HIT vs HIIT?

[PixlPushr]

Ok.. So..

Is there a benefit of High Intensity Interval Training over just plain High Intensity Training?

[sooner_ed]

depends on what your goals are. What are you trying to accomplish?

[.V.]

HIT - High intensity training. This generally refers to weight lifting with very heavy weights to failure. Often with a weight heavy enough that you can only perform a few reps, no more than 6 for example. When you can get 6 you increase the weight. DC is another example, one set, super heavy, to failure...

HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training. This refers to very difficult cardiovascular training. You go all out for a short time, then at an easier pace for a short time - intervals from difficult to very difficult. The idea is that if you can do more than 15-20 minutes and still be standing, you didn't work hard enough. This is in my opinion the very best cardio training for fat burning because of the way it jacks the metabolism up to burn fat all day long. I don't know that it's the very best for cardiovascular health though - I honestly can't answer that part either way.

In spite of HIIT being the "best" I don't do it exclusively...it's just too darn hard and doesn't fit with my goals.

[RJ2208]

If your goal is fat loss, can you do HIIT training in the morning (on an empty stomach or with a scoop of whey, dont know which is better i guess its debatable) say 6hrs before weight training granted its not a leg day. Or is it a must to weight train first then do HIIT at least 6hrs later? Because I am doing max-ot so there is 5 weight training days with sat and sun off. So i would use sat up as a HIIT day, sun is a rest day, would it be better to do HIIT the other 2 days during the week at night about 6hrs after weight training? or would it make more sense to do it right when i wake up in the morning then weight train 6-8hrs later.

[RJ2208]

any input?

[.V.]

I agree, cardio early in the AM on an empty stomach has the potential to burn more fat at that time. However, you've got to get past stored glycogen to actually directly burn fat. That would mean doing more than a brief HIIT session. That would involve lower intensity cardio for a longer time. I think that is not best for building muscle.

My, admittedly limited, experience with HIIT (I do the longer duration, lower intensity kind that kills off muscle), has shown me that on my body it's best to feed HIIT just like a weight workout. That means I fuel up for it and replenish after it. This doesn't give direct fat burning at the time of the exercise, but boosts the metabolism to allow fat burning all day long. That's how I've used HIIT to burn the most fat, and spare the most muscle.

That view is very debatable though. Many believe that longer duration cardio in the early AM before breakfast for direct fat burning and then eat to spare muscle is best. Many of those who do that are actually quite large and muscular. So obviously, that approach does work for them. Just not for me.

Thats the thing about different methods. They all work a bit differently for each of us, giving different results.

[RJ2208]

hmm i see what your saying, makes sense, everyone is different giving different results for different methods. What I am thinking though is it would work out better for me to do HIIT in the morning i guess fasted since there really isnt a potential threat to burn muscle, instead of doing it late at night a few hours before bed. Then at least by doing it in the morning ill have the "fat burning" effects all day long instead of going to sleep a couple hours later and suddenly have the high metabolism shut down. What do u think? i mean i would spread hiit and lifting at least 6hrs apart and be properly replenished before my workout. I would be doing HIIT 3x a week.

[.V.]

I think you should try it for 6 or 8 weeks and see what kind of results it gives you. Then try feeding it for 6 or 8 weeks and see what that does for you.

Keeping them separate by 6 hours is actually a great idea.

Best of luck to ya. You've gotta try different things though to see what's best for your body unless you want to go totally by studies that were done on a variety of people instead of learning about your own body. All I can tell you is what worked for me, what worked even better for me, and what didn't work so well for me.