Good morning!
Wow did I have a horrible sleep last night! My body did not want to go to sleep an extra hour early and I tossed and turned all night. My alarm was set for 6, but I didn’t get out of bed until 7:30…so I feel like I am running behind yet again today! The good news is today is a rest day for exercise, so I sort of have an ‘extra’ hour in my day today. ;)
I finally got around to trying out HIIT yesterday after many of you raved about it and told me I should try it out.
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
[Note: Picture is from last summer]
What is HIIT?
- It is exercise that involves intense bursts of exercise (e.g., sprinting) followed by moderate intensity exercise (e.g., jogging) repeated in an interval format.
How To Do HIIT:
- “A HIIT session consists of a warm up period of exercise, followed by six to ten repetitions of high intensity exercise, separated by medium intensity exercise, and ending with a period of cool down exercise. The high intensity exercise should be done at near maximum intensity. The medium exercise should be about 50% intensity. The number of repetitions and length of each depends on the exercise. The goal is to do at least six cycles and go for about 15-20 minutes.” [Source]
Potential Benefits of HIIT:
- A great way to maximize a workout that is limited on time!
- Increase Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) for the following 24 hours post-exercise
- Might improve VO2 max (maximal oxygen consumption) more effectively as compared to traditional long aerobic workouts. [Source 1 & 2]
A few different types of HIIT:
For all of you HIIT pros, feel free to add your own info in the comments. I just did a quick read up on it and have a lot more to learn about it!
Yesterday I decided to try the 60-second HIIT advanced level workout. I typically train at an intense level during my normal workouts, so I thought I would be able to handle the 60-60 second split.
My HIIT Workout:
For my intense 60 second interval, I chose 8 mph, even though I probably could have done 9 mph. I decided to play it safe and see how it went. I can always build up over time.
Warm-up: 10 minute walking at incline 2%
HIIT:
- 6 mph (10 min/mile) for 60 seconds, at incline 2%
- 8 mph (7:30 min/mile) for 60 seconds, at incline 2%
- Repeat, repeat, etc.
- Number of sets: 14
- Total time of HIIT: 28 mins.
Cool down: 5 mins. walking
My thoughts:
- This HIIT workout made my tempo runs look like a walk in the park!!! It was crazy intense and I loved it.
- I love that you can tailor HIIT for your own needs. I think it could be applied to a variety of exercises like cycling, swimming, or gym equipment like the Stairmaster.
- I stopped for two quick water breaks around 8 minutes and 20 minutes. You will need water in a crazy way during this workout.
- I zoned out and forgot about everything else.
- I sweat a TON, much more in 28 minutes than I do for some runs that are an hour or more! Make sure to drink lots of water and have a post-workout snack within about 30-60 minutes of the HIIT.
Overall verdict:
I can’t believe I haven’t been doing this!!! I have done intervals before, but nothing as effective as this. I was blown away by how tough this was and by how amazing I felt afterwards. Total runner’s high. I will definitely be experimenting with HIIT on a weekly basis.
Thank you to those of you who suggested I try HIIT out! I will be forever grateful. :mrgreen:
Do you ever include intervals in your training? Have you ever tried HIIT, if so, what did you think?
Updates:
- Need motivation to drink more water? Check out Project Hydrate.
- March 15th-20th is Health Tip Week on OSG! Stay tuned all week for the most valuable tips, tricks, and lessons that I have learned along my road to health! :)
Stay tuned…
The best way to predict the future is to invent it. ~Alan Kay
Angela,
I am pleased to see that you have discovered the joys of HIIT. In Turbulence Training (second time I mentioned that) HIIT is used for the endurance portion. Craig Ballantyne wrote about the rest period in his blog post today; http://turbulencetraining.blogspot.com/2010/03/big-interval-training-mistake.html
Your HIIT was intense and long. One thing I love about HIIT is that you can use many methods to do it – running, biking, rowing, bodyweight or kettlebell reps etc. I am currently doing intervals that involve a few hundred bodyweight reps broken up into sets – hard, intense and quick to do.
I am enjoying reading your blog.
Just joined the Project Hydrate challenge – such a good idea!
Love HIIT! I usually do my own versions of it (like sprinting through the chorus of songs). I already did a fair amount of interval training, but after I got my heart rate monitor and saw the difference intervals make in a workout, I became a die-hard fan!
Great post! I had to look up HIIT a while ago when it kept popping up, but I haven’t tried it on my elliptical yet. I’m all about sweating and a shorter workout. Great explanation and links!
I love HIIT workouts! I haven’t doone many lately, just because my half marathon training plan doesn’t call for them, and there’s little room to get in “optional” cardio training.
