for the original poster -- HIIT does not have to be on a treadmill exclusively. Actually, doing long sprints on a track is better as most treadmills have mph caps that are too slow. Also, you can change it up and do HIIT on a bike, elliptical, etc. I'd suggest mixing it up simply to avoid knee impact on the treadmill if you're looking to do HIIT multiple times a week.
I decided to give Insanity a try. I've heard that Insanity gives you better cardio results than p90x and leans you out. Also that p90x is for people who are trying to get bigger and more muscular. I'm not in the best shape right now, and since I play a lot of basketball I figured Insanity would be best for me. Really looking forward to it, gonna try and start this Sunday. :grin:
P90X definitely does not get you "big" effectively. There are too many reps involved (normally). Both P90X and Insanity lean you the heck out and help to build lean muscle, but not muscle size necessarily.
moderate activity is also considered walking and lighter cardio. Which is completely feasible on a diet. An hour of weights + HIIT on a diet is not.
Actually it depends on how much reps you do. If you want size, just get weights where you would struggle with on the last 2 or 3 reps doing 6 - 10 reps.
You can build some size with P90X, sure, but not nearly as effectively as following a high load, low rep program in the gym. I followed the program for a full 3 mos and leaned out like a mad man, but I also went up in a weight a bit. However, it can't beat your typical 5x5 pyramid routines at the gym for size. I loved the program, except it just got a bit repetitive.
(I confess I probably wasn't too clear with my point, I'm usually clear as mud on forums.) 1) The article was about losing weight via 100% exercise, which I commented the OP isn't doing, so the OP can most certainly lose weight without a full hour a day. 2)You won't be building mass while cutting, but you can most certainly still perform vigorous exercises/lifting... and not all calorie deficits are the same.
Man I don't know yet...the schedule has you doing something Mon-Sat with off days on Sunday, but I have basketball league games on Sunday...so I'm not sure yet. I may still follow the order, but with something other than Mon-Sat to better fit my schedule. Oh yeah...you're right about that. I guess what I meant to say is that there's more muscle work in p90x...there's dumbbells, bands, and pull-ups bars. From what I've read Insanity is based on a lot more cardio.
Indeed. I am going for new lifestyle change rather than a diet, I suppose. Because I've tried fad diets before and they all ended quickly with rebounds. So this time, I want to take it slow. I haven't been controlling calories so much as just adding A LOT MORE veggies and fruits into my diet. And I try to exercise everyday or at worst every other day. As someone who's always had low metabolism, I need something that I can keep going or I'd fail very quickly. I started this topic because I realized that my exercising habits had been deteriorating. And I can see how HIIT could help in this regards, because it's more efficient than normal exercise regiments(hence more likely to complete before my willpower leaves me). I likely won't go through the entire rigorous regiment like insanity or p90x. But I'll try to learn from them and see if that helps with my own regiment.
I kept the order but only did Mon-Fri. I used Saturdays to catch up if I happened to miss a day during the week. If not, I did one of the bonus workouts.
meh, Don't worry about minor details. Basically, no one should be able to start HIIT at their max. Treadmill is the best, but you can basically do it anywhere. I started off alternating between an 8-speed run and a 5-speed fast walk. One week later I was up to 10 and 6. Now I'm pretty sure I can do 12 and 7. You'll improve quickly. Also, there's nothing stopping you from adjusting the speeds once you've started. Use the first couple of sessions as testers to figure out where you are. Find out the highest speed at which you can run every other minute and the highet speed you can alternate with. One very good option is that when you switch from run-mode to the slower mode, you can do a very fast walk with a significant incline. Some people prefer this over a jog and it can be just as effective. After a couple of sessions, you'll know where your limitations are and will be able to push them. If you do this a few times a week at your max, it's more than enough exercise for a week, especially if you're following a fairly decent diet (nothing crazy). You'll also feel some added spring in your step once you've adjusted to it. Strengthens your leg muscles, tones you up a little bit. I think you'll really enjoy it as I can identify with how you feel. You want to keep working out sensibly, not worry about every single thing you eat and be efficient while you're at it. It's impossible to maintain those 1-2 hour cardio sessions for longer than a few months.
Anyone tried this: http://crossfit.com/ Friend of ours became a certified trainer and they've started a group out here.
