Is anyone using sprinting in their workout regimen? I have been reading a lot about the benefits of sprinting for fat loss in addition to increasing metabolism. I wanted to see if anyone here has some direct experience with it, and find out your results? Also, how often can you use sprinting on a weekly basis? Thoughts?
I do it with HIIT, 5 30-seconds all-out, with 30 seconds recovery in between. I do it maybe twice a week. Others may chime in about frequency, but I only do it twice a week to avoid injury. I don’t know about sprinting specifically for the benefits aside from building speed in running, but as part of a HIIT routine it does definitely burn fat. By my last ‘spring’ it’s more of a jog, it’s crazy about how going all-out gets you anaerobic so quickly.
You can change the duration (20 sec, 30 sec, etc) and the number of ‘reps,’ and if you are a runner, you can incorporate by doing Fartleks…while running average or tempo pace, pick up speed all-out for a specific amount of time or distance (light pole to light pole, etc.).
It is easy to get injured, especially the hammies and piriformis/hip flexors.
HIIT is more beneficial than steady state cardio IMO. It has a larger demand on your muscles and does cause greater fat burning and overall calorie burning. The main benefit is that it can raise your metabolism for up to 24 hrs after the workout where as steady state is just what you burn during. You might burn more calories during a 1 hr steady state cardio workout than a 20 minute HIIT, but over 24hrs the HIIT is going to be better for fat burning.
There are a bunch of different programs you can find online. I use both types of cardio, and like Chuck limit HIIT to 2 days per week to avoid injury and over-training because i do weights and steady state as well
Hiit is the fastest way to get and stay in aerobic condition. Beats long steady state jogging. As you progress increase the sprint distance and reduce the rest distance. I would use a heart rate monitor for the rest period. When my heart rate got down to 100 sprint again. I would use a mile distance to begin, what ever the number of sprint rest periods needed to complete the mile.
As usual, the answer is “it depends.” For general fitness, yes, for sure. For targeted events like long-distance aerobic events, then steady state is better. For me, those distances are in my rear-view mirror, so I am best-bang-for-the-buck and my steady state is < 3 miles and I focus more on strength/conditioning and HIIT.
There’s also SIT vs HIIT to consider BTW:
Will, what do you think of Tabatas (as HIIT)?
Tabata would be more SIT than HIIT it appears under current nomenclature and very difficult to do as it is an all out effort for 20s and 10s rest between. If you can survive them and nor not get injured, should be highly productive. Not for beginners clearly.
I think there is more refined HIIT/SIT protocols since Tabata did his early studies.
What about combining the two for time efficiency? Stretch and warm up then do a flat out sprint till you gas out. Then walk it till recovery, jog your 3 miles then do another flat out sprint till you gas at the end of your run?
Leave out the 3 mile jog, just do 10 gassers
I would divide intervals into anaerobic and aerobic. Anaerobic being shorter and higher in intensity with more recovery between work bouts. Think sprints with walk recoveries. Aerobic intervals are longer but not as fast with jog recoveries. Hill repeats are also worth talking about if you want to develop power but the injury risk is higher. Which is kind of the rub for interval stuff. Yes, its more effective than steady state but it also requires more recovery, so there’s a higher cost to it and the injury risk goes up as well. Steady state will make you a more efficient runner and allow you more training time but again, without defining goals its a moot point.
For a general physical preparedness training program I’d try to do three runs a week. One steady state, one anaerobic interval and one aerobic interval.
For steady state, I do about 30:00 jogging at about 6.3mph (9:31 p/m) on a treadmill or a stationary bike keeping my HR in the 120-130s range.
For anaerobic intervals, I start with that slow jogging pace for a 5:00 warm-up. Then a 1:00 interval at 9.4mph (6:22 p/m) increasing this with each interval and finishing the last few at 10.6mph (5:39 p/m) for 10 work intervals in total with 1:00 walk recoveries in between. Then another 5:00 cool-down at the jog pace. The big mistake people make with these is that they aren’t hard or long enough to be beneficial, but there’s a very fine line there with injury risk.
For aerobic intervals, I do 1/4 mile at the jog pace, with 1/2 mile at 8.6mph (6:58 p/m) x4 with a 1/4 mil jog recovery. This isn’t as fast as the anaerobic intervals but the recovery between work bouts isn’t as complete. These type of intervals runs replaced the tempo runs which were previously prescribed in a lot of training plans, which are designed to train your ability to clear lactic acid. Aerobic intervals accomplish the same thing but are easier to recover from.
With any program there has to be some kind of progression, be it duration or intensity. Combine this with strength training and an active recovery day here and there and you’ll do fine. To define what an active recovery day is, I wouldn’t do a workout but would wash the car or cut the lawn etc.