Recently, Dr. Gibala was interviewed by Brett McKay on the Art of Manliness Podcast (linked below) on HIIT. I thought I'd share the link and a quick summary of some of the discussion.
- HIIT being "all out" or "as hard as you can" is one variation of HIIT, but it is not HIIT. Dr. Gibala defines HIIT as alternating periods of hard work with recovery periods. How hard? Well, he says "vigorous intensity," which is about a 7 on a 10 point scale (1 being on the couch, 10 sprinting to save your child from getting hit by a car), or about 80% MHR. But he notes that this intensity is going to be a huge range based on individual fitness and capability.
- The interval is a big part of HIIT. Recovery is a HUGE part that is necessary to allow you to keep working as hard as you need to in your work intervals.
- HIIT to get fit. What does "fit" mean?
- He mentions HIIT is not primarily anaerobic, as any repeated sprint session is primarily fueled by the aerobic system.
- HIIT improves ability of body to circulate oxygen / cardiorespiratory fitness.
- HIIT improves metabolic fitness - able to work close to their ceiling for a long time.
- He "doesn't have the time" for people trying to demonize one type of workout or another, as moving more is better. HIIT is a good option, especially when you can't go for your hour session and your options are HIIT or Skip.
- Rise of Zone 2 is from looking at endurance athletes polarized 80/20 training. And it is great, but we should train across a range of intensities.
- Volume is an important factor. If you only have 2 hours a week to train, or 20 minutes a week to train, HIIT becomes a really good choice for more of your sessions.
- Week or two to start getting beneficial adaptations (such as improved insulin sensitivity), and the more deconditioned you are the more and faster your adaptation are. And again - the intensity is a 7/10, which might be just a quick walk for the deconditioned and unhealthy person.
- 5 (moderate intensity) you can carry on sentences or have a conversation, 7 is that you can grunt out a few words.
- Exponential trade off in intensity/duration.
- No one has to do HIIT if they don't prefer it.
- HIIT rise in cortisol: not convinced that the acute rise in cortisol is anything to be concerned about.
For more information, check out Dr. Gibala's book "The One Minute Workout" (2017). At the bottom of the link below are links to descriptions of several of the protocols he talks about.
www.artofmanliness.com
- HIIT being "all out" or "as hard as you can" is one variation of HIIT, but it is not HIIT. Dr. Gibala defines HIIT as alternating periods of hard work with recovery periods. How hard? Well, he says "vigorous intensity," which is about a 7 on a 10 point scale (1 being on the couch, 10 sprinting to save your child from getting hit by a car), or about 80% MHR. But he notes that this intensity is going to be a huge range based on individual fitness and capability.
- The interval is a big part of HIIT. Recovery is a HUGE part that is necessary to allow you to keep working as hard as you need to in your work intervals.
- HIIT to get fit. What does "fit" mean?
- He mentions HIIT is not primarily anaerobic, as any repeated sprint session is primarily fueled by the aerobic system.
- HIIT improves ability of body to circulate oxygen / cardiorespiratory fitness.
- HIIT improves metabolic fitness - able to work close to their ceiling for a long time.
- He "doesn't have the time" for people trying to demonize one type of workout or another, as moving more is better. HIIT is a good option, especially when you can't go for your hour session and your options are HIIT or Skip.
- Rise of Zone 2 is from looking at endurance athletes polarized 80/20 training. And it is great, but we should train across a range of intensities.
- Volume is an important factor. If you only have 2 hours a week to train, or 20 minutes a week to train, HIIT becomes a really good choice for more of your sessions.
- Week or two to start getting beneficial adaptations (such as improved insulin sensitivity), and the more deconditioned you are the more and faster your adaptation are. And again - the intensity is a 7/10, which might be just a quick walk for the deconditioned and unhealthy person.
- 5 (moderate intensity) you can carry on sentences or have a conversation, 7 is that you can grunt out a few words.
- Exponential trade off in intensity/duration.
- No one has to do HIIT if they don't prefer it.
- HIIT rise in cortisol: not convinced that the acute rise in cortisol is anything to be concerned about.
For more information, check out Dr. Gibala's book "The One Minute Workout" (2017). At the bottom of the link below are links to descriptions of several of the protocols he talks about.
Podcast #970: The Misconceptions of HIIT (And the Role It Can Play in Your Fitness Routine)
Learn the real benefits of HIIT workouts from Dr. Martin Gibala. Find out how shorter, intense workouts can still provide significant improvements in fitness and mitochondrial capacity.
www.artofmanliness.com
