An Aerobic Workout Program That Forces Your Body to Burn Fat

Wow, this is interesting. When you say "until you can't jog any faster'
I guess by then we would be sprinting?
There is no way I would last half any hour, but I am going to give this a go- even if it is only for 10 minutes!
Does it work the same actually running outdoors? I know it may be harder to gauge one's speed, but I guess its quite possible to be fairly accurate.

Probably even more effective outside! I sometimes go to a track at the local high school and do this…I walk a quarter lap, then jog a quarter lap, etc…It works very well!

Interesting. I wasn't aware of the HGH flush, so that is news to me. I was wondering about those that do not have access to treadmills, and then I read the last comment. It just goes to show that there is a way around anything if you think about it long enough.

Charlie,

Yeah…sometimes the best form of exercise is very "old school". I like the idea of training outside and at home as well as in the gym…you just gave me an idea for an article.

Cheers!

Rusty

I do not have a gym membership and have never had one.
I run strictly outside, rain, sun, or a few times, snow.
I have been doing the intervals at my local track and in a subdivision (where the hills are killing me!)
Rusty, would Jessica Biels' interval workout (200m, 150m, 100m sprints) be just as effective as this HIIT routine above? It seems like Jess's workout would be quicker and shorter and it doesn't have that gradual buildup of speed… so would you suggest adding sets to her routine???
Thanks!

Jessica's routine is similar to a routine called the "Sprint 8" workout. This is a routine that a gentleman by the name of Phil Campbell came up with in a book called "Ready Set Go Fitness"…yeah I've read everything LOL.

It's a great routine. It really emphasizes the idea of jacking up your metabolism with intervals. I like the routine, but I would warmup quite a bit. I pulled a few muscles doing this routine in the past.

canamibugoledinicn…

nice post…

Thank you for your recent comment on "Losing Body Fat" at http://www.sideroad.com.

I have been trying to build my legs for quite some time. I want my legs to look athletic. I want sculpted calves and legs without losing too much weight. I am 5'5" and I weigh about 135. I like my size, just want to build my legs up. i feel like my legs are too skinny even though other people say I am crazy. Will interval training help. i don't want to lose my hips. any advice.

Christina,

My sister avoids the exercise bike, because it builds her legs up. I also avoid the exercise bike, because it gets my legs bigger than I want as well.

Since you are trying to build up your legs, then I would recommend the exercise bike for your intervals. If you can…pick the regular version where you are on a regular bike seat…the one where you are sitting back doesn't work your legs as much. Also…set the seat a little lower than normal, if you want to really burn the leg muscles.

If you feel a burn in your legs, you are definitely on the right track to building your legs up.

That should work well!

Rusty

This actually works for me- – I had not heard of running for 60 seconds– I was doing 30 seconds and still seeing results– right away- – in like 3 days actually so I tried the 60 seconds this morning and it was a new challenge – - but I lasted 40 minutes just added 10 minutes of a cool down toward the end.

Carolyn,

I like to switch up the time of the interval…once my body adapts too much to the sprinting. I think a longer interval, like 60 seconds will benefit people more who need to lose a lot of weight. For someone who is really close to their target weight…I believe 30 seconds (but more intense) would work better.

Either way it is going to work well…just as long as when you do 30 second sprints that you do them at a faster speed than if you were going to sprint for 60 seconds.

Rusty

I agree with everything you say I was wondering what your take is on MAX OT CARDIO ?

Thomas,

I'll take a look at that program tonight. I'm not familiar with it.

Thanks for pointing that out,

Rusty

How many days a week do you work out?
College just started we are going out a lot and it's really tough to keep working out while you're suffering from hangover:)
I know it hinders my fitness goals but going out is as much important for me as looking good.
But i still try to have 3 sessions a week. What do you think about alcohol? Drinking few bottle beers can cover up the 1/3 of my daily cal intake:))
And you should post something on OVERTRAINING! Avid trainers can put too much stress on their body by doing Interval too much.
I experienced mild pain in my shin bone just below my knee doing sprints consecutive days.

Tyler,

You came up with yet another great idea for an article. I think I will write that article later tonight. "How to Stay Fit While Partying in College".

I have some great experience doing just that (15 years ago…but I remember those days well).

Most people in the fitness industry don't like to mention things like "beer" and "going out"…but I think people should stay fit AND have a great social life…so I will address that.

I'll include the link in this comment as soon as I complete this.

Here it is:
How To Stay Fit While Partying in College

Rusty

PS: Speaking of partying…if Daft Punk goes over to your part of the world this year, they are a MUST see! This tour has been rated the best live show of the decade. This has nothing to do with fitness, but it's my blog…so I'm going to throw in this sweet youtube video of Daft Punk…LOVE these guys! What other site owner throws in videos in his comment section…it must be against the rules or something…LOL!

Tyler,

I forgot to answer the first part of your question. I workout 3 days a week during the summer and 4 days a week the rest of the year.

If I have a vacation coming up, I will workout for 5 days a week 1-2 months leading up to the vacation.

I have even worked out 21 days in a row leading up to a vacation…(I'm going to write an e-book on this 21 day process, because it is an amazing way to get into the best shape of your life for a major event like a wedding or a tropical vacation).

Rusty

Wow Rusty you have opened my eyes, I treadmill walk Five days a week 20 min walk and 10 min non-stop jog. But I'm only losing like two pounds a week. I will surely try your way.

Hey Rusty,

This sounds very interesting, but this is not *real* HIIT is it? HIIT as far as I know is more like 30 seconds all out running (but not so hard that you don't have any energy left for the second set), followed by a 60 seconds rest. This sounds like it's easier to do (at least up to a certain point!). Can you please explain the benefits of this excersize and HIIT as I describe it? Is it only the time difference, or is there more to it?

Thanks!

Remon,

You can do HIIT with either passive or active rest. As far as the time running…I really like to vary it throughout the year. If I feel really lean already, I like to do shorter intervals…if I feel I need to lose 3-5 pounds I will do the longer intervals like outlined above.

For me the longer intervals get me drenched with sweat and seem to have a slightly better calorie burning effect. The shorter intervals seem to increase HGH a bit and help "harden" up the body a better. I like a mix of both.

Rusty

Thanks Rusty, it's nice to hear that there is at least a bit more flexibility to HIIT then I thought there was.

After having reconstructive surgey on my foot, my doctor says I should run — much like you suggest here — but can I get the same effect bicycling?

And does the intervals have to be precisely increased…that would be difficult to judge while I'm riding.

Rodger,

Before I answer you question. I have one comment…you have a really nice looking blog! I tried earlier this week to change my them and I went back to this one, because I created a disaster…LOL! I am bookmarking every nice looking site and then I will probably hire a web designer to do it right.

As far as HIIT goes, you can do it with pretty much any activity and it isn't super-important to do an exact interval of 30 or 60 seconds, etc. As long as you alternate periods of high intensity with low intensity, you will be fine.

If you are out of breath and your skin is kind of red and feels hot, you are on the right path.

Rusty

I've made audio tracks which announce the resting or active period via a low-pitched or high-pitched beep. It's incredibly handy because you can just kick in your mp3-player and let the beeps guide you. No need to check your watch anymore! It consists of a starting mp3, a main mp3, and an ending mp3. To add extra sets I can just copy the main mp3 If you want them, then please email me and I'll send them to you!

My current HIIT routine is just walking for 30 seconds, and then running for 30 seconds.
It's really not all-out running, it's somewhere between jogging speed and sprinting speed.
Of course, the first two sets are quite easy, but then it becomes increasingly harder to keep the same pace! On the final set I try an all-out sprint to really get myself trashed, LOL!

It works really great, but I think of quitting every time after my routine because it totally smashes me haha! I won't quit though

Rusty,
I have played basketball my whole life.Im short so when i was younger i did thousands of calf raises a day to compete with the taller guys.Now at 22 i have huge calf muscles that look awkward because im a more of tone slender guy (5'7 145) with body buliding calfs that i want slim down without losing any speed. Any Ideas?

