HIIT + Fat Loss Training Questions

[Leatherjacket]

Hey guys!

Since this question applies on two forum-topics at once, i created this thread two times in each forum.

Ok, this will be a honest post, so please go easy on me.


In the last few months, i went up from 89 to 100 kg, which probably is about 195 to 220 pounds.

I also lost a lot of muscle mass and gained a lot of fat, and i was honestly surprised of how fast that happened, i am normally used to being able as much as i want without gaining any more weight. I did not eat a lot different than i usually did, the only thing different was that i had to cancel ONE training on wednesday evening because i had to invest a lot of time into college. If that is the main factor, i would be hugely surprised.


I monitored my eating behavior for about 9 weeks and i think i can say that at least every second thing i eat could be considered "unnecessary", with daily intakes peaking at about 3000-4000 and some days only 1000-2000 calories (those days mixed up quite often.)


So here is my question, or idea.

I would love to get back to my feel good + feel fit weight at about 84 kg ( 185 lbs ).

I thought about doing HIIT - Sprints in the morning, about 3 times a week, to burn fat. I do know that a part of the weight i will lose is muscle mass, too, though.

Then, later on, when i can see that i come closer to my old bodyshape, i would like to go specifically for muscle mass.

What i wanted to know: I want to lose fat in a healthy way. Is this idea the right choice? Do you think i should go for fat loss and building muscle mass simultaneously? Of course, i would change my eating habits along also. Would HIIT have an effect on my appetite?

Is HIIT - Sprinting a good choice here? Should i do it more then 3 times a week?

Thanks in advance

 

[IronMaidenfan#1]

Hey guys!

Since this question applies on two forum-topics at once, i created this thread two times in each forum.

Ok, this will be a honest post, so please go easy on me.


In the last few months, i went up from 89 to 100 kg, which probably is about 195 to 220 pounds.

I also lost a lot of muscle mass and gained a lot of fat, and i was honestly surprised of how fast that happened, i am normally used to being able as much as i want without gaining any more weight. I did not eat a lot different than i usually did, the only thing different was that i had to cancel ONE training on wednesday evening because i had to invest a lot of time into college. If that is the main factor, i would be hugely surprised.


I monitored my eating behavior for about 9 weeks and i think i can say that at least every second thing i eat could be considered "unnecessary", with daily intakes peaking at about 3000-4000 and some days only 1000-2000 calories (those days mixed up quite often.)


So here is my question, or idea.

I would love to get back to my feel good + feel fit weight at about 84 kg ( 185 lbs ).

I thought about doing HIIT - Sprints in the morning, about 3 times a week, to burn fat. I do know that a part of the weight i will lose is muscle mass, too, though.

Then, later on, when i can see that i come closer to my old bodyshape, i would like to go specifically for muscle mass.

What i wanted to know: I want to lose fat in a healthy way. Is this idea the right choice? Do you think i should go for fat loss and building muscle mass simultaneously? Of course, i would change my eating habits along also. Would HIIT have an effect on my appetite?

Is HIIT - Sprinting a good choice here? Should i do it more then 3 times a week?

Thanks in advance

It's amazing that you gained that much weight due to just missing 1 workout a week, sorry but it doesn't quite add up, imo, sorry if I've misread.

As far as sprints go, they are badass, great for burning fat and they don't use up a dramatic amount of glycogen, so therefore you won't/shouldn't have to eat too much to re-fuel. Plus, sprints themselves promote GH (growth hormone). As long as the HIIT/Sprints aren't too long, I'd say 20-25 mins is fine, provided you get a protein source not too long after to help prevent catabolism.

 

[IronMaidenfan#1]

As far as 3 times a week goes, hmmm, for me that would be excessive but it's all down to the person and how there CNS is. It depends on quality of rest also.

 

[Steakeater**]

Its actually possible with your training. Go to Lyle forums and look into eod refeeds

 

[Leatherjacket]

It's amazing that you gained that much weight due to just missing 1 workout a week, sorry but it doesn't quite add up, imo, sorry if I've misread.

As far as sprints go, they are badass, great for burning fat and they don't use up a dramatic amount of glycogen, so therefore you won't/shouldn't have to eat too much to re-fuel. Plus, sprints themselves promote GH (growth hormone). As long as the HIIT/Sprints aren't too long, I'd say 20-25 mins is fine, provided you get a protein source not too long after to help prevent catabolism.

That sounds cool, i don't know if i can do 25 mins HIIT Sprinting though, i planned on slowly working my way up from 30 sec. Sprint / 30 sec. Rest to later, after 6-8 weeks going to 20 sec. / 10 sec. for about 4 minutes.

 

[Leatherjacket]

Its actually possible with your training. Go to Lyle forums and look into eod refeeds

That was actually a really good tip, thanks mate! might try it.


How long would you think could my process take?

 

[IronMaidenfan#1]

That sounds cool, i don't know if i can do 25 mins HIIT Sprinting though, i planned on slowly working my way up from 30 sec. Sprint / 30 sec. Rest to later, after 6-8 weeks going to 20 sec. / 10 sec. for about 4 minutes.

