I'm doing FL2 and I want to switch my HIIT up some because, quite frankly, running sprints on my treadmill ranks about as high as hanging wallpaper in my book. I read an article in Men's Fitness this month, "Non-Cardio Fat Loss", and thought about incorporating it into my HIIT sessions. It is basicly just a circuit of 5 compound exercises very similar to the exercises I'm already doing in NROL. You are supposed to complete 6-8 reps per exercise and you start by doing the circuit once one time per week and build your way up to a max of performing the circuit 4 times, 3 times per week for 8 weeks.
Anyways, it looks cool, but I'm not sure if it will hinder my FL2 or not, as in overload of similar exercises and loads once I get down to 8 rep sets in FL2. I was planning on substituting it in for my HIIT while I finish FL2. Any ideas or suggestions?
Complexes are great. Try some of Craig Ballantyne's bodyweight complexes too. Other options are sled dragging and that type of GPP work. All of these conditioning-type workouts, like HIIT, are designed to increase your overall conditioning and just give you a metabolic burst. I think the best bet is to mix them up. It keeps them interesting and avoids overuse injuries from doing too many of the same repetitive movements all the time.
About a year ago, Eric Cressey wrote an article called Cardio Confusion. It was my own first introduction to the idea of using energy system work to cover a wider range of needs. He suggested using these sessions to get in some of your core work and some of your prehab movements. We take care of the lifting, but we often neglect these other areas. Here's a way to multi-task! I loved this idea and now lots of trainers are recommending similar ideas.
Thanks for the reply Lisa. That is a very interesting article. I think one of the main reasons I liked the MH article was because it was a lower rep higher weight circuit and I thought it might be a change up from the 15/12/10 reps that I've been doing with FL1 & FL2 so far. I'll probably try this 1 of my HIIT days and see if it seems to be overloading me because of the higher weights or not.
If I'm understanding you, the article suggests a circuit of 5 compound, weighted exercises (e.g. bench press, squat, deadlift, chinups, dips, for example), no rest, rep scheme of 6-8 reps. I wouldn't recommend this as an HIIT routine to go with another weight training program, like FLII - sounds like it would be radical overtraining. (I'm assuming the exercises in the article are weighted, as you mentioned they are similar to NROL exercises you're already doing - if it is a bodyweight circuit, it sounds great.)
If I'm understanding you, the article suggests a circuit of 5 compound, weighted exercises (e.g. bench press, squat, deadlift, chinups, dips, for example), no rest, rep scheme of 6-8 reps. I wouldn't recommend this as an HIIT routine to go with another weight training program, like FLII - sounds like it would be radical overtraining. (I'm assuming the exercises in the article are weighted, as you mentioned they are similar to NROL exercises you're already doing - if it is a bodyweight circuit, it sounds great.)
I didn't read the article, but I was imagining something more like the barbell complexes we've discussed here before. For example, load the bar with something about like your push press 10RM, then complete six reps each of
conventional dead
Romanian dead
bentover row
hang clean
front squat
push press
back squat
good morning
That makes one circuit. Rest and repeat two or three more times. THAT kind of complex works very much like HIIT.
I didn't read the article, but I was imagining something more like the barbell complexes we've discussed here before. For example, load the bar with something about like your push press 10RM, then complete six reps each of
conventional dead
Romanian dead
bentover row
hang clean
front squat
push press
back squat
good morning
That makes one circuit. Rest and repeat two or three more times. THAT kind of complex works very much like HIIT.
Although in the article it didn't actual say how much weight to load, just that you should aim to complete 6-8 reps per exercise. I kind of assumed what you are saying lisa because in order to actually complete the exercises back to back to back...you would have to use the heaviest weight of your weakest exercise. Otherwise you would waste time setting up the equipment for each exercise or take up the entire gym's worth of equipment.
Everything went pretty smooth last night when i tried it, but I wasn't overly exhausted like I usually am when I do running HIIT (the article only called for 1 circuit this week), so I hit my heavy bag for about 10 minutes. I'm curious to see how this works out for me because although the circuit only lasted a few minutes, it was with heavier weights than I'm using in FL2. Not to mention that I sandwiched it in between workout A on Monday and workout B tonight.
What lifts were you actually doing in your complex? Wasn't it fun too? I love those complexes. I hope it works out great for you. Usually it's more metabolic than muscularly taxing, so you shouldn't be really sore from it I wouldn't think.
The lifts were regular squats, chinups, DB Lunge w/Overhead press, Pushups w/alternating DB rows, and wood choppers. This complex was not what I was used to because I did have to set things up before hand so that I could do it all without a pause, but still basicly used my 10RM for all the exercises except the chinups. It was fun and I am actually less sore today than what I usually am if I just doing running HIIT on my off day.
I love the heavy bag, it was by far one of the best investments that i've made. I will probably continue with the complexes 1 day a week but add more sets. Then do lower body HIIT (running sprints) and an upper body HIIT (heavy bag) for a little while and see if that works. Atleast it will mix things up for me for a bit and keep things interesting.
The complex that you mentioned in your previous post was one that I saw Alwyn actually use before I believe. I read an article and he said that he used that with his MMA people as a finisher. It was so taxing for me that I used it as a complete workout for a couple of weeks last year.
Complexes/Circuits ok for Metabolic Overdrive?
Linear Mode