Curtis,

Jogging on the treadmill helped me drop A LOT of mass of my legs. I did squats for close to 8 years when I was younger (worked up to 4 sets of 6 with 405 pounds). After a year of not working my legs at all and just running on the treadmill I have normal sized legs.

Think of it like this…How many runners do you know that have huge calves?

Rusty

Rusty,

I run 1 mile on the treadmill in less 6mins, and I afterwards I get red and out of breadth. Is this a substitute for HIIT?

Thanks
Bill

Bill,

That would definitely give you the desired effect to increase your HGH levels and burn body fat. Are you running at a level 11 out of 12 for 6 minutes. That is blazing! I bet less than 1% of the people in your gym could do that. There are more people who could bench 275+ for reps then run a mile in under 6 minutes.

What I would recommend is to maybe walk on the treadmill at a steady pace for 10 minutes after this to take advantage of that increased heart rate and get a little more calorie burning. Either way, you should get great results, your body will adapt by leaning out to make this sub-six-minute-mile easier.

Rusty

Rusty,

Thanks for the advice. There is an ultra high speed treadmill in my gym that can go up to 18mph (Technogym) I believe. I run at around 13-15 mph, however it seems easier running on the treadmill than on a track due to the bouncing/downhill effect from a treadmill. If I use a 1 deg incline then my mile would take longer.

I tried the interval training today, but used 3 mins at slower speed and 1 min at sprinting speed. I could only do three sprints or 15mins altogether. I was severely out of breadth after this and was sweating like a pig. Interval training is so much harder than running a mile especially on an empty stomach. Now I know what you mean why its essential to push yourself on the treadmill since there is a great temptation to give up or take it easy. I see all these people jogging and not even breaking a sweat. Ultimately (like everything in life) its all about the willingless to push yourself to achieve your goals. Wouldn't you agree?

Bill,

Yep…you will typically achieve great results in proportion to the hard work that you put in. It is as simple as that. Everyone wants maximum results with minimum effort. It just doesn't work like that. Aren't you kind of glad that it takes discipline to get in great shape? It would suck if people could pay for a great body.

Pretty soon these intervals will be a bit easier for you, but then you have to find a way to make them hard again!

Have a great one!

Rusty

Hi Remon,

I've been looking for something like this for interval running. How can I get in touch with you to get your interval training beeps for an ipod? Please email to tgraden at yahoo dot com

Thanks!
Todd

Thanks Rusty,

Have a good new year. I have one more question. I am 37 years old and weigh 172lbs, 6ft tall. What would be my weight if I need to target 10% body fat. Some of these calculators say 150lbs. Do you think this is correct?

Bill,

It depends upon the amount of muscle on your body and the size of your frame. That being said, that number looks low to me. You could probably get down to 10% body fat around 160-165 pounds.

Brad Pitt got down below 6% body fat for Fight Club. He has a small frame, is 5'11" tall, and got down to 155 pounds in weight. You are close to the same height, so he would be a good barometer of what to shoot for.

Rusty

Thanks Rusty,
I have a small frame and most of the fat is around my belly – I have a 34" inch waist. I need to get that down to 32" at least. I have has this stubborn fat for the last 15 years. One thing's for sure, staying lean and fit at our age takes a lot of work. Kudos to you.

Bill

Bill,

160 would be a great target weight for you. Also…you will see BIG results from High Intensity Interval Training. Although, you can't chose which part of your body will lose fat first…if you increase HGH, it should attack stubborn fat cells a bit better than steady state cardio.

Rusty

PS: At you age of 37 it is tougher to stay lean, but it is more rewarding as well. How many 40 year olds have six pack abs? You live once…you may as well go through life with incredible abs You can do it buddy.

Thanks bro….I"ll keep at it.

Dear Rusty,
Does it help at all to run for more than 1 minute during the jogging interval? Will I burn more fat? I run everyday, but I really want my cardio to still be effective for fat loss. Right now, I do a 5 minute warm-up walk then build up to a jog then continue to build up speed for 15 minutes, reaching 8.0-8.6 then I walk for a few minutes then do a few sets of 3 min. running intervals with 1 minute walking intervals. I would make make any changes for a better work-out though. Thank you so much for generously sharing all this valuable information for us to learn from. I look forward to lots more enlightenment.

Caroline,

Yeah…running for 3 minutes will work, just make sure you are running fast enough that it gets tough the last part of those 3 minutes. The reason why you are walking for 1 minutes is to catch your breath a bit for another hard 3 minutes.

This will work extremely well at killing off body fat. A 3 to 1 ratio like this is rough. You sound like you are in shape and are up to the task!

Keep me posted on your results!

Rusty

wow man!!!!!!!!!!!!just did this workout and feel great.
it was really hard tho:).how many miles do you do in 30 mins?it said i did 2.6 is that good enough?oh by the way i dropped another 4 pounds this week.and feeling better all the time.eating once a day is detoxing by body.i can think much clearer now.also i keep the calories down by having a salad first,then fruit 2 pieces.then if any room a small portion of protein and carbs.the fruit and salad really feel me up tho,i guess my stomach is shringing

Shane,

Yeah…this is the best of the best in my opinion when it comes to cardio to getting ripped. It certainly isn't easy, but I know beyond a shadow-of-a-doubt that this particular cardio workout is ridiculously effective at burning body fat.

You are doing great, buddy! Your workout and eating strategy sounds perfect and you are obviously seeing outstanding results.

Keep it up!

Rusty

PS: You don't need as much food now, because your body is now running of it's "stored energy" (your excess body fat) congrats…you have now become a fat burning machine!

First and foremost I have to say hats off to you Rusty!

I'm one of those guys that have searching for a site that can help me with my weight loss. I found bbforums.com and started to chat with a few people on there about routines and things that they have done to acquire there bodies. Low and behold $260.00 later I have a cupboard full of protein shakes,Lipo6 & this other stuff called Animal Pak! I have changed my exercise routine a few times based on there suggestions and found myself saying that in the new year I was going to do the 1 muscle per day approach, well today is the 9th and I haven't even started on it, reason being……I just don't "feel" like that is for me. Anyway I stumbled on your blog yesterday and seen the picture of Ronaldo and was moved by the figure and immediately started to read your various articles, then I seen your physic and felt like I found a home. I went home last night and matched my routine to yours on the calender but went on the treadmill at home and tried your HIIT suggestion….WOW for starters I was impressed that I completed it! By the end the treadmill said that I had burned off 540 calories and 168 of fat! Not sure how accurate but I feel like I have a new lease on my training direction…Tone! I'm just going to do some more reading so I can get my diet up to par and I should be good. By the way just to give you an idea of what I'm working with..I'm 5'11 205lbs good leg tone but a heavy upper and thats what I want to work on. Sorry for being so lengthy I'm just so exited about your blog!! Thank you again for catering to ppl that want to look normal and feel great!!!!!

Forgot to ask, Do you suggest doing HIIT cardio daily?

Jace,

Common Jace…You know you want to be Harcore! Cardio is for wimps! "Lift Big or Go Home", Here is my "Most Muscular" pose in my basement, Here's me grunting, I want to get frikin' huge, I want to be a freak, and all that other corny stuff…LOL!

Jace…aren't you going to miss all of engaging talk over at the forums? Won't you miss all of the pictures of guys getting pumped up and posing? Aren't you going to miss all of the buff women with big biceps? If you are sure you won't miss it, then welcome!

Yeah…that HIIT routine will work wonders! You actually burn way more calories due to the large boost in metabolism that interval training creates. Plus this type of cardio boosts HGH, which will attack your body fat directly.

Rusty

Note: Read all the diet articles. You will spend way less money on food, once you get up to speed.

LOL yeah I miss them already..sniff sniff I'm just glad I found a place that seems way more my style.

So what if i was on the treadmill for 30min going at a speed of 7.5 with out reducing to 3.5 to 4.0 for about 1min is that considered HIIT

Anferney,

That isn't considered HIIT, because with interval training you need to hit a speed that is impossible for you to maintain for more than a minute or two. Running at 7.5 for 30 minutes is a really good level to burn fat with steady state cardio…you will still do really well at that level. You may want to do that workout alternated on days with true HIIT.

