ExRx.net

So I'm beginning to understand what HIIT is about. My current exercise routine includes 20min on the treadmill where my heartrate goes to 170bpm, then the main exercises are the squat, deadlift and bench press. Every session I throw in variations of dumbells, kettlebells, lunges etc. I'm finding out I'm spending about 1.5hrs in the gym for all this.

Can someone give me an example where I can continue to use these exercises in an HIIT? It's supposed to be only 20min, right?

Alternate work and rest periods where you get your heart rate to a certain level, keep it there for a short time, then let it recover, repeat as many times as you can in your 20 minutes. Or, you can just time it so you're working 30 seconds, rest for 30, repeat the desired number of times. The tabata protocol calls for 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest repeated 8 times. All these methods work and there are many more ways of doing it.

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Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food.~Hippocrates
Strength is the adaptation that leads to all other adaptations that you really care about - Charles Staley
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Thanks TimD

So I can do this with any exercise? For instance Deadlift for 30 seconds, rest 30 seconds and repeat the cycle for 20 minutes?

That would work, Crossfitters do it all the time, although with deadlifts, you have to be careful of your lower back. Front squats are better as you have to use proper form. Complexes work great too.

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Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food.~Hippocrates
Strength is the adaptation that leads to all other adaptations that you really care about - Charles Staley
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Thanks TimD

I wouldnt do deadlifts for this - I'd go with complexes as resistance "HIIT"

I personally do something along the lines of:
Pushups x10
barbell rows x10
high pulls x5
shoulder press x10
Back squat x10

my "rest" is a 1 minute plank

I cant remember how many sets of that I do, but I'd guess about 3 sets of that before im a crying mess lying on a mat - I can/do go again but it starts to fall apart, more rest etc.

You asked: "So I can do this with any exercise? For instance Deadlift for 30 seconds, rest 30 seconds and repeat the cycle for 20 minutes?"

A lot of people are doing HIIT workouts using light weight-higher rep exercises e.g. push ups, burbees, lunge+shoulder press with light dumbells etc. This "works" in the sense that you get your heart rate up and you get to step off that awful eliptical trainer thing. But, keep this in mind: weight lifting IS HIIT (it's just that some rest too long for a great cardio benefit). Be careful adding more resistance training sessions to your joints, even if it's light weight stuff--shoulders especially but even the knees and the mighty hips can suffer. The repetition can lead to all kinds of problems, including bursitis. You can actually design your regular weight lifting sessions to afford more of a HIIT cardio effect by supersetting e.g. chest + back, Legs + core, shoulder + arm work.

I think what stu is saying is to alternate between sprinting and walking. I'm with Robert on not doing the 30 second rest for deadlifts. There is a sticky on complexes that has tons of good information that you can use to incorporate lifting in your HIIT.

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Thanks TimD.

Rest is just any activity that allows your heart rate to recover. You don't have to actually stop.

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Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food.~Hippocrates
Strength is the adaptation that leads to all other adaptations that you really care about - Charles Staley
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Thanks TimD

I shall borrow that idea.

Great post.

Again, it emphasizes the point that everything in your training affects everything else. If you're going to use weights for your HIIT, you have to pay attention to how that affects and is affected by the rest of your training. If you do use weights for your HIIT, DL would not be the best choice.

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Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.--Francis Chan