HIIT – Are you doing it right?

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is everywhere. Gyms run HIIT classes, people can download a HIIT timer on to their phone… it’s a really popular way of training due to its efficiency and effectiveness but unfortunately the more popular it’s gotten, the less it actually looks like an actual HIIT workout. Most HIIT classes advertised by gyms are actually just moderate intensity circuit classes!

There seems to be a common thought process which is ” wow, 5 minutes of that was great… so 10 must be even better… and if I can do 10 then lets go for 20!” This is usually followed with “I don’t need 30 secs rest, I can cut that to 20, actually who needs rest, I’ll cut it to 10 seconds, or get rid of it all together”

To get a true and effective HIIT session, this is the opposite of what you want to do.

Constantly adding more work doesn’t make the workout better… in truth it is probably destroying your chance of achieving the desired outcome and effect of the session.

The rest time must be AT LEAST equal to the work time, and ideally more. If it isn’t you end up with a session that becomes moderate intensity and this isn’t the goal.

Moderate intensity can still leave you feeling smashed, but it hasn’t done what it was supposed to.
*This is especially true for Peri Menopausal and Menopausal women. Moderate intensity sessions drive cortisol levels up but not to the level needed to get the right hormonal responses needed to dampen that cortisol. Elevated cortisol levels are one of the reasons women in this age group often struggle with weight and body fat gain.

What I want to do in this blog is give you a little more detail and understanding so that if and when you do a HIIT session, it really counts.

Lets start with the fundamental, the Why;

Why is HIIT so effective?

As I said up top, the name of the game is efficiency. You can see great results in less time using High Intensity… if it’s done right.

Good HIIT programming does everything it can to maintain the intensity. If you lose the intensity then all you have is a shorter workout and that just wont get you where you want to be. The point of HIIT is to gain all the fat burning, muscle building, cardiovascular benefits that come from longer workouts in a shorter space of time. Essentially you need to go hard, rest and repeat.

The amount of work versus rest depends on your goal.
If your goal is purely cardio/aerobic then longer bursts of effort with shorter amounts of rest are fine. True Sprint efforts must be 30 seconds or less though.
However, if you want to throw some strength gains in their too then you will have to change it up as when you work out for too long, with not enough rest the intensity drops quickly.

So, now you get why it works, lets look at the How;

How should you design a HIIT session?

As you can see long HIIT sessions with short rest periods will likely lead to a drop in intensity. The other issue is burnout. Trying to work at that pace and level consistently will just leave you feeling drained.

So, a good starting point for designing a HIIT is to look at the rest time. If you insist on having shorter rest times, you need to also have shorter workouts. Remember, the goal is to maximise intensity (so that you can maximise your results).

A common and effective HIIT timing is 20 secs work, 40 secs rest. Now to a lot of people reading this, this is going to seem backwards as they would have been expecting 40 secs work, 20 secs rest but I wrote it the right way round, trust me.

If you stick to a static work/rest timing for your workout then understand that in the latter rounds you will likely experience some drop off in intensity as you become fatigued.

A great way to program HIIT is to increase the rest as the rounds progress so that you can maintain the same level of output for the whole workout i.e. 20 secs work, 40 secs rest.
30 secs work, 60 secs rest.
40 secs work, 120 secs rest.
The idea is that you rest just enough to recover, while being able to maintain maximum output each set and/or round.

As for how long the total session should be, well, that will vary from person to person. You should stop your HIIT session at the point where you notice your intensity dropping. Ideally you should start with a shorter session, to try and avoid the drop off, and as you improve you can increase the length of your session.

Ok, so now we have a how, we need the What:

What exercises should be used in a HIIT session?

As has been said many times, the output is High Intensity so the exercises you chose must be ones that can be performed in that way.

The cardio choices are quite straightforward. You could use a stationary bike or elliptical for example and just go hard during the work periods.

Other good cardio choices are Sprinting, Rowing, Skipping, Ski Erg and the dreaded Assault Bike (other bikes are also good but I do love to hate the Assault Bike).

Strength is a little more complex as the weight needs to either be that you can lift it quickly and be explosive or that you can only do maybe 6 to 8 reps (depending on the movement and your timeframe). People often don’t think of strength work as intense but anyone that has done heavy barbell cycling will understand.

Some of my favourite HIIT choices are Kettlebell Swing, Power Clean, Deadlift, Dumbbell Snatch, Slamball, Box Jumps, Battleropes and Power Bag Burpees.

And now as we have got our What, we need the final piece of the puzzle, the When;

When should I do a HIIT session.

Given the demands on the body you shouldn’t do a HIIT session more than 3 times a week and just as you should build up the length of the session you should also build up the amount of sessions you do.

