Basic Fitness and Conditioning - Advanced
The advanced plan will now incorporate HIIT training. This is High Intensity Interval Training. It is a mixture of aerobic exercise (with oxygen) and anaerobic work (without oxygen).
The steady state cardio at lower intensity has previously been all aerobic, the intervals on HIIT maybe anaerobic for some. Studies show that HIIT is great for fat burning (after burn) and increasing metabolic output. This means you stay slim whilst becoming fitter! HIIT is not for the unconditioned trainer, and is far more intense than the steady state training detailed above. For the advanced trainer though there will be no health risks for those who have been cleared by their GP or doctor. Fitness levels will now support the near maximum efforts. I have outlined below is an example of HIIT for the advanced trainer:
(Minutes)
- 1-3 easy warm up on stationary bike at a very steady pace
- 3.00-3.20 max out effort, no holding back
- 3.20-4.00 cool down with minimal effort but keep pedalling
- 4.00-4.20 max out effort, no holding back
- 4.20-5.00 cool down with minimal effort but keep pedalling
- 5.00-5.20 max out effort, no holding back
- 5.20-6.00 cool down with minimal effort but keep pedalling
- 6.00-6.20 max out effort, no holding back
- 6.20-7.00 cool down with minimal effort but keep pedalling
- 7.00-7.20 max out effort, no holding back
- 7.20 -12/13 cool down
The session will last around 13 minutes with 5 maximal efforts. Many trainers liken these 20 second intervals to 100m track sprints in terms of the effort required. Anything less than maximum effort will not prove beneficial. Initially there are 5 intervals, so 100 seconds hard work. This is literally everything you have and more to the point of exhaustion in the 20 second period, followed by a 40 second active rest.
The progression of HIIT is done through a number of intervals as opposed to the effort as the trainer will be at maximum intensity throughout. Initially this looks easy but I can assure you it is very challenging! For your first session simply establish an appreciation of the structure and approximate the effort required in each interval.
As the advanced trainer becomes more interested in cardio they may look to use their heart rate as an indication of effort. The advanced training plan will include steady state cardio at heart rate intensities (as a percentage of maximum). For HIIT training, heart rate monitors offer little benefit. Its either maximum perceived effort or warm down/light spin.
Maximum heart rate can be calculated by manual or theoretical equations and testing.
For those wishing to do the manual test simply sit on a bicycle and increase the intensity level every 2 minutes to around 15 minutes where you are performing an all out sprint. This progression must be a steady linear effort as opposed to maximum effort being put in too early or holding back and simply sprinting at the end. See the test as a gradually increasing hill as opposed to a flat road with a sprint at the end. The trainer should establish a figure within 5 beats of their maximum by doing this.
For the theoretical approach, the male trainer is to subtract his age from 220 whilst females minus age from 226. In theory, based on this calculation, the 40 year old gent will have a MHR (maximum heart rate) of 180bpms.
We will take the maximum figure, whether it was established manually or theoretically and devise sessions to work in ‘zones’ whilst performing cardio. The different zones will primarily provide different benefits from lower intensity efforts where fat burning is more prevalent to higher end efforts where fitness levels and VO2 are increased. This will partner the HIIT trainer for a ‘steady state and interval training’ combination. The advanced trainer will incorporate both methods into 4-5 sessions per week as detailed below:
- Monday – 40 minutes at 75-80% of MHR on any chosen cardio equipment
- Tuesday – HIIT protocol above on stationary bike
- Thursday – 45-50 minutes at 65-75% of MHR on rowing machine
- Friday – HIIT protocol above on stationary bike
- Sunday – optional 1 hour stationary cycle ride at 65% of MHR
This will provide the trainer with a challenging weekly training schedule. Progression for the steady state training is simply increasing the duration or the intensity, whilst adding intervals to the HIIT will make it a more advanced plan. The advanced trainer may wish to detail their progression by noting distances, achieved level of intensity or completed sessions in a log book to monitor their progress. I strongly recommend this for motivation amongst other factors.
For those looking to progress beyond this level to sporting performance I would suggest researching the sport you are interested in and the training principles associated with that particular sport. The advanced trainers plan above will give a great base of endurance, speed and cardiovascular efficiency and you may also shed a pound or two on the way.
Sport specific training will differ from the protocol above but the base established in the advanced plan will put the trainer in an advantageous position for entering the realms of sports training.
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