This topic contains 842 replies, has 80 voices, and was last updated by penguin 5 years, 3 months ago.
What is everyone doing for HIIT?
Today I tried bicycling, but I couldn’t get my heart rate over 90%. Even sprinting the bike up-hill. It just didn’t use enough muscles I guess. I was even doing about 90 seconds of sprint with 90 seconds of lower intensity. A lot of aerobic respiration which was good, but just not able to max out. Even pushing through the lactic acid burn which was local to the upper legs. I did recover each time back to anaerobic respiration so the HIIT cycles were okay.
Typically I try to run up stairs or do something like mountain climbers. I’m toying around with the idea of trying squats with maybe a resistance band to make the arms work a bit too.
dykask. I have that problem. My resting heart rate is usually low 60s and it doesn’t matter how hard I try I can’t get anywhere near the theoretical max. About 20 years ago a specialist heart team wired me up and put me on a treadmill. After about 40 minutes of increasing the load, until I was swimming in sweat, we agreed that it was getting boring and gave up with my heart still jogging along sedately. Some of us are built differently.
@diverdog: I think you live in LV; like the rest of the world I am shocked at the most recent horror, please accept my sincere condolences if you were any way impacted. Words fail everyone at this point.
@penguin – That is interesting. I can hit my max heart rate running, but typically it takes more than a 30 second sprint. I noticed though with the bike I typically run less than 80% of max. Your body must do a great job of producing glycogen. Must be tough for weight loss.
My max heart rate has also increased. 5 years ago my max was 165 which pretty much was on par for my age. Now my max rate is 174 although I’ve seen up to 178, but not sure if I believed it yet. That was with two different chest straps, can’t trust the optical monitors for that. 5 years ago though I was really out of shape so maybe I just couldn’t get to my maximum for some reason.
I think the HIIT that maybe people push here is really more for people that aren’t in very good physical shape. For example when I sprint up stairs I typically end up doing 8 sets because I can’t hit max heart rate the first three and the recovery is too fast. Typically that is about 40 seconds sprinting up and 80 seconds going down easy. I’m always concerned about falling though so maybe I hold back a little? I only fell once in 5 years. I did fall once jumping and that was kind of a bad one.
I hit my original target in August and stayed on it for a couple of weeks, then relaxed and gained 8 lbs. That is now under control and I am back to the target. I have concluded that to prevent complacency I need a target. I have therefore set a new target, 7 lbs below the original. Hear we go again!
Sigh…I lost focus after celebrating Thanksgiving (Canadian-Oct 9th) out of town and a rough few days prior and after dealing with “reality” that created a “who cares” attitude. Just gave myself a good talking to… so “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more” or should I say “Once more unto the smaller britches?”
With apologies to Mr. Shakespeare
August. Good to hear from you. This site seems very quiet these days. Don’t worry about a temporary lapse – we all do it. After a couple of successful weeks I re-dicovered the delights of single malt whiskey. Fortunately I haven’t done too much damage. Just concentrate on those smaller britches, they will mean more than anything the scales say. I have just ordered some smaller shirts, to my great satisfaction.
August, we all have lapses, at least you are aware and catch yourself before it gets out of hand.
Penquin, smaller clothing is always a huge win. Donating the larger sizes to charity even better!
I took a three week break from the gym to allow my back and bicep a chance to recover. My only exercise was walking the dog. I did my second “fasting mimicking diet”. Five days of <600 calories, 50% fat, 50% carbs from non starchy veggies. I lost 4 lbs and dropped my BF% to 19.6. First time < 20% in a long time. I’m planning to do it again in about 6 weeks but I’m going to eliminate the carbs except for a serving of dried greens and some keytones to see if I can get into deep keytosis.
I’m back to the gym but really easing into it. Swallowing my pride and using the pink Barbie weights!
August, I also had a few bad weeks of eating junk food and not fasting.
It’s good to push the reset button and get through that first fasting day and know that you’re right back onto it. I’m finding that I’m struggling a little on my NFDs, probably too many simple carbs. Still finding the balance but at least I’m successfully fasting again.
