Why High Intensity Interval Training probably isn't right for you

I train busy people, who work hard, have stressful jobs & lives, travel lots and don’t get much sleep. It’s my job as their coach get them in shape and manage their energy levels so they can perform both in the gym and at work.

Exercise is stressful, and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is very stressful. Layering yet another stress into an already stressed out / elevated cortisol (stress hormone) life isn’t going to do you any favours.

Let’s look at the data:

HIIT is championed for a few reasons. One being EPOC (Excess Post Oxygen Consumption). People will tell you that you burn more calories after training as the reason to do HIIT. Which is true, at a base level. But the total amount of extra calories burnt is only a small percentage. Depending on the study you read it will be about 7-10% that’s not a lot of calories when you compare how many calories is in a can of Coke.

There is a limited number of calories you can burn in a session, I’m sorry to say your FitBit, MyZone or Apple Watch are wildly inaccurate. The calories burned in a moderate activity session vs a HIIT class will not be far off.

Also…

You didn’t earn the right to do it. Most people jump into HIIT training when they are pretty out of shape. Without putting in the months of training to build up a base to even be able to push themselves hard enough for HIIT. Just because your heart rate goes through the roof, does not mean your muscles are working at the levels required to actually get the benefits of HIIT.

And….

Often people are going to HIIT sessions in a class format where it’s a 45min class. If you were truly doing HIGH INTENSITY you would be tanked in about 4 minutes. I’m not saying you’re not working hard, it’s just not high intensity, you’re just getting fatigued. Then on top of that, it’s often done too frequently. If you’re tired from the previous day/s workout you are not working at high intensity, you’re just knackered and struggling to recover.

I’m not totally against HIIT, I just think a lot of coaches are trying to fool you into thinking it’s some miracle form of training.

The Rules….

You have to earn the right to do HIIT – build up a base of cardiovascular conditioning for a few months first.
Keep the activity low skill – complex routines where you jump around like an idiot ARE NOT HIIT. The second there’s a high technical component to your “HIIT” session it will be your joints and spine that take the brunt of work rather than your muscles.
Keep it short – most of the research is on very short bouts of all-out effort. Sometimes as short as 20 seconds. Gyms touting 45min HIIT classes could do with going to read some research. You’re basically doing a circuit class, nothing wrong with that, it just shouldn’t be marketed as HIIT.
Make sure you are rested – I would say no more than 1-2 x per week and plan your workouts accordingly so you have 1 full day rest before the session.
Get super strong – to be able to push your body to the levels required for HIIT training you should to be strong. The stronger you are the better your joints can deal with the forces placed on them.

There a defiantly benefits to HIIT training, you can read them here:

https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/hiit-is-changing-the-way-we-workout-heres-the-science-why-it-works/

The reality is, if fat loss is your goal, it takes more than just exercise alone. So HIIT just doesn’t play out from daily energy expenditure or from a risk vs reward standpoint.

If you’re super fit and strong and you love HIIT, then GREAT carry on. But don’t be fooled into thinking it’s an optimal form of training. It’s one of the hundreds of different forms of training. Most are no better, or worse than the another.

It’s just HIIT is currently on-trend.

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Ever start a diet with all the best intentions onl

Ever start a diet with all the best intentions only to fizzle out after a few months? You are not alone, and that is what the latest episode of my podcast is about. Asking you the question - is now a good time to diet?

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What is a Supported Step Down? And should you incl

What is a Supported Step Down? And should you include a Supported Step Down in your routine?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock when it comes to fitness content, you’ve probably seen coaches talk about making an exercise more “glute dominant”. And within that topic, this supported step-down variation gets a lot of hype.

This setup (holding on) allows you to sit back, limit knee bend compared to a regular step-down, and lean forward through the torso, which creates a greater stretch on the glutes for better potential with loading.

I hadn’t actually tried the exercise until today, so I decided to give it a go for the first time and share my honest feedback.

Coming in, I was a bit sceptical because it always seemed challenging not to overuse the supporting arm. My initial thoughts were confirmed during the exercise; I found it tricky not to rely on that support.

Still, I think it’s a solid accessory movement. Personally, I prefer the step-down variation, where you don’t place weight onto the leg that touches the floor. Yes, it involves more knee flexion but keeps the workload constant on the working leg.

This supported version has merits. Just be mindful as you load it up and progress, especially if you’re training close to failure. You’re likely to rely more on that supporting arm.

So, ask yourself: what are you trying to overload? If it’s the glutes, the role of that arm matters.

As always, my advice is to give it a try and see for yourself!

📍@lisbonstrong

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Squats & Deadlifts are great. It’s true, they d

Squats & Deadlifts are great.

It’s true, they deliver great bang for your buck in terms of how many muscles they work.

But there’s a point, once you get moderately strong, when they become a monumental faff. Setting up, stripping down, doing warm-up sets, and working through all your sets, including rest periods, can take a long time. Most people I know end up spending over 20 minutes on just one of these lifts.

