Starting HIIT

[neviditelny]

I'm aiming to get back in a bit of a better shape and after reading around it seems like HIIT is a good way to start if you want to loose weight (including changing your diet but more about that a bit later on).

I live in the outskirts of the city here and got good roads to run at and some big green fields where I can work out.
However, when I've been looking into the cardio bit, the running, I seem to be a bit unsure how to set it up the best. Intervalls is very good (I'm thinking about doing sprint/walk or spring/jog between each set of lightposts) but what would be best for maximum effect? Spring/walk or spring/jog?

The other exercises I've planned to do it in work out is 30 secs intervalls of pushups, situps, squats and a few others that I can't remember the name of right now (got the list somewhere).

Diet wise I've changed it quite a bit and am getting better in how I eat, specially on my days off. I've stayed off soft drinks for almost a month now, even though I had some junk foods and ice cream last week on my holiday in Portugal (birthday trip though so a bit of a treat to myself).

Any suggestions and ideas would be very welcome

 

[D.P.]

Don't do intervals runnign until you have built up good run fitness and leg strength that will cope with the demands. HILT is a very advanced technique for runners, and it snot actually that useful if the duration is too short. In studies the optimal time for the interval is around 3-6 minutes.

Instead, I would suggest doing HILT on an exercise bike or rowing machine (or swimming if you are very good). For runnign just do a much volume as you can handle (but being sure to build up slowly) keeping everything nice, easy and enjoyable, after a few months you can do some stuff like Fartleks or easy hill repeats. After 6 months or so you can try some intervals, 1200m or 1600m repeat with half the distance to recover. Effort should be very hard but not to the point that you feel nauseous or dizzy etc. More important to do more repeats slightly easier than fewer but faster. Don't do more than 1 session a week, do something like 3 weeks with 1 interval session and then the 4th week as a recovery without a hard workout. Best effectiveness sis also a periodiization, so a few months of mostly aerobic base building running, then a couple of months where you do intervals 3 out of 4 weeks. You get a lot of benefits in a short time with intervals, but you also quickly get diminishing returns, and then the risks increase a lot and you need time to recover.


Doesn't make a huge difference if you slow run the recoveries or walk. I prefer to run at my easy pace, it really does feel easy at the end of a repeat. You should start the next repeat almost recovered back to your easy effort. No point starting your interval not fully recovered as it will only limit the performance.



On a bike its much easier and safer, go ahead and drill your legs as had as you can. Numerous bike programs out there. Best done on either an exercise bike or a road bike set up on an indoor trainer.

 

[neviditelny]

The main issue is that I live in a shared flat near my work (at a hospital) so I dont have space for a bike or rowing machine, otherwise I would been getting that for sure. Ive been thinking about going out and just try to build the stamina to start with. I got a road behind my area which is approx 3km for a round trip run which could be a good start.
What is HILT and Fartleks? Not sure I've ever heard of those before.
I hope my legs is fairly ok as I spend most of my time at work on my legs walking around and moving patients/equipment etc plus I try play rugby when my schedule allows it.

 

[D.P.]

The main issue is that I live in a shared flat near my work (at a hospital) so I dont have space for a bike or rowing machine, otherwise I would been getting that for sure. Ive been thinking about going out and just try to build the stamina to start with. I got a road behind my area which is approx 3km for a round trip run which could be a good start.
What is HILT and Fartleks? Not sure I've ever heard of those before.
I hope my legs is fairly ok as I spend most of my time at work on my legs walking around and moving patients/equipment etc plus I try play rugby when my schedule allows it.

Can you get to a gym with exercise bikes?
If not then start runnign but just dont do any high intensity stuff for a few months at least, making sure the runs are easy and you can hold a full conversation. Then you can introduce some Fartleks. Fartleks are just non-systematic unstructured intervals where you run a little faster for fun. Typically you run a couple for easy miles warm up and then you see will set a small goal like runnign to the top of a hill, or to the end of this road, or the next lamp post at a faster pace, accelerating gradually in to it. Duration you just vary randomly, could be 30 seconds or 3 minutes etc. Meant to just be fun but without the intensity or monotony o a track work out. If you play rugby regular you will be able to add Fartleks into your runnign schedule much earlier though

By HILT I meant HIIT, auto-corrected.



Also for weight loss nothing will beat a nice easy medium length run. Not the most time efficient but as long as your heart rate is in the right zone you will burn loads of energy, largely form fat reserves. Doing so can hep you become better at fat metabolization. High intensity stuff will obviosuly bur more calories in a short period of time but you wont be able to do it for long so your total calorie burn will be lower.

 

[neviditelny]

As I don't drive I would have to take the bus to get to the nearest gyms, which would be between 20-30 minutes bus journey away where as the fields and backroads are about 100 yards behind my flat.
I do try to play rugby but it is very rarely I get to do that due to me mostly being on night shifts at work, not to mention working weekends too.

I was out on a 15-20 minute run this morning at a fairly leasurable pace on the backroads and will head out tomorrow morning as well, but will try to implement a few pushups/situps and so during the run.

 

[D.P.]

Then runnign is your best bet, just keep all thee runs nice and easy to begin with. They should be enjoyable, you shouldn't be gasping for breath.

That is the great thing about running, doesn't require expensive equipment, training, travel, dedicated fitness rooms etc. Just put on your runnign shoes and head out the door.

 

[tom_nieto]

No hospital gym?

 

[neviditelny]

Unfortunately no, we dont have a hospital gym, but it would been quite damn handy if i shall be honest