Oh sure, I mean my sprint sessions are usually 20 mins total, I know others sometimes push a bit harder though. I run hills also, I'd recommend that if there are any good spots near where you are.

 

[mmafreedom]

TS, don't worry about losing muscle. Sprinting should be over quickly and in so you wont produce as much Cortisol as long cardio sessions do, which is a nightmare for protein synthesis. You should start building muscle now, plus cardio.

Hey IronMaidenfan, the 20 minute sprint sessions, is this including the warm up and cool down period? Because if you can sprint for 20 minutes, I don't believe you are actually sprinting at all, or are spending too much rest time. Take the Tabata method for example, only lasts for four minutes (the actual sprinting part) but afterwads you will be genuinely exhausted.

 

[IronMaidenfan#1]

TS, don't worry about losing muscle. Sprinting should be over quickly and in so you wont produce as much Cortisol as long cardio sessions do, which is a nightmare for protein synthesis. You should start building muscle now, plus cardio.

Hey IronMaidenfan, the 20 minute sprint sessions, is this including the warm up and cool down period? Because if you can sprint for 20 minutes, I don't believe you are actually sprinting at all, or are spending too much rest time. Take the Tabata method for example, only lasts for four minutes (the actual sprinting part) but afterwads you will be genuinely exhausted.

Lol, 20 mins overall of course, including warm ups, rests etc...

EDIT - I would stress also that tabata is just one method and not necessarily the best depending on a person's goals. But yeah, 20 mins overall.

 

[Leatherjacket]

TS, don't worry about losing muscle. Sprinting should be over quickly and in so you wont produce as much Cortisol as long cardio sessions do, which is a nightmare for protein synthesis. You should start building muscle now, plus cardio.

Wow, that sounds pretty awesome, i thought of first losing fat and then gaining muscle, thanks mate!

Do you think though, as i heard a friend who is rowing for about 10 years now, that HIIT will increase my appetite? My plan as far as dieting goes was to cut out all candy, junkfood and softdrinks - and generally eating more vegetables and fruits instead.

 

[ironchefigor]

Lol, 20 mins overall of course, including warm ups, rests etc...

EDIT - I would stress also that tabata is just one method and not necessarily the best depending on a person's goals. But yeah, 20 mins overall.

So whats your typical routine like from start to finish?

 

[mmafreedom]

Lol, 20 mins overall of course, including warm ups, rests etc...

EDIT - I would stress also that tabata is just one method and not necessarily the best depending on a person's goals. But yeah, 20 mins overall.

Ahh I see thank you for replying. Yeh for sure I can appreciate that. For me, I find Tabata the best as it is a relatively close representation to a kickboxing fight, short intense bursts followed by small segments of rest, but I respect the fact other people have different requirements.

Wow, that sounds pretty awesome, i thought of first losing fat and then gaining muscle, thanks mate!

Do you think though, as i heard a friend who is rowing for about 10 years now, that HIIT will increase my appetite? My plan as far as dieting goes was to cut out all candy, junkfood and softdrinks - and generally eating more vegetables and fruits instead.

No problem man.
It may increase your appetite, I personally havn't found it does. A good way to counter-act hunger cravings, and im sure LOTS of people on this forum would say the same, is by eating lots of protein due to the fact it has a high satiety factor.

You want to meet your protein needs (approx 1.2-1.5g of protein per lb of bodyweight) by eating lean cuts of meat, eggs, nuts, protein shakes etc.
Once you have met all your protein needs, you can fill in the rest of your caloric needs through fats and carbohydrates. Primarily keeping your carbohydrates low in comparison to your fats. I'd recommend reading through the ZERO-CARB thread in this forum as it is full of useful bits of information.
(keep in mind you want to be in a calorie deficit in order to lose fat, so calculate your maintenance, weight loss and extreme weight loss caloric limits and then program your diet accordingly to what you want.)

 

[nothinbutMHS]

if you don't mind my butting in, is it a good idea to do lighter cardio immediately following a set of tabata sprints? i've heard that you want to have at least a 15-20 minute workout for a good workout. what does the 20-minute workout w/warm-up above entail?

 

[mmafreedom]

if you don't mind my butting in, is it a good idea to do lighter cardio immediately following a set of tabata sprints? i've heard that you want to have at least a 15-20 minute workout for a good workout. what does the 20-minute workout w/warm-up above entail?

I'd personally say that it isn't necessary to do extra light cardio. The point of HIIT is to leave your body so exhausted you simply couldn't do any more.
The tabata method =
Brisk jog for 5 minutes, Sprint for 20 seconds, walk or jog for 10 seconds, for a total of 8 sets, (totaling 4 minutes) then another 5 minute cool down jog, which will total a 14 minute cardio session.
I prefer quality over quantity. Although this is not to say long cardio sessions aren't good, it all depends on the type of results you want. If you want a slim, lean physique then long cardio sessions might be right up your alley. If you were wanting to maintain muscle mass and improve cardiovascular fitness, sprints are fantastic for this.

 

[nothinbutMHS]

this is good news, to be honest. cardio suuuuuuuuucks.

 

[Leatherjacket]

Ok, this is gonna be nice, i will start from next week monday on, at 100 kg. Will come back some time here to write down what i lost on weight!