is more inefficient and therefore more wasteful of energy, while lower intensities the body is much more efficient.

It sounds like you are being challenged, as long as you can complete it without any injuries, you are doing fine.

[scrummie2]

Comes down to fitness level and ability too -- I normally get 30 minutes of HIIT out at 2 minute intervals, HR gets up to my max so I know I'm working hard enough.

[in10city]

I usually do it for 15 minutes and I have to literally stagger off of the treadmill after I'm done. Is this too much? I've heard 8-10 minutes is fine, but that doesn't seem like a lot...

10-15 minutes of actually interval time is about average.

[Karma007]

H.I.I.T. training length depends on the subject. However the shortest duration that has shown progress is 5 high intervals of 60 seconds (80-90% max heart rate) paired with 5 low intervals of 90 seconds (down to 60% max heart rate if you can get it). = 1:1.5 ratio.

The high end is 15 high at 60 seconds with 15 low at 60 seconds. = 1:1 ratio. When you get past the 90% mark you should lower your intensity or speed, as prolonged duration can damage your heart.

So even the high end HIIT training only lasts a total of 40 minutes (5 warm-up, 15-high with 15 -low, 5 cooldown).

Because of the cardiac stress HIIT creates, the NIH only suggests doing HIIT 3 times per week.

[Ibballard]

the actual duration of HIIT doesn't really matter, as long as you are staggering like you say at the end of your workout. The whole point is to really push yourself as hard and fast as you can, and to exhaust yourself.

[RTW2]

the actual duration of HIIT doesn't really matter, as long as you are staggering like you say at the end of your workout. The whole point is to really push yourself as hard and fast as you can, and to exhaust yourself.

^^^
x2

[jcosley]

I usually do it for 15 minutes and I have to literally stagger off of the treadmill after I'm done. Is this too much? I've heard 8-10 minutes is fine, but that doesn't seem like a lot...

If you do it RIGHT it is alot.

[cbrickhouse]

i just started doing hiit so i'm doing 15 minutes. eventually i will keep upping it.

[rhizome]

the actual duration of HIIT doesn't really matter, as long as you are staggering like you say at the end of your workout. The whole point is to really push yourself as hard and fast as you can, and to exhaust yourself.

Actually it does matter. You cannot perform a session that isn't sufficient in duration and intensity and expect that you would get equivalent results with a steady state session. So you would be better off doing a steady state session or following the HIIT with steady state.

[precisou2004]

Personally I do 30 min. 5 min warm-up, 20 min HIIT (1 min high/2 min slower) until 25 min is done then another 5 min cool-down.

[Flair4TheGold]

If you're doing HIIT for 30 minutes, you're missing the point. The whole point of doing HIIT is to get in and out of the gym while getting the same benefits and more of someone doing 45 minutes of cardio.

If you're fully sprinting in your intervals, I don't get how you can last 30 minutes.

[rhizome]

If you're doing HIIT for 30 minutes, you're missing the point. The whole point of doing HIIT is to get in and out of the gym while getting the same benefits and more of someone doing 45 minutes of cardio.

If you're fully sprinting in your intervals, I don't get how you can last 30 minutes.

"The intervals only come out a TINY bit ahead if you compare workouts of identical length and even there the difference is absolutely insignificant."

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/blo...l-application/
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/blog

Lots of information that will shatter your current perceptions

[precisou2004]

If you're doing HIIT for 30 minutes, you're missing the point. The whole point of doing HIIT is to get in and out of the gym while getting the same benefits and more of someone doing 45 minutes of cardio.

If you're fully sprinting in your intervals, I don't get how you can last 30 minutes.

i do in reality 20 MIN HIIT ... if you read correctly..... with 5 min warm-up/5 min cool down !!! not a full 30min 1/2 ratio !!!!!!

[jcosley]

If you're doing HIIT for 30 minutes, you're missing the point. The whole point of doing HIIT is to get in and out of the gym while getting the same benefits and more of someone doing 45 minutes of cardio.

If you're fully sprinting in your intervals, I don't get how you can last 30 minutes.

