I am just finishing up the fourth week of a fat loss program (lifting and HIIT) and have my off week schedule for this coming week (the program is Fat Loss I from New Rules of Lifting if anybody is curious). Should I take the week completely off or should I just take a rest from lifting and continue doing HIIT?
For background, I have been lifting three days a week in the morning (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday), doing HIIT three nights a week (Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday), and some other lower intensity recreational activities on the other days (except for Friday which has been completely off). The intervals have consisted of 3 minutes of total ‘work’ time while the individual sprints have been 30-60s long. They have also been more GPP style consisting of stuff like burpees, car pushing, medicine ball throwing and a sprint here or there.
Should I not do the intervals during the off week, keep them, or kick them up a notch (I will start doing 4 intervals a week for 4 total work minutes in 2 weeks)?
[quote]Unoriginal wrote:
<<< The intervals have consisted of 3 minutes of total ‘work’ time while the individual sprints have been 30-60s long. >>> [/quote]
Do you mean 3 minutes for the entire session or are you counting each “set” of 30-60 seconds as an interval in a longer total session?
If the program lists this coming week as an “off” week, then act accordingly. If you absolutely have to do HIIT, only do 1 or 2 days.
Your program calls for a week off after only four weeks of training? Are you sure?
If that’s the case, and if you believe in the program, follow it. Off means, well… off. (I am honestly flabbergasted by some of these questions. If it says “off,” why would you conclude that it meant anything but off? I mean… What more needs to be said? Completely off? Totally off? )
Cosgrove/Schuler specify exact parameters based on your goal in NROL…look in the section called “Choosing the Right Program For You” that starts on p. 191 and follow it to the letter.
HIIT is intense, nuff said. Doing it during an off week, well defeats the purpose of an off week.
Let me clarify my question based on your feedback (although I suspect undeadlift’s comment will remain the same).
Will doing these intervals during the off week hurt muscle recovery?
It seems to me that although they are demanding, the HIIT sessions are short (3 minutes of actual work) and are mainly targeted towards increasing one’s metabolism. So it does not seem to me that doing interval work while taking a week off from weightlifting will actually be counterproductive to the goals of the off week (muscle recovery) relative to the assistance to the overall goal of the program (fat loss). Especially since it is not a case of over training (since I only had four weeks ‘on’).
Anyway, I seem to have answered my own question, but if any of you have any comments or criticisms of my logic then feel free to post. Specific answers to previous posts follow:
Tiribulus - each 30-60s set refers to one interval. I do however many sets add up to 3 minutes.
CaliforniaLaw - The book very clearly states to take a week off after finishing the program, but the program only refers to the lifting.
The interval or ‘metabolic overdrive’ workouts are not actually part of the program. Instead it is suggested in another portion of the book to stack them with the fat-loss program and suggests how to build up work capacity (so 3x1min sprints 3 times a week for 4 weeks, 4x1min sprints 4 times a week for 4 weeks, etc.), but not how that integrates with the weight routine (an ambiguity in the book). Anyway, your point is taken. If I have trust in this program my question would be more appropriately targeted at the authors for which this is the wrong forum.
dynamicfitness - They never specify how to integrate the metabolic overdrive workouts with the weight workouts anywhere in the book as far as I can tell. Page 191 refers only to the weight routines, but they clearly suggest in the Cardio chapter to use the metabolic overdrive workouts to boost fat loss.
i agree that a week OFF has it’s reasons to be, so if the programs has you to take one, then TAKEIT.
why instead of forcing your body with some not programed HIT session just do steady cardio, some walking or even jogging?, well that’s my opinion