Depending on how you define “bang for your buck,” this trade-off doesn’t always seem great.

In the same amount of time, I could do two hard sets of:

1️⃣Bulgarian split squats
2️⃣Back extensions
3️⃣Leg curls
4️⃣Leg extensions

I’m not saying you should never do them; I’m just saying don’t rely on them all the time. The time trade-off isn’t as optimal as you’ve been led to believe.

And, trust me, it’s liberating to take these lifts out of your routine sometimes and focus on exercises you can do quicker.

Tell me, how long does each of these lifts take you?

#StrengthTraining #LegDay #FunctionalFitness #WorkoutEfficiency #LiftSmart #StrengthCoach #SquatLife #Deadlifts #TrainingTips #BuildStrength #LegsAndGlutes #SplitSquats #StrongerFaster #FitnessJourney #MuscleBuilding #TimeEfficientWorkouts #TrainingSmart #LiftHeavy #GymLife #FitnessMotivation

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you don’t

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you don’t ever need to mobilise, but a very smart thing to do in strength training is to choose exercises that expose the joints to their full range of motion.

For example, I could do push-ups where my chest touches the floor, or I could elevate my hands onto yoga blocks and take my shoulder girdle through a greater range of motion. This exposes the shoulder to more shoulder extension. Or, with my pull-ups, I could stop with my shoulders not fully flexed overhead, or I could drop all the way into the hang before pulling up.

In the video's example, I’m using elevation to create a deficit in range of motion, taking my ankle, knee, and hip through the large range of motion available to them.

Emphasising range of motion could be the missing key to improving both mobility and strength in your workout.

Then, you can focus on mobility in areas that these exercises won’t necessarily target, such as spinal rotation and flexion, hip internal and external rotation, shoulder extension, and internal rotation.

This is a great way to be more time-efficient when you work out 👍🏻

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My initial thought is that life’s too short to e

My initial thought is that life’s too short to eat carbs only on training days!

But all joking aside, this nutritional strategy originates from nutrient timing and carb cycling. The idea behind these approaches is that training primarily uses glycogen as a fuel source. So, to manage this have an increase in carbohydrate intake on training days. Carb cycling often includes high, moderate and low-carb days: low-carb days on rest days and high-carb days on the most intense days. It can be a useful strategy when dieting and eating in deficit, as it can allow you to maximise your workout performance on training days. But this approach is hard to stick to because your exercise schedule dictates your nutrition.

Nutrient timing (eating most of your carbs around your workouts) is usually no more effective than eating a consistent amount of carbs daily. Because keeping carb intake level can help maintain muscle glycogen throughout the week, and exercise drives glycogen into the muscles as part of training adaptations. Research into nutrient timing is, at best, mixed but generally leans towards showing null benefits compared to eating level carbohydrates.

All that being said, there may be times when increasing carbs on days of high energy demand makes sense, for example, when doing a long run as part of marathon training. But the idea of having carbs ONLY on training days is, in my opinion, a hard “no.” You’re likely to feel sluggish on days you have none. Life isn’t just about workouts. If you have kids, a job, or other demands, you need to ensure you’re fueling for cognitive function and daily vitality.

Also, remember that muscle recovery happens on rest days too, so if you restrict energy on those days, you’re also limiting nutrients essential for recovery.

In summary, for some, having high-carb and low-carb days might be practical. For those dieting, timing carbs around workouts could also help sustain performance. However, I strongly advise against days with no carbohydrates. And, as with many things, if you want to try carb cycling, prepare for some trial and error, as being too extreme with this approach can come with noticeable drawbacks.

How to Position Weights for Heavy Dumbbell Chest P

How to Position Weights for Heavy Dumbbell Chest Press 💪

Struggling to press heavy dumbbells because you can't get them into position? Here are some tips to get you lifting safely and efficiently!👇

1️⃣ Focus on Technique First

Before even thinking about lifting, focus on your setup. Quickly tip back to get the weights low and stable.
Don't aim to kick the weights halfway or all the way up before pressing – this puts you in the hardest or most unstable part of the movement.

2️⃣ Avoid Shortchanging Your Reps

You're missing out on strength gains if you're not bringing the weights into a deep, straight position on each rep. Practice pressing from the very bottom to get used to this starting position. This will be essential for handling heavier weights later on.

3️⃣ Don't Rush to Go Heavier

Instead of always chasing the next weight, focus on mastering your current weight with good form. Once you're used to pressing from a deep position, you'll find it much easier to increase weight.

Give this a try, and let me know how you get on! 💥

📍@lisbonstrong

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Training to failure shouldn't mean dropping the fo

Training to failure shouldn't mean dropping the form; it means pushing to your limits while maintaining good technique and avoiding injury. Tune into the latest podcast or check out the episode on YouTube. Let's train smart together.

