Here’s the thing. Now that I am inside mostly, I do HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) regularly. Three times a week currently. I like these workouts. They are not easy, but in the end, I feel confident with the progress I’m making. On the road, it is more difficult to get the same workout in such a short period of time.
This is the problem.
I watched a YouTube video last week that put into question the correct ratio between the HIIT effort and subsequent recovery. I have been using a 1:1 ratio based on advice and reading I have done over the years. The presenter in the video – a fitness and nutrition expert – suggested a 1:3 or 1:4 ratio is more appropriate, arguing that unless you are fully recovered, you will not be able to exert full effort on the next interval turning the workout into more of an aerobic workout.
Have I been doing this all wrong?
In an effort to sort this out, I borrowed The HIIT Bible from the library this week to find out. It was an interesting read, outlining a number of HIIT options, including spinning. The author, Steve Barrett, has extensive experience with several methods. What better place to turn.
Well, he recommends a 1:1 ratio.
I have 2 HIIT workouts I do following a 15-20 minute warm-up. In the first, I do 3 x 7 minutes with a 3 minute recovery between each set. For the second, I do 10 x 30 second efforts with a 30 second recovery between each (a 1:1 ratio).
So, am I doing this correctly?
If you have experience with HIIT, what do you advise?
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