Hope that helps,

Rusty

So, Rusty, since I'm trying to lose about 15 lbs, it sounds like I should do a routine more like this one (walk for 5, run for 1) than the current one I'm doing (walk for 1, run for 1). Is that correct? And maybe switch to the 1:1 once I'm closer to my goal weight?

Also, I've started getting pain in the calf/shin muscles lately. I'm guessing it's because I need new running shoes. Are there any specific running shoes that might be better for HIIT?

Hmmm…I don't think I've gotten the HGH flush. Sure, it gets difficult to breath, but my skin actually feels cold…I think it's because of the sweat. And after re-reading this, I've apparently been eating far too soon after the workouts. Actually….maybe not, since I do the weights after running. I'm a little confused.

I take that last bit back…with the exception of tonight, I generally only do a 5 min warmup, then go do the weights, then the run. And I just read on that iwantsixpackabs.com website that doing HIIT before weights can, "cause a negative effect on [my] routine." So I guess I won't do that anymore, if that's true.

Ron,

I know getting in shape can be really confusing…mainly because many, many different approaches can work.

I'd agree with doing the weights first…after your 5 minute warm up.

For HIIT, vary the ratio of intense to active resting as soon as you adapt to a certain ratio. For instance the last 6 weeks I've been alternating 30 seconds of sprinting with 1 minute and 30 seconds of walking. I've now adapted to this so last week I switched to 30 seconds of sprinting and 30 seconds of walking. Once I adapt to that I could do 1 minute of sprinting and 30 seconds of walking.

It doesn't really matter the exact ratio, the principle is to run at a speed that you can't hold for longer than 30-60 seconds followed by active rest. If this active rest is short then you probably won't be able to run as fast for the sprints, but it will kick your butt in a different way…you will be out of breath! If the rest is longer in between sprints you can sprint much harder which has the benefit of really hardening up your entire body.

My advice is to chose a ratio and stick with it for 4-6 weeks, then chose a different ratio every 4-6 weeks. This way you will make constant progress.

As far as the HGH Flush goes…it is an "indicator" of HGH release…your body will still release HGH without this indicator if everything else is done correctly. For now, I would recommend not eating right after your workout. Once you hit maintenance phase then eat right afterwards.

As far as shoes go…I need some new ones too. I'm not sure which are best, but I prefer Adidas over Nike. They seem to have less padding and I feel the ground better. Nike's make me feel like I'm running on a cushion…I kind of like to feel the contact with the ground more.

Hope that helps,

Rusty

Hmmm…my feet seem to be a little wide for Adidas. The Asics (however you spell it) seem pretty nice. But I think they're already giving out, hence the shin splints. Maybe I'll just try those again.

As for the workout, I think I'll try a different ratio. So far, with the 1:1 ratio, I'm not able to get to a full 20 minutes. I'd like to at least be able to do that, if not 30. Maybe a 2 min. rest:1 min. run might be a better start for me. And, of course, follow it with something else…I tend to go with the elliptical machine. Everything else – with the exception of a bike & treadmill & jump rope – feels like I'm running through some thick oatmeal.

Rusty,
What about Tae Bo? Can that be considered HIIT? I love to run, but it takes a toll on my knees (the doc says I really shouldn't run). So what I do is put on knee braces and don't go over 4 mph. I know that sounds slow, but I am short and its a pace where I feel like I can run forever, but it never really helped me lose weight fast.
Tae Bo is great cause I don't have to worry about my knees, but even with Tae Bo I didn't lose the pounds fast. I think maybe it was because of my diet. Over the years I noticed that my diet makes more of a difference when it comes to weight loss than cardio. But I do think cardio is important for shape and tone.
So what are your thoughts on Tae Bo?

Kprice,

I think Tae Bo is great. Like you said, it is all about your diet. Go into the workout on an empty stomach and keep your calories under control. You should get really good results.

Rusty

rusty, I only have access to a really old exercise bike, it works fine but isn't really the ideal tool for HIIT I don't think. However I do go about 5 minutes decent speed on the bike and then I'll jump off and do about 10 pullups or as many as I can at the time and then jump back on the bike, would that constitute as HIIT? What would you recommend for a guy who is just training in his basement with some weights and an exercise bike?

P.S. I live in Ohio where it is about 9 degrees right now so im not really into running outside

by the way i do that 5 mins on the bike then pull ups for about 20 mins total, every 5 mins i get off and do pull ups until the 20 mins is up.

Jay,

I have a good circuit routine that will work really well for you. It was submitted by a reader. I'll post it in a day or two along with my comments. I think it will be great for you. There are also a few other guys who are in the same situation as you.

Rusty

Rusty, my heartrate got up to around 190+ when I was doing this routine. Do you think that is a dangerous level? I am sort of out of shape, although I was in very good shape in high school where I swam and ran cross country. I am 22 now and have not done much in recent years. That rate should come down in time with consistent cardio. Is it ok for now?

Kevin,

You should back off a bit. I get up to 180 every now and then, but I've been doing this for years. Work into this a bit. Aim for around 160-170. The great thing is that results are sure to come quickly for you. Put in 3-4 months before you push yourself as hard as possible. Normally I tell people to go for it, but you obviously have a seriously high tolerance for pain. It must be your background in cross country.

Hope that helps,

Rusty

Rusty,
How can you do HIIT with a jump rope? I love to run, but not a big fan of running out doors, unless the whether is perfect. It can't be too sunny, my skin is dark and I absorb it and get over heated and it sucks! Anyway, I love the treadmill cause its also easier on my knees than running on the pavement.
I hope one of these days I can buy my own treadmill, I am not a big fan of the gym. I should go though, I have a free membership.

Kavitha

Kavitha,

You are lucky! I have to wear sunblock on my head if there is a chance of it getting sunny! It gets in my eyes when I sweat. I burn so easily. I'm jealous of people with darker skin tones!

I just so happened to have written an HIIT jump rope routine a while back: Jump Rope HIIT

Watch the cool video there as well. Terrible music, though!

Rusty

Ha, Ha! You are like my husband. He only has to be out for 10 minutes and he gets burned. I used to try to wear sunblock to keep from getting dark! Thank you for the link.
Kavitha

i never really knew about the how good an HGH flush, i always thought it was a sign telling me I am way out of shape – I do a lot of interval training on the treadmill – I usually do 2 minutes of sprinting followed by a minute of moderate pace and so on – one of the trainers at the gym is always poking fun at how red and sweaty i am when I finish – I usually follow with some obscene guessture and comments about how a real athlete pushes themselves to their limits

Randi,

I am inspired by people who achieve the HGH flush. It means they are working out harder than me. They are pushing themselves hard and will progress.

Here is a post I did on this topic:

Perceived Efforts is the Key to Avoid Fat Burning Plateaus

You are certainly doing the right thing. I try my best to get red and sweaty, and succeed about 75% of the time. If you create the HGH flush every time, you will reach your goals at a much quicker rate than those who don't.

Great Point,

Rusty

Hello, me and my wife love your web site! We have just started trying the 'HGH sprints' as you reccommended. It is a super-intense workout, and we really like the HGH flush we have after 20 or so minutes (yes, I know it's not very long, but we are just starting)! I was just wondering what are your thoughts on any HGH releasers like ghr1000 or genf20, etc. Do you think it'd give me the 'extra boost'?

Hello. I have been on a weight loss trek since Oct. and have lost 43 lbs. so far and have been exercising (elliptical/treadmill/bike) as well. I have been looking for something to boost my exercise routine as it seems like my body is used to my 60 min. routine/5 days a week. My question tho is I have been told to keep my heart rate between 120 and 150 for fat burn. I should mention that I am 41, need to lose 50 more lbs. but have a lot of muscle.(and don't want to increase that muscle.) How does all this translate into the HIIT workout for me?

Joe,

I wouldn't spend your money on the HGH releasers…or at least wait until you are really lean. You will get really close to your ideal weight without supplements. Throw them in to reach the finish line…so to speak. Leave a bullet in the chamber…don't use all the tools at once. Does that kind of make sense? I'm making a note to do a post on this. Thanks for the idea!