On the heart-rate thing, my resting heart rate is currently bumping along at around 52. I assume that you calculate the 90% as ( (220 – age) * 0.9)? In that case my 90% is 151, which is about what I average when I’m on the exercise bike (I can’t run currently, I overdid things recently and sprained my high arches, so now I have pain and stiffness in the arches and heels). My heart rate goes up to about 157 and down to the low 140s during the half hour or so that I’m pedalling.
I’m actually really out of shape. As a teen, when I was only reasonably fit, my resting heart rate was in the high 30s and my maximum was above 200. As was mentioned earlier, some of us are just built differently.
Thank you @penquin,@diverdog, and @big_bill; your encouragement and good words are appreciated as I get the motivation and my a.. back in gear.
Hi jppiov
Started yesterday, like you 95.8kg trying to get 10/15kg off
57 years old, feeling sluggish, Mondays and Thursdays for me, one meal in the evening because it’s only twice a week I am keeping it simple with eggs and beans, and mushroom and one slice toast 420 cals leaves me some milk in coffee and a carrot or 2 lol, did this a few years back but not for long and lost 4.5kg, so hopefully this time stay with it then jump onto 6/1
When I reach my goal, hope you manage your target
If it’s scuba diving we do. I don’t get to go very often but I really enjoy it. My go to sport is ballroom and Latin dancing. I really love the music, movement and partnering. A really positive vibe. Lots of pretty women in good shape too! LOL I also road race a Porsche.
I currently weigh 171.5 lbs ~78 kilos @ 5′ 9″ 66 YO. I’ve weighed as much as 109 k but I’ve kept off most of the excess for ~15 years
I’m mostly interested in health span and functional fitness now but I’d sure like to lose a kilo or two of fat from my abs.
Well the dancing will certainly help shed the pounds, my missus would love to do it, but I’ve got two left feet and no coordination where music is concerned, hope to get in the low 80s but the festive season is upon us soon and a couple of dive weekends with the gang, things are moving in right direction though, I prefer to swim more than gym, do leg risers and plank to keep stomach flat, but the fat started to win lol but all will come good
Hello Gents, it’s been rather quiet here and I hope you all are doing well. I’ve been building and moving to a new house along with closing up my GF’s house and I haven’t been eating particularly well or hitting the gym. I’ve put on 4 lbs and it’s time to get it under control. I started another 5 day round of “fasting mimicking” yesterday. <500 cal a day 50% fat 50% high fiber carbs
Nothing from me for a while because I have been away. I am fresh back from 16 days on the island of Madeira. Usually this translates into a weight gain, but this time I am 3 pounds down. My newly acquired habit of not eating breakfast obviously also works in holiday mode.
Diverdog, a 4 pound gain is nothing to a man with your 5:2 experience, it will be gone in no time. It sounds as though there are some major changes for you, good luck with it all.
Penguin, that sounds like a very nice holiday! Awesome that you actually lost weight! My four lbs + is gone already this week.
I’m eating <500 calories a day at about 60% fat and 40% carbs from veggies for 5 days. I’m not measuring glucose but I will get some test strips for the next go around. My blood ketones after day one 0.4 day two 0.6, day three 2.1. I’m using keto mojo to measure. I was not keto adapted at the start. I’m going to add protein back in on Saturday but limit carbs and try to stay above 1.0. No real hunger issues after day one.
Longo advised no exercise and I’m not going to the gym for my usual weight and hiit workouts. Just walking the dog a couple of times a day. I did go dancing for 2 hours last night and I think it helped with the big jump in ketones.
Next week I will do 1 36 hour water fast and measure glucose and ketones at the start and finish.
Ah DD, you do get much more technical than I do. To be honest, I did not understand some of your post. I just try to stay balanced whilst I cut the calories and get some exercise. Where I do study the science is what is happening in my gut. Since I had (emphasise “had”) colon cancer a couple of years back I have taken a serious interest in the gut biome. I eat in an 8 hour window, make my own kefir, eat a balanced diet that includes fermented food like sauerkraut and get plenty of fibre in my diet. It works for me. My weight is gently going down and my periodic checks from the cancer team all come up “clear”.
What we do have in common is the periodic water fast. They work well and I feel really good whilst doing them.
