Quote:

Originally Posted by Wrangell That said, you can also use skipping rope, a stair-climber, an elliptical trainer, a rower, a treadmill etc. for HIIT sessions

Good afternoon.

I am certainly not an expert on this topic, but I personally prefer the elliptical trainer, as it seems to work more muscle groups. My typical HIIT workout goes like this:

(note: Warm up/Cool down at Level 2, all other at Level 10)
0:00-2:00 Warm up
2:00-4:00 Steady Pace
4:00-5:00 Intense Pace
5:00-7:00 Steady Pace
7:00-8:00 Intense Pace
8:00-10:00 Steady Pace
10:00-11:00 Intense Pace
11:00-13:00 Steady Pace
13:00-14:00 Intense Pace
14:00-16:00 Steady Pace
16:00-17:00 Intense Pace
17:00-19:00 Steady Pace
19:00-20:00 Intense Pace
20:00-22:00 Steady Pace
22:00-23:00 Intense Pace
23:00-25:00 Steady Pace
25:00-26:00 Intense Pace
26:00-28:00 Cool Down

I was always under the impression that protein would not be used for fuel until your near physical exhaustion - fat is the first fuel aerobically?

what is a good workout for the elliptical i have ten levels on mine

never mind i read the one above thanks

Hi there, when I’m doing HIIT sessions with my clients I make sure that the workout runs according to their HR, meaning that the workouts are based on 80% - 90% of their MHR, with a few exceptions of course. The thing is, when you are talking about HIIT you don't necessarily talk about sprinting. High tempo cardio exercises that last for 1 minute are way far off sprinting.

HIIT training + weight training + nutrition is a hard combination and you need to be very careful not to overdo it. I always work with HR monitors, and I always tell my clients to listen to their bodies. You need to learn what your limits are and keep your "denial file" in check. Make sure you know how many calories you need per day, and how many calories you burn during your workouts. Go for a deficit of 500 calories a day, even if it means that you have to consume 4000 calories. Don't be afraid of food; learn how to use it for your advantage.

Don't go for more than 3x HIIT a week, unless you are a 5k runner. Include 2 days of slow tempo continuous running, if you're trying to cut. Overtraining will set you back big time, so be careful, and stay strong.

I find it funny that even though I've changed my diet and committed myself to a consistent HIIT/Weight Training routine, I've not dropped a single ounce of mass. Not one. In fact I've gained a bit of weight. I've appeared to lose no fat what-so-ever. None. I can't see a difference at all, and it's been two months.

For instance, my typical workout routine is: Squat 4sets/6reps, Bench Press 4/6, Lat Pull-Downs 4/8, Seated Row 4/8, Dips 4/8-10, Lateral Leg Raises 4/12, Leg Press 4/8.

After that it's on the stationary bike that has resistance from 1-20. I start at a resistance of 10 for 5 minutes. Then it's 30/30 with the intense intervals being at a resistance of 15 and the cool-down intervals being at a resistance of 8. During cool-down I'm at about ~80-83% of my MHR and during the intense intervals I'm anywhere from ~90-98% there. I do that until it's nearly vomit time (usually about 6-8 "sets") then it's 5 minutes of finishing up at a resistance of 10 again.

Despite that I have a BMI that would make sumo's blush. For my diet I have a slice of Turkey Bologna with some mustard on a single slice of whole wheat bread, or a knife-full of peanut butter on a single slice of whole wheat bread for a "real" meal. Dinner usually consists of two plain chicken breast tenders wrapped up in a tortilla. Maybe a little bit of paprika on that last one.

It's ridiculous and it makes no sense. Going from a solitary lifestyle with maybe the occasional jog and essentially a not-so-good diet to this with no results is kind of embarrassing. Actually, it's downright ignominious.

That and both of my flatmates don't work out, don't run, eat worse than I do, and yet their BMI's are well within acceptable standards. Yet someone will always say "but everyone is built differently". Yeah, and that's why diet matters? What? Something is missing here... ah! Logic!

