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Can you do too much HIIT?
-Can’t Do Normal Cardio
FOR A LOT of gym-going guys, traditional cardio training exists as a dreaded specter haunting their workout plans, or in the most extreme cases, a plague to be avoided at all costs. When they meet an alternative to the arduous slog of the steady state (think low intensity, long-haul activities like running or biking that raise your heart rate over an extended period of time) it can feel like a revelation. That’s one reason high intensity interval training (HIIT) is such a popular protocol. You can get your heart rate up while still doing the strength-building exercises you love, all without even thinking the word “jog.” The popular line holds that you’ll burn fat and build muscle with these workouts, a potent combo.
That might be why you’ve turned to HIIT workouts. Or maybe you’re just engaging in the types of training available to you. While HIIT was once just another gym acronym and one of the best-kept secrets in fitness, the style of workout has been trendy for nearly a decade. HIIT is especially popular for group fitness classes; since the protocol can be broken out into different exercise stations and demands intensity, it’s often packaged as a one-size-fits-all solution that will leave patrons feeling like they got their money’s worth of sweat. But you should know that there is a limit to the protocol’s efficacy—especially when you stack multiple training sessions too close to one another.
The key to this is the first part of the acronym: high intensity. When you’re doing a HIIT workout properly, the protocol requires you to expend maximal effort. That doesn’t mean that you’re just breathing a little heavier than the norm; you should be close to failure by the end of each interval split. Your muscles and heart rate will be taxed to the limit, which is how you’ll reap the protocol’s proposed gains. But this type of effort is not possible to maintain for extended periods of time and demands real recovery—which means that you can’t take on HIIT training every single day without a major crash.
“Excessive HIIT training may cause more harm than good,” says Eric Sung, C.S.C.S., a member of the Men’s Health Strength in Diversity initiative and trainer who uses the protocol with his clients at Performance Lab in New York City. “There is a reason why HIIT workouts are meant to be short: the high demand of energy expenditure. When your body is constantly working that hard, fatigue should be managed over time through proper recovery.”
You should also be wary of exactly how HIIT is being practiced. As it has risen in popularity, the perception of HIIT has morphed to broadly represent any type of interval workout. (As a refresher, an interval workout just means that you’ll work for a set amount of time for each exercise you do instead of a set number of reps, then rest). The intensity is meant to be the key—and if you’re not pushing yourself to the edge of your capacity, you’re not really doing HIIT. Some signs that your HIIT workout isn’t all that include longer work periods (think upwards of 30 seconds) and a lopsided work-to-rest ratio that doesn’t allow for proper recovery. MH fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. and Advisory Board member David Otey, C.S.C.S. have explained that this type of workout is actually better described as moderate intensity interval training. You’re probably not trying to do MIIT (although that can be a good option, as we’ll discuss in just a bit).
And if you’re taking a group fitness class, you might not be getting much help from your trainer. In my experience, these setups can become unfocused showcases for an instructor’s ego more than effective workouts. Not only are you not going to get the type of training you’re looking for, you’re also going to be putting yourself at risk of injury (and burning through money).
So, if you can practice HIIT properly, how often can you include the workouts in your routine? Sung has an answer. “I suggest starting with two days per week and eventually building up to three days per week,” he says. “Be sure to get some adequate rest in between and mix in heavy strength training sessions when you can.”
Given your pen name, you also believe that regular forms of cardio are off the table. Whether that’s because of your injury history or preferences, here are some ideas to help you get more cardio into your routine without burning out on HIIT.
Other Solutions for Cardio Training
Mix in Steady State
Okay, we get that you’re not going to pick up jogging—but that doesn’t mean that you can’t pedal an exercise bike. Once you get into the swing of things with a HIIT practice, add some longer, less intense forms of cardio. “In order to avoid overtraining or the feeling of “burn out”, try introducing low intensity steady state (LISS) workouts in between your high intensity days,” suggests Sung. This can be anything from a stationary bike to a long walk. Consider scheduling HIIT sessions to bookend the week, on Monday and Friday, with a steady state session on Wednesday in between. “This will insure that you spread out your max-effort sessions while still building a cardio engine,” Samuel says.
Try Moderate Steady State Training
Samuel and Otey suggest that you can use this slightly less strenuous form of interval training as a cardio tool. You won’t push as hard as you might during a true HIIT workout, but you’ll have an easier time bouncing back from the sessions than true blue HIIT circuits. You can do these sessions with your bodyweight or on equipment like a rower or fan bike, performing intervals at 70 to 90 percent of your max effort for 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off.
Mix Your Cardio Into Your Strength Training
Rather than thinking of your cardio and strength training sessions as church and state, consider bringing them together. You can do this in part by cutting down your rest periods and ramping up your intensity during your standard sets (but not during heavy compound movements)—but you can also tack on a shorter (think eight to 10 minute) steady state session once your strength training is done. Try this workout, then hit the bike, rower, SkiErg, or walk to cap it off.
Brett Williams, a fitness editor at Men’s Health, is a NASM-CPT certified trainer and former pro football player and tech reporter who splits his workout time between strength and conditioning training, martial arts, and running. You can find his work elsewhere at Mashable, Thrillist, and other outlets.
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