A question about how to do interval training- fat loss related

[rav007]

Hello

I have done some searching on the internet but not having much luck, but I am convinced this question has been asked somewhere...

I am 22, 5'10 and 215lbs and my target is to lose at least 25 lbs in the next few months hitting it hard first and then gradually changing my workouts to a more manageable sustainable level for the future when I hit my target weight. I am going to go into some detail for the next bits now.

I have done a 60 minute cardio session on the cross trainer (elliptical) yesterday and with my heartrate monitor (I have one with my age, weight, vo2 max set up) said I lost roughly 500 calories. My heart rate was between 144 and 158 throughout the exercise but I thought it was a bit overkill as I kept to around 75% of max HR 196 (this was the lowest max HR I got from two ways I was told to calculate it so I use this as worst case scenario) and I didnt sweat much.

Today I decided to change gears and do interval training and did 60 minutes again excluding a 5 minute warm up and 5 minute warm down. I did a 90s work 90s recover workout for a total of 20 intervals and I felt fantastic, and my body felt great so I thought this was the best way forward. The problem is I dont know if I am doing it right, because I scanned through a lot of info on the internet and the numbers that stuck for me are 75% recover and 90% work so here is what I did:

5 minute warm up to a HR of 135-137, the Xtrainer set to level 3 (of 16). I set my breathing pattern to 2 full revs in, 2 full revs out.
Interval training started with 90s work to raise HR to 175 (90% max). I increased resistance to level to 9 for this bit. Breathing changed to 1 rev in 1 rev out for the rest of the exercise. Then followed this with a 90s recovery level 3 again maintaining the breathing to hit a 137 HR.
19x more then I did a 5 minute warm down from the last 90s recovery to get my heart rate to 125 and normalised my breathing, again resistance 3.

The problem is everything online implied you should absolutely kill it for the 90s work period but I didnt/couldnt do that because after 50 seconds I hit my target max 175 and then I hold that HR for the remainder of the 90s which involves keeping the resistance up but slowing down the revs, ergo not "killing it". Once the 90s period is over I relieve the strain and continue with a low rev which is probably 20-40% effort for me to get my HR down in the 90s. Am I doing this right? I think I am because the alternative I think would be to get to 175 and then reduce resistance but continue with the high rpm. Either way I was sweating buckets and the way I did it felt great, I just want to make sure it is right and will work, not break my body.

 

[CrazyOldMan]

Intervals do take many forms but since the term HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) has started being used some behave as is they are the only type that counts.
HIIT is great and like many other types of training it works, so do other forms of interval. However with higher intensity comes higher risk so this type of activity is one to do if you are confident in your health and ability to perform it.
When I was doing HIIT, back in the stone age, we called them sprint sessions, running flat out until you were reaady to burst, then cruising to recover etc.
As a distance runner I did these occasionally but did longer intervals more like yours more frequently. The intensity of the fast section was lower, but the longer duration meant I finished up still feeling thoroughly ready to drop.

If your primary goal is weight loss the intensity doesn't need to be flat out, the use of these is generally being promoted by those wanting to sell an idea of losing weight with short workouts. They do work but what you are doing will be more effective, purely based on how much more energy you will be burning by training longer. It doesnt' take a genius to figure out that 15 minutes of HIIT will not use as much energy as your workout for an hour, and help you burn more fat.

Fat loss is a much simpler formula than many make out Input < Output - Starvation = Fat Loss. Basically do more and or eat less without starving yourself and fat will gradually be burned. Safe and sustainable is max 2 pounds a week, 1 is still impressive at a pound of fat is 3,500 calories so this will mean you have burned 500 calories a day more than you have eaten.

 

[BasketLady]

*Disclaimer* - Do you have heart issues or a reason that you should not let your heartrate get high? If so, disregard everything I below and keep up with your plan!


I agree with pretty much all of what was written by CrazyOldMan except for this comment:

It doesnt' take a genius to figure out that 15 minutes of HIIT will not use as much energy as your workout for an hour, and help you burn more fat.

There IS research that says working harder for a shorter period of time CAN burn as much or MORE than an hour!! It can also increase your EPOC - which in a day or week doesn't mean much, but over time can truly add up!

First, I would say get rid of your heartrate monitor (not forever, just for now)!! This is a HUGE pet peeve of mine - people get so tied to that number and consider it gospel, they let it hold them back from working at their true potential! I am guessing you are using the 220-age formula to decide that 175 is 90% of your max (see below my theory on that) - what do you think would happen if you let your heartrate get to 180 or 185 or higher? You shouldn't be able to hold those high numbers for long (and that's the point), but you should be able to get there! Personal for me (I'm in my 40s) - when I spin my average heartrate for a ride can be in the mid-160s. I can get my heartrate in the low/mid-180s - which using that formula means I am OVER my max! Can I hold that number long? NO! - Is it uncomfortable? YES! - Have I brought myself to breathless? DEFINITELY! Can I do it? ABSOLUTELY!

