Alright ladies and gents. Yes, I’ve got the second training session for the half marathon done and over with today. It wasn’t anything intense but because I’ve got several things to tend to after work I wasn’t sure if I’d have time to go jogging. So I hopped on the elliptical machine that I own this morning and did a short work out. Jump the break to hear more about my morning ellpitical HIIT (high intensity interval training) work out. [VIDEOS included]
Most people don’t know about HIIT, and those who do – don’t really know the fundamentals of it. I’m going to give you guys a brief idea of how to do HIIT on any machine or form of cardiovascular activity. You’ll apply these basic concepts to any form of cardiovascular training, be it swimming, running, elliptical, jump rope or whatever.
HIIT is when you take a cardiovascular exercise and push yourself to the limit where your body is out of it’s comfort zone. Where your heart rate reaches a level in which you are barely keeping up. You hold this for as long as you can. This should usually last around 1 to 2 minutes. Depending on your weight and fitness, your heart rate will vary but just remember that you should be out of your comfort zone and pushing yourself. You should be able to do 1-2 minutes. If you reached 2 minutes and can still go hard there are 2 things that could be the case.
a) You’re really fit and need to push a bit harder. (or too lazy and not pushing yourself too hard – therefore you’re not working at your optimum HIIT rate).
b) You have an intense thresh-hold for pain and I salute you.
Now, I’m no professional trainer or expert but you should be able to get yourself to a point where you are getting tired and worked out hard enough, but not to the point where you are going to fall off and get a heart attack.
After you’ve done this for a minute or two, you slow down and rest. This should take about 30-45 seconds or so. Once you’ve regained your breath, you go at it again and repeat the cycle. Everyone’s interval times will be different (some lesser fit people such as myself will need more recovery time). The goal is not to recover to the point of waiting too long and getting back well into your comfort zone.
I also realize that people will say the rest-intensity ratio should be 1-1 or 2-1 or 1-2 depending on who you ask. So some will say 30 second intense cardio 30 second rest. Some will way 1 min intense 30 second rest, Some say 30 second intense 1 minute rest. It doesn’t matter in my opinion as long as you’re pushing yourself real hard for as long as you can push which people usually never exceed a minute or two, and rest for a short time to regain your heart rate to a decent rate (not the rate you’d have when sitting by the office but the rate you’d have on light to medium cardio).
I haven’t explained this very well but I shall link 2 youtube videos at the bottom of the post.
1) That will explain this technique a little better
2) Show you some examples of HIIT
Now I did this exercise over 20 minutes this morning, not including warm up time and cool down time. I got off that elliptical covered in sweat and wanting to roll over and die. Especially since my muscles are sore form last night’s football game and the long jog the night before.
The beauty of HIIT is that it can drop fat, increase stamina, and get your metabolism moving more efficiently than conventional cardio work outs.
Anyways, here are the promised videos.
1)
2)
[This video is particularly good because he outlines the fundamentals of HIIT and then demonstrates a basic HIIT workout. Yes…his shirt is off, and most people with abs like that will always have their shirt off in any possible situation that they can do this in ;)].
Livin La Vida Joe 