Karen,

HIIT is ideal for you! You are the exact person who is going to benefit. You have reached a sticking point with steady state cardio and this is going to get you in fat burning mode once again. Ignore the 120-150 heart rate suggestion…this has been proven an inferior way to burn body fat. My heart rate jumps to 180 on a regular basis. You don't need to go that high, but don't worry about pushing 160+. Want to get lean without building more muscle? Stick to the treadmill most of the time…it is the most effective cardio anyway…plus it won't bulk up your thighs.

Rusty

When this releases HGH would this exercise also help you build muscle if you paired up the cardio with strength training. Just wondering because of all the MLB players using HGH to get big and this sounds like it could be a natural way of getting the most out of your bodies HGH…

Jim,

If you did this in a calorie surplus condition (eat more than what you burn), it would build a bit of lean mass. Also…If you want to get big, make sure you do reps in the 6-12 range and do more volume per body part than I normally recommend. Once you want to get lean and defined, follow the rest of the advice on my site.

Hope that helps,

Rusty

Hi Rusty,

OHHHH im looking forward to your e-book on strategy to use before going on holiday! **excited!**
Im going to amsterdam in May for my 25th Birthday – hehehe!

Anyways i was wondering… would it be good to combine a 20min swimming session after this interval training… to work my arms?
Is swimming good for toning the arms? I know its not really that good for weight loss, since you dont burn as much calories… but how is it toning wise?

Or will i get better results toning my arms doing weigths instead of swimming?

Thanks man – really appreciated!!!

Doné

xoxox

Done,

I believe in doing exercises that you enjoy while getting fit. If you enjoy swimming that go for it. Swimmers typically have nice shoulders, so it has to be a great workout from that standpoint. I think the arms will get more toned from lifting, but the difference wouldn't be huge.

Hit the pool,

Rusty

PS: I am totally jealous that you get to go to Amsterdam. One of the many places that I need to visit!

Thank you so much for this routine and the information. I just joined a gym 2 months ago. For the first month I did mostly weights, classes and moderate exercise bike. I was starting to see results, but not like I wanted. My main target area is my butt/thighs.

I read this article and the next day I started the treadmill. I was pretty out of shape and for the running part I peaked at 5- 5.5 mph. After a month I am able to go up to 7mph for the running part and I know I will be able to increase soon. I notice my thighs have much less pinchable fat and although I am the same size and weight, the hip area seems to be slimming slightly. I am so excited. I definitely recommend this to everyone (especially girls trying to tone the butt/thighs). I do this 3-5 times/ week

You are the best!

Melanie,

How I can I be the best, if you are the best? This will work very well for you!

Rusty

This is so helpful.. And it's great because it keeps me focused. Instead of letting my thoughts wander off into la-la land and therefore, lose drive and form, I have to focus. I was wondering though, I much prefer the elliptical over a treadmill. Could this same type of training be used? If yes, will I get different results or will I need to tweak it at all?

Thanks!

Ginny,

You certainly can do the elliptical instead of the treadmill, but at some point it won't be very challenging for you. Here is what I would recommend…do this on the elliptical for 4-6 months, then switch over to the treadmill. The reason I push the treadmill so hard is that it is a tougher cardio machine exercise. You can do the same workout on the elliptical as I outlined above.

Rusty

I'm trying to help my daughter out who is 16. She does cheerleading on a very competitive team, and has been involved in cheerleading and gymnastics since she was 8 years old. She is VERY muscular. In the past year she gained 21 pounds, and the majority of that is in muscle. She is 5'1" and currently weighs 136 pounds. Her legs in particular have gotten very big and are extremely muscular. She wants to lose muscle and of course whatever fat she has, but she is afraid that anything she does will just build more muscle. She eats a well balanced diet and you would think with the amount of physical activity she would be losing weight not gaining. Any ideas??

Hey Rusty, I've just read the theory about your HIIT workout and without knowing it, I was already doing something similar for the past 2 months. I've been walking and running at 5 minute intervals on the treadmill alternating between 3.5 mph and 6.5 mph. I do this for an hour.

After two months, I don't notice a difference at all in the leanness of my body! I still have more fat than I would like on my arms, stomach, thighs, etc. My question is, what's the best speed for me to walk or sprint at as a transition from my previous routine? And instead of 1 minute intervals, would 2 minute intervals be less effective?

Also, I heard that quick sprints really tend to bulk leg muscles as opposed to slow, steady jogs, which is why I avoid sprinting short distances. My calves are already much more muscular than I would like them to be, will HIIT bulk them even more since it's principled around short sprints?

Donna & Susie,

You guys both have similar questions, so I will answer it in one comment…

As far as legs being too musclular…my older sister use to have this same problem. What we have both found is that as long as you avoid any cardio that "pumps" the legs up, she will eventually be able to slim those legs down.

Tell her to avoid the exercise bikes for now as well as the elliptical. Both of these exercises provide a constant tension in the quads which creates a bit of a pump. The nice thing about running is that the quads just briefly fire off to propel the body. There isn't enough "time under tension" to damage the muscle groups significantly or create a pump in the muscles.

If you find that sprinting creates a pump or burning sensation in the legs you may want to avoid this for a while. I don't really get that effect, but everyone is different. You can't go wrong with running for the most part, since this really keeps the legs slim while burning fat off of the entire body.

Hope that helps,

Rusty

Note: A good compromise between HIIT and sprint intervals would be doing just as Susie described…2 minutes of jogging instead of flat out sprinting…followed by 1 minute of walking. This would have a similar fat burning effect that shorter HIIT would have.

Hey Rusty,

I've been doing the HIIT workout for two weeks now 3 times a week. That's the only exericse I've been doing. Do you think I should be doing anything else? I'm 27, 6'0, 189 lbs, with a medium frame. I'm not looking for a perfect body, just generally fit and healthy.

I've might of lost a pound so far. That's why I think I might need to add something. I haven't changed my diet which is another thing I should probably look to modify though I'm not a big eater. I have a slight belly I'd like to get rid of.

As far as the workout goes, initially when I started doing it I worked my way up to 8.5 mph then I would continue at that pace until the end of the 20-30 minute workout when I would finish at a 9.0 pace. I did this to ensure I ran the entire time.

My last two workouts I just start at 7.0 and worked my way up in .5 increments until I maxed at 10.0. So I didn't make it the entire 30 minutes but I increased the pace after every rest. I definetely felt the HGH flush. Which version do you recommend?

Finally, I've noticed that some days my legs feel weak and I feel like I'm pushing my legs to get through the workout. Is this just something I should work through?

Some days while I'm warming down I've felt particularly strong and powerful. I guess that's the HGH flush, it's like a drug.

Thanks!

Tim,

I would recommend working your way up to a higher level like reaching level 10 or more (the second version you described). So do this part of your workout as hard as possible for 15-20 minutes or so. This works well and should burn fat like crazy.

To add quite a bit more fat burning, add an additional 15-20 minutes of steady cardio at a moderate level. You can walk on the treadmill on an incline or switch it up to an exercise bike or elliptical at a moderate level.

Tip: Don't eat anything 3-4 hours leading up to this workout…no calorie containing beverages either. Also…do you belong to a gym, because you will get a much nicer looking body by adding a bit of functional strength training. It doesn't need to take more than 20-30 minutes.

Hope that helps!

Rusty

Hello. I started HIIT in Feb. after posting a question on 2/24. Since then I have lost another 10 pounds. I love HIIT but I have a couple more questions. 1: I feel like I could go a lot more intense but after about 15 mins. my heartrate jumps to 170plus. (41 yeard old) should I keep going at that intensity or back off?
2: I do HIIT on the treadmill 6 days a week for 40 mins. (5 min. warmup and 5 min cooldown) but have recently added outdoor running HIIT for another 40 min/day in the evening. so I do HIIT twice a day 6xweek. and I have somehow gained 3 lbs. without changing my eating. Am I overdoing HIIT in intensity and/or amount? Any suggestions on the weight gain? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks, Karen

Karen,

You probably have added a bit of muscle…I guarantee that you have lost fat. It would be nearly impossible to gain any fat at all doing the workout you described as long as you are eating well.