I agree....you have to go all out 95-100% for 15-20 seconds (which is HARD) and then walk...45 seconds...then again. I did it for 10 mins the other day and i couldnt breath after.....and thats how you are suppose to feel.

[cbrickhouse]

i did it yesterday for ten minutes and i was bushed.

[precisou2004]

I agree....you have to go all out 95-100% for 15-20 seconds (which is HARD) and then walk...45 seconds...then again. I did it for 10 mins the other day and i couldnt breath after.....and thats how you are suppose to feel.

I actually do... in my HIGH intervals my HR can go as high as 165-170 bpm (my 100% max being 181 mph) and in my lower periods it goes do 130-135 bpm

Then again to each their own I can sustain this very well compared to some who do a shorter period of time and they huff and buff and go slower than I do. It has worked good for me so far. Doing this 2-3x a week and I dont do it to cut down on time cuz I got all the time in the world in my life :-)

Edit : I do this either on the stairmaster or the elyptical. On the Elyp. I have to be carefull of my knees as I set it to the max incline (20) and set it to an 8-10 for the strenght

[Il_Dago]

"The intervals only come out a TINY bit ahead if you compare workouts of identical length and even there the difference is absolutely insignificant."

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/blo...l-application/
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/blog

Lots of information that will shatter your current perceptions

What's with the attitude that it HAS to be one or the other? Both have their place and until a study comes out that proves one or the other as deadly or detrimental to overall health, both will continue to have their place.

[Flair4TheGold]

i do in reality 20 MIN HIIT ... if you read correctly..... with 5 min warm-up/5 min cool down !!! not a full 30min 1/2 ratio !!!!!!

My apologies. I was going to say...

[precisou2004]

My apologies. I was going to say...

4given then

[rxghost]

you can do 4 minutes of HIIT and it can still be just as effective...

20 sec on.. 10 sec off.. 8 rounds.

[doncarlin]

I will say this. Moderate intensity, long duration cardio did help me lose 80 pounds. But...once I hit the 160s, I could not lose anymore fat with long-duration cardio. After months of doing this, it finally got into my thick skull to switch to high intensity but short duration cardio.
This worked, I resumed fat loss again. I believe it has something to do with speed, most moving objects are less inefficient the faster they move (think Concorde vs the 787), this includes our bodies. Perhaps this was why I could lose fat with shorter duration cardio sessions, while I only maintained doing the same long-duration cardio that before allowed me to lose a significant amount of weight.

I contest anyone who says cardio is muscle wasting; My leg muscles have grown significantly from my experience with the cycle and stairmaster.

[iamsteven87]

i go for about 10 to 12 depending on the day. I usually do 6 to 8 sessions (or whatever you call them) 30 second sprint, and 1 minute walk. by the time im done, im like falling over. seems to be working well

[rocketdan9]

old thread but i wanted to add a tip for those who want to do an effective hiit session/sessions

If your doing it after weight lifting or after waking up on an empty stomach, 10-12 minutes of hiit is more than enough. If you workout 4 to 5 times a week, you can do 10-12 min hiit everytime after lifting weights. Its short enough to be effective and not long enough to make you over train/burn out. You can use any machines, but most effective imo are on the treadmill, stairs, airdyne or versa climber. I personally would avoid using the elliptical or bicycle to do it on. For example on a treadmill do 1 minute slow (walking), 1 minute sprint (8.0mph), 1 minute slow (walking) , 1 minute sprint (9.0 mph) ..... until you sprint to 11 mph for example

If your doing hiit on just pure cardio day, i recommend, warming up on a steady pace for 10 minutes, then for 10-15 min do hiit (same example as above) and finish off with 10 min steady/low intensity cardio.

The key's of doing hiit effectively is to progressively raise the intensity for the next minute sprint while the total session never going over 15 minutes. You do more than 15 min, then either you are not doing it right or eventually it will lead to burning out. When you burn out, your weight lifting suffers, your next hiit session suffers and cortisol likely to increase. Also sprinting for 30 than walking for 1 minute is Ok, but i've seen/witnessed better results doing 1 minute walking/followed by 1 minute sprinting. That 1 minute of sprinting will really pump up your heart , teach you to breathe and exhaust you enough to reap all the benefits a hiit workout can provide.