High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

[jo.sam]

I hated the idea of HIIT at first but I swear, it changed my life!

 

Here's an article from shape.com  (http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/8-benefits-high-intensity-interval-training-hiit)

 

8 Benefits of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) describes any workout that alternates between intense bursts of activity and fixed periods of less-intense activity or even complete rest. For example, a good starter workout is running as fast as you can for 1 minute and then walking for 2 minutes. Repeat that 3-minute interval five times for a 15-minute, fat-blasting workout. It sounds too simple to be effective, but science doesn't stretch the truth. Read on for eight proven benefits of HIIT.

It's Efficient
Super-efficient HIIT is the ideal workout for a busy schedule—whether you want to squeeze in a workout during your lunch break or to get in shape for a fast-approaching event. Research shows you can achieve more progress in a mere 15 minutes of interval training (done three times a week) than the girl jogging on the treadmill for an hour. (Watch and try this video of a 10-minute fat-blasting cardio routine that burns more calories than a half hour on the treadmill!) And according to a 2011 study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, just 2 weeks of high-intensity intervals improves your aerobic capacity as much as 6 to 8 weeks of endurance training.

That's not even the best part! Using the Tabata training method, you can complete an effective HIIT workout in just 4 minutes.

You'll Burn More Fat
Not only do you burn more calories during a HIIT workout, but the effect of all that intense exertion kicks your body's repair cycle into hyperdrive. That means you burn more fat and calories in the 24 hours after a HIIT workout than you do after, say, a steady-pace run.

You'll Build a Healthier Heart
Most people aren't used to pushing into the anaerobic zone (that lovely place where you can't breathe and you feel like your heart is trying to jump out of your chest). But in this case, extreme training produces extreme results. One 2006 study found that after 8 weeks of doing HIIT workouts, subjects could bicycle twice as long as they could before the study, while maintaining the same pace.

There's No Equipment Necessary
Running, biking, jump roping, and rowing all work great for HIIT, but you don't need any equipment to get it done. High knees, fast feet, or anything plyometric like jumping lunges work just as well to get your heart rate up fast. In fact, some equipment like dumbbells can make HIIT less effective because you want the focus to be on pushing your heart to its max, not your biceps.

You Lose Weight, Not Muscle
Anyone who has been on a diet knows that it's hard to not lose muscle mass along with fat. While steady state cardio seems to encourage muscle loss, studies show that both weight training and HIIT workouts allow dieters to preserve their hard-earned muscles while ensuring most of the weight lost comes from fat stores. Win/win!

You'll Increase Your Metabolism
In addition to increased fat burning and more muscle preserved, HIIT stimulates production of your human growth hormone (HGH) by up to 450 percent during the 24 hours after you finish your workout. This is great news since HGH is not only responsible for increased caloric burn but also slows down the aging process, making you younger both inside and out!

You Can Do It Anywhere
You can do it in a boat, you can do it with a goat. You can do it here or there, you can do it anywhere! Dr. Seuss would have loved HIIT. Since it's such a simple concept—go at maximum effort for a short period of time followed by a recovery period and repeat—you can adapt it to whatever time and space constraints you have.

It's Seriously Challenging
This is not a workout you can do while reading a magazine or chatting with your friend. Because it's so short, you will be working hard the whole time. The trade-off is this format offers seasoned exercisers a new challenge and new exercisers a quick way to see results. You may be in pain, you may be sucking wind, but you definitely won't be bored!

[workaholic92]

Thank you for sharing the article!! Now I can share this with my friend who always complaining about HIIT.

[azimuth]

I agree with HIIT. Personally, my most significant fat lost period was found when I engaged in some form of HIIT workout. 

[xydboy]

Its the pain that most people do not want to go through.

[jo.sam]

31 minutes ago, xydboy said:

Its the pain that most people do not want to go through.

 

6 hours ago, azimuth said:

I agree with HIIT. Personally, my most significant fat lost period was found when I engaged in some form of HIIT workout. 

 

7 hours ago, workaholic92 said:

Thank you for sharing the article!! Now I can share this with my friend who always complaining about HIIT.

