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!