As we keep saying to each other “Whatever works for you”.
Penguin, I can be a bit of a geek and like to self experiment. I love what you are doing and the success you are having. Gut biome is very important. I’m big on fiber and fermented foods too. Unfortunately I can’t eat yogurt or kefir because casein protein is inflamatory for me. So I eat a lot of sauerkraut and other pickled veggies. I also take betaine hydrochloride with each meal to help stomach digestion as I am acid deficient.
Measuring ketones is a good way to see when your body is burning fat for energy. 0.6 is the threshold for some accelerated fat burning 2.0-3.0 the fat burning furnace is well stoked.
@diverdog and @penquin : Guys I enjoy your posts;truthfully I am little jealous of your travels @penquin, and of your dedication + knowledge @diverdog. I am on a “forced fast” today and tomorrow due to a scheduled Colonoscopy. Maybe having the Colonoscopy kick-start (so much fun) my enthusiasm for 5:2 will return. Being a type 2 diabetic I have a challenge managing carbs and avoiding hypoglycemic complications. No medical reason keeps me from more exercise…unless being lazy is now a recognized condition!Best regards
August, as colon cancer is common in my family I’ve be “enjoying” colonoscopies since I was 45. The prep stinks but the alternative is much worse. So far so good for me and it was an early wake up call to get me interested in gut health.
Eating right and moving more can do quite a bit for mitigating type 2. Increasing insulin sensitivity is really the key. Weight lifting and HIIT is best for that.
@diverdog and @penquin : Nice “all normal” result from Colonoscopy! My aspiration is that weight lifting and HIIT will be my path forward along with portion control. Very grateful for all your ongoing inspiration and motivation.
@big_bill and @divergraham: How are you folks fairing these days?
August, glad you are a normal guy! I finished my 5 day “fasting mimicking diet” today. Results start 174.6 BF 21.1% finish 169.8 BF 20.1%. What I learned by measuring ketones was that on 5-600 cal a day it takes 2 days to see the start of fat burning, day 3-5 fat burning really cranked up! I’m going to be eating high fat moderate protein and low carb.
Going back to the gym monday to ease into lifting and HIIT. I will be doing 1-2 days a week of water fasting for ~36 hours. I will be measuring ketones to see if good fat burning will kick in.
I really enjoyed my Thanksgiving meal and of course I overdid it with lots of carbs and sugars. I ate at 4:00 PM and decided it was time for a 35 hour water fast. I measured ketones at 9:00 PM and they were below the range of my meter. At 9:00 AM K= 0.4 weight was 172.0 BF 20.1. I did a 20 min HIIT workout on the bike with no issues. At 7:40 PM K=0.4. Next morning K=0.5 weight 169.8lbs BF=19.4.
Lessons learned: 35 hours is not enough time to get into a really strong fat burning mode with a water fast. At least after a 1800 calorie meal loaded with carbs, alcohol and sugars! I did however burn some fat and it was not hard to complete the fast.
I’ll be doing another fast in a couple of days and I’ll be eating a low carb diet before I start it. I hope I’ll get better results and I may extend it to 48 hours.
Did another 35 hour water / coffee fast. This time the last pre fast meal was not a gluttonous orgy of Thanksgiving food! LOL I did a 20 minute HIIT as I did last time. This time I went into a much stronger fat burning state with my ketones hitting 1.8 mmol vs 0.5 mmol last time I measured.
I’m planning on starting another fast tonight after 2 days of normal eating. I may try to extend it another 24 hours.
Penguin, my 67th birthday is December 20th. I’d like to be at my lowest adult weight by then. I’m doing two days of normal eating and one day (~35 hours)of water fasting. Finished my third cycle yesterday at 166.2 lbs my HS and military boot camp weight. I still have more abdominal fat to lose so I will continue and hopefully be able to find some gym time. One thing I’ve found is that hard manual labor works very well for weight loss! LOL
diverdog. I recognise that ambition. I am 6 years older and have got down to the lightest I have been in my adult life. I am not, however, the shape I was in recruit training – my fat to muscle ratio still needs work. For some reason this is proving a bigger challenge than it was 50 years ago. Agree about manual labour – I have a large vegetable garden that I have just finished preparing for the winter. All dug over with a spade.