You are a workout machine (you are making me feel lazy)! I would recommend that you maybe back off a bit on doing this twice a day. Also…add in some steady state cardio as well. Instead of doing 40 minutes of HIIT…try 20 minutes of HIIT followed by 30 minutes of moderate to moderately fast steady state cardio. This is a way to get the best of both worlds. Some days you will just want to do steady state training.

How about something like this…or a variation of this?

Monday: 20/30 HIIT followed by Steady State
Tuesday: 40 HIIT (at night as well if you feel like it)
Wed: 60 Steady State
Thursday: 40 HIIT (at night as well if you feel like it)
Friday: 20/30 HIIT followed by Steady State

Sat or Sunday: Pick one of the days and experiment with a type of cardio you don't do often…rowing, spin class, stairs, etc.

Note: Even this is a large amount of cardio…back off to 4 times per week once you reach your target weight.

Rusty

Rusty,

In the second to last comment I mentioned "weakness" in my legs. During my last workout it increased and I've come to the conclusion it's shin splints. I think in the beginning I just interpreted the soreness as weakness. Now it's gotten to the point that I can't continue the HIIT workout effectively and I'd hate to have to quit it. Do you know of any remedies for this?

I started HIIT two and half weeks ago with no prior exercise, do you think I should of built up to it more slowly? I'm also not wearing solely running shoes, more like cross training shoes. Would running shoes help?

Secondly, in your response to my comment you mentioned functional strength training. I do belong to a gym. Do you have a post about how to best do that? I wasn't able to find anything specifically.

Thanks!

Tim,

That is it…I need to do a post on shin splints…I'll add that to my growing list of topics to cover. I also plan on doing an extensive post on functional training.

Why don't you hit the exercise bike until your legs feel better and then do the exercise bike for half your cardio workouts for a while. You most likely need to ease into running to avoid these shin splints.

Rusty

Hey Rusty,

I only just started reading this website and I love it. SO informative and you are outrageously positive, it's very addictive.
I especially enjoyed this post. I recently joined the university gym and I've been doing HIIT for a little while now. I was particularly pleased to read that you mentioned the HIIT flush was an indictor of HGH release. I always get that, and people look at me strangely because, low and behold!, I look like I've been exercising! I've never considered integrating steady state cardio before though, but I will now. One question though: if I do steady state cardio straight after my interval training, like you suggest, do I need to do additional steady state cardio on the days when I don't do HIIT?
The posts on muscle tone rather than muscle mass was fantastic too as I certainly don't want to get any bigger.
Thanks again!
ps. LOVE that you love daft punk.

I used to do intervals when I couldn't run more than a minute straight but then I worked my way up to running 4 miles in 40 minutes. I thought I was doing better but between 12 miles a week and 4 days of strength training I am just not getting the results I want. I'm getting more muscular but not leaner….which is what I really want! Should I go back to intervals??? Any suggestions would be great, you seem to give awesome advice!!!!

Oh yeah and when you say…

"To really blast every last little bit of body fat off your body, take advantage of the natural fat burning state your body is in by doing 10-20 minutes of steady state cardio. This is a great way to really obliterate stubborn body fat."

Is that before or after and for how long??

Jennie,

Sorry I missed your question…I hate it when I make you guys wait this long for answers! Especially someone with good taste who likes Daft Punk. Aren't you glad that I'm not some weird fitness guy who listens to Iron Maiden or death metal? Give me some funky house and techno! Okay to your question…

The ideal cardio plan in my opinion would be this:

* 3 days a week HIIT for 15-20 minutes followed by 30 minutes steady state cardio.

* 2-3 Days a week steady state cardio for 30-45 minutes.

Do these on alternate days. This is the best way to burn maximum amounts of fat without risking overtraining. Doing HIIT 5-6 days a week is pushing it a bit. This cardio plan works extremely well!

Heather,

Do steady state cardio for at least 20 minutes for maximum benefit. I used to recommend just 10-20 minutes, but I'm finding better results with a bit more than that.

As far as getting more muscular. Back way off on the volume of lifting. Cut the amount of sets you do in half on the body parts that are getting bigger. Also…go into your workouts without any carb energy in your system. Don't eat anything 3-4 hours before your workout and even that meal should be low carb. That will work for sure!

Rusty

Rusty,
Absolutely great, TRUTHFUL advice for fitness! I'm 42, 5'11 and 185lbs. I've been weight training on-and-off for years with good results in muscularity, but never that really FIT look that you have. That is, until I made 2 big changes recently—lowering my calorie intake and HIIT. The dietary change went against everything I'd learned about muscles (even back to my Marine Corps days), you know—"you've got to feed the muscles to make 'em grow", but I did it anyway. I was tired of having no visible abs. I've reduced my time of resistance training, dropped calories and pushed myself into the HIIT, and, lo and behold—I'm now seeing ab muscles I didn't even see in my 20's!

Rusty,
Absolutely great, TRUTHFUL advice for fitness! I'm 42, 5'11 and 185lbs. I've been weight training on-and-off for years with good results in muscularity, but never that really FIT look that you have. That is, until I made 2 big changes recently—lowering my calorie intake and HIIT. The dietary change went against everything I'd learned about muscles (even back to my Marine Corps days), you know—"you've got to feed the muscles to make 'em grow", but I did it anyway. I was tired of having no visible abs. I've reduced my time of resistance training, dropped calories and pushed myself into the HIIT, and, lo and behold—I'm now seeing ab muscles I didn't even see in my 20's!
Your responses are the best people can hope for who are trying to wade through all of the "fitness crap" to get the truth of what works .
Thanks again.

By the way…didn't mean to hit the "submit" button twice!
You've shown me the way to burn off the last bit of fat, but any advice you can give to keep from losing what muscle size I have and still keep the calories down would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, bro.

Rusty,
Love the blog. I had been reading straight strength training blogs for some time where a tons-of-cardio seemed like a dirty word.

You advocate avoiding burning in the legs to avoid bulking up, but won't the sprints cause a burn and soreness, and therefore, build muscle?

Also, do you advocate HIIT training pre- or post- lifting sessions? I've been doing cardio post-lifting sessions with the idea that glucose levels will already be low from the lifting a I will be targeting fat with cardio better in that sequence.

What are your thoughts on this?

DJ,

Thanks for the compliment. I am not the only source of good info, but I am one of the few people out there "doing what I recommend". For instance, it is 7 AM on a Sunday morning. I just drank a cup of black coffee. I'm going to hit intervals on the treadmill for 15 minutes, followed by 30 minutes of steady state cardio on the exercise bike. Today I'm doing cardio only and I want to get it out of the way early so I can enjoy the rest of the day. I am trying to get extra lean for a trip I'm taking to Mexico.

Anyway…if you see that you are losing a bit of muscle, back off on the cardio a bit and add more sets and reps to the lifting part of your routine. A higher volume of lifting builds muscle. That is why bodybuilders do so many sets and reps. I keep the volume low, but I don't like to have excessive amounts of muscle. Every now and then I'll do 4-6 weeks of higher volume if I feel I'm a bit too skinny, but that is maybe only once a year.

Cenz,

I think that HIIT builds a "natural" amount of muscle. I'm not against muscle growth, just excessively bulky muscles. Sprinting creates a nice well-balanced look in the legs and butt. You have it right as far as doing HIIT after lifting…that is the right thing to do for the reasons you have mentioned. Good call.

