Im going to add in some HIIT on mondays since im dropping the hard cardio pwo. The thing is what would be optimal for cardiovascular improvement and/or fat loss?

Either a typical HIIT method-
sprint 10 seconds - rest 1-2 minute (W active recovery) x 6-8

or a more hardcore but shorter tabata method-
sprint 20 seconds - rest 10 seconds x 8

Tabata is brutal, but so is hiit. tabata is obviously a fair bit shorter in duration. The higher recovery period of hiit will allow more work to be done in sets. hmm, any opinions on which i should opt for?

Mixture has given me outstanding results!

20 second out right blast, then 40-60 second rest - repeat that 4-8 times

then 15-20 mins of steady state cardio....then your out. thats 30 mins, and I assure you, it will yield a far better fat loss ratio then any of the ones alone.

KP

I'm with KP. It'll also train your body to adapt to different situations. IIRC you play footie, which means you'll need decent ability to do a couplfe of good sprints every now and then, but also you need to have a motor that can run for the entire duration of a game...

OK, add steady state cardio after HIIT, not a problem, but which of the above hiit's is better? Or do you reckon the method you outline is the best KP?

I am inclined to say the 20second \ 40-60second ratio.....running......but thats because last year I spend a fair amount of time trying various HIIT and stuff...and the above (mixture of both) just kept sheding the fat for me.....akbeit slowly for other reasons.

KP

OK, i will do this in about an hour or so and report back

Im actually starting to wonder how this is going to go now, because the last time i did HIIT i had carbs in my diet! I know weight training and low carb diets do work, but HIIT may require more glycogen? I will go low carb today, see how it goes, but if it goes terrible i will include some CH's for breakfast. This will be interesting...

If you're unsure on Glycogen then just take some fruit juice with you.

I used to use apple juice mixed with a little glutamine.

kp1512 wrote:Mixture has given me outstanding results!
20 second out right blast, then 40-60 second rest - repeat that 4-8 times

Can this work effectively on a bike? Dont really fancy trying it on a treadmill, but am keen on giving HIIT a go.

Yes...they work even better on those Fan Bikes?.....but any decent bike would do....just up the resistance and pedal like your running away from Bubba the 25 stone tummy tickler!..OR...lower the resistance and then peddle like your being chased by a 20 day hungry pitbull!

KP

I'm going to try this next week on the sprint bikes.

Bison wrote:I'm going to try this next week on the sprint bikes.

Same here, need to shed a pound or ten

kp1512 wrote:Yes...they work even better on those Fan Bikes?.....but any decent bike would do....just up the resistance and pedal like your running away from Bubba the 25 stone tummy tickler!..OR...lower the resistance and then peddle like your being chased by a 20 day hungry pitbull!

KP

I tried this last night, I did 30 sec sprint on med resistance and 60 sec chilled on low resistance for 12 mins total, then did 20 mins jogging on treadmill.

Worked well, though I think the bike work could have been a little tougher (this doesn't mean it was easy, just that my eyeballs didn't explode ) Alex suggest 60 sec sprints.... what do you reckon?

Yeh..I do prefer running outside though in all honesty.....as you can pretty much increase decrease intensity and speed at a switch....that, and sled pulling (but Id look a bigger tit if I did that round the block at 4am in the morning!)....

I have done the treadmill but again, the thing with it is that if it aint a good treadmill you can go ass over tit as the belt slips....and if it IS a good treadmill..it takes bloody ages to up\down on the machine to reset the speeds....

60 secs Ive never done....does Alex sprint?...I cant remember?....I dont think I can sprint 60 seconds all out!...30 seconds all out is my fastest and that is what causes the shift in substrate utilisation....(if we want to get techinical!)..after which you follow 60-70 secs walking...then repeat.....

KP

Outside is definately superior but I suffer from compartment syndrome in my shins, they just fill up with blood and give an immense pump within 2 mins of sprinting on a hard surface. I used to do it on the field but it's too muddy right now and I'm almost certain that sprinting in the mud is what started my hammy troubles that plagued me all last year.

So until the dry months, that's out. Also my knee is giving me trouble atm, so it's the sprint bikes only for me right now

Kp, the 60 seconds is on a bike flat out, not running. I only ever do Steady State on a Treadmill.

If you have a marked out Rugby pitch near by then alternating between sprints and jogging between each line is really good as the distances always vary.

The lines are made up like this:

Back Line, Goal Line, 22 Metre Line, 40 Metre Line, Half Way and back down again.

This breaks up into the following sections for the full length:

10 Metres, 22 Metres, 18 Metres, 10 Metres, 10 Metres, 18 Metres, 22 Metres, 10 Metres.

A few sets of up and down the length of a pitch doing intervals would definately do the trick.