HIIT Cardio

[HereWeGoAgain]

Ok, I've searched and haven't really found any factual answers.

I hear HIIT cardio is better than longer low intensity cardio sessions for both fat loss and preserving muscle.

How long should HIIT cardio be performed per session? I've been hearing and reading 20 minutes?

Does it matter if HIIT cardio is performed first thing in the morning on empty stomach versus PWO?

Should HIIT Cardio be performed on lifting days or only on the off days? I've read it could be better to do low intensity cardio for 30 minutes post workout than HIIT post workout?

Is it fine to perform HIIT cardio 5-6x per week for all of your cardio sessions?

I'm just a little confused and everything I've read pretty much gave mixed opinions and answers.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[DSM4Life]

Ok, I've searched and haven't really found any factual answers.

I hear HIIT cardio is better than longer low intensity cardio sessions for both fat loss and preserving muscle.
It can be.

How long should HIIT cardio be performed per session? I've been hearing and reading 20 minutes?
Normally 20-30 mins is a good starting point but everyone is different so just play around with the times and see what works best for you.

Does it matter if HIIT cardio is performed first thing in the morning on empty stomach versus PWO?
Best on empty stomach.

Should HIIT Cardio be performed on lifting days or only on the off days? I've read it could be better to do low intensity cardio for 30 minutes post workout than HIIT post workout? Again see how it works for some. Most will do it right after weights but do less time, say 20 mins, then quickly get in PWO meal.

Is it fine to perform HIIT cardio 5-6x per week for all of your cardio sessions?
Yes

I'm just a little confused and everything I've read pretty much gave mixed opinions and answers.
Again it will be mixed since everyone responds differently.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Goodluck.

[RoadToRecovery]

Ok, I've searched and haven't really found any factual answers.

I hear HIIT cardio is better than longer low intensity cardio sessions for both fat loss and preserving muscle.

How long should HIIT cardio be performed per session? I've been hearing and reading 20 minutes?

Does it matter if HIIT cardio is performed first thing in the morning on empty stomach versus PWO?

Should HIIT Cardio be performed on lifting days or only on the off days? I've read it could be better to do low intensity cardio for 30 minutes post workout than HIIT post workout?

Is it fine to perform HIIT cardio 5-6x per week for all of your cardio sessions?

I'm just a little confused and everything I've read pretty much gave mixed opinions and answers.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Wow, you sure do have alot of questions...

Interval training is great and all, but I still prefer low intensity training. Its easy and it gets the job done. As long as you keep your heart rate at you target you will burn fat, just change up your cardio daily.

The best thing you can do is try it out yourself, hop on a machine that counts burned calories and records your heart rate, and see which method burns more calories.

[RoadToRecovery]

Goodluck.

Look at you with a constructive post.

I agree with everything DSM said.

One thing i would like to add - the most important thing about your workout isnt what you burn while your at the gym, but what you burn when you leave.

Search - EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption). Thats what your aiming for. HIIT does this beautifully.

[AdamGH]

Ok, I've searched and haven't really found any factual answers.

I hear HIIT cardio is better than longer low intensity cardio sessions for both fat loss and preserving muscle.

How long should HIIT cardio be performed per session? I've been hearing and reading 20 minutes?

Does it matter if HIIT cardio is performed first thing in the morning on empty stomach versus PWO?

Should HIIT Cardio be performed on lifting days or only on the off days? I've read it could be better to do low intensity cardio for 30 minutes post workout than HIIT post workout?

Is it fine to perform HIIT cardio 5-6x per week for all of your cardio sessions?

I'm just a little confused and everything I've read pretty much gave mixed opinions and answers.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Some of the potential benefits of HIIT compared to steady state endurance training are as follows: improved cardiovascular health, increased anti-oxidant protection, improved immune function, reduced risk for joint wear and tear, reduced muscle wasting, increased residual metabolic rate following exercise, and an increased capacity for the heart to handle life’s every day stressors.

For example, an interval training session on the treadmill could look something like this (caution - this may be too fast for shorter individuals or if you’re not yet in good shape; adjust appropriately):

Warm-up for 3-4 minutes at a fast walk or light jog
Interval 1 - run at 8.0 mi/hr for 1 minute
Interval 2 - walk at 4.0 mi/hr for 1.5 minutes
Interval 3 - run at 10.0 mi/hr for 1 minute
Interval 4 - walk at 4.0 mi/hr for 1.5 minutes
Repeat those 4 intervals 4 times

I guarantee you that a 20-minute high intensity interval training session is much more effective than a 40-50 minute boring steady pace cardio session.

Another incredible interval style workout that really stimulates the fat burning hormonal response in the body is hill sprinting. If you have any type of hill near your house this workout is as simple as running as fast as you can up the hill for about 30 yards (or however big the hill is), and then walk down the hill as your recovery interval. Keep repeating sprinting up the hill with walking down the hill. About 10-15 minutes of that is VERY intense and usually enough of a workout for most people.

You can do HIIT on workout days if you like. It doesn't matter. You can do it as many times as you like. Although, I don't think it is needed. your resting metabolic rate remains elevated for up to 1-2 days following a strenuous anaerobic training session (weight training, sprints, and other high intensity exercises) in which a large quantity of your skeletal muscle has been traumatized. This trauma created in your muscles during anaerobic training is the process of muscle protein breakdown. Then, in the hours and days following that anaerobic training session, your body must repair the damaged muscle. This is called muscle protein synthesis. During this whole process, your RMR is elevated due to the repair work your body is performing. Hence, you end up burning a lot more additional calories from this residual RMR increase than you would have from the cardio training session. In the long run, this aspect is more important towards creating a lean body than those few extra fat calories that you would have burned during a cardio workout.

Some people say do morning cardio on an empty stomach. I do not. The reasoning is that when you wake up in the morning, you are in a catabolic state where your body is breaking down muscle tissue to provide amino acids for many different processes and to help supply energy along with fat stores. You are probably going to burn a higher percentage of fat if you do cardio training first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. However, you may also lose some muscle if you do this on a regular basis, which will ultimately lower your metabolic rate, making it easier to store fat in the long run. If you love working out in the morning, go right ahead, but I’d recommend at least taking in a little bit of protein and carbs beforehand (such as a half scoop of whey protein and a small serving of fruit) to reverse the catabolic state that you are in first thing in the morning. That way, you’ll have more energy for the workout, plus you won’t burn away your hard earned muscle.

Advantages of HIIT:




Or look like this doing lots of cardio:

[HereWeGoAgain]

Thank you guys for the responses and opinions.

AdamGH, so you would recommend doing the HIIT cardio sessions every day post workout for about 20 minutes? I'm lifting 5-6 times a week so that would mean 5-6 HIIT cardio sessions. Correct? Great post and alot of great info by the way!

[patrick1]

is it possible to do HIIT on crosstrainer
i am trying to bulk abit but not too much so is HIIT A GOOD IDEA
never done much cardio
sorry for the hijack!

[DSM4Life]

is it possible to do HIIT on crosstrainer
i am trying to bulk abit but not too much so is HIIT A GOOD IDEA
never done much cardio
sorry for the hijack!

Yes. I normally do mine on an elliptical since running for long distances hurts my ankles.

[smokeyd]

i do mine on an eliptical, 5 min warmup, go 25sec at level 18 then 35 seconds at leval 12 then 25sec at L18 then back 35sec at L12

[RoadToRecovery]

Yes. I normally do mine on an elliptical since running for long distances hurts my ankles.

same here. elliptical ftw especially since you have complete control of the speed. Only drawback to the elliptical is you cant control the stride length.