Cue-Ball
12-17-2002, 06:49 PM
PowerMan's thread has made me decide to start doing HIIT training for help with fat loss. I was previously doing 2 mile runs, but would prefer something that's more effective and less catabolic. HIIT seems to fit the bill. However; as we all know it's winter and not exactly the best weather to be outside running. I'm trying to come up with some options for performing HIIT indoors. I have access to a small gym on my non-weight training days but activities which require little or no equipment would be ideal. Treadmills seem to be mostly out of the question because of the time it takes for a treadmill to speed up/slow down and the risks associated with very high speed treadmill running. Here's what i've come up with so far:
1) Jumping rope. You'll need a high ceiling and a good flooring surface (no downstairs neighbors, no snowy grass, etc) as well as a jumprope. Seems like a good option.
2) Running stairs (indoors). Could be quite loud if you're running stairs in your home or apartment complex. Otherwise, seems like a good choice as long as you have at least a few flights of continuous stairs. I don't think a stairmaster would be a good choice due to the same limitations as a treadmill.
3) Swimming? I'm not much of a swimmer but i would assume that if you go all-out for 15 seconds you'd get one hell of a workout. Of course, i'd be likely to drown during the "rest" period but, to each his own. Not sure how many people have access to a pool anyway (especially in the winter).
4) Stationary bike. This might be a good choice for people who have a decent stationary bike available to them. They can generally speed up and slow down much faster than a treadmill and you can easily adjust the difficulty/speed without risk of injury.
Personally, jumping rope is the only GOOD alternative for me. I don't have access to a good stationary bike or pool and i don't think my neighbors would appreciate me running the stairs every other day. Anyone else have any other suggestions?
1) Jumping rope. You'll need a high ceiling and a good flooring surface (no downstairs neighbors, no snowy grass, etc) as well as a jumprope. Seems like a good option.
2) Running stairs (indoors). Could be quite loud if you're running stairs in your home or apartment complex. Otherwise, seems like a good choice as long as you have at least a few flights of continuous stairs. I don't think a stairmaster would be a good choice due to the same limitations as a treadmill.
3) Swimming? I'm not much of a swimmer but i would assume that if you go all-out for 15 seconds you'd get one hell of a workout. Of course, i'd be likely to drown during the "rest" period but, to each his own. Not sure how many people have access to a pool anyway (especially in the winter).
4) Stationary bike. This might be a good choice for people who have a decent stationary bike available to them. They can generally speed up and slow down much faster than a treadmill and you can easily adjust the difficulty/speed without risk of injury.
Personally, jumping rope is the only GOOD alternative for me. I don't have access to a good stationary bike or pool and i don't think my neighbors would appreciate me running the stairs every other day. Anyone else have any other suggestions?