Rusty

Rusty,
Thanks for the tip. Adding the extra cardio first thing in the a.m. is helping me see a whole new level of muscularity. I realize you're not the only sourse of info, but I gotta tell ya, I'm sick of reading articles from people who tell you to cut calories in one part of their book or article and then tell you to increase the amount of food (not amount of meals) you eat in another part—supposedly while attaining the same goal!
Since incorporating HIIT with my resistance training (and of course, watching my dietary needs), I'm really beginning to see great results. I bump it up a little each week, but I started with a ratio of 1:2:30——-1 minute of walking followed by 2 minutes of easy running, then 30 seconds of all-out sprinting for a total of about 20-25 minutes. It worked like a charm and just keeps getting better. I DO recommend counting the 30 seconds in your head, though. I'd like to meet the guy who can look at his wristwatch/heart monitor during an all-out sprint!
Anyway, I just thought that ratio might help anyone whose new to HIIT. We both know people are more likely to stick with something if they don't kill themselves in the beginning.
Thanks again, and have a ball south of the border!

DJ

DJ,

There are quite a few knowledgeable people on the Internet in regards to fitness, the problem is that their articles begin to get so technical that it feels like science class. I try to talk about advanced principles, but in an entertaining way…people don't go online for "mind numbing" content. About 95% of websites on the Internet are very bland. I'm talking about websites in general, not just fitness sites.

If anyone wants to get a presence on the web, the time is now! Seriously…although there are tons of sites…there aren't many sites that "add value" to the Internet. It takes hard work to write original content on a regular basis, but people are starving for this stuff. Work hard and you will quickly stand out in whatever niche you decide to focus on.

okay…end of my rant

Have a great one!

Rusty

Hi Rusty

First of all thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience with everyone! I love reading these posts they are so informative and inspiring.

I am 5'5 and 128 lbs, and want to lose bodyfat esp. in the hip/thigh area so I have been following your advice on HIIT and low reps for about 2 weeks – but my pants are actually tighter now! I am not eating (or lifting) enough to be building muscle–1500 cals /day. Also I stopped legwork besides for weightless lunges and squats as part of an HIIT bodyweight circuit (i.e. mountain climbers, jump squat, plank,jumprope, lunges,etc.)

Is this normal or should I eat even less than that? (working out 4-5x week total) I do not expect instant results but I did not think my clothes would get tighter please let me know your opinion!

Thanks
dawl.

Dawl,

You are just building up a tiny bit of muscle. This happens to women quite a bit. You will gain a bit of muscle, then shortly after that your thighs will slim down.

Avoid anything that "pumps" your legs up. For women who have the bulky leg problem…I recommend avoiding the exercise bikes until they slim down a bit. Live on the treadmill for a while and your legs will lean down.

Rusty

Hey, I have been reading the stuff on your site for the last 6 months its so straight forward and I love it. So I'm 21 about 5'5 and around 120 ( I was 130 but lost 10 lbs within in a month over a bad break-up, without working or really dieting I just lost my appetite and didn't eat much at all) I have been 120 for the last 2 months I'm mostly lean with a nice but and boobs, but I do have a pouch around my stomach I just don't think thats very cute in a Swimsuit!!! My goal is to get down to 115 so my body fat will be less and maybe have a flatter stomach all my friends tell me how great I look and they say 115 would be too skinny. I just started cardio in the last week and have been eating healthy for the last month. I really want a body like Nicoles from the Pussy Cat Dolls and I think it's attainable with hard work and exercise, I'm Just worried I will be too skinny, I dont know too much about weights so all I do is the step Machine, treadmill or elliptical with a little resistance for a little more definition in my legs. So what do you think would that be too skinny for my height, am I on the right track if I just stick with Cardio and good diet?

Ps I love Green Lake!

-Cheers!

Reem,

You are on the right track. Why don't you lose 5 pounds and see what that looks like? It may look amazing or you may look too skinny. It doesn't sound too far off. Read some of the tips in this article as well to lose those last few pounds:

Stubborn Fat Protocol

Rusty

Thanks Rusty!

Hey Rusty,

I wanted to increase my work speed during HIIT but when I did that, I could only do 20 minutes instead of my usual 30. Which is better, more intensity or more time?

Thanks, Karen

Karen,

For HIIT it is all about intensity. Do it for 20 minutes and add 10-15 minutes low intensity steady state cardio to get the "best of both" approaches to cardio.

Rusty

I am 124.5 pounds and about 5'3". I see cellulite and feel that I have a saggy butt. Will this sprint workout with 5 min. warm up and then 1 min. run and 1 min. walk help these areas. I also have a poochy stomach. I am going on vacation in 5 weeks and was wondering if I would see a difference by then if I am doing weight training 3 times a week as well. Could I do this HIIT program on the treadmill 7 days a week or is that to much. Also, what should your heart rate be and how often during the treadmill workout should you check that?
Thanks,
DeShae

DeShae,

These sprint workout is going to work well for you. Don't worry too much about checking your heart rate. Just do it to where you are breathing hard and sweating. I would do this 4-5 days a week max.

Hope that helps,

Rusty

Rusty,

In one of your other blogs, you talked about only doing aerobics for toning the legs instead of doing any kind of leg lifts. As someone who is a fan of cardio, but not of outdoor running (because of the wear on the knees), what would you suggest that I do for toning my legs at home since I do not own a treadmill at the moment. I had previously been doing a high rep count (15-25 depending on the exercise) when working to tone my calves, hamstrings, and quads.

Now that I have read your blogs, I'm curious what you would suggest. I'm currently doing all my toning via a weight bench with a leg lift extension, as well as my Total Gym, which has been great for upper body toning.

Any advice?

Joshua,

If you aren't doing cardio you should certainly work your legs. Check out this video on youtube. This is a demonstration of "pistols"…this would be perfect for you!

Rusty

Hi Rusty,

This is my new favorite fitness website. I am one of those women who has a predominantly mesomorph body type who is sick of hearing personal trainers tell me to do squats, lunges, etc. with weights in order to "slim down" my hips, thighs and butt – which are my problem areas. Thankfully, I have broad shoulders but that being said – I have to be careful not to build up my upper body as well. (My waist always remains relatively slim and toned.) Anyhow, I am 5'7", medium framed, and 146 lbs (I weigh more than I look – or so I've been told). I would like to lose about 20 lbs. and achieve the toned, long & lean look. For cardio, I run on the treadmill (2x week) and outdoors (1x week). I also do yoga (1x week). If I give myself a 3 – 4 month time frame, how often should I be doing cardio? Also, if I wanted to mix up my cardio and jump on the elliptical trainer – will the elliptical trainer make my legs bulky?

Diet is also another issue for me. About 4 days out of the week – I am great during the day (eating lots of fruit & veggies) and at night my portions are much larger than they should be. The weekends are pretty much "free reign". Do you think that "warrior diet" would be a good route to try or do you feel that some people do better spacing out their meals throughout the day?

I feel like one of those people who has been bombarded with so much information in the past that I don't know what to do or how I should eat, train, etc. It all becomes somewhat overwhelming!

Thanks very much in advance for your input! Again, great website and keep up the good work!

Best,

Michelle

Michelle,

Thanks for the compliment I have taken "a lot" of heat for recommending that most people would get better legs from Interval Cardio -vs- Squats and Lunges. I don't care how many people challenge me on this, I'm not changing my stance. People with excessively skinny legs would do well to focus on legs lifts for maybe a year or two, but then spend that point forward just doing intervals for their legs. The nice thing about NOT doing leg lifts is that you have the energy to hit cardio more often which burns fat all over your body.

Do cardio about 4-5 times per week if possible. I go as low as 3 and as high as 5 times per week.

Michelle…I like "The Warrior Diet", but I am now looking a bit more into "Intermittent Fasting". Check out Eat Stop Eat…it is a paid eBook, but you can signup for his newsletter for free…it is really solid.

As far as spreading out meals…I have achieved good results eating as many as 3 times per day, just as long as I did my cardio in a fasted state and didn't touch a single calorie for 4 hours before working out.

Rusty

Rusty,

I've been a fan of your website for sometime now. First of all, I have to say, you've been teaching me a lot of amazing stuff through the posts you put up.

Since I started reading your articles I've been doing a lot of cardio and alot less lifting. I went from lifting 3 – 5 times per week with no to little cardio to only 2 lifting days and 5 cardio days. HIIT is really killing me! I'm just now getting used to it. I do alot of biking also since you said it's good for getting my legs to be bigger (I feel like my upperbody is bigger than my lower).