Start with one session. Do it well and do it right. After a couple of weeks, add in a second session if you feel like you want to. After another couple of weeks add in a third and stop there!

Just as intensity can drop during a long session, trying to do too much too often will have the same negative effect on your sessions, and therefore your results.

Stay focussed on the goal.

Unleash your Inner Bad Ass.

  • The Difference Between Good and Great: One Critical Choice
  • “The Overlooked Challenge of Endurance Sports: Handling the Post-Race Blues”
  • The Power of ‘Pause’: Mastering Recovery for Peak Performance.
  • Beyond “Toughing It Out”: Intelligent Training Through Illness
  • Debunking Running Terminology: What You Really Need to Know
  • Be Impressed by intensity, not volume.
  • Mental Muscles: Visualise Your Way to Endurance Supremacy
  • S&C – What does the C actually mean?
  • Rethinking Injury Management:
  • Walk Your Way to Faster Running
  • RED-S; Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport
  • Periodisation Deep Dive
  • Low Energy Availability (LEA):
  • How do we burn calories? Let me count the ways…
  • Fuel Up to Smash Your Endurance Goals:
  • Supercompensation – the effective but counterintuitive training methodology.
  • Practical Mental Coping Strategies for Endurance Lows
  • Avoiding the Euphoria-Despair Roller Coaster in Endurance Racing
  • The Importance of Periodisation in Endurance Training
  • Monitoring and Managing Fatigue in Endurance Training
  • All About Stress
  • Train your breathing for better race results
  • Does how you breathe really matter?
  • Unlocking Your Athletic Potential: Nature vs. Nurture
  • Recovery: The Unsung Hero of Triumphs
  • Build Consistently, Adapt Relentlessly
  • Minimum effort. Maximum Impact
  • Specificity is KING for Endurance
  • Strength Reigns Supreme in Endurance
  • The 5 Pillars of the DB Training Methodology
  • IM Training Log w/c 20.01.20

    Body Comp Stats 
    Weight: 75.6kg (-0.4kg)
    Body Fat %: 29 (+/- 0)
    Muscle %: 33.4 (+/- 0)

    Mon: 12.15pm Total Body Conditioning

    10 Rounds of 40 seconds on 20 seconds off; Row, Bike Ski, Rest.
    That rest minute meant that each 40 seconds of work should be a hard effort. I tried but it got tough!!

    Mon: 1pm 10 min Pull Up EMOM + 10 min Push Up EMOM

    Same as last week but we (meaning me and my friend Amy, who is doing this extra work with me) have added in some negative phase work before the banded work to try and fast track our Pull Up progress.

    Tue: 12pm Pool Swim

    Today was a CrossFit day according to my training plan but I decided to go back to the pool and put a bit of extra work in on my swimming. Just a short session focussing on trying to improve my breathing, working specifically on breathing on every 3rd stroke. I’m fine on 2 but if I do 3 stroke alternating sides, after 50 meters my lungs feel like they want to explode. It got a little easier but it needs a lot of work.

    Wed: 6:45am Indoor Cycle Class

    I do love coaching indoor cycle and no matter how tired or sluggish I feel when I wake up by the time I start this session I am buzzing. Tracking my performance this year I can already see that I definitely don’t perform as well at 6:45am as I do later in the day.

    Wed: 7:30am 2 Mile Run

    Straight out of the spin studio on to the road for a little run. Training is usually better with someone else and this was no exception. My friend, PT client and fellow Ironman in training (he has already done one though) Gary did my Indoor Cycle class and then kept me company on the run. I do love my friends :0)

    Wed: 1pm PT with my Coach, Kerry

    Does your Coach make you cry with laughter during your sessions? Mine does! We did some strength work, specifically Strict and Push Press, and between lifts she was telling me a story that had me howling with laughter. Thank goodness, as the lifting was enough to make me cry with frustration… but so far I’ve only cried over a deadlift and I don’t want to add to that list! I know I lost a lot of strength due to “ribgate” but it’s still a little frustrating to realise how much. At least knowing where I am means I can figure out what I want to do about it. Before I signed up for the IronMan I had planned on focussing on the Barbell and improving all of my lifts. I think this will be the first thing I do after… once we get back from our trip to the CrossFit Games.

    Thu: 9:30am Indoor Cycle Class

    Ohhhh the hamstrings were feeling the workload today. I got asked recently if, as the instructor, I ever turn it down and coast through the class. The honest answer is no I don’t. I ask my class participants to give me 100% so it only seems fair I give them the same. I know that I find it difficult to engage with an indoor cycle class if the coach isn’t in it with me. If I have a reason to take it a bit easy I tell the class beforehand. I coached a 1hr class the day before the London Marathon. I said to the group I was heading straight to London after the class so I would be just having an gentle ride (what I call a “Do as I say, not as I do” class) but I got wrapped up in the class and ended up leaving a sweaty mess as usual.

