File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
Sup /fit/.
For the past couple of months I've been doing 30 min on the bicycle and various aerobics exercised about once every couple of days. This usually amounts to 1h-1h30m/session. I haven't lost any weight (154p at 5.5f - baaawww, fatty) but noticed an improvement as far as stamina goes (small but at least I don't feel like I'm going to have a heart attack after going up 4 sets of stairs - I have a very sedentary lifestyle due to my job).
I read up about HIIT today after seeing it mentioned here. Apparently I've been doing it wrong until now and I should start doing HIIT if I want to have a chance at burning all that fat.
I'm thinking of changing my workout plan to 10 minutes of HIIT (30sec high and 30sec low on the stationary bike) about 4-5 times a week and cut on the aerobics (or leave the crunches in).
I read that this is more efficient than prolonged sessions but it just seems so idealistic that I can go from 1 h to just 10min and actually be more efficient. Can you tell me more about it? Personal experience is most welcome.
>> Anonymous
To tell the truth, most of the comparisons between cardio and HIIT are speculation. As a general rule, HIIT is better, but cardio is just as good in most cases when fat burning is the goal. The problem with prolonged cardio is that it has a tendency to make you ravenously hungry afterward (or shortly afterward), so you end up back where you've started. With HIIT, you're usually too wasted to even move, let alone eat.

But it is true - 10 min of HIIT is roughly equivilant to 30 to 60 min of medium-exertion cardio.

(not an expert, I've just done a little research.)
>> Anonymous
I've experienced the craving after cardio but lately I learned to contain it. Though it's good to know I can squeeze 30 min worth of cardio in a 10 min session by doing HIIT.
Thanks for the reply. I'll continue to look into it and this evening try it for myself and see if I can handle it.

Also, if I go for HIIT would it be counter-productive to keep the aerobics routine?
>> Anonymous
If you want to keep the aerobics, there really isn't any harm in it, just make sure to do no more then 45 minutes of exercise at once, and don't do HIIT and regular cardio on the same day, make sure your getting enough of all the essential nutrients (or you will loose muscle and your metabolism will take a nose dive), you should probably do some sort of resistence training, or pushups/situps, etc. to maintain muscle mass (and, therefore, your metabolism). Try to exercise regularly, and make sure you get enough rest so that your body can recover, or you will loose muscle, energy, etc.