Anyone know anything about HIIT?

[Kermit power]

Namely High Intensity Interval Training, to expand the acronym.

Can it be done realistically on/off road on a normal bike, or is it really only workable on a static bike?

From what I can see, the concept is pretty simple - warm up, then flog your guts out with maximum effort for 30 seconds, pedal gently for 5 minutes then repeat for the next 40 minutes or so.

This seems doable, but my main two thoughts are these...

1. How exact does the timing have to be? Needless to say, there are times on the roads when continuing a sprint for 30 seconds would be suicidal! Can it be shifted around a bit to compensate for junctions and the like without ruining the whole exercise?

2. When people say "flat out", does that automatically mean out of the saddle, or does caning it whilst seated still count? Again, for safety reasons there's plenty of times where I'd feel less than safe swinging the thing from side to side.

[ewenm]

1. Circumstances cutting short an effort are fine (although it's better to try to plan routes that avoid this) as long as you aren't looking for the excuses
2. It's about the intensity. Probably worth getting a heart-rate monitor to see how high you're pushing your HR. As long as it's getting up there, it doesn't really matter how you achieve it.

[Robsti]

Doesn't have to be exact!

Flat out can be in the saddle to the point of

The amount of times you repeat is good but not at the detriment of the flat out bits which for the best improvement must be flat out!

Good luck because it's bloody hard!

[Kermit power]

Thanks guys.

Definitely not looking for an excuse - more wondering if I could kill two birds with one stone and use my commute in to central London to do it!

My Garmin has an HRM, so all good there.

I assume it doesn't matter whether the flat out sections fall uphill, downhill or on the flat, so long as I am flat out and don't pedal out if it's downhill?

Also, how many times per week should one try to do this?

[okgo]

What are you trying to achieve?

[Kermit power]

okgo said:

What are you trying to achieve?

Nothing fancy at the moment - weight loss & fitness gains, making the best use of limited time in which to exercise.

[Kermit power]

ewenm said:

1. Circumstances cutting short an effort are fine (although it's better to try to plan routes that avoid this) as long as you aren't looking for the excuses

The thought occurs that the best place for this is Richmond Park. I'll head over there early this evening, I think.

[MadDad]

I do HIIT training on a turbo trainer, I am sure in the right environment you could do it on the road but I would not want to try it personally! I do it to increase my L/T, lung capacity and recovery, as well as the secondary benefits of keeping my weight down and keeping fit! I have a couple of routines;

30 mins workout;

8 mins warmup
30 sec sprint
1 min rest
30 sec sprint
1 min rest
1 min sprint
1 min rest
1 min sprint
1 min rest
1 min sprint
1 min rest
30 sec sprint
1 min rest
30 sec sprint
1 min rest
10 min cooldown

My most painful (but fave session) is;

10 mins warmup
30 sec sprint
2 min rest
2 min sprint
2 min recovery
3 min sprint
2 min recovery
4 min sprint
2 min recovery
5 min sprint
2 min recovery
4 min sprint
2 min recovery
3 min sprint
2 min recovery
2 min sprint
2 min recovery
11 min cooldown

Personally I try to remain seated and 'dig in' as if I were climbing, on the odd occasion I will get out of the saddle for the last couple of sprints but it usually results in my mouth re-acquainting itself with lunch. My first few sessions were so pain inducing I almost gave up on the idea of HIIT training, but somehow it makes turbo trainer sessions pass much faster.

I found HIIT sessions very useful in increasing my L/T and recovery rate, I used to suffer from terrible lactic acid build up if I put a lot of effort in for more than a few hundred yrds, especially climbing, I really have to go nuts before I suffer now. I have also increased my 'in-saddle' recovery rate quite significantly which has helped my hill climbing no end!

Finally, at Christmas I was tipping the scales at 13st 4lbs, I now hover between 11st 4lbs/6lbs - most of which I shifted on the turbo trainer while the weather was awful earlier this year!

Edited to add;

I use an iPhone app called Seconds Pro which is very useful if you are on a TT. The screen becomes a colour coded timer so is nice and easy to see through sweat soaked eyes! The app allows you to create your own HIIT sessions.

Edited by MadDad on Wednesday 1st August 09:00

[Kermit power]

I've got the best part of 7 stone on you, so I think I'll start with slightly longer rest periods and work up to that!

[Rolls]

I try to do some interval training on the commute, but can only realalistically do it on 2 sections where I can see everything, and be confident i won't get hit by anything / anyone etc...
This is the main reason I want a turbo - to get a bit quicker!

[ewenm]

Kermit power said:

The thought occurs that the best place for this is Richmond Park. I'll head over there early this evening, I think.

Sounds sensible although remember the nominal 20mph limit...

[Kermit power]

ewenm said:

Kermit power said:

The thought occurs that the best place for this is Richmond Park. I'll head over there early this evening, I think.

Sounds sensible although remember the nominal 20mph limit...

Does it get enforced? Does it apply to bikes?

[paranoid airbag]

I believe the rules were recently changed so that it doesn't apply to bicycles? Don't blame me if you end up in the cells though .

I don't think it matters in or out of the saddle, and timing won't need to be exact - though I thought interval training generally had shorter breaks between burts (~1min).

Anecdote: I've started commuting a short distance recently, and generally sprint from lights. When I do get out for longer, I've noticed my average speed has increased a bit.

[okgo]

Kermit power said:

Does it get enforced? Does it apply to bikes?

As long as you don't ride like a tit nobody will bat an eye at a bike going over 20mph. My best 3 laps were done at nearly 25 mph average and nobody stopped me or had any issues.

[Kermit power]

paranoid airbag said:

I don't think it matters in or out of the saddle, and timing won't need to be exact - though I thought interval training generally had shorter breaks between burts (~1min).

I think you're right. Seems to be that for a beginner the ratio should be 4:1 (moderate:intense), then move it down to 2:1, 1:1, 1:2 over a few weeks.

Time to alter the Garmin!

[Gizmoish]

Kermit power said:

ewenm said:

Kermit power said:

The thought occurs that the best place for this is Richmond Park. I'll head over there early this evening, I think.

Sounds sensible although remember the nominal 20mph limit...

Does it get enforced? Does it apply to bikes?

Speed limits do not apply to bikes on the road. Section 84 (iirc) of the Road Traffic Act specifically refers to motor vehicles. (Though if the limit for cars is 30mph it may be reasonable to suggest 40mph on a bike may not be sensible).

Unless there's a specific byelaw mentioning "vehicles" not "motor vehicles" you needn't worry.

[AyBee]

Not sure it's suitable for a London commute unless you want to get yourself killed

[Kermit power]

AyBee said:

Not sure it's suitable for a London commute unless you want to get yourself killed

Should be OK on the first half - that's quiet backroads.

[samwilliams]

Gizmoish said:

...Unless there's a specific byelaw mentioning "vehicles" not "motor vehicles" you needn't worry.

There is, but a recent amendment set out a definition of "vehicle" that clearly didn't include bicycles.

I'd argue that the reference to "vehicle" in the legislation before didn't apply to bikes anyway, given the wording of the rest of it and the very clear distinct references to "pedal cycles", but I think it's even more clear now that, contrary to popular myth, the speed limits do not apply to bikes in Richmond Park.

You could get done if you're considered to be cycling dangerously but, unless you kill someone, they're very unlikely to bother.

(All of this is of course my own ill-educated and un-informed opinion!)

[robpearson]

I was under the impression that as there is no legal requirement to fit an accurate speedo on a bike, enforcing a speed limit on one was a non starter? that said, I wouldn't want to try that defence out when slamming into the antlers of a deer at 30mph (or a child)