You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Beginner at HITT
- Thread starter Jeffrey99
- Start date
I'm 17 years old/male/5'8/139lbs and new to HIIT. Is there a HIIT routine for stationary bikes and treadmills?I'd like some input and help please.
You can do HIIT with pretty much any piece of cardio equipment ( or any exercise regimen for that matter )...bike, treadmill, rower, elliptical, elliptical trainer etc.
As you probably already know, the " High Intensity " in HIIT usually means going ' hard ' or ' flat out " for a specified period of time - or, the ' work interval ' time period. And, the work interval can vary quite a bit in terms of time ....... it can be 10 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds, 60 seconds , 90 seconds etc. etc. Thing is, since " High Intensity " is what it is, so as a ' newbie ' to HIIT it's best that you're already in some form of aerobic cardio shape before you dive into HIIT IMO - i.e I would expect someone should be able to do 30 minutes of steady state cardio at a good clip for 30 minutes before doing some hard HIIT sessions - but that's just me.
And of course, the work interval is followed by a rest interval too ( simply going at a reduced level of intensity ). Again you sometimes see HIIT expressed in terms of work / rest ratios like 1:1 or 1:2 or 1:3 or 1:4...where a 1:2, for example, is going hard for one unit of time ( i.e 1 minute ) and resting for 2 units ( i.e 2 minutes ).
As an example, there is a well respected trainer ( Alwyn Cosgrove ) who uses a HIIT protocol to optimize fat burning, and he suggests using a 1:2 ratio - hard ( i.e flat out ) for 1 minute, and easy for 2 minutes. Total HIIT workouts in this case shouldn't need to go beyond 20-25+ minutes.
As far as stationary bikes go, some hockey players I coached used them a lot for HIIT training. Our hockey players would simply warm up at 80 rpm on the bike at a minimal or moderate resistance for 3-5 minutes , go hard as they could for 1 minute at the same or some other resistance level ( in other words, they went as fast on their rpm's as they could once a training resistance was chosen), then go back at peddling at the same minimal or moderate resistance for 2 minutes at 80 rpm to recover, then do the 1 on / 2 off again, again, again etc. etc. They also used treadmills for HIIT, where the " go hard as you could " interval simply means you bump your mph or your incline ( or both ) for 1 minute and then continue with the same ' 1 on / 2 off ' ( i.e lower the mph or your incline ) HIIT protocol you use on the bike.
Last edited:
I have found the bike to be much easier to use for HIIT then a treadmill. Not sure about an elliptical...
I have found the bike to be much easier to use for HIIT then a treadmill. Not sure about an elliptical...
I've found that ellipticals and elliptical trainers are about the same as bikes in terms of ' ease of use ' for HIIT sessions.
But you're right, on treadmills there is always a small time lag adjusting your mph and or incline immediately before and after work intervals. Then again, our hockey players got around that by first warming up on a treadmill at a slow pace for a couple of minutes, then setting the ' work ' mph and or incline settings, running hard for 1 minute at those ' work ' settings, jumping off the treadmill altogether for the rest interval of 2 minutes or so ( while the treadmill was still running at those ' work ' speed and incline levels ) and then jumping back on for the next 1 minute ' work ' interval. That sort of treadmill HIIT protocol comes close to what hockey players experience on the ice during game situations - namely, going flat out out on the ice for 30 - 45+ seconds and recovering, by sitting on the bench, for 1.5 - 2+ minutes.
Last edited: