What Is Hiit Cardio
 

Could Someone Please Tell Me What Hiit Cardio Is?

high intensity interval training
or - the dreaded windsprints of h.s. PE :)

try a google search on HIIT or HIIT Training for studies, articles and more examples than you can shake a stick at - basically sprint/recover/repeat: everything from 20sec/10sec intervals, to 400m intervals, to 1min/2min intervals

i hate HIIT... but gotta do it to cut and rettain muscle at the same time (you lose too much muscle on regular cardio)

HIIT = High intensity interval training... pretty much a mix of high intensity sprints and moderate for recovery

i do HIIT swimming mostly... here's what my workout looks like...
warmup - 4laps moderate freestyle/breaststroke
workout:
1lap all out sprint (freestyle, alternating with breaststroke)
2laps moderate
*repeat till i feel like throwing up*
cooldown - 4laps light (back, breast, free, butteryfly)

after all this i feel sick because of all the exertion... but after a half hour and a protein shake, i feel fine and really pumped!

I've just started doing HIIT since last week... (hadn't even heard of it till then!)

The way BFL teaches it is in 4 curves..... taking the stationary bike for example, (since I've just started don't laugh at the settings I use :p)

I get on the bike and set it at difficulty 3, I pedal at this for 2 mins... it's really pretty easy but it gets the blood flowing
I then bump up to 4 for 1 min
Up to 5 for 1 min - starting to sweat now
Up to 6 for 1 min
Up to 7 for 1 min - really starting to have shortness of breath now
Back down to 4 for 1 min
Up to 5 for 1 min
Up to 6 for 1 min
Up to 7 for 1 min
Back down to 4 for 1 min
Up to 5 for 1 min
Up to 6 for 1 min
Up to 7 for 1 min
Back down to 4 for 1 min
Up to 5 for 1 min
Up to 6 for 1 min
Up to 7 for 1 min
Up to 8 for 1 min - really really going for it, feeling like I'm gonna throw up
Back down to 3 for 1 min cool down

And that's it.... a nice 20 min package :)

I've tried to do it once on a treadmill so far - my first time ever on a treadmill and I don't think I was setting the speed fast enough at the different levels for it to be pushing me hard enough.... but that will come with experience (and if I buy a heart monitor to have backup so I can compare my effort level 5 on a bike with effort level 5 on a treadmill! :))

...not to be confused with "Hit Cardio"...... where you punch Dean Ornish - feel great - AND lose weight.

Malcolm