 

It's true. I hated it when I first started and felt like I was going to die hahahaha (exaggeration, but you know what I mean). There's lots of HIIT routines available on youtube and I do the ten minute morning ones before breakfast and work. I also do 30 minutes of HIIT on the treadmill - thankfully my gym has that setting!

[Jumpup]

I also hated the thought of doing HIIT at first but I think doing it together might help motivate lazy people, like me, to push further. Maybe we could form a group that do HIIT together? Hah!

[azimuth]

A workout always works better when motivation comes in groups.

[xydboy]

5 hours ago, Jumpup said:

I also hated the thought of doing HIIT at first but I think doing it together might help motivate lazy people, like me, to push further. Maybe we could form a group that do HIIT together? Hah!

I used to join a group that does HIIT. Its not about forming the group actually, its about how much people can adhere to the sessions and come for training. HIIT does give lots of good benefits but the benefits stem from the last bout of training. If they are not done regularly, it defeats the purpose too. Moreover injury rate can be rather high due to the kind of stress that is placed on the body, hence this might result to greater drop out rates. One separate thought though is that after the session, it might be tough to do something else following it, cause you would feel the "burn out" feeling (more so for people who are untrained), so if the session does happens, it would usually be at the end of the day.

[edatsgloh]

Anybody attend circuit training? 

thought of tagging along to a particular centre, going alone kinda not fun...

[xydboy]

On 3/7/2016 at 1:33 PM, edatsgloh said:

Anybody attend circuit training? 

thought of tagging along to a particular centre, going alone kinda not fun...

Come to think of it, I have never got much chance to talk during the HIIT session. You will be too busy doing the workout and the time for rest is so short, you hardly have time to interact much. And before you know it, the session is over.

[jo.sam]

From: http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/dont-go-too-hard

Why Too Many Intense Training Sessions Can Leave You In Worse Shape

You’ve heard of fight-or-flight, the reaction forged by evolution that kicks in to save your butt in stressful situations. When you do HIIT, that response fires up—your brain has no idea whether you’re sprinting on a treadmill in Planet Fitness or running from rhinos on a savanna.

That’s stressful, so you release stress hormones.

In the short term, these hormones burn fat and help you build muscle. They build up during HIIT and slowly decrease as you recover. They can also mitigate inflammation, guarding against heart disease and diabetes.

But there’s a catch. As with wine and women, too much of a good thing can be bad.

Your body can deal with only so much stress at once, whether it’s from HIIT, work, poor sleep, or your other workouts. Overdoing HIIT floods your body with stress hormones, so they stay elevated 24/7 and have no time to recede.

Combining too much HIIT with other training and a stressful lifestyle may have an additive effect.

In that overstressed environment, your body releases chronically high levels of cortisol, a hormone that causes you to lose muscle, retain fat, and lower your guard against illness and injury.

The fix: Do just one HIIT session a week. That’s enough for most guys, especially if you’re already lifting weights.

And do what you can to de-stress your life—through any means you want. That’ll make all your workouts more effective.

[xydboy]

On 3/15/2016 at 12:06 PM, jo.sam said:

From: http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/dont-go-too-hard

Why Too Many Intense Training Sessions Can Leave You In Worse Shape

You’ve heard of fight-or-flight, the reaction forged by evolution that kicks in to save your butt in stressful situations. When you do HIIT, that response fires up—your brain has no idea whether you’re sprinting on a treadmill in Planet Fitness or running from rhinos on a savanna.

That’s stressful, so you release stress hormones.

In the short term, these hormones burn fat and help you build muscle. They build up during HIIT and slowly decrease as you recover. They can also mitigate inflammation, guarding against heart disease and diabetes.

But there’s a catch. As with wine and women, too much of a good thing can be bad.

Your body can deal with only so much stress at once, whether it’s from HIIT, work, poor sleep, or your other workouts. Overdoing HIIT floods your body with stress hormones, so they stay elevated 24/7 and have no time to recede.

Combining too much HIIT with other training and a stressful lifestyle may have an additive effect.

In that overstressed environment, your body releases chronically high levels of cortisol, a hormone that causes you to lose muscle, retain fat, and lower your guard against illness and injury.

The fix: Do just one HIIT session a week. That’s enough for most guys, especially if you’re already lifting weights.

And do what you can to de-stress your life—through any means you want. That’ll make all your workouts more effective.

Their writing is very misleading..very very misleading. Yes the body can only deal with certain amount of stress, yes cortisol will be produced, yes it can cause you to lose muscle. But that doesn't mean HIIT = stress = cortisol = lose muscle. That's an argument fallacy. Moreover I would say that one HIIT session a week is a very conservative number to give. It depends on a lot of factors. How long can a HIIT session last? Maybe about 20-30mins? Judging from that, and adhering to ACSM guidelines, we would need at least 150mins of moderate physical activity level or 75mins of vigorous physical activity level a week for cardiovascular health. That would mean at least around 2-3 times a week (depending on the duration of activity).

[jo.sam]

8 hours ago, xydboy said:

Their writing is very misleading..very very misleading. Yes the body can only deal with certain amount of stress, yes cortisol will be produced, yes it can cause you to lose muscle. But that doesn't mean HIIT = stress = cortisol = lose muscle. That's an argument fallacy. Moreover I would say that one HIIT session a week is a very conservative number to give. It depends on a lot of factors. How long can a HIIT session last? Maybe about 20-30mins? Judging from that, and adhering to ACSM guidelines, we would need at least 150mins of moderate physical activity level or 75mins of vigorous physical activity level a week for cardiovascular health. That would mean at least around 2-3 times a week (depending on the duration of activity).

 

Thanks for this! Once a week sounds really scant for sure, but I have to admit, that burnt out feeling after a HIIT session feels really taxing on the body. For a while I wondered if I'm doing too much especially since I have insomnia. :/

[xydboy]

On 3/15/2016 at 10:26 PM, jo.sam said:

 

Thanks for this! Once a week sounds really scant for sure, but I have to admit, that burnt out feeling after a HIIT session feels really taxing on the body. For a while I wondered if I'm doing too much especially since I have insomnia. :/

Don't think so, since there are lots of reasons for insomnia. Yes the feeling of a HIIT session can be really taxing, hence it has been found that intensity does puts off lots of people, especially those who start of training with low self efficacy and morale.

[heliumduck]

hahah thats how jo.sam got his display pic ?

damn i need to do it instead of just running.,...

[xydboy]

2 hours ago, heliumduck said:

hahah thats how jo.sam got his display pic ?

damn i need to do it instead of just running.,...

Have seen countless people run and not doing anything else. They don't really get anywhere much..

[thepresentfitness]

Just offering my 2nd opinion on this topic, with the view from TCM point ... though i know some will agree and some will disagree.... HIIT does have its effective edge on fitness, but there will still be certain downside to any form of exercises.. The Men's Health article shared by jo.sam does offer it's worthy thoughts... 

 

http://thepresentfitness.blogspot.sg/2016/02/tcm-advice-on-high-intensity-workouts.html

[Guest Sport-coholic]

On 20/03/2016 at 11:25 PM, xydboy said:

Have seen countless people run and not doing anything else. They don't really get anywhere much..

Sounds like me. 

[SuperSentai]

6 hours ago, thepresentfitness said:

Just offering my 2nd opinion on this topic, with the view from TCM point ... though i know some will agree and some will disagree.... HIIT does have its effective edge on fitness, but there will still be certain downside to any form of exercises.. The Men's Health article shared by jo.sam does offer it's worthy thoughts... 

 

http://thepresentfitness.blogspot.sg/2016/02/tcm-advice-on-high-intensity-workouts.html

Quote

Another simple way to offer TCM view; High Intensity Exercises = waste of energy.

Isn't cardio exercises all about wasting energy resulting in fat/weight loss? In this sense, the more energy(calorie) you waste the better?

Edited March 22, 2016 by SuperSentai

[jo.sam]

7 hours ago, thepresentfitness said:

Just offering my 2nd opinion on this topic, with the view from TCM point ... though i know some will agree and some will disagree.... HIIT does have its effective edge on fitness, but there will still be certain downside to any form of exercises.. The Men's Health article shared by jo.sam does offer it's worthy thoughts... 