🎧 Subscribe and Listen wherever you get your podcasts
📺 Or watch the episode on my YouTube Channel

#AndyVincentPT #SmarterStrengthTraining #trainsmart #podcast #fitnesspodcast #strengthtrainingpodcast #avpt #onlinepersonaltraining #fitnessobsessed #FitnessGoals #StrengthRetention

The two most popular barbell deadlift variations a

The two most popular barbell deadlift variations are the conventional and the sumo.

It’s common for people to say that one feels much more comfortable than the other. In this video, I’ll explain why that is so you understand the specific issues with each. I’ll also answer common questions about which one is better for the lower back and which one targets the glutes more.

Let me know if you have any further questions regarding the deadlift, whether it’s the sumo or conventional variation.

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When we look at the greater body of research on re

When we look at the greater body of research on resistance bands versus weightlifting, at the very best we can say resistance bands are equivalent to weight training. I'd caveat and say up to a point and more for untrained individuals and I'm not saying there isn't a single piece of research out there that states it is three times more effective. I couldn't find it, but ultimately, what's more important, if it does exist, is that it's going to be the outlier. It's not going to be the mean average of what we see.

Additionally to this Post By Dave Asprey, the caption speaks about how bands "wobble," and your body has to resist this wobble, which engages the proprioceptor muscles, causing muscle growth. This is what happens when people step out of their lane (although I'm not sure what his lane is). Mechanical tension is a primary driver of hypertrophy. Anyone in the strength training space knows that. Everything about his post is ridiculous. The research and the explanation are made up.

I see more and more content like this from creators with huge audiences, who people just assume are correct.

On the one hand, with the research we have in 2024, we understand topics so much better than even five years ago. But with social media, there's so much misinformation going around that people are more confused than ever.

So we have this strange scenario of better understanding so many topics, yet more confusion because too many people are trying to sell products. For them, it's better to keep people misinformed.

#AndyVincentPT #SmarterStrengthTraining #trainsmart

The supplement industry, unlike the pharmaceutical

The supplement industry, unlike the pharmaceutical industry, isn’t as tightly regulated, and these regulations differ between regions. Regulations govern labeling, and allergenic ingredients, but batch testing often isn’t done regularly. This means guaranteeing consistent doses across manufacturing is an issue.

Plenty of third-party research has been conducted to test various products. I imagine this question stems from recent research out of Pieter Cohen’s lab, where they tested supplements. Only 11% of the 57 supplements tested had active ingredient levels with 10% of the stated ranges, a shocking 40% contained non of the active ingredients. And those that did contain them, the dosages ranged from 0.02% to 334%, and some supplements included ingredients that were on the WADA list of banned substances. This could be enough to make an athlete fail a drug test or even potentially cause harm.

NOTE: This research specifically focused on pre-workout supplements, where stimulants are used.

For standard supplements within the fitness, like: creatine, citrulline malate, and beta-alanine or dietary supplements such as magnesium, zinc, and vitamin D, these weren’t the type of products tested in that particular study.

Another way the supplement industry often avoids accurate labeling is by stating “proprietary blend.” This allows companies to include ingredients without disclosing exact amounts. Which is something to be wary of.

To address the question, I don’t have an answer on whether most supplements lack the ingredients or dosages they claim. However, I always urge people to buy from reputable brands and avoid purchasing supplements from influencers or through marketplaces like Amazon, where you may not be getting what you think you are.

It’s also important to consider whether you really need to take a particular supplement. The wellness industry is valued at around $5.6 trillion, three times the size of the pharmaceutical industry.
Wellness is big business, and it’s easy to see why people might want to use supplements, but I often feel they’re reached for a bit too quickly.

In short, it’s worth doing your research before buying any supplements.

There's often a narrative that as people hit mid-l

There's often a narrative that as people hit mid-life and then later life, they need to slow down, look after themselves, protect their joints, and do less. We now know this could not be further from the truth.

I don't buy into the narrative that you can't progress just because you're older. We've all got that friend, auntie, uncle, that started exercising later in life and became the best version of himself.

I also think way too much of training centres around cardio and muscle building.

For this post, I want to encourage more people to sprint, bound, jump, and leap, and include forms of power training in their workouts. This is not just the domain of young athletes, this should be the domain of everyone.

📍 @lisbonstrong

Are you pushing to the point of failure? You might

Are you pushing to the point of failure? You might just be setting yourself up for a fall. If you're into strength training, think about it this way: as you lift heavier, your ability to maintain form lessens. Using squats as an example, nearing failure might make you shift your weight incorrectly, thus reducing efficiency and increasing the risk of injury.

Tune into the latest podcast or check out the episode on YouTube. Let's train smart together.

🎧 Subscribe and Listen wherever you get your podcasts
📺 Or watch the episode on my YouTube Channel

#AndyVincentPT #SmarterStrengthTraining #trainsmart #podcast #fitnesspodcast #strengthtrainingpodcast #avpt #onlinepersonaltraining #fitnessobsessed #FitnessGoals #StrengthRetention

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