The whole point of HIIT or Tabata or any of those higher intensity workouts is a) work at a high intensity level - if you are letting your HR dictate when you stop working - and you can still talk - you are not working at the levels needed to get the benefit and b) get you done faster (thus contradicting the statement above). You also should not be doing this type of training every day - only a couple/few times a week! Are you weight training as well?

Play with your numbers when doing HIIT. Maybe try going all out for as long as you can and then recovering until you feel you can do it again - see what those numbers are. Instead of 90:90 try shorter times 30:30, or 20:20 -- work:rest doesn't have to be equal either. Try 15:45 or 30:60. In the beginning you may need a longer rest period than work - as you get stronger try to have a longer work period and shorter rest period (ie: 30:15). It does not have to be an exact science - do what works for you!! Tabata uses the theory that you go breathless FOR 20 seconds and recover for 10 (basically enough to take a deep breath and maybe grab a sip of water) for 8 cycles totaling 4 minutes! If you do this one properly - you should NOT need more than 4 minutes!! Find something that works for YOU and change it up so your body doesn't get used to it!

As for the heartrate monitor. Basically, that 220-age was given by two doctors who had a patient who had just undergone heart surgery. They were trying to give him a "safe" measure of where he should be working out and developed that formula! Someone in the fitness industry got hold of this and took it as the holy grail!! The doctors never meant for it to be a stead-fast rule - just a guideline!! So, if you are a healthy, no-issue person in their 20s - you may be depriving yourself of a great workout if you are holding yourself to those numbers. If you are dead-set on using your heartrate monitor - try this:

Wake up in the morning and take your heartrate - consider this your "resting heartrate". You can also take it again after you have been sitting for a while. When you are about to workout, take your heartrate again and see how that differs from a resting heartrate - consider this a baseline. Do some type of warm up, take it again. Bring yourself to what you consider a moderate effort, take it again. Bring yourself to breathless, take it again. Basically, set your own guidelines for what your base and your max are! Once you have been working out for a while, do this test again - chances are, as you become more fit, your numbers will also change!

Just my $0.02! Good luck!

 

[CrazyOldMan]

Thanks for that basket case. I haven't read up in a number of years, and I do love to be wrong, gives me something new to learn.

Heart rate wise 220 - age. My highest recorded heart rate was during sprint sessions with a group of runners, 214 bpm for moments but during the session there were frequent jumps to over 210, I was 18 not 6 years old More shocking to the 220 - age brigade, I was one of the distance runners, the sprinters were making these numbers look mild, some going over 220. These guys were also so used to short burst and recover that they had lower pulse rates at the end of the slow sections too, no amount of knowing they couldn't keep going with you after a mile makes that feel better.

When I run my heart rate will be at or above my max age related and because I am a freak I hold this for mile after mile. So I largely ignore heart rate monitors. There is also the added complication that your heart rate drops after a certain period at a fixed intensity, basically when oxygen debt has been fully repaid, and you would need to go faster to keep the same heart rate.

I use breathing as my guide, part because it's easier, and also because it's my weakness. This is a valid system if often maligned by heart rate fans, the most important thing your heart is pumping around your body is oxygen, so if your lungs aren't providing enough you will stop.
If you can hold a conversation that's low intensity aerobic, if you are breathing relaxed but audibly, that's moderate intensity aerobic, if you are gulping in air as deep as you can with mouth slack and wide without getting stitch or wanting to die, that's high intensity aerobic, can't get enough air in but trying anyway and able to keep going more than 10 seconds, that's anearobic (lactic acid system), if you are holding your breath because you are only doing a single or small number of heavy movements thats insane, and many of us here thoroughly enjoy it.
The ease of knowing how you are breathing enables you to focus on the activity rather than the display on your wrist etc. After over 2 decades of running, cylcing etc. I found the comparison between breathing and heart rate hasn't changed at all, to the extent I hardly ever even check now. Last time I did was about a month ago, and I found out that not only hasn't the comparison changed but neither has my working heart rate.

If you have issues with your heart use a monitor that alerts you at a set level that your doctor advises and stop or slow down if it beeps at you without fail. This isn't the movies, most of the time if your heart stops CPR will not save you, you will die, treat with respect. Many UK doctors won't advise this but when my mother told me she has a murmur I advised it and the doctor was able to give guidance. Obviously more money in giving out medication than helping people save their own lives, sorry rather poor opinion of UK GPs.