Most People Do HIIT Cardio Wrong – How to Do HIIT

Most People Do HIIT Cardio Wrong – How to Do HIIT - Thomas DeLauer

High intensity interval training is a whole different ball game than what most people think that it is, and in this video, I want to give you a breakdown of a) what high intensity interval training really is, but b) what kind of cardio you should be doing when you're intermittent fasting, or what you need to know to at least make an informed decision. The first thing I want to talk about before I even get into anything that has to do with fasting is truly give you the breakdown of what high intensity interval training should truly look like and what you're actually trying to accomplish. Most people look at high intensity interval training as just this way to get a crazy lung burner, just an awesome workout where you feel like you just torched a bunch of calories. That's all fine and dandy but it doesn't always elicit the best metabolic response and it doesn't always elicit the best body composition response. You don't always get the desired outcome. You may feel like you accomplished something, but that's not because high intensity interval training is bad, it's because most people are doing it wrong.

Here's the thing. When we're doing high intensity interval training, we are activating the anaerobic system of the body. So I want you to think of high intensity interval training cardio the same way that you would think of weight training. Weight training operates with the same metabolic business in your body that high intensity interval training does. It's utilizing carbohydrates as a source of fuel. What that means is you're in that rep range of maybe 6 reps all the way up to 15 reps in the weight room, well it's the same kind of thing that you're burning when you're doing a high intensity interval training workout.

Let me give you an example of what most people think HIIT looks like. Most people will go ahead and they'll do one minute of high intensity exercise and then one minute off, then they'll go back and they'll do one minute on and one minute off. This is great to [inaudible 00:01:45] a process, I understand that it makes it easy, but that's not how the body works. The body doesn't necessarily know what one minute is or what two minutes are. The body just knows when it's fully fatigued or not. The whole idea with high intensity interval training is you need to, 100%, be pushing it to the max, and then recovering for however long it takes, whether it's 30 seconds, one minute, two minutes, to be able to be fully recovered to give it 100% again.

So it varies from person to person on how long the rest period should be. It is absolutely not uniform. So for example, you should be doing your high intensity training all the way, pedal to the metal for like 15, 20 seconds, because quite honestly, that's about how much energy you have stored up in your body to really perform at 90 to 100%. If you're going longer than 20 or 25 seconds, then you're not pushing it at 90 or 100%. Plain and simple, period. You should be going all the way, then recovering as much as you possibly need to to be able to afford to push it 100% again. If you're going at one minute on, one minute off, you're probably going something like 50, 60% of your maximum and then just recovering for however long it takes. That doesn't really add up. We need to elicit the metabolic response that we get when we would normally weight train, where we're going all the way to failure.

Now let's talk about how this applies with fasting. When you are in a fasted state, your body is not utilizing carbohydrates as a source of fuel. When you are fasted, your body is using ketones. It's using fat. It turns fats into ketones. When you are doing high intensity interval training, you're utilizing carbs. Now I hear a lot of people talking about how high intensity interval training is going to help them get into a fasted state easier. Not really the case. You see, once you're already fasting, your body just stores the glycogen and puts it away. It's not like you have to burn through all your glycogen first before you start burning fat. It's really just how long you are going without eating before your body starts using fat. So it's not like you have to drain your tank and then start using fats. Doesn't quite work all the way like that, although it does in some cases, but high intensity interval training isn't gonna get you to the benefits of fasting any faster.

[monicapula]

I went 30 seconds 100% then had a rest from the gym for 6 months. I feel good

[ugnotbug]

So do 100% for 15 seconds, then rest for a day or two. Gotcha.

[BaileyBaratheon]

Summary:
•HIIT - go 100% effort for around 20 seconds, rest until recovered then repeat
•If looking for fat burning, do steady state cardio instead at 60-70% effort
•If you wanna do HIIT as a workout for mental benefit, do it after eating as carbs will be better utilised

[TheShifty]

Ripped people like putting their hands together

[VictoriaTheBoss]

Because of you I am who I am 220 from 269 in 2 years on pure keto diet with fasting ❤❤❤❤ thank you Thomas 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉I celebrated this great victory last night with my husband friends in an Irish restaurant, ate beef and veggies as always

[erikec]

Generally speaking, most people do most things wrong.

[shelby]

I tried doing this this morning. I hadn't realized that it's normal to only be able to give a true 100% effort for only about 15 seconds or so before needing a recovery minute, and I was afraid I was horribly out of shape or something. Feeling a lot better about it now haha. I actually enjoyed it a lot more than my other cardio workouts.

[SiimLand]

I've got 99 problems and burpees are all of them

[johnnierae]

Everyone has their own opinion. I don’t even know what’s true anymore.

[moonmaiden]

I like doing hiit on an empty stomach. I feel heavy and lazy when I eat before and I get side stitches. And yes Ive tried waiting at least 30 mins after eating. Fasted cardio is the way to go for me, even if it’s not technically correct. Do what works for YOUR body.

[TeddCookerly]

This makes so much more sense. I was doing HIIT 30 seconds on and then 1 min off...and when I would take more time off I would get down on myself for taking what I thought was, too long of a break. Now I see that a little bit longer of a break allows for a more explosive 30 Seconds. I can not stop beating myself up about the time in-between. Thank you for this!

[raineydaze]

This was so helpful and explains so much! Thank you! I've been doing HIIT running for about 6 weeks now. I was very strict keto to help manage my hyperinsulinemia. Before I started training, Keto was managing my sugar well and stopped me from having hypo episodes. Once I started training, I felt like I was going to pass out half was through my run. My sugar was tanking. I started to carb cycle around my workouts and not only did I not feel like quitting half way, I increased speed, and endurance, and felt amazing after my workout, instead of shaky and starving. I had some oatmeal with peanut butter, and it fuels me for hours, where as before HIIT, a breakfast like that would be too many carbs and effect my sugar. Now I find I really need the carbs, where as before I couldn't tolerate any. I keep them complex and high fiber, and it's been great. HIIT has been amazing for my over all health and energy. Plus, my standing heart rate used to be around 80, and now it's at about 64. I already feel such an improvement in my cardiovascular and respiratory health, as well as my endurance. You totally helped all this make sense, and just another reason for me to stay motivated! Thanks for the inspiration!

[Joe-rdpu]

Bold of you to assume I do cardio or stay in shape in any way

[Ehsidorah]

Could I just borrow your muscles for my workout then give it back afterwards

[zacharysmith]

this guy is the best advice ive seen on youtube its true lets say your sprinting 20 to 30 seconds and you feel like you dont need a break and you dont feel tired if u feel u can keep going but you dont you take a break your not giving it your 100% because lets say you take two people both doing sprinting and its high intensity training one person might get tired before the other so depending on your fitness level and what you eat will affect how much your giving into the workout.

[thinhdoan]

The HIIT he is talking about is called SMIT (Supramaximal Interval Training) where you push yourself to the max speed. I do that sometimes too but it impairs your recovery abilities as it's very intense.

[misteryoso]

I did 100% high intensity training for 30 secs then my body felt to get fully recovery for 30mins.

[TheMesoPeaks]

Should be called Maximum Intensity Interval Training.

[inkaleuschner]

I'm so happy about your explanation! I'm a beginner with the idea if HIIT (not with workoouts in general). It came to my mind that I should do it intuitively, like my body shows it to me. That's how I do it most of the time with eating. Eat when I'm hungry and stop when my tummy is happy.

[KL-wxsy]

Either this man is an absolute expert and really knows his stuff or he is the best liar I have ever listened to bar none