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Monday Madness: HIIT Harder for Fat Loss

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HIIT cardio is heralded as the best way to burn fat without doing hours and hours of cardio. I would have to agree with all of the kudos given to HIIT cardio, but I feel most people do not do it correctly. In today's Monday Madness I am going to take a look at the 5 ways you can HIIT harder and increase your fat loss.

The HIIT Cardio High Interval Should Almost Kill You

When you complete a high interval while doing HIIT cardio you have to just about kill yourself. I don't mean literally of course, but when you finish the high interval you should be breathing very hard and you shouldn't be able to talk. If you can talk then you didn't do the high correctly. The high should tax you enough that you almost feel like you can't go any further. That brings me to the rest period.

The HIIT Cardio Rest Interval Should Allow Recovery

After you complete the high interval you need to recover. Use the HIIT cardio rest interval for that purpose. Take as long as you need to recover. It isn't a good idea to start another high interval before you have recovered. It only encourages you to not go as hard as you can.

Don't Always Do HIIT Cardio on a Machine

I switch things up by doing very heavy farmer carries or running sprints in my neighborhood. Just like it is necessary to change up exercises in order to get maximum results, cardio needs to be changed up as well. Your body will get used to any one singular approach if used for too long. Keep it guessing.

Don't Do HIIT on a Weight Training Day

This one is very important. HIIT cardio is supposed to make you work at your highest possible level. You can't do that if you've exhausted your body with weight training earlier that day. At the same time, HIIT cardio will stress your body enough that you won't be able to lift as well later. Do your HIIT cardio on a day when you are not lifting. If that is not possible, do it at least 8 hours apart from your weight training session.

Vary the Length of Your HIIT Sessions

Many people get stuck on a total amount of minutes for HIIT cardio. I say you should vary the length of your HIIT sessions. Do some short, medium and long sessions. You can extend a session by doing some steady state cardio at the back end.

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Revisiting Why I Like Budget Gyms

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Not that long ago I shared a rante on why I like budget gyms. I am revisiting those comments because I have slightly changed my opinion and wanted to share it here. Some people will not believe the things I am about to share, but I promise you they are completely true.

The Pro's of Budget Gyms

Today everything is so expensive and that includes gyms. To me this is the main reason to consider a budget gym. While price generally tells us the quality of what we are buying, that isn't always the case with gyms.

You can save a substantial amount of money by joining a budget gym.  I was paying $38.50 a month at a huge commercial gym, 24 Hour Fitness, and found that the equipment was constantly broken and yet my membership fees kept rising. When I had the chance to join Fitness 19 I took a careful look at what they offered. To me, the equipment offering was almost exactly what was offered at 24 Hour Fitness, but I was able to get an all club membership at Fitness 19 for just $12 a month.

The Con's of Budget Gyms

This is where you have to be very careful–your examination of the con's of budget gyms. Most people who lift know that Planet Fitness has a lunk meter that they set off when someone grunts, but I recently discovered that Chuze Fitness, a California and Arizona based gym chain, has a similar rule. I was on a tour of a Chuze location just yesterday and there was a sign on the wall that said:

If you are grunting you had better be giving birth!

I was simply amazed. At the same time, it didn't surprise me at all because with the available equipment, it wouldn't be necessary to grunt. They had no barbells in the entire place and the dumbbells went up to 70 lbs. and no higher.

Planet Fitness actually gives pizza out to members.

These two budget gyms, Planet Fitness and Chuze Fitness, both claim they do this to make the “normal person” more comfortable. I say that is a bunch of bull crap. They do it to be different. Beware of these things before you join.

On a side note, the Chuze Fitness I toured was the cleanest gym I have ever been in.

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Saturday Sharing: Get That Cardio Done!

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For those of us who don't shed fat easily, cardio is an essential aspect of our training program. Despite how essential it is, I personally have issues getting it done and I am sure many of you do as well. How can we all manage to get our cardio done?

Cardio is a necessary evil. I know this. When I successfully lose fat it is because I am getting my cardio in. I am not lucky enough to be able to just lift and lose fat. This knowledge alone should change my mindset enough to get the cardio done, but it doesn't. So why is it so hard for me to get the cardio done?

Like many people, I find cardio to be extremely monotonous and boring. Because of this I need a strong strategy for getting the cardio in. While this is still a work in progress, the following plan is how I get that cardio done.

Entertainment Gets It Done

I have come up with the idea of creating playlists for specific types of cardio. I then listen to this music to help pass the time. It distracts my brain and keeps me from thinking about how boring cardio is. Additionally, I use Netflix to help pass the time while on a longer cardio session. I bring my iPad with me to the gym (I visit the gym for the specific purpose of doing cardio) and watch television shows to pass the time.

Extra Time Gets It Done

We all have downtime where we can use it for cardio. My son has soccer practice each week that lasts 90 minutes or more. I like to use that time to get the cardio done. In addition, he generally has a soccer game every weekend. We have to get to each game one hour prior to game time. I use that time to get some cardio done. A short jog is a great way to pass the time and get the cardio done.

Goal Setting Gets It Done

Make sure you have fat loss goals and that you keep them at the front of your mind. Review them regularly. These goals are going to inspire you to get your cardio done.

Just Get It Done!

It is important to have a strategy because nobody really likes doing cardio. A good strategy will make it so you get it done. It has been working for me of late. I find it much easier to stick to the plan. I am now shedding fat at a faster rate than ever before. It is amazing and fun at the same time!

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Saturday Sharing: Minor Injuries and Motivation

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Injuries come in various shapes and sizes. Minor injuries don't necessarily need to keep us out of the gym. I offer you 3 steps to staying motivated through minor injuries.

Assessment

The first thing you need to do is an assessment of the injury. You have to determine if it is severe enough to change up your training routine. I recently had an ankle injury. It was extremely minor. I did an assessment by wrapping it in a bandage for support and then did some test squats with lighter weight. Upon determining that I was able to squat with the injury I continued to complete my program.

It is important for you to do an honest assessment. You can use the results to make modifications to your lifting program so that you don't have to miss out on valuable gym time. There are always adjustments that can be made.

Adjustments

Once you've done your assessment you have to make adjustments if required. The idea is to keep the gym momentum going. You do this by adjusting your program. Had I determined that I could not have done squats I would have adjusted so that my quads would still get worked but not irritate the ankle. It might take some thought and some ingenuity, but the adjustments can be made.

Performance

Once you have done an assessment and made adjustments, it is time to perform. Pay close attention to the way your body feels as you perform. If there are problems it may mean starting the process all over with the assessment phase. The main thing is to listen carefully to the feedback your body gives you. It is going to mean the difference between successfully navigating through the minor injury and making things worse. Don't be lax about this step.

By following the above 3 steps you have a good chance of working through the minor injuries we all suffer. Remember that if all else fails, consult a doctor.

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