Keeping Fit; high intensity interval training

[Brazilnuts]

I did cycle tabata for 4 minutes today. Wasn't as intense as I'd hoped due to the bike straps coming off, and a weird creaking sound. This is a new bicycle, so what gives?

Thinking that next time I will increase the resistance and peddle like mad on that.

[Brazilnuts]

Did Tabata this evening. Increased the peddle resistance to the HIGHEST and it made very little difference. This sucks. Royally. The bike is ONLY for HIIT/Tabata so what good is it to me now if I can't even go at my personal maximum capacity?

Long-term, I will probably do tabata five days a week (Monday to Friday), as it is literally only 4 minutes long (and 5 times a week is the official tabata protocol). ANYONE can squeeze a tabata workout into their day, no matter how busy they are, and I am no exception. This is why it is something I am considering doing in the future when I am working full time, with a husband and children, and a business to run. It'll be great!

[RRM]

If your diet is properly balanced, due to you listening to your energy requirements, you can loose fat effortlessly.
Increasing total energy expenditure doesnt help a tiny bit in that respect.
Working out does help train your heart muscle, but it doesnt help to reduce your bodyfat.

[Brazilnuts]

If your diet is properly balanced, due to you listening to your energy requirements, you can loose fat effortlessly.
Increasing total energy expenditure doesnt help a tiny bit in that respect.
Working out does help train your heart muscle, but it doesnt help to reduce your bodyfat.

I'm getting more and more ripped everyday, so I think I'll continue on my current regime. Unlike you, I don't have an active job. I sit on my arse all day.

[RRM]

I'm getting more and more ripped everyday, so I think I'll continue on my current regime. Unlike you, I don't have an active job. I sit on my arse all day.

Getting more ripped is not the result of being more active.
Getting more ripped is the result of loosing bodyfat and water, and you can perfectly do both while 'sitting on your arse all day'.
You didnt loose fat because of the physical activities, because you can be as active as you want and burn 6000 kcal every day and still gain fat, easily. What matters is the balance between energy output and input.
If you have that balance right, it doesnt matter what you do(nt). There are many many skinny, ripped people that do nothing all day. They arent fat because they dont eat more than they need.

[Brazilnuts]

Getting more ripped is not the result of being more active.
Getting more ripped is the result of loosing bodyfat and water, and you can perfectly do both while 'sitting on your arse all day'.
You didnt loose fat because of the physical activities, because you can be as active as you want and burn 6000 kcal every day and still gain fat, easily. What matters is the balance between energy output and input.
If you have that balance right, it doesnt matter what you do(nt). There are many many skinny, ripped people that do nothing all day. They arent fat because they dont eat more than they need.

Really?

Thanks RRM. To be honest, I quite prefer to sit on my arse all day than do any form of exercise whatsoever! lol

I will have to do a little experiment on what you said and see if I can still reduce my bodyfat without any exercise.

Thanks for your input.

[RRM]

I will have to do a little experiment on what you said and see if I can still reduce my bodyfat without any exercise.

Just think about this:
If you sit on your arse all day and consume less calories than you need that day, will you lose weight?
Its not about what you do, but about total energy output versus energy intake.

[Oscar]

Thinking also costs energy! I think...erm...getting more ripped (while) I think

[fictor]

High intensity intervals will work to build muscle and strengthen the heart though, right?

[Brazilnuts]

Hmmm, I just found some research that suggests some of what we are discussing varies with age and hormonal levels.

Article link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... upper.html

Research shows that a combination of a sugary drink, gentle exercise and a protein-rich meal helps over-65s lose weight, build muscle and improve balance and flexibility.

The sweet drink, such as Lucozade, should be taken before exercise to give the energy boost needed to go for a walk, a session at the gym or to mow the lawn.

On finishing exercising, a protein-rich meal helps build muscle...The researchers said that while strenuous exercise, including lifting heavy weights, helps young people build muscle, the opposite appears to be true in old age.

It is thought that age-related changes in hormone levels and in the immune system lead to new muscle being broken down rather than built after strenuous exercise in the elderly. But gentle exercise, of the sort that barely causes a person to sweat, still builds muscle and the process is helped along by having a protein drink or protein-rich meal on finishing exercising.

RRM, Oscar and Fictor, what are your thoughts on this?

[RRM]

while strenuous exercise, including lifting heavy weights, helps young people build muscle, the opposite appears to be true in old age.

Of course, because the body's capacity to repair damaged muscle declines with age.
At old age, strenous exercise simply damages too much muscle.

High intensity intervals will work to build muscle...

Its effective, but not the most efficient. Its more efficient not to strain your body so much; exercises specifically designed for bodybuilding are more efficient.

...and strengthen the heart though, right?

Yes, it makes the heart bigger, but again, its relatively much stress.

[johndela1]

It is thought that age-related changes in hormone levels and in the immune system lead to new muscle being broken down rather than built after strenuous exercise in the elderly.[/color] .

they said the people who drank the drink, ate protein, and exercised less had more muscle. How can we conclude that strenuous exercise was the factor? There are multiple variables.

[RRM]

true