Penquin, it is a real challenge to retain and build muscle at our ages. Weights are about the only effective way to do it. I’m outfitting a home gym but I have to unpack all of the stuff taking up the space first.
I have a big yard at my new place and I’m going to add some raised garden beds with good soil. I love growing my own veggies.
Started another 35 hour fast last night.
Weights – agreed. I try to get to our local gym a couple of times a week and use Pilates to stay flexible. The trouble is that life keeps getting in the way and I don’t always manage it. There is nothing like your own veg: guaranteed fresh and you have total control of what chemicals they have on them. In my case none.
One thing I’ve learned from tracking my blood ketones is that eating a <500 calorie meal on a 35 hour fast really limits fat burning. At the end of a 5:2 fast I’m at 0.4 mmol which is the start of the fat burning range. If I water fast it will be ~ 1.8mmol, a much stronger indication of fat burning. It take three days of <500 cal eating for me to get into the same range as one day of water fasting.
When I do my next five day 500 calorie “fasting micking diet” in January I’m going to make the first day and a half a water fast to kick start the fat burning. Then 3 and a half days of eating one avocado made into guacamole with raw veggies to dip.
For now I’m going to continue to do 2:1 with water (coffee) fasts
I have given up the 600 cal fast days. What works for me is a weekly 40 hour water only fast. On NFDs I confine my eating to a time span of noon – 7pm. The body is accustomed to this and I don’t feel hungry. Occasionally to prevent the body from becoming too accustomed to it I will extend the fast by 24 hours.
Hi Guys: I’m still around but not with a lot to say. I am not as dedicated or motivated as some; finding extreme multi-day fasting not personally feasible. I just follow the basic 5:2 as best I can and work to ramp up the exercise portion. A fall and twisted ankle a couple of weeks ago put me on the sidelines just as seasonal party buffets started up again!
An article about regaining muscle loss as we age recently caught my eye as making sense;The findings are to insert one lower-intensity workout between Highs for a 3 day week program of High, Low, High. The results were reportedly better, and more sustainable, for “mature” individuals. You can check it out at https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/fitness/how-should-you-train-to-retain-muscle-as-you-age/article36816684/
Hi, mnman58 here, aka Mark, age 60, from Minnesota, USA.
I have been following this blog for over a year-and-a-half, but I sure do not post much. I have been doing 5-2 since April 2016. Lost 26 pounds, and pretty much staying the same nowadays. I eat whatever I want on my non fast days. I have better weight maintenance if I avoid bread. I think of my fast days as cleansing days. I suppose if I cut out the Bacardi rum and cokes, I could continue losing additional weight.
I thought I should post something, because I feel like a stalker because I have all of this blog’s posts sent to my personal email account. I do read all of your posts, and have learned a lot of good info. Keep on keeping on.
Cheers from the not-stalker, mnman58
August, the article was interesting. doing a light workout between heavy ones makes sense. Promoting blood flow without overstressing the muscle should promote recovery.
One other interesting point was about needing more protein as we age. One thing I’ve learned from a top Olympic and pro coach is that as we age and because we are exposed to many toxic chemicals we don’t produce enough stomach acid to properly digest our food particularly protein. It’s ironic that so many people are on acid blockers and anti acids when what they really need is more acid!
I supplement with betaine hydrochloride at every meal to aid digestion and absorption of minerals and protein.
Mnman58. When I was in the service, if the weather forecast was below freezing and the Medical Officer was prepared to sign the paperwork, we could get a rum ration for outdoor workers, which we gave them at the end of the duty. It has probably stopped now , life is getting serious. There are lots of nasty calories in that coke. I suggest a good single malt whiskey.
Penguin, I totally agree. No good calories in any soda, or in any alcohol. But, need to enjoy life too.
Thank goodness for fasting days, for a good cleanse. I can go about 36 hours on a water only fast, and feel great afterwards. My 5:2 is really maintenance mode, probably because I misbehave on my NF days.
On a side note, I do follow three different 5:2 groups on Facebook, which helps keep me motivated.
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