 

http://thepresentfitness.blogspot.sg/2016/02/tcm-advice-on-high-intensity-workouts.html

 

Thanks for sharing. I firmly believe the TCM viewpoint evolved from a time where food (and junk food) isn't as abundant as it is now. Back then, humanity ate only what it can afford, and often off the land. Obesity isn't a pandemic like it is today and people were naturally lean because they were more active compared to most of us who are office workers. It's no wonder HIIT is considered a waste of energy.

 

Low impact exercises like taichi and stretching has its benefits, but when fat loss is the goal (which is the goal for HIIT sessions to begin with) then you'll never get anywhere.

[xydboy]

On 3/22/2016 at 2:21 PM, thepresentfitness said:

Just offering my 2nd opinion on this topic, with the view from TCM point ... though i know some will agree and some will disagree.... HIIT does have its effective edge on fitness, but there will still be certain downside to any form of exercises.. The Men's Health article shared by jo.sam does offer it's worthy thoughts... 

 

http://thepresentfitness.blogspot.sg/2016/02/tcm-advice-on-high-intensity-workouts.html

I like the post which you have written on the blog. I applaud the amount of effort you spend on reading up websites and talking to people. I've come across quite a number of posts that are similar to yours on the web. But first thing first, do cite the places/sources which mentioned about the intensity of exercise. If there is an ancient chinese text which clearly states what you have mentioned, please share.

 

With reference to a published scientific journal (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254613000744), there is no concept of exercise prescription in the chinese texts. The main idea, according to the paper is written,"control the amount of exercise without taking too much exercise to cause over-tiredness and damage” (From Qian Jin Yao Fang by Simiao Sun in the Tang dynasty)". So which line in this text said about specific intensity? Yes we know high intensity would cause all these, but nothing was mentioned with regards to the prohibition of such exercises neither was an absolute figure given to categorise the intensity of the exercise. Given the complexity of TCM (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mary_Smith61/publication/221781162_Traditional_Chinese_Medicine_for_cancer-related_symptoms/links/0a85e53874d6640612000000.pdf), it would not be easy to point out that people should just adhere to one form. We have to assess the complexity of the issue rather than to put a fix guideline, eg no performing of HIIT. 

 

I am not against the approach used by TCM practitioners. In fact studies on traditional exercises has been shown to be beneficial for health (source: http://jaha.ahajournals.org/content/5/3/e002562.full.pdf). But do give some thoughts. If TCM talks about traditional exercises, and one of it is QiGong, then how about the chen style? it's quick and powerful, demonstrating distinct similarities with resistance training. How so would then HIIT be of difference given that the physiological demands placed upon the body is similar in nature? Think about it...

Edited March 25, 2016 by xydboy

[thepresentfitness]

13 hours ago, SuperSentai said:

Isn't cardio exercises all about wasting energy resulting in fat/weight loss? In this sense, the more energy(calorie) you waste the better?

Hi SuperSentai, Western medicine or Western Science views are very different from Traditional Chinese medicine... in this case of energy in TCM, it is therefore totally different. The best way is to understand 'Qi'... and there are many online sources to learn about 'Qi.... Perhaps the following can hep you to understand slightly better... hope it helps:

 

http://www.shen-nong.com/eng/principles/qi.html

http://www.docmisha.com/understanding/what.htm

[xydboy]

10 hours ago, thepresentfitness said:

Hi SuperSentai, Western medicine or Western Science views are very different from Traditional Chinese medicine... in this case of energy in TCM, it is therefore totally different. The best way is to understand 'Qi'... and there are many online sources to learn about 'Qi.... Perhaps the following can hep you to understand slightly better... hope it helps:

 

http://www.shen-nong.com/eng/principles/qi.html

http://www.docmisha.com/understanding/what.htm

Why you get from website? it's not validated. Anyone can say anything on it. Anyway I have spoken to my friend who is doing his double degree in TCM and biomed science from NTU and he did mentioned about Hunag Di Nei Jing (Emperor's inner cannon). Even in that book, they didn't particularly mentioned that high intensity is not allowed. Besides that point, the concept of TCM has always been on wellness and not on sports performance. With the end point being different, of course the outcome and guidelines would differ. You cannot train for performance the same way as you would for wellness.

