hi
up until now i've been doing regular, same intensity cardio..then i started to see all this stuff about HIIT..from what i could figure out by reading snipits i tried it on the treadmill...running for 1 minute each at 6, 6.2, 6,4, 6.6, 6.8,7..then i did it again..i was definately working hard but can someone tell me exactly how this is to be done??? cause i want to try it again..and possible try it on other machines
thanks
lindsay :d_confuse

Check out John's Training Page (http://www.johnstonefitness.com/php/training.php)

It's got his HIIT plan on it, which is simple, but still as good as anything else I've seen.

When I've tried HIIT, I feel like it really worked and got the intensity up when the differences between the off and on paces were a lot bigger, not just 1 MPH. Unless, of course, that 1 MPH is the difference for you between 60% and 90% effort, which is totally plausible.

I tended to go from 6 MPH up to 12 MPH on a treadmill, back and forth, every other minute, for half an hour. But I'm no HIIT veteran.

If I were to start doing it again (I'm doing early morning fasted state these days), I'd probably use an incline to make the "intense" sections at a little less than the max the treadmill can go. Incline is a good complement to speed if you're managing intensity. I feel like running 12 MPH on a treadmill is precarious; my stride is long enough that if I mix up my rhythm, I worry a lot about falling off.

The easiest way to picture HIIT is to think of Sprints around a track. You sprint the straight-aways and jog the curves. Repeat for 15 - 20 minutes. Or, look at a football field. Sprint 100 yards, turn around and jog back 100 yards. Just repeat over and over.

The "optimal" way is to figure out your max heart rate and then use 90% of that as your high and 60% of the max as the low. On a treadmill, the way I like to do it is go 6.0 mph, then 9.0+ mph. I run at around a 7.0 mph constant pace normally. I don't track my mhr, but it goes up and down like crazy.

HIIT and Other Interval Training Methods (http://www.youronlinefitness.com/Fitness_Articles/articles/January_2003_articles/hiit_and_other_interval_training.htm)

This site will give a pretty good basic understanding of how to start a HIIT routine. It suggests an alternating walk/jog (1 min each) for beginnners. And has increasing programs....

Of course, you will need to tailor it to yourself (use a bike, walk a little longer) but it should give you an idea of where to start... :gl: