Cardio / HIT
- Thread starter Rannoch
- Start date
I sprint on the treadmill when I do HIIT but it can be applied to any form of cardio, just go flat out for say 30 seconds and rest for a minute for 15-20 mins.
I heard hill sprints are one of the best forms of HIIT but I haven't tried them yet.
I heard hill sprints are one of the best forms of HIIT but I haven't tried them yet.
Don't do HILT until you have built up a long training history of running, it's not for beginners. Also make sure you do such exercises sparingly, about 10-20% of your weekly running volume, otherwise you increase injury risk dramatically. Accelerate into each interval slowly, and decelerate slowly afterwards, no sudden changes. Take an easier training day afterwards and a complete break from HiLt every 4th week to facilitate recovery. Then el both of the interval doesn't matter too much, longer intervals are safer and prepare you slightly better for longer running distances, 800m is my favorite but I'll do 400m and 1600m as well. The longer intervals build lactate threshold tolerance. The shorter distances are better for leg strength and form but have a higher injury risk.
A running track is good because you have a softer surface, treadmill also works as you get some springiness and can set a moderate incline which reduces impact forces. Otherwise as above, hill repast are very safe and build great strength.
A running track is good because you have a softer surface, treadmill also works as you get some springiness and can set a moderate incline which reduces impact forces. Otherwise as above, hill repast are very safe and build great strength.
HILT is quite advanced training with a high injury risk when done running, so you definitively want to build up strong resilient legs and give plenty of time for bones, ligaments, muscles and to strengthen and develop resistance to the high impact forces. I would 6 months of easy running, slowly icnreaisng the volume before you consider running any kind of intervals.
You seem to lie hiking fast so a natural progression would be to start to doing some trail running. Get some properly fitted trail shoes and just do what you have been doing but at a slow jog rather than power walk, but fel free to power walk up hand down the steeper hills.
You can also do intervals on a bike, rowing machine, elliptical or swimming - all of which are much safer. A lot depends what you want to get out of the intervals. Running short intervals is good for leg strength which helps you to run faster, and it also can increase anaerobic performance . But if you are interesting in getting fitter at hiking than you probably don't care so much about that. Similarly, intervals on a bike will increase leg strength and your functional power but that wont necessarily do much for you outside cycling.