HIIT vs HIRT


(WanderinJack) #1

Any thoughts on this?
Recently I’ve noticed my right heal is sore the next day. Going to try this next time out.


(Windmill Tilter) #2

The HIRT acronym is already taken. It stands for High Intensity Resistance Training, and it’s awesome. You lift 70% of your 1RM for 60-90 seconds until total muscle failure. 1 set and your done. You do a few big multi-joint lifts like deadlifts, each for a single set, then you recover for at least 7 days to avoid over training. I love it.

The high intensity repeat training described in the article sounds a bit l like nonsense. It’s taking extremely well reasearched, well documented training methodolgy (tabata training), and stripping it of it’s efficacy. They offer no reasearch that validates their own version. The rest intervals in tabata training are not arbitrary. We know what tabata does for VO2 max, what does this do? Nobody has any idea.

I think the premise that people are incorrectly labeling exercises HIIT is true, and that many people are overtraining is true. The solution isn’t watered down tabata training, it’s taking additional recovery days.

Thats my 2 cents anyway.


(Richard Amaro) #3

With HIRT work sets are kept to 5-20 seconds and rest breaks are 3-5 times longer. With HIIT work sets are typically the same (30 seconds of work, 30 seconds of rest) or longer (20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest) than the rest breaks which leads to a breakdown in speed, power, explosiveness, and form :slight_smile:


(Justin Jordan) #4

It’s true they’re offering no research (in that article, but the article it’s summarizing does) but the longer duration rests version HAS been researched at least as well as Tabatas have. Martin Gibala in Canada’s research is about intervals generally, and his book One Minute Workout actually offers a good (non academic) summary of the history of intervals and the research he and others have done.

I don’t think most people are working nearly hard enough at intervals, “Tabata” or otherwise, to worry about actually overtraining. My (biased, cynical, observational) experience is that people are usually barely working hard to justify it AS intervals.


(charlie3) #5

My priority is to reserve anerobic energy and wear and tear on joints and connective for resistance training but I still want high aerobic fitness. Just to complicate things some more, I don’t/won’t run. I’ll walk to the edge of the earth but have never been a fan of running and all the runners I know don’t run any more because of injuries and I’m also not a fan of injuries.

So what I’ve been doing is low heart rate training on a Schwinn Airdyne ergometer instead of running. I can do 2 x 1 hour rides daily and no sign of over training and it doesn’t seem to influence resistance training. Old style Airdynes can be found for $200 on craigslist. I got a second one for the farm at a yard sale for $60.