HIITing It Out of The Park

HIITing IT OUT OF THE PARK

HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) has been around for at least a century.  The goal is to use blocks of higher intensity and recovery to perform more work than if you tried to work at the same intensity continuously.  The beauty of HIIT is that it’s almost infinitely adjustable, so you can create many workouts to accomplish specific goals, heck, you can create many workouts to accomplish the same goal!  Often, athletes think of specific workouts they read about or hear about on a podcast, “Norwegian 4 X 4 minutes,” “Tabatas,” “micro intervals,” “2 X 20 minutes,” and “4 X 8 minutes” all come to mind quickly when thinking about this. All the workout incarnations in the “training media” can make HIIT seem really complicated…  That said, a simpler way to think about HIIT training is this:

·       Prior to 12-16 weeks before your key races for the year, focus on intervals which build sustainable power (these could be upper Z2 or Z3) and are a bit longer – think 5-20 minutes… OR about shorter intervals, which help build a specific skill.  For example, 10 seconds trying to spin against minimal resistance to the highest cadence you can on the bike, without bouncing in the saddle… or short 10-15 second “strides” at the end of a run… or half lengths of faster swimming to finish a longer swim.  The goals here are to build your aerobic foundation (your ability to keep going) and to improve your skill, coordination, and fluidity in each sport.

·       During the final 12-16 weeks of your key races, shift your focus from less to more race-like.  For example, over the first half of this period, incorporate intervals which are 30” to 6’ and Z5-6 in most training systems, with solid 2-3’ long rest intervals… gradually progress to intervals in the 6-12 minute range which are done at to 5% over goal race intensity… While still touching on work rates in excess of this 1x week to help maintain all levels of work.

·       NOTE: This is an example; it’s not how training looks for everyone, as fitness, experience, and target race all will change the details.  I note the above as an example to help your creative juices flow!

As you think about the coming weeks in your key races, and you think about doing some HIIT sessions, consider how those ideas may help you structure those workouts to better help you reach your goals!

Will Kirousis, MS, CSCS, CISSN
Tri-Hard | Director
USA Cycling Certified Coach

USA Triathlon Certified Coach
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist

Certified Sports Nutritionist

508.633.2708 | will@tri-hard.com | www.tri-hard.com | @willkirousis

Max Performance organizes multi-sport events throughout New England with an emphasis on organization, communication, energy, and enthusiasm!