The FastDay Forum

I see this mentioned all the time in this forum and MFP. I know it stands for "high intensity interval training" - I think? But what does that *mean*? What does an HIIT workout look like?

I am presently working my way through a 'couch to 5k' sort of running program. I try to do a bare minimum of 60 minutes walk/run intervals as many days of the week as I can squeeze in with my busy family - minimum of 4/week, almost always 6/week, almost never 7/week. I usually alternate walking only one day with the walk/run interval the next because I'm that out of shape and my leg muscles ache a lot! LOL

I find I am able to do this even on fasting days without any problem, and being a bit old, overweight and out-of-shape when I started all this, I am finding that my 'recovery' period from the running intervals has gotten a lot better! Yesterday, I did walk/run 3 minutes walking, 1.5 minutes running for the entire 70 minute workout. Today, I did walk/run of 2 minutes walking/2 minutes running for the first 30 minutes, then had to back off to 2.5 minutes walking/1.5 minutes running to complete my hour.

I have a big family event at the end of May (vacation, lots of walking/activity). I want to be fit and healthy and have good endurance by then - and have lost as much weight as I can do in a reasonable/healthy way. Hence the intense workout routine (for a fat, almost 46 y/o woman it's intense!).

Anyway, I would very much like to know what HIIT looks like. Maybe I'm doing it already a little bit and don't realize? It certainly *feels* "high intensity" to get through my running intervals! LOL

I am open to constructive/helpful critique, suggestions and advice, please and thank you!

I suspect for HIIT, you wouldn't be able to keep it up for so long. I think the idea is to go all out for 20 secs, then rest 40 secs, then go all out again for 20 sec (3 times in total). See this video: http://vimeo.com/51836895

HIIT is much short and more intense. Tabata is a popular way of doing it (20 sec full on, 10 sec rest, with 8 reps, so 4 minutes total workout, excluding warm up/cool down), and you can do it sprinting, cycling, squats, anything you can really go full out for. Just put Tabata or HIIT in youtube or google to get an idea.

I don't think HIIT is recommended unless you are already fairly fit. You don't want to start off with it, if you're just getting back into exercise, because there are injury and heart risks.

C25K is certainly interval training, and if you're unfit (like me) and get up to high heart rate in the running segments then it's HIIT too.

www.precisionnutrition.com/hiit-and-diabetes mentions one of several studies that have used HIIT on old / obese / diabetic / sedentary people to good effect.

HIIT is much short and more intense. Tabata is a popular way of doing it

HIIT and HIT are different. Tabata is HIT rather than HIIT.

HIIT is 'high intensity interval training'. It's where you break up a longer period of exercise with some short intervals of a higher intensity. As you improve your running, you can incorporate HIIT into your training quite easily - on a training run, you might increase your cadence and sprint for a minute (or to the next tree/park bench/traffic light) before slowing back down again for a couple of minutes. Many workout classes work on an HIIT basis - changing intensity and perceived exertion levels. HIIT can be done by anyone - it's your comparative intensity change-ups that make the difference rather than doing steady-state.

HIT is 'high intensity training' where you basically warm up and then just do short blasts of higher intensity exercises (e.g. burpees, squat thrusts). The idea is that you push yourself to into an anaerobic state and get more benefits that straight cardio gives you.

KataMac is right though that in general before you try HIT, it's an idea to have a good base level of fitness. That's particularly true if you are doing it in a 'class' environment rather than organising it to what you know your level is.

Ah, thanks for clarifying that Applespider, I'd assumed HIIT was the same as HIT. (Silly me, never just assume things!)

not convinced

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8897392 by Tabata....

Second, to quantify the effect of high-intensity intermittent training on energy release, seven subjects performed an intermittent training exercise 5 d.wk-1 for 6 wk. The exhaustive intermittent training consisted of seven to eight sets of 20-s exercise at an intensity of about 170% of VO2max with a 10-s rest between each bout

anything which has x seconds of A and y seconds of B to me is Interval Training

not convinced

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8897392 by Tabata....

Second, to quantify the effect of high-intensity intermittent training on energy release, seven subjects performed an intermittent training exercise 5 d.wk-1 for 6 wk. The exhaustive intermittent training consisted of seven to eight sets of 20-s exercise at an intensity of about 170% of VO2max with a 10-s rest between each bout

anything which has x seconds of A and y seconds of B to me is Interval Training

Yeah, I find it all a little confusing - what is the difference between 'interval' and 'intermittent'? Isn't it just semantics?

Anyway, thank you for all the links and information. I've done a lot of reading today and I think I'm going to try to figure out a HIIT level that matches my current fitness. I loved the article that actually proved through studies that "longer" is not "better" when it comes to exercise. If I can figure it out and get the same or better benefits in 30 minutes than what I'm now doing when I spend 60-80 minutes, it would be much more sustainable for a lifetime for me. I have four kids and the ensuing very-busy-life that follows that. Something I can do that is healthy and not too time/money/equipment/space requiring would be fabulous!

Yeah, I find it all a little confusing - what is the difference between 'interval' and 'intermittent'? Isn't it just semantics?

Probably, or linguistics as some of these authors are not writing in their native language.

Intermittent means not continuous

Intervals means lengths of time

so the two have broadly the same meaning - lengths of time with different intensities implies that the intensity level is not continuous.

I like the idea that in 3m50s while the kettle boils I can make a useful contribution to fitness and no contribution to a gym.