[paratr00per]

I started doing HIIT about 6 months ago and I love it.

 

Totally agree with every point in the article.

 

Another 2 things that always happen after a HIIT session:

1. I get in a very good mood 

2. I get exceptionally horny and get an intense erection shortly after cooling down.

(Ok, maybe pt2 is normal for you young studs in your 20s, but for someone over 40, it can be quite unusual. lol)

 

After some googling I found out that HIIT may actually increase testosterone levels, which could explain my libido boost/mood change. 

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23310924

 

 

tl;dr 

HIIT is awesome.

Makes me happy, healthy, and horny.

 

 

[jo.sam]

42 minutes ago, paratr00per said:

I started doing HIIT about 6 months ago and I love it.

 

Totally agree with every point in the article.

 

Another 2 things that always happen after a HIIT session:

1. I get in a very good mood 

2. I get exceptionally horny and get an intense erection shortly after cooling down.

(Ok, maybe pt2 is normal for you young studs in your 20s, but for someone over 40, it can be quite unusual. lol)

 

After some googling I found out that HIIT may actually increase testosterone levels, which could explain my libido boost/mood change. 

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23310924

 

 

tl;dr 

HIIT is awesome.

Makes me happy, healthy, and horny.

 

 

 

I wish I had that horny effect. It just wears me out so much so I don't even want to have sex!

[heliumduck]

53 minutes ago, paratr00per said:

I started doing HIIT about 6 months ago and I love it.

 

Totally agree with every point in the article.

 

Another 2 things that always happen after a HIIT session:

1. I get in a very good mood 

2. I get exceptionally horny and get an intense erection shortly after cooling down.

(Ok, maybe pt2 is normal for you young studs in your 20s, but for someone over 40, it can be quite unusual. lol)

 

After some googling I found out that HIIT may actually increase testosterone levels, which could explain my libido boost/mood change. 

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23310924

 

 

tl;dr 

HIIT is awesome.

Makes me happy, healthy, and horny.

 

 

 

nice compression top HAAHAHA....
i wish i was that horny too

[xydboy]

1 hour ago, paratr00per said:

I started doing HIIT about 6 months ago and I love it.

 

Totally agree with every point in the article.

 

Another 2 things that always happen after a HIIT session:

1. I get in a very good mood 

2. I get exceptionally horny and get an intense erection shortly after cooling down.

(Ok, maybe pt2 is normal for you young studs in your 20s, but for someone over 40, it can be quite unusual. lol)

 

After some googling I found out that HIIT may actually increase testosterone levels, which could explain my libido boost/mood change. 

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23310924

 

 

tl;dr 

HIIT is awesome.

Makes me happy, healthy, and horny.

 

 

Yes, I think it might be just you. Am too tired to think about sex after working out.

[paratr00per]

Someone was describing Runner's High to me, and I suspect that's what I'm experiencing (or perhaps something similar), because the "horniness" is always accompanied with happiness. It almost kinda feels like I've taken Ecstasy lol.

 

But jokes aside, the simple reason why I'm so enthusiastic about HIIT is because I find it has really improved my health and well-being.

 

I've been bugging my friends so often to try HIIT that they accuse me of being a marketing promoter for it. lol

 

Most of my them are same age group as me (40+) and always complaining about low energy and getting beer belly.

 

I tell them,"try HIIT. You'll feel so much more energized, can burn fat and boost testosterone level." They reply,"sound so troublesome, I order weight-loss and testosterone supplements online can liow."

 

 

 

[Guest]

I used to do 3-4 hiit workouts a week, just 2x tabata, 1x spin and 1x circuits classes at the gym. Loved how the fat just fell off. My waistline went down 2" in a matter of months without any dietary changes. I may not have a 6-pack yet, but I don't have anymore muffin top. To be honest, my motivation was vanity. Injury was not uncommon.

 

Reading the TCM blog reminded me of one thing - being ripped with <10% bodyfat is not healthy in the long run and hard to sustain. That's why BBers have off seasons. 

 

I'm still going to do the hiit though as I'd like some more (though not too much) definition to my mid-section.

[axefactor]

I'm keeping my HIIT to just 20 to 30 mins. Works well.