H.i.i.t.

[Meat Shake]

Okie dokie guys...
Meat shake has decided to start the HIIT program off of trainforstrength.com.
This is my "warm up" week, to get me back into the groove of a hardcore cardio, and next week I start the program.
(week 1 = 90 seconds, 30 rest x4)
(week 12 = 20 seconds, 10 rest x10)

I was wondering... I plan on doing the program 3 days a week. I want to pull my sled for 1 day, push my jeep for 1 day, and bagwork for 1 day. I dont see any conflict, as long as I maintain the same exertion/time/rest ratios. Should I do only pull for now, then push later, then bag after that? Or are my current plans ok?
Has anyone else tried this HIIT program? How was it? And pointers?
Thanks in advance.
-Meat Shake

[Ford Prefect]

Hey Meatshake,

It really depends on your current level of fitness in anearobic endurance/recovery. I've done multiple cycles of HIIT training and other similar energy system work, and now I have to really increase the resistance in order to build a sweat and exert myself. Because of this I don't think I could do the pulling or pushing while doing HIIT 3x/week. If you could do HIIT with relatively light-medium resistance, then I'd say you're safe.

[Meat Shake]

ford, I still dont understand what you mean. You mean ill build up too fast? Or the work will be too hard? I was toying with the sled last night, 90/30x4 will be a *******, but I know I can handle it.
Pushing my jeep will be about the same amount of exertion.
My main reason for doing the hiit bagwork is to get a killer roundhouse that comes out of nowhere.

What did you do for your hiit program?

[Ford Prefect]

From your post, it sounds like you are taku's intervals.

http://www.trainforstrength.com/Endurance1.shtml

I've done a few full cycles of this as well as more than a few partial cycles. I use an elliptical with the arm attachments or a rowing ergometer. I did a partial cycle with a versa-climber (which I wish I still had access to) but switched gyms in the middle.

I think I misread your post the first time. So you are doing 1 hit session/week in dragging, 1x/week pushing, 1x/week bagwork? If so that seems reasonable, but it'd be hard to find enough room for the car pushing and what will you do for active recovery for the bagwork?

[Meat Shake]

"but it'd be hard to find enough room for the car pushing"
There is a gigantic parking lot very close to my house.

"and what will you do for active recovery for the bagwork?"
I have no idea. Thats exactly why I posted this here before I started.
What would you suggest? Basically, the only equipment I dont have is a cardio bike, a bench set... Yeah. Thats about it.


Thats exactly the one Im doing.

[Ford Prefect]

Jumping jacks perhaps.

[Meat Shake]

And I do these on days after I do hiit, or the same day I do hiit?
I do not really know anything about active recovery.

[Ford Prefect]

Active recovery means that in between your "sprint" intervals, you just don't sit around doing nothing. You keep moving and "actively recover".

For example, when you're sled pulling, you'd sprint for 20 seconds, walk for 10 seconds, sprint for 20 second, walk for 10 seconds, etc etc.

What I'm saying is in between you "sprint" intervals on the heavy bag, you do jumping jacks during the recovery phase.

[Meat Shake]

Ahh... Sweet. Thanks.

[Toby]

Originally posted by Meat Shake
Has anyone else tried this HIIT program? How was it? And pointers?

Hi Meat Shake. Yeppers, I've been doing Taku's intervals for about 6 months now. I do sprints in the park because I wanted to speed up my footwork and because I've always sucked at sprinting. Now? I love it. I've only skipped one session and that was because I was sick. I walk to the park and do one lap jogging for a warmup, then walk another lap to cooldown before starting. Afterwards, I walk home. Takes about 5-6 min to get to the park. If you think the 90/90 section is hard, it's nothing compared to 20/10. That 10s rest is gone sooo quickly. Obviously you can't do the 20s pace for 90s, though, so that's why the 90/90 is easier.

My biggest tip? Get a heart rate monitor, or failing that, a countdown stopwatch with an audible alarm. If you're maximally exerting, you don't want to be checking a timer every few seconds. Originally I wanted to do Thibaudeau's IBUR, but that required the most expensive HRM, the Polar S810i. Instead I got the S610i and chose Taku's intervals. Audible alarm, 5 programs to set and HR so you know if you're cheating yourself. I calc'd my resting HR, my max HR and then worked out my RPE scale as per the bodybyfish link so I know what I'm aiming for. Good software with the S610i, too.

[FatherDog]

Originally posted by Meat Shake
Has anyone else tried this HIIT program? How was it? And pointers?
Thanks in advance.
-Meat Shake

I do it twice a week on my lunch hour, on a cross-country ski machine. I feel that it definitely helps my wind.

Last time I was cutting weight for a tournament, I did it five times a week, and added another five minute stretch of intervals after the cooloff period from the first one. I went from 208 to 182 in a little less than a month, so I think it definitely has some good fat-burning potential.

[Meat Shake]

Yeah, but Im trying to gain weight.
Started yesterday... That **** is rediculously diffficult towing a 250 lb sled. My legs felt like rubber halfway through. Didnt even finish the full 90/90x4 set... Gonna have to drop the weight on the sled to about 120-150 lbs to do that.

[Toby]

Yeah, that's why some people advise doing it only 2-3 times a week. It definitely has the potential to lose weight. I go twice a week because I don't want to lose muscle.

BTW, the one thing I thought about your workout was the sled and jeep exercises were more strength type exercises and that it might be difficult to do them for endurance type stuff. You want to pick exercises that you can do at various pace that tax your cardio system. Like, I do running and walk in the recovery phase. FD does it on the cross country ski machine. FP does it on an elliptical stepper or rowing ergo. All of those things you can either go fast or slow. You might pull the sled with 100lbs and go flat out for the interval, then walk for the recovery. I dunno how heavy your jeep is, so I dunno if that's suitable. All of us do different things for strength than endurance. My sprinting trains my legs not to be strong, but fast. It may help my squats/DL, but not strengthwise, more explosiveness. Sorta like how the Westside guys train maximum strength one day, and speed on another. Obviously they lift nowhere near as much on speed days. Hope that helps.

[Ish]

Its definatly an excellent method of trainin and the best thing is u can HIIT just about anyway u want. I usually do about 3 times a week mostly biking but its good on a treadmill too if u want to use the incline as resistance. If u think about it tho u can find loads of ways such as skipping, rowing, swimming ect ect. Carefull with the swimmin tho cos when ur nackered u tend to take in a bit more water than u'd like.

I find a good way to time it is to make a tape or cd of ur favourite tunes and have mix them so u have 30sec sprint music then 10sec cool down music. I think it really helps u push yourself that extra bit.