Anyways, from doing this, I've been losing weight without losing bodyfat percentage. In the past 4 weeks, I've lost 9 pounds and only 0.4% bodyfat. I noticed my arms are smaller so i went ahead and lifted arms and chest today. Any tips?

Thanks

Max,

Why don't you still lift 3-4 times per week, but keep the workouts brief? Also sometimes it takes your body 3-4 weeks of losing a bit of glycogen in your muscles before you begin to drop a significant amount of fat. Check out this post…it will help explain what is happening here.

Why You May Look a Bit Fatter When First Losing Body Fat

You are doing the right thing, so just keep at it,

Rusty

Hi Rusty,

Your website is amazing and your response time to your commentors/readers is unbelievable. You genuinely have the desire to share your knowledge to people so I applaud you for that.

Anyway, you suggest not eating 3 – 4 hours before a workout in order to effectively burn more fat. I'm currently in the process of losing 5 – 10 lbs; I normally go to the gym (hitting heavily on the treadmill for 45 minutes with a combination of HIIT and SSS) after work in the evening. If I workout on an empty stomach, my sugar level decreases significantly and I feel very, very weak when I workout. Therefore, I decided to eat (light) dinner first and then workout an hour after, which provides me a much better and enjoyable workout because I could push myself harder.

So what is your recommendations for someone who has a problem with their sugar level (working out on an empty stomach), but still wants to effectively burn body fat?

Rusty,

Thanks for the advice. I'm just curious, when you say to keep the workout brief, do you mean to do less exercises or less sets? For example, I usually focus on 2 – 3 body parts when I lift. I do 3 exercises for the major body part and 2 exercises for each of the smaller body parts. I usually do 3 sets of 8 per each exercise.

Do you want me to cut down from 3 sets to 2 sets? or do you want me to do less exercises per body part? Also, I'm guessing 20 – 45 minutes of cardio everyday with rests on the weekend is fine?

Another quick question I want to ask is about caffeine. I read on another article about the benefits of taking caffeine before cardio and found it very interesting. I went ahead and took a 200 mg caffeine pill 30 minutes before I hit the cardio yesterday on an empty stomach. What happened was that I couldn't run as long due to a weird feeling in my stomach, I was also feeling as tired as when I didn't take caffeine prior to cardio. What was happening here? By the way, yesturday's cardio was steady state, not HIIT.

Thank you so much Rusty

I just found your site and can't stop reading it! It is filled with so much new info for me. I recently started a new workout routine and gained five pounds! I was so frustrated. I've been working out for years and just wanted to lose a few pounds and trim up a bit. Anyway, I think I wasn't doing enough cardio, and too many squats built up my legs, like you said! I just had a question about the HIIT vs Trabata. Should you do one or the other, or can you alternate them every other day? Would that be over training? Thanks!
Nelly

Sorry, one more thing. Any tips on getting rid of cellulite, or reducing it's appearance? It's the most frustrating thing for me!
Nelly

Iris,

I would recommend a Fuji Apple about 30 minutes before along with a cup of Green Tea. You will quickly burn through those 60-80 calories and attack the stored body fat. I wouldn't do a whole meal like you have been doing because you will miss a lot of benefits you could get from doing the cardio in a slightly fasted state.

Max,
Why don't you just chose 2 exercises per boy part and do 3-4 sets of 5 reps. This seems to work better for gaining strength while losing body fat…which should be your goal for a slim and defined physique.

As fas as caffeine goes…once out of every 5 times it makes me tired as well. Not sure why. Make sure you take it on a totally empty stomach. but drink a lot of water with it.

Nelly,

I experimented with Tabata, but find HIIT to be much more effective. If you have a lot of weight to lose do 20-30 minutes HIIT and 10 minutes steady state cardio. As you get leaner or if you are dieting hard, you have to back down on the HIIT a bit and extend the low intensity steady state cardio.

Getting rid of cellutlite happens over a period of time of staying lean. Stay away from going up and down in weight and it will help.

Rusty

hey Just wanted to let you know I love Your website its so good!!! I really want a sexy body Im doing HITT and just started doing the strenght training you reccomend but I dont really understand the mind to muscleclink..could you explain again..and would it be ok to lift light weight like no more then 12pounds..also when I run on the treadmill and go past 10mph I feel like its way its way to fast and im going to fall off..anyway thankyou for your site

Danielle,

Thanks for the compliment about my site Once you do HIIT for a few months on the treadmill you could do it blindfolded…but until you get to that point just decrease the time walking, increase the time sprinting, etc. Stay at a speed that feels safe for a while.

Here is an article on the mind-to-muscle link and lifting light weights in a specific manner for muscle definition:

Lift Light Weights for Low Reps to Gain Strength and Muscle Definition

Rusty

Hello Handsome!

How are are you doing? Im not to bad….
Ive been pretty lazy for gym the last 2 weeks… ok the last 3 weeks hehe!

Ive been doing this workout for a while … and now ive reached the point where the treadmill cant go any faster then 16. So hopefully this england weather can perk up – then ill be able to run outside hehe..

What i want to ask is… im following the 30 seconds fast and 30 slow routine.. but it says to start with about 7.5 (speed) and work your way up. Do you always have to do that – or can you just go straight for speep 16?
Why do you sometimes feels so nauseas after HIIT?
Can i start doing HIIT with a back pack?

Oh and my last question is … if you do HIIT on empty tummy… it will be forced to go to your fat stores for energy hey? (say you cant gym in the morning… would that have the same effect if you dont eat 5hrs before gym at night?)

Thanks for all your help again – you're a star!

Regards

Doné

Doné,

I've encountered the same problem of maxing out the treadmill. It is amazing how fast you can get your legs to move. The treadmill forces you to do this…otherwise you fall off.

You don't have to go from 7.5 to 16 in low increments. Now that you are fast, start at 8.0, then 9.0, then 10.5, then 12, etc…make bigger jumps. Also…if that is still too easy then try sprinting for a minute (it is painful).

I workout at night and eat my last bit of food at 12:00 then I workout at 5:30…so yes this is exactly what I recommend.

Sounds like you are getting in amazing shape!

Rusty

Hi Rusty,
Since I last commented, I had been joining an aerobic and cardio fit class at work. Normally, I'm the type to diet to lose weight. But, it takes longer time now than when I was still studying since I spend most of the time doing my works in front of the PC. Needless to say, my stamina has been going down the drain. I'm trying to build it back up. For now, 2 questions for you..

1) How to avoid getting blackout each time I work out? Is it the right word? Sorry..my English is getting rusty..it's like you see black even when you open your eyes, and you feel that your blood's rushing to your face. I have to sit down quite a while when that happened.

2) I hardly sweat when I do any activities. It doesn't feel like I'm burning anything when I work out. Plus, it gets uncomfortable getting hot from working out but not sweating much. If I remember correctly, our sweats also cool down our body. Is there anything I can do to sweat more?

Thanks!

Nim

Nim,

You should see a doctor about your blackouts. Make sure you are breathing properly when working out as well. As far as sweating goes…are you drinking enough water. That is the only thing that comes to mind.

Rusty

I am a bit confused rusty. How is running on and off at a 7-8 mile pace better than running at 7-8 for an extended period of time.Arent you going to burn more calories doing so?

I used to play basketball and soccer, but 2 years ago I injured my shoulder and had surgery, so I haven't run in almost 2 years. I've lost all of my cardio buildup. I want to lose about 10 lbs (the weight I've gained since surgery) and get my muscle tone back, but I don't know where to start. What do you suggest?

Hello Rusty,

I just discovered your website/blogs and have enjoyed reading your tips. Will this sprinting on the treadmill work for me? I am 5'3" and 95 lbs. I realize I am very thin and could use some weight. I do have a small frame. I eat good and am trying to add more protein to my diet. However I am not happy about my butt area.. it is the only spot on my body that needs to be reduced (and a little on my thighs too) Unfortunately this is where any weight I gain goes. I wish it would go to my upper body but it doesnt so I am slowly increasing the poundage in my upper body workout w/weights. I've tried walking uphill on the treadmill, lunges, squats but my butt still has some dimples! so just wanted to know if this sprinting thing may do the trick for me.. I just dont want to lose any more weight though..

thanks,
Tina

Rusty,

I really enjoy your site, it's so helpful! My question is about HIIT cardio. I have an eliptical machine and wanted to know if I can get the same results from it as you do on a treadmill? Don't know what your opinion is on elipitcals.

