I can't decide if I love Cathe Friedrich's HIIT workouts or if I hate them. First off, let's discuss what HIIT actually means: it stands for High Intensity Interval Training. And it's TOUGH. Last year when Cathe released her Shock Cardio series, there was a HIIT DVD which includes three 30-min workouts:
1) 30/30: The least intensive of the 3. You do 30 seconds of crazy intense intervals then you get 30 seconds of rest. This is the one with the least dread factor for me and I don't feel like a total spaz.
2) 40/20: This is 30/30 on crack. Think redunk intervals for 40 seconds then 20 seconds of rest. You do get a few 1-minute rests but it feels like nothing since you're gasping for breath the entire time. This workout makes me feel like I just smoked 10 packs of cigarettes and haven't lifted a leg in 20 years. On the spaz-o-meter, I give myself a 10/10.
3) Pyramid: You do a wave of 9 intervals, the first being the shortest (20 seconds) and each successive interval is increased by 5 seconds. Once you hit the top, you go back down the pyramid, get a 1-minute break, then complete the next cycle. This one is tough but I feel relatively fit when I do it.
Why do I hate HIIT workouts? Well, let me clarify: I hate them before I do them and I hate them while I'm doing them (especially in the case of 40/20 because I find myself getting angry that I need to pause or can't bust out all the reps, or just because I am in PAIN). But when I'm done, I love them! These workouts helped so much with my stamina in regard to other workouts, my form & ability when I'm skiing have improved tremendously, and you just feel so accomplished after getting through it that you're like "Ok, I can take on the world!"
It's just daunting knowing you have one of these coming up on the schedule.
No comments:
Post a Comment