I usually do 30 seconds on 60 off or 20 seconds on, 40 off.
I love intervals and do them on the treadmill and elliptical.
I love doing high intensity intervals when I am stuck on the treadmill. It makes the time fly and I sweat like a crazy beast.
I was first introduced to HIIT when I was short on time but wanted an effective cardio workout. I read an article on SparkPeople about it and it offered a chart. I modified it to use on my recumbent bike. I now do HIIT once or twice a week. I will no longer sit on the bike for 45 minutes to an hour. When I workout I want it to be intense and effective.
Hi Angela! Nice workout and I’m glad you shared it with us. The first time I did a workout like that was recently and I posted about it here: http://finnyfinds.wordpress.com/2010/03/04/never-shall-i-belittle-the-treadmill-again/ (sorry to be a troll and leave my blog address in the comment – it’s just easier than recapping the whole thing). It gave me a lot of respect for treadmill workouts and a welcome break from the gray Rochester weather.
We did a lot of HIIT/Interval Training/Circuit Training when I was in the military. I follow another exercise blog that you may (or may not) love (www.bodyrock.tv). The blogger does a lot of variations on HIIT and Tabata. I think it will give you more ideas for the way those two types of intense training can be incorporated into daily workouts. This is my first time commenting on yours or any blog! I love your blog and have been following it for almost a year now. You have such a “glow” about you and I appreciate all your great life/food recipes! Thanks for sharing pieces of your life!
I love interval training – it really worked wonders for bringing my running times down. If you want to do intervals to help with longer running races (eg 10k) then 800m intervals are great. Run the 800m at your goal race pace for 5k (for arguments sake, 4min would be a 5min/km pace) then rest for half the amount of time you run the 800m in (eg2mins) then go again. Repeat 5 times (so 5x800m). The idea is to try to run the exact same pace for each 800m so that you’re training your body to run at that pace when you’re tired.
Other fantastic intense workouts are hill workouts – find yourself a decent hill that’s maybe 50m long and run up and down. There are a couple of ways you can do it – push yourself on the up and take it easy on the down, or push yourself for both and repeat 5x then rest for a minute then repeat the exercise again. This training is great if you livein a hilly area or you’re running in a hilly race.
Woah, long comment. All the best with your interval training – I swear, it becomes addictive after awhile!
I love HIIT workouts! It’s been too long since I’ve done one, though! Thanks for the reminder!
I love how sweaty I can get in just 30 minutes! :D
I love HIIT workouts, too! I get bored on a treadmill otherwise, and I love the challenge!
You’re like the millionth person (including myself) who slept horribly last night! Yuck!
Totally awesome workout!!
How many miles was it in total?
I LOVE HIIT workouts! They’re short, but brutal!
xo
K
oooh HIIT is HARD – but oh so good!!!!
oooooh i can’t wait for this health tip week!!! :)
i did some HIIT last summer without really knowing it apparently, haha. i would go to the track at the middle school by my house…. walk there (a little less than half a mile), jog the first lap, or sometimes i would jog about a mile to get there, then on my laps around the lap i would sprint (haha, well i call it sprinting, but i actually run pretty slow!) the straights and then jog the corners…. usually i would do about 3 laps this way and then take a slow lap, and aim for 3-4 sprint sessions usually equalling out to about a half hour. good to know i was doing something good!! haha… i think this week or next week i’m going to try to do it again, it was challenging but fun too! :)
I’ve just been waiting for the local track to be free of snow to start doing this. I did my first hill run last week. So soon my HM training will be 1 speed run(HIIT), one hill run and my long run. all the things necessary to go faster:-)
In the spin classes I teach I always throw at least 2 interval tracks in – love them!
You can also use HIT training in your other workouts and even with resistance training, alternating some sprints, cardio, or plyometrics. It burns a lot more calories because you are working at a higher exertion rate. I love HIT training it is such a calorie burner and keeps the body guessing.
looove HIIT training! I’m an AFAA certified group fitness and Zumba instructor and I teach a strength conditioning class specifically designed around the HIIT concept! I split up the body into major muscle groups–biceps, triceps, chest, back, glutes, legs, abs. I do 3 exercises for each body part with free weights or body weight, followed by a 1 minute cardio interval (jumping jacks, burpees, football feet, etc.), and then move on to the next body part. It’s one of the most effective ways to burn fat and build muscle at the same time, and increases your calorie burn tremendously, even after you’ve stopped working out, and my clients love the fast pace (they say it takes their mind off of the difficulty). So glad you mentioned this! Thanks Angela!