When you are strength training you say to do it slowly. Do you do the lift to a certain count, like 10 or 20?

Thanks for your incredible blog! I love it. Michelle

Hey Rusty,
I am really enjoying your website, I posted a comment on here a few days ago but I can't seem to find which article I commented under. I've been looking forever. I will just post again..I am currently 175 lbs 5'7. I have been wanting to incorporate HIIT into my workouts. I would like to bring my weight down to between 150-155. I wanted to ask you how much HIIT along with steady state cardio I should do in order to get to my goal weight (the fastest way). I am looking to cut A LOT of my body fat down without losing any muscle that I currently have. I have come up with a plan and wanted to ask you if it is good enough to go from 175 to about 160 by Oct 8th 2008.

Monday – Friday= 5 min. low warm up (3.0 on treadmill), 10 min. HIIT (starting 7.0 moving up .5 each run), 5 min. rest, 15-20 min steady state cardio (speed 5.0). Sat. – Sun.- Only steady state cardio.

This is the schedule I came with if you can help me maybe add some things or take out some things to reach my goal weight the fastest it would be great. Thanks in advance. Your website is amazing.

I forgot to mention that I understand fat/weight loss does not come quick and it doesnt happen overnight but i'd like to lose as much body fat as possible within the time span that I have (until Oct 9th). That is why I'm asking for your help in order to speed up the process and then maintain maintain maintain!

Thanks

Hey Rusty. Would you recommend that I do interval and steady state cardio if I'm trying to put on mass?

BTW. If you don't already know, your website is awesome

Please keep me posted. Great job!

Hey Rusty!
This site is awesome! I would love to know what would be my ideal weight. I started at 159lbs and am now 130lbs. I'm female and 5'2. Currently I am 23% body fat and think I would like to be at 18%. My thighs are my problem area. They are a size bigger then the rest of my body. How can I slim my thighs, burn fat and not lose muscle?

When I run I usually run on a hill. I start on an inclination of 5.5, go to 7.0 then back to 5.0 and 3. I find I burn calories faster doing this. I run at a minimum of 5.5mph and keep accelerating to 7.0 and when adventurous 9-9.7mph. Any advice would be great. Thankyou!

Hey im over weight mostly(like 80%) in the abs area i have a high amount of muscle every where but i have a VERY low cardio
what exercise can i do to be able yo run longer and lose a high amount of body fat

ooohhhh my god!!!!
hi rusty!
i have to thank you! i have been soooo confused with all these different websites contradicting each other, and today, – finally- i can see clearly on what i should be doing.
i started gyming in march normal sss gradually building up my fitness but i feel like ive hit a plateau. after reading your advice on interval training i feel excited to carry on working out.
i tried it first time yesterday warm up, then walk 3 mins at 5.0 and sprint 30 seconds at 12.5 repeating til 30 mins is up only it seems to take me ages to hit 175-180 heart rate and it slows real quick too, so what ratio do you think is best for me im 35 everyone says i look 25, which is good! im a curvy 5.5 and 162lbs i want to lose alot more yet lost 25lbs so far but not fast enough! could you help me !?

Hi,
I'm 6' 2" and weigh 220lbs with (around) 14-15% BF. I am very happy with my overall size and muscle but want to get down to 11-12% BF. I'm doing HIIT 5X a week for 15 minutes and weights 4X a week. I eat majority of carbs post training. This should work right? Losing 2-3%BF has been very challenging. I guess I'm cheating myself in the kitchen more than I want to admit. How long should it reasonably take to lose this BF if I eat clean and keep training like I have been? Thank you for your time.

Hi Rusty

I ant To Know if You Have Any Specific Aerobic Work Outs For Me As I Do not Go to The Gym.

I really Want To Burn Off This Body Fat And I The Only thing I Do Is Jog At A Steady Pace.

Michael,

Click Here for a good fat burning workout. I've been doing this for 3 weeks and it works well.

Rusty

Would it be ok to do this 5x a week Mon-Fri or is that too much?

wow my story would take days to tell.. im 50 and was in that bodybuilding world for years.. got into martial arts, qi gong, yoga and cardio over the years and feel great.. that bodybulding stuff killed my twin and the quest for that big dumb look doesnt pay off espeichelly when you get older.. glad i got out whe i did and dont miss it..
cheers

nino,

Part of the reason I created this site was to help people avoid the pitfalls of bodybuilding altogether. I have seen too many negatives.

Rusty

Hi Rusty, you have a great blog going on here. I've been doing HIIT for about 4 months now and I absolutely love it. I usually do an extra one on Saturday mornings before breakfast. Although, I haven't heard of doing steady state cardio after it. I will have to give this a try this weekend.

Hi Rusty, I'm fifteen and I need to lose 10 pounds so that I can be in the mid weight category for rowing, what is a good bike workout to lose that body fat. Thanks.

You have another convert. I’m a 5’10”, 38 year old woman. I’m keeping steady at around 138 pounds, 16.5% body fat, and size 4 jeans. I lost a little over 20 pounds last year. I did it going to my local YMCA every weekday and doing the elliptical for 38 minutes, followed by another 20 minutes on a recumbent bike so I could read a magazine, and then sometimes followed by random weight machines (i.e. whatever I could figure out on my own). I am also anal about my calorie intake – I lose weight at 1,600 or less a day and stay constant at fewer than 2,000.

But, I was getting BORED with the same workout and was intrigued by the idea of less than 30 minutes on a treadmill and getting on with my day. I was VERY worried about what the machine said. My 38 minutes on the elliptical showed a burn of more than 500 calories and the bike added another 150. With my HITT workout, the treadmill showed only a little more than 200. But, the proof is on the scale. This week I’ve done HITT exclusively. I’ve been able to maintain my weight, even though I had a scary episode with a loaf of fresh bread, butter, and jam. A diet failure, but ah, what a way to fail!

The other upside is how good it feels to sprint. It makes me feel like a powerful, ass kickin’ chick. And, I think the HGH flush looks a lot like another favorite flush of mine, which is not a bad thing at all. Now, I just need to add some body weight exercises. You’ve got me scared of squats and lunges,. But, I've really have seen results with your advice on planks, both regular and side planks, that I started doing exclusive for my ab work about two months ago.

Thanks so much for all the inspiration on your site.

Hi Rusty,

When you do this HIIT exercise you mentioned above, does it make you lose weight? The thing is, I'm trying to gain some weight and put on some lean muscles, but at the same time I have some stomach fat that I'm really really trying to get rid of. So I was wondering if it's possible to put on lean muscles while getting rid of the stomach fat at the same time?

Thanks
Ryan

Rusty,
How often do you propose that somebody do this during the week? Every-Other-Day, or Every-day?

hay rusty
i wanted to ask we hear all the time that after sometime the body gets use to any sort of exercise and its nt that effective then is it true ?? will aur bodies get use to this hiit training nd nt burn that much fat after sometime???

Rusty,

I have been doing a similar workout 3-4 times a week on a treadmill for the past 8 months or so. It is usually 2 minutes at 4.0mph, followed by 2 minutes at 10 mph, doing this rotation 5x (20 minutes). It was tough at first but I seem to be able to get through this now without problems. After reading your article above, do you have any suggestions (tweaks), that you think would help me out. I want to get the most bang for the buck. Thanks.

I normally drink a 100 calorie, whey protein drink after my workout…if I started doing the above workout…should I wait an hour after the workout to have my protein drink? When you say "no calories" do you REALLY mean NO CALORIES??

Thanks for your great blogs!!

Oh wow! I would start my shopping today for a treadmill. I'm so excited to burn all these fats!!! The infos are great. I understood them the moment i laid my reading eyes on every words! Treadmill here i come!