    Thu: 11:45am Pool Swim

    It was time to increase the distance with 3 x 400m metre intervals with a 3 minute rest in between. I alternated between 2 and 3 stroke breathing so that I could focus a little more on distance and pace. It still isn’t what I would call smooth or easy but it did feel a little better.

    Thu: 6:30pm Coach By Colour Indoor Cycle Class

    Oh my god, I struggled towards the end of this one. It’s week 4 of my programme, which means ‘The Scorpion’, an intense, progressive interval session which improves active recovery. Twice in one day was tough. Enough said really!

    Thu: 7:30pm 2 mile Zone 2 Run

    Rather than doing a double in the spin studio I swapped the second class for another little brick session of cycle and run. This time the Boy (meaning the Husband) kept me company and to be honest, to have 20 minutes of side by side running, just the two of us, was pretty lovely. We train at CrossFit together quite a lot, participate in OCR together quite a lot but hardly ever is it just the two of us. Hopefully there will be a bit more of this.

    Fri: Unplanned Rest Day

    Today was supposed to be a TBC and CrossFit day but after coaching my three classes at Nuffield Chichester I decided to take the rest of the day off. I tweaked my glute during Insanity at 6:45am and if a client had done that I would be telling them to go home, stretch and look after themselves. So, I listened to my own advice and did just that.

    Sat: Pool Swim

    My friend and client Anna wanted a bit of company in the pool so she picked me up at 7:15am (!) (Saturday is normally my rest day which means I lie in until about 7:30/8am) for the lane swimming session. Just an easy recovery session for me consisting of 800m all done in breaststroke.

    Sun: 8am Bike Ride

    The boy was happy to stay in bed with the dog so I was on my own today. God, it is a bit dull on your own! I’m also not overly familiar with cycle routes, roads etc so headed out to see if I could do 30 miles without getting lost. I chose a fairly straightforward (and straight) out and back but after 9 miles my hamstring started to really pull so I turned round earlier than planned and headed home. Slightly annoying but with a 6 hour hell session tomorrow and a 50k ultra run on Sunday it is all about the long game.

  • The Difference Between Good and Great: One Critical Choice
  • “The Overlooked Challenge of Endurance Sports: Handling the Post-Race Blues”
  • The Power of ‘Pause’: Mastering Recovery for Peak Performance.
  • Beyond “Toughing It Out”: Intelligent Training Through Illness
  • Debunking Running Terminology: What You Really Need to Know
  • Be Impressed by intensity, not volume.
  • Mental Muscles: Visualise Your Way to Endurance Supremacy
  • S&C – What does the C actually mean?
  • Rethinking Injury Management:
  • Walk Your Way to Faster Running
  • RED-S; Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport
  • Periodisation Deep Dive
  • Low Energy Availability (LEA):
  • How do we burn calories? Let me count the ways…
  • Fuel Up to Smash Your Endurance Goals:
  • Supercompensation – the effective but counterintuitive training methodology.
  • Practical Mental Coping Strategies for Endurance Lows
  • Avoiding the Euphoria-Despair Roller Coaster in Endurance Racing
  • The Importance of Periodisation in Endurance Training
  • Monitoring and Managing Fatigue in Endurance Training
  • All About Stress
  • Train your breathing for better race results
  • Does how you breathe really matter?
  • Unlocking Your Athletic Potential: Nature vs. Nurture
  • Recovery: The Unsung Hero of Triumphs
  • Build Consistently, Adapt Relentlessly
  • Minimum effort. Maximum Impact
  • Specificity is KING for Endurance
  • Strength Reigns Supreme in Endurance
  • The 5 Pillars of the DB Training Methodology
  • IM Training Log w/c 21/10/19

    * I am not including the classes I coach in this training log but for reference I coach 3 indoor cycle, 2 Insanity, 2 Boxercise, 1 LBT and 1 Tabata class a week between Tuesday and Friday.

    A pretty smooth week this week. I achieved my goal of 6 days on, 1 day off so that worked! The thing that I have let slide already is the mobility work. I nailed that for the total of 1 week, oops!

    Mon: 12:15pm Total Body Conditioning

    Usual Monday programming of Row, Bike, Ski. 3 minutes on 1 minute off for 3 rounds. Given my extra rest day at the weekend I was determined to put the effort in today, whilst being mindful of the fact that I was staying for the CrossFit class. It’s a fine balance and not one I always get right.

