HIIT help

nbert · 07-09-2007, 05:50 AM

ok so i started to read about HIIT and decided to try it. I warmed up for 15 min like it said and then sprinted for 60 secs, walked for 60 secs and repeated this 5 times then walked for 15 min. but i dont feel like i did much. i felt like i couldve done more. my sprinting speed was 7.5 and my walking speed was 3.5. should i increase my walking speed or should i increase the time i do intervals?

i also read that some HIIT programs you warm up for 5 min and the alternate b/w sprinting and walking every 30 seconds for 6 mins.

which is better?!

Eva_Lynn · 07-09-2007, 08:45 AM

I don't think it's necessary to warm up and cool down for 15 minutes before and after HIIT, I think 5 minutes is sufficient plus stretching. Second, you said you did your 60-second sprint intervals 5 times, which is 10 minutes of actual HIIT training with a total of 30 minutes warm up and cool down. That seems a little bit out of balance!!

Read this article here about HIIT and try it this way instead:
http://www.teenbodybuilding.com/justin6.htm

Also, I would try shorter intervals of 20 to 30 seconds and increase you "resting" speed to 4.0mph or 4.5mph if 3.5mph is still not challenging enough with the shorter intervals. Remember, if you're doing HIIT correctly, you shold be pretty exhausted after 20 minutes.

Good luck!

Sunshineslynn · 07-09-2007, 09:05 AM

I actually warmup between 3-5 mins (depends on how long I will be going) then ramp up the sprints to 8.5-9.5 for 30 seconds reduce down to 6.5-7 for 30 secs then reduce down again to 4.0 for 30secs repeating this process till I am 3mins away from 15mins. Then after wards I stretch and cool down for about 5mins. Hiit is intended to kick your butt to hell and back. Your counting the seconds until you stop in other words. I know I sit there and say in my head only 15more secs, 10 more secs......I have been doing this for almost 3 yrs now and everytime it helps me get lean with out dropping my muscle, scale usually moves very slow but my bodyfat melts off.

Here are some great articles on the subject.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wotw40.htm

artsong27 · 07-09-2007, 09:15 AM

It sounds like you're sprinting on a treadmill....maybe you could try going outdoors, or to your local track. I do my HIIT training there, and I feel much more in control of my sprints. I sprint the straights and walk the curves, which totals to 4 times around the track. It takes me about 25 minutes to complete it. The sprint is long enough to be beneficial, but long enough to kick my butt as well!

nbert · 07-09-2007, 09:39 AM

yeah i did HIIT again this morning with increasing my speed to 4.0 and still running at 7.5 and it was better, but i still didnt feel that challenged. I think im going to try the 20 or 30 second intervals and see how that goes (eva lynns suggestion) and then if that still doesnt do it ill try Sunshinelynns suggestion. i have to be on a tredmill though cause i can actually reach my full potential...if im on a track i just sort of goof off. thats just my preference though.

thanks ladies i appreciate it and give you an update over the next couple of days after i read the articles and try it myself!

imperfectly_lou · 07-09-2007, 01:23 PM

60secs is too long. The idea with HIIT is to do a flat out sprint, and you should not be able to sustain it for longer than 20-30secs.

I haven't done much HIIT lately but I usually do sprints at 16.2km/h (10mph) and recover at 11.2km/h (7mph) - but its taken me a few years to develop that fitness and endurance.

Angela R · 07-09-2007, 01:31 PM

Hi. I absolutely love HIIT. It is the perfect non-time consuming cardio and effective. I really don't think you can classify what you are doing as HIIT though. As other's have already stated it is supposed to be a gut buster. Like Lynne already said you have to mentally talk yourself through it. One more minute, two more sprints....keep going.

Here is an example of what I do for HIIT. But as you are already seeing there is a great variation to it.

I do my HIIT on a treadmill, I feel I can control it better than sprinting on a track and I really don't have access to a track. I warm up for 2 minutes at a walking pace. Then I sprint for 24 secs. when I started I only did 12 secs. I don't count my 24 secs until the treadmill gets to the pace I put in, which is 10, unless I am training at the Pentagon the treadmills there go up to 15 so I put in 10.5. Then I bring it down to 3.5 for 30 secs and I count the 30 secs as soon as I type that in, not when the treadmill winds down to 3.5

I also tap the opposite sides of the treadmill top with my hands, during my sprints, really incorporating my obliques. This really adds in that extra exertion that I like. I do this for 12 minutes and then walk for a cool down for 2 minutes. So it totals 16 minute.

If you are saying HIIT "didn't feel like much" then you aren't doing it right. Sprint faster, add in the oblique touches, add an incline. At the end you should be coaxing your stomach out of your throat.

Good luck.

nbert · 07-09-2007, 01:59 PM

yeah one of the articles i read on bodybuilding.com gave me the structure that i used and it even when i was reading it i thought i probably could be able to do more and then i tried it and was ready for some more...which is not how people have been describing it.

im excited but scared to try the 20 sec intervals! thatll have to wait untill tomorrow though.

BuffedWildCat · 07-09-2007, 02:11 PM

I just did HIIT on my nordic track yesterday and I did four 2 min high intensity intervals with 1 min rests between and it friggin kicked my ass!! It's just as the others have described, mentally coaxing yourself to keep going. Now granted I'm doing the high intensity much longer but I'm doing it that way to try and stay in shape for my sport, inline speed skating. Anyway, just thought I'd throw that in there. My speed on my nordic track on the 2 min high intensity intervals averaged about 8.0 and of course I have some resistance on my arms and legs and I've got my nordic track on the highest incline setting. I started out at about 5.2 average speed for a minute then went into my 2 min high intensity intervals then did a 3 min cool down at the end to total 15 min. I'm planning on doing this twice a week in addition to 3 other days of longer, more endurance type cardio. I had this same physique when I was speed skating (practicing twice a week for two hours, mainly anaerobic drills) and didn't have to be NEARLY as strict with my diet to hold 18% body fat. I could eat more calories and less cleanly! Anaerobic activity is the BOMB!!!