One would think that despite what we put inside our stomachs, our bodies would utilise whatever we gave them. True, different foods give you a better bang for your buck, but regardless our bodies will metabolise it anyway. The harder we work the faster it will be metabolised and more will be metabolised... or so I would like to think.

But apparently I'm wrong. And so is everyone else that buys into diet is also full of it. I have visible proof daily to remind me that I am not succeeding and that diet doesn't mean squat. I don't eat pizza, steak, burgers, or fried foods. Haven't had ice cream for years. Don't eat chocolate or refined sugars. I don't eat candy or candy bars.

I drink water or Gatorade. Maybe some coffee every now and then because I have a sixty hour work week. But that's about it.

Sorry for the rant, but I'm just confused and frustrated. I've put time, money, and effort into something no one else I know has and yet I am at a stand-still. I thought hard work meant success. Apparently we have to be Aryan first. Damn my genetics.

OK. I might be "Aryan", but genetics isn't enough for me! I still have to work hard to keep my bod. And we all get frustrated. That's human nature.

At the end of the day, losing fat quickly is not the optimal way. Slow and steady will win this race. Be patient with yourself.

I am not entirely convinced that it's a good idea to do two anaerobic workouts in the same day. I'd either do HIIT or heavy weights. Try doing 10-15 minutes of steady state aerobics as a warm-up for your heavy weight days, and on your "rest" days, just do HIIT. Just my $0.02.

You already know that success is 99% hard work and that getting into shape is no different. It does take some time to cross the threshold where you really start to notice your body changing. As for the weight gain, muscle is far more dense than fat, so I really wouldn't worry about that right now. The mirror will tell the story. It appears you don't like that story, but if you have a 60 hour week, you're probably stressed out to the max, therefore, your cortisol production will be sky-high. Cortisol promotes fat accumulation around your core, and it's almost impossible to get rid of that fat until you remove the stress. You might want to try meditation, yoga or martial arts.

Judging by your brief write-up of what you're eating, it doesn't sound like you're eating enough. If you keep your body fueled, it won't go into starvation mode and slow down your metabolic rate. Therefore, you might want to try eating 4-6 smaller meals a day to keep your metabolic fire stoked. And have a piece of chocolate or cake every now and then. It's OK to cheat. Your psyche will feel much better (and it won't kill you, although your blood glucose might go wonky).

I'm not sure what is wrong with steak. I eat steak at least 4 times a week. Any red meat is a great protein source. I like chicken and fish as well, but if I've had a heavy workout, I'm reaching for the red meat. Rare. Much easier to digest

Lastly, please don't compare yourself to anybody else. That's futile and will only serve to frustrate you and set you back. Remember, this is all about YOU. It's about making YOU the best YOU can be. Keep focussed on YOUR goals.

Thanks...I knew I was doing something right. I vary my cardio from HIIT (treadmill) about 2x/week, and regular cardio (either treadmill, stairstepper, etc.). The weight has come off so far along with regular weight training.

Hi All, I just started HIT, and I'm not sure what is the max calorie intake while doing HIT. My main goal is fat burn although I do strength trainining as well. According to most BMR calculators i burn somewhere around 2,000 + calories. That seems extremely high for basically doing nothing. Does that sound right??? How many calories should I take in daily in order to see significant weight loss. I'm 40, 5'4" 139lbs, my weight goal is 125 lbs.

Thanks,
Trainingforfit

Hello this is my first post!

I've started an HIIT program on an exercise cycle to lose flab and was wondering if this is a good one or am I doing anything wrong here.

5 mins warm up and then repeating the following :

30 secs intense (max rpm I can manage) / 30 secs low intensity interval repeating for 25 minutes. By the end of it I was sweating more than I ever have done with my normal 45 minute cycle workout!

My questions are - a) am I allowing enough of a low intensity period and should I extend that and b) some people say you need to do 20 minutes of cycling beforehand to get the fat burning going and some say with HIIT fat burning starts immediately because you are shocking the body into it??

Also I intend to do HIIT six days a week - is that way too much and should I break it up with lighter CV workouts

Many thanks in advance