    Mon: 1pm CrossFit Class

    5 Minute rounds of DB Snatch, Squats and 200m Run Sprints. The quicker you got the work done, the more rest you got and I as aiming for consistency but started to slow in the final 2 rounds. It was a workout that I really liked the look of, was really looking forward to doing but man, did it hurt. It hurt way more than I thought it would but I did love it.

    Tue: 12:15pm Zone 2 5k Run

    Once again the first 2 miles went according to plan but mile 3 was hard work, trying to keep the heart rate where I want it. It was marginally quicker than last weeks efforts so something must be working.

    Tue: 1pm CrossFit Class

    I was not looking forward to this workout and it wasn’t much fun. It was simple; 10 – 20 – 30 – 40 Box Jumps, Push Ups, Jumping Pull Ups. Anytime the rep scheme increases I mentally find it a little tougher. I don’t think I am alone in that. There was an 18 minute time cap and I didn’t finish the final set of 40 Pull Ups. It was close but I was literally working in single reps as my upper body had nothing left.

    Wed: 12:15pm Total Body Conditioning

    3 10 minute workouts separated by 2 minutes rest. 1 AMRAP of Over Row Buprees, Squats and 200m Row Sprints. Another of 2x8kg DB DT (12 Deadlift, 9 Hang Power Clean, 6 Shoulder to Overhead) + 20 Mountain Climbers and finally a 1 min on, 1 min off Max Effort Ski. I’ve loved DT whenever I’ve done it with a barbell but the dumbbell version was not so great. I think my shoulders, arms and lats were still feeling the effects of yesterday but you know, no excuses. I think we all agreed though that this was one of the toughest TBC classes we had done in a while, possibly ever!

    Wed: 1pm CrossFit Class

    I really didn’t want to stay for class but that attitude does not an IronMan make so I ordered myself to just refill the water bottle and get my ass to the board for the class briefing. One more AMRAP for the day; 3 Snatch, 6 Clean and Jerk, 400m Run. Ouch! During the skill work practising the lifts even just the barbell felt heavy and I wanted to ensure my technique was as good as possible so I didn’t add anymore weight and stuck at 15kg. I took my time on the lifts, focussing on form and tried to push hard on the runs. I’m not sure I was particularly quick on the run but I do know I couldn’t have done anymore.

    Thu: 1pm CrossFit Class

    Consistency was the name of the game today. 5 Rounds comprising of 3 minutes work, 1 minute rest and the goal was to hit the same number of reps every round. The rounds were made up of 1 min Max Effort Wall Balls, Hang Power Snatch (yep, more Snatch work!) and Calories on the Rower. Despite being in a world of pain I actually really enjoyed this one and managed to score pretty evenly.

    Fri: 12:15pm Total Body Conditioning

    Again, 3 10 minute workouts separated by 2 minutes rest. 1 AMRAP of 200m Run Sprints, 10 Single Arm 10kg Devil Press. 1 EMOM of 40/20 2x10kgDB Box Step Overs and Ski and 1 min on, 1 min off Max Effort on the Assault Bike. Despite teaching 3 classes prior to arriving at the gym, and knowing that I feel wiped out, I always have the intention of doing the double of TBC and CrossFit Class but as per the last two weeks, I finished TBC and quit. I think I’m using the fact that it’s ‘The Open’ as a bit of an excuse as I’m not doing The Open this time round. Maybe in 3 weeks time, when it’s all over, I will be more inclined, or have less excuse, to suck it up and stay for class.

    Sat: Rest Day

    More alcohol today. I have drunk more in the last 6 weeks than I think I have all year. It’s not that big a deal. It wasn’t a vast amount of alcohol but I already know that in 2020, until we arrive at the CrossFit Games, post IronMan, I will not be drinking, at all.

    Sun: 9:30am Sunday Boxing Squad

    3 of my girls came over today to workout with me. Along with working some combinations we included a 5 min Assault Bike Test, 100m Row Sprints, Box Step Ups, Squats and Sit Ups. 1 hour of fun, team work and sweat.

    Sun: 5:30pm 5k Run

    I was planning to do a zone 2 run but as soon as I got outside I thought sod it, I’m just going to run. I pulled my sleeve down over my watch and did just that. As most runners do, I accurately know 1 mile, 3 mile and 6 mile routes in all directions from my house so I choose a 3 mile route and set off. It was comfortable and I was having a long conversation with David Goggins in my head (I don’t like to run with music). When I got back I was pleasantly surprised to find I’d run a 26:57 while keeping my heart rate in zone 2 for 20 minutes. This whole Zone 2 training stuff does actually work it seems.

    *A few of you have asked what my full week actually looks like so here it is!

  • The Difference Between Good and Great: One Critical