Comments on: Complete Guide to Interval Training

By: Peter Everett

Peter Everett — Wed, 11 May 2016 14:00:52 +0000

Always something to gain from your articles/blogs Greg, thank you very much.

One of my favourite HIIT routines is:

Burp’n’snatch

30 sec left handed snatch
15 sec slingshots
30 sec burpees
15 sec slingshots
30 sec right handed snatch

repeat for 3x left hand and 3x right hand snatches totally 6xsnatches and 6xburpees.

Cooldown 2 minutes

20 Sec Globlet Squats
10 sec Halos
20 Sec kettlebell lunge with rotation
10 sec Halos

repeat for 4x goblet squats and 4x rotation lunges

10 x Turkish Get Ups

End

I tried to incorporate all 3 planes of movement as you suggest and have begun using this as a basis for compling HIIT routines with the aim of keeping the variety. I tend to do around 4 per week and try to throw in the odd jog, swim, or activity day with the kids 🙂

Your HIIT advice has enabled me to tailor short, beneficial routines with enough variety to keep it interesting and keep the body on its toes 😀

(as mentioned before, I do alternate day fasting, so on fast days if I want to train, I keep it to 20/10 HIIT with low resistance/high anearobic effort bodyweight routine such as jumping jacks, press ups, fast mountain climbers)

Happy for any feedback if I’ve got it wrong anywhere!

Peter

By: Greg Brookes

Greg Brookes — Tue, 10 May 2016 06:37:57 +0000

In reply to Satya Newday. Looks like you are in good control of your training Satya, well done. I personally wouldn't recommend 90% for more than 5 minutes, in fact I would reduce this slightly. As you know speed of recovery is the sign of good fitness so I would work on intervals and allow your heart rate to come down to approx. 65% before going again. Monitor your times over 4 weeks, and see how your recovery improves. Best of Luck.

By: Satya Newday

Satya Newday — Mon, 09 May 2016 22:43:28 +0000

Thanks Greg, I’m experienced and find your work a treasure. I’m a 66 year old, recently certified trainer with NASM and was trained in RKC system by a martial arts instructor 4 years ago, starting with 15lb KB for swings, snatches, etc, anything heavier irritated my 30 year, rotator cuff disability, although I stayed active and maintained mobility. KB, 30 minutes twice a week remodeled my shoulders and knees at the joints and I could functionally give up bothering with crunches and leg lifts. I increased from 15# to 26, 36, 44 and I can now handle skilfully 53 # without aggravating rotator cuff. Did 6 month training in power lifting recently but that’s a story for another day.

The 30 seconds rotation doesnt lower my HR at all once I hit 80%. Tabata 4 minute cycle of 20/10×8 swings or snatches have me at 163pm after about a minute (2#6/12kg and I weight @65@5’7″) and takes 2 minutes to return to 65%. Rockport walk test calculates my mad training HR at 172.

I’ve only had one upper respiratory infection in the last year, so…. Still, If I use 24 or 20 kg kb, by the 4th minute of 30/30 my rate stops falling. With a lighter bell, once it rises my watch/mon doesnt lower. The effect looks like a really high steady state routine 🙂

What do you think of an 8 minute routine where my heart rate stays above 90% for more than 5 minutes?

BTW I have started a routine with higher weight and applied reverse pyramid, results with HR don’t very as much as I feel comfortable with with my limited HIIT experience. My he still vets high and stays there.

Like the vicor said, even for a trainer, I’m not find I g much support for HIIT for older folks.

Thanks!

By: Greg Brookes

Greg Brookes — Mon, 09 May 2016 16:45:39 +0000

In reply to Rev. Andrew Lindley. Congratulations on 50 years of exercising. As you know consistency is always the key to success. Sounds like you are going strong. Without knowing more about your exact situation it's hard to advise specifically but you may want to add in some shorter bursts of intensity throughout the 30 minutes. You could experiment with the Treadmill format that I mention in the article but on your cross trainer or bike.

By: Greg Brookes

Greg Brookes — Mon, 09 May 2016 16:40:47 +0000

In reply to rachel. Thanks Rachel, 8 x 20/10 classic Tabata training, that's very tough indeed! Thanks for sharing

By: rachel

rachel — Mon, 09 May 2016 16:07:10 +0000

Here is a rowing HIIT that I use – total time = 8 minutes.

put pull exertion level as high as you can mange and then:

2 minute warm up
20 sec row as fast as pos
10 sec very gentle recovery row
repeat until the timer says 06 minutes
2 minutes cool down

By: Rev. Andrew Lindley

Rev. Andrew Lindley — Mon, 09 May 2016 15:15:09 +0000

Hi Greg. Thanks for all your very helpful articles. I am a 70 years old retired vicar and have been exercising for the last 50 years to compensate for an otherwise sedentary life style. I am reasonably fit and have tried HIIT but am now doing 30 minutes on an exercise bike or my crosstrainer which includes 20 mins above 70%, 5mins above 80% and 1 min above 90% of maximum heart rate…..is there any problem with this and will I get the same benefits. There also doesn’t seem to be much information around about exercising for older people….most of it seems to be for the unfit to get them moving. Any comments would be helpful. Regards.

By: Robin Jessup

Robin Jessup — Mon, 09 May 2016 15:00:35 +0000

As a former runner who developed repeated hip/hamstring issues, I turned to hiit as alternative exercise about 5 years ago. I could no longer sprint without recurring injury. Now over 50 yrs old, hiit is a way of life for me. I have always preferred the flexibility of working out on my own around my own schedule and hiit easily fits that bill. Requiring little space and mostly just my own body weight, it’s easy to exercise regularly. There are a myriad of routine options and thanks to the wonderful information shared online by trainers like yourself, I can keep my workouts fresh and stay motivated with new moves and challenges.

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 09 May 2016 14:58:59 +0000

Great info Greg.
Useful to trainers as well as less experienced people.
Thanks .

By: Greg Brookes

Greg Brookes — Mon, 09 May 2016 14:20:23 +0000

In reply to Kel. Thanks Kel, pleased you enjoyed it and found it useful. All the best.