[Closed] Will HIIT keep me fit?

I think the stamina is all that will go tbh*, an hour of good solid exercise a day is about all I'm getting too, Joe session plus half an hour on the treadmill, I've not bothered with the bike or running outdoors since this started, just doesn't feel right to me.

*Though did replicate Ben Lomond on our only 3 steps we have, in the garden, 1372 reps of 71cm worth of steps was quite a session, took just under 2 hours, Calves still tight 2 days later!

If you can up your run to 4 miles then that plus the HIIT is a pretty good level of exercise.
You may lose some pure endurance but you’ll not get fat. Just make sure you’re working hard in the HIIT session and that the run is at a good pace too.

Try and make time for a 30 minute run 3 times a week and you'll be good. I'm doing 3x runs per week - 2x 5km or so and a longer run of 9-10km, along with maybe one bike ride of an hour, and I'm the fittest I've ever been.

It sounds as though I could benefit from extending the run a bit 🙂

There's a handy local hill which can be climbed in a 5km loop, I might look at adding that in a few times a week.

Historically before I started MTB I used to run more for fitness, and found it was quite easy to injure myself if I tried to push much on distance/time. I used to find 10km was a sweet spot for me!

Although I've not done much running of late, these short loops I've been doing have caused no problem so far, so I think 5km should be fine.

Making the runs longer and some of them (or parts/intervals) *hard* will make a big difference.

However, IMO, get out riding. Somehow. Anyhow.

MTB on the roads if you have to - the roads are wonderfully quiet compared. After bedtime. Buy lights if you need to, they don’t need to be expensive ones. Or before breakfast/while the kids are eating theirs. Or while the dinner you just made cooks in the oven for 45 minutes.

Find a way, you’ll be happier because of it. Now, and when the trails open up again and you have Your Old LifeTM back.

Are you watching what you're eating and drinking? Cos more or the same calories in, but less out = put on weight.

Try doing some bodyweight exercises too? Build up some muscle mass that will help with using up some calories?

I do the Deck of Pain every day:

Get a deck of cards (or an app on your phone)
Each suit is a different exercise:
Clubs - Pushups
Spades - Burpees
Diamonds - Squats
Hearts - Sit up/crunch

Shuffle the cards, and start dealing. The number on the card is the number of reps. Ace = 11 reps, Face card = 12 reps

So, 8 of Spades is 8 burpees.

Should take about half an hour, use about 250 kcals and give you a good all over workout as well as getting your heart rate up.

I think the stamina is all that will go tbh*

+1

Due to injuries and the like I've only been on a couple of weekend club rides this year which would typically be 70 miles / 16mph and I'd be happy riding on the front of those groups all day, so effectively solo.

But I've been doing a lot of lunchtime rides of an hour, at generally higher intensities, so 16-17mph on the CX bike with knoblies at 30psi to handicap me against some colleagues, things like that.

Now I can do 16-17mph for an hour, but past that I struggle and my average speed drops to 14.5-15.5.

On the plus side, I find it much easier to gain that sort of fitness. Whilst you can watch your FTP go up and down on a gentle slope, the ability to ride 50/60/100 miles at a given speed seems much more a case of ride to exhaustion a few times and like magic the body adapts and stores more energy.

Anyone tried Super High Intensity Training?

I've heard its not very good

Conversely, I recently heard of a workout "THE Super High Intensity Training", and people seemed generally of the opinion that it was excellent.

YMMV I guess.

Give Totally Wired Alternative Training a go.

Just count yourself lucky you have the time & energy to do these things.

Many of us "key workers" are doing way more hours at work than usual and by the time I get home I'm wrung out and still on call.

I only work in food production, I shudder to think what its like for NHS staff 🙁

Sorry if this seems a little harsh but from the outside I feel like this is almost like a holiday to some?

I don't think the PE with Joe* are true HIIT sessions. They're good, but they're sort of like a "get you moving" session if you have a good level of fitness.

So definitely an opportunity to up the intensity on those. Maybe skip every second 30s rest and do an extra set? Or skip the rests all together.

*we're at it every day as it's good exercise and makes us get the kids ready at a decent time.

Just count yourself lucky you have the time & energy to do these things.

Many of us “key workers” are doing way more hours at work than usual and by the time I get home I’m wrung out and still on call.

I only work in food production, I shudder to think what its like for NHS staff 🙁

Sorry if this seems a little harsh but from the outside I feel like this is almost like a holiday to some?

I understand the sentiment, and please don’t take this in a negative way.

I’m really trying to see the positives in my current situation. This is the most time I’ve had to spend with my wife and kids. Ever. So I’m choosing to enjoy it and make the most of it.

I’d love to be working. It might give me some confidence that my job will continue to be there after this furlough. If I were to be negative I might conclude otherwise.

Seriously though, thanks to you and all the key workers keeping things working, we need you all. But please don’t judge us others who have more time our hands than we want. And more worries than we want too.

I’m going to keep being deliberately positive!

Sockpuppet please keep being positive & I am honestly happy that you are getting to spend more quality time with your family, and I hope you have a job to go to once this is all over.
I have upmost admiration for those looking after children in these worrying times.
I guess what made me bite is those who are worried they will lose a bit of their endurance fitness in the partial lockdown.
FFS people are dying a horrible death in isolation mostly through no fault of their own.
Yes I have a personal link with this & I’m sure many will say not this again, but my wife died last September from aspiration pneumonia.
Much like the end for people with CV-19 it’s a frightening way to leave this world only me and her family were with her. Now people are dying alone with no comfort from loved ones.
Tell me again how important is your last 5% of fitness?

Much like the end for people with CV-19 it’s a frightening way to leave this world only me and her family were with her. Now people are dying alone with no comfort from loved ones.
Tell me again how important is your last 5% of fitness?

By comparison, its of absolutely no importance whatsoever.

I can see that the tone of my OP could come across as being flippant. I intended it to be lighthearted. Like sockpuppet, I'm just trying to keep my chin up, stay broadly sane, and care for the people around me.

This isn't a holiday. We have small kids and elderly parents, so yes, plenty to worry about.

It's nothing compared to what our key workers and dealing with though. I really do appreciate what you are doing and continue to do.

Don't apologise OP. One of the best things you can do through this is try and keep fit and healthy.

If you've got 20-30mins, you could definitely do a worthwhile workout on the bike, it won't help with endurance but you could work on intervals. Loads of sub 3min inclines around me in SO18 if I try to hold z4+, then recover a bit on the flat and downhill sections. Or try and do a sustained TT-type effort on the flat.

I think for my own mental health and the feelings of others I will withdraw from STW for a while.
Goodbye

I don't apologise for wanting to keep fit. We've all got to do our best to keep on keeping on, after all.

We also all have to look after one another. So I do apologise for the tone of my OP. In hindsight it was insensitive. I should have phrased it better.

@MrOvershoot all the best to you, and I'm sorry if this thread has contributed to you taking time out from the forum 🙁