I have been doing LISS for a little over a year. And I feel like my cardio-fitness is not doing well. I can't really jog (just sort of spontaneously, like when I want to get somewhere quickly) at a semi-fast pace longer then 4-5 minutes without pooping out and going back to a walk.

I used to do 60 minutes fasted HISS (High Intensity Steady State) and I had pretty good fat burning results with that. I got my heart rate up to about 90-95% MHR according to the standard formula (MHR = 220 - age (today) = 162 though I suspect my own MHR is higher. My HISS consisted of 30 minutes on am elliptical which would get my HR up to about 80% and then switch to incline treadmill, fast walking speed, to get my HR up to 90-95% for the next 25 minutes. I think I was in better cardio-vascular shape then... and I only did it 2-3 times a week and it was my only cardio.

My cardio, realistically now, is about 4-5 times a week, fasted in the AM.

My weights is Waterbury's TBT, which realistically is 1 -2 times a week.

Right now I have added one ab workout before my 45 minute LISS cardio, which rotates among 3 exercises. (TBT does not have specific ab work.. and I miss it.)

So this is what I propose:

Alternate HISS with LISS mornings, with abs only on LISS mornings.

My question is: which day should I do the TBT weights... the days I do HISS or the days I do LISS. My intuition tells me I should do TBT on days I do LISS. Or maybe it doesn't matter so much.

What do people think?

I'd vote for the LISS days myself.

I'd vote for the LISS days myself.
Same here. Do it on your low intensity days.

I'd agree with the two above, and in fact, I've done that. I'd do HIIT on my off days, and LISS fasted on lift days. I'd also not do any high intensity stuff without about 1/2 serving of protein.

I'm currently rarely doing cardio on lift days, but I may get back to doing it.

Thanks for the feedback guys :) :) :)

Mannishboy --- I was talking about HISS, not HIIT, I don't if that was just a slip in your post.

:tucool:

Thanks for the feedback guys :) :) :)

Mannishboy --- I was talking about HISS, not HIIT, I don't if that was just a slip in your post.

:tucool:


No, I got it, I'm just saying I've done high intensity work (although of a different type) on alternating days. I should have sad "I've done something similar to that" instead :)

Well, actually, I've gone through periods of doing HIIT 6 days a week, too.

I just don't have the patience for HISS anymore. I did that several years ago 6 days a week prior to starting to lift again. I burned through good muscle in that period (probably not the cardio, but the no weight or real diet improvements). Lost a lot of weight (35 lbs), but not in a good way :)

Thanks for the feedback guys :) :) :)

Mannishboy --- I was talking about HISS, not HIIT, I don't if that was just a slip in your post.

:tucool:
Not sure, but same deal. They're both high intensity and would both be better suited for non-lifting days.

Not sure, but same deal. They're both high intensity and would both be better suited for non-lifting days.

Yeah, that's probably true... but I plan to HISS fasted... That used to work very well for me.

I've always felt that fasted workouts (no matter what they are) are a bad idea. At least get some protein in your stomach before you start exercising.

If you're looking for fat loss, be consistent. That's the only way it's going to happen. Make sure you are eating below your maintenance. And if that's not working, eat below that. Cardio should also be very consistent- I would vote for 6 days a week. I know a lot of people here hate cardio, wouldn't prescribe it, yadda yadda, but it works when you're on a caloric deficit, hands down. And be consistent with your TBT- do it three days a week. And follow it with cardio.

For example:

Sun: Off

Mon: TBT (45-50mins) + 30 min steady state (whatever intensity, but try to keep your heart rate high enough that it's not a walk in the park)

Tues: 45 min cardio of choice- make sure you're breathing heavy, ok?

Wed: See Monday

Thur: See Tuesday

Fri: See Monday

Sat: See Tuesday, OR get outside and be active- walk around, do yard work, etc.

While I think people here will also scoff at the length of time that you're in the gym on mon/wed/fri, it really won't hurt you one bit. You won't be overtraining. And you will lose weight, feel better about yourself- as long as you are eating correctly. Only you can choose to do that.


Yeah, that's probably true... but I plan to HISS fasted... That used to work very well for me.

Alternate HISS with LISS mornings, with abs only on LISS mornings.

My question is: which day should I do the TBT weights... the days I do HISS or the days I do LISS. My intuition tells me I should do TBT on days I do LISS. Or maybe it doesn't matter so much.

What do people think?

I think you will have to decide for yourself. Presumably people who like going with the lifting on the LISS days are trying to avoid a really intense work day.

But they will also avoid a big rest day, and, they will restrict the intensity.

Well either way could be the right answer. It really comes down to whether you want to swing your body through a wider range of stimulus or a narrow one.

Since you mention that you want to increase your CV fitness, I would tend to favor the high intensity/high rest strategy of doing the lifting on the high intensity cardio days. It's what I do. The big rest helps me more than evening out intensity.

On the other hand, this sort of thing can depend a lot on the individual and what state they are in. I would expect that whichever approach that you choose, then if you switched it after two months, you would see an improvement. Either way.

I think you will have to decide for yourself. Presumably people who like going with the lifting on the LISS days are trying to avoid a really intense work day.

But they will also avoid a big rest day, and, they will restrict the intensity.

Well either way could be the right answer. It really comes down to whether you want to swing your body through a wider range of stimulus or a narrow one.

Since you mention that you want to increase your CV fitness, I would tend to favor the high intensity/high rest strategy of doing the lifting on the high intensity cardio days. It's what I do. The big rest helps me more than evening out intensity.

On the other hand, this sort of thing can depend a lot on the individual and what state they are in. I would expect that whichever approach that you choose, then if you switched it after two months, you would see an improvement. Either way.


Thanks for posting... I was hoping you would chime as well as the others. This post was in fact stimulated by a post you made on another thread (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=256531&postcount=6) a while back but I was just reading it today.

and some posts on an
old thread of mine (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=256531&postcount=6)

I would definitely do it on the LISS days too. But if you're only lifting 1-2 times a week, I would replace 1-2 cardio sessions with TBT if at all possible.

Yeah, that's probably true... but I plan to HISS fasted... That used to work very well for me.

Hmm...:confused: Better than fueled? Have you done both? I think you should give unfasted high-intensity work a go for a good stretch before you decide that fasted is preferable. If you already have when diet and training is otherwise in line, then I guess do what works for you.

Thanks for posting... I was hoping you would chime as well as the others. This post was in fact stimulated by a post you made on another thread (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=256531&postcount=6) a while back but I was just reading it today.

That one is about how you don't have to do traditional cardio to improve your cardio (and I am firmly convinced that varying the type of cardio is very useful). And about not going by "zones" or using the age based formula for exercise planning - I still agree with that too.

About this intensity question? I personally do the more variation - hit the hard days hard and fully rest on rest days. I would think fit older people have a reason to consider this plan. I think you do your growing and rebuilding of tissue on the rest days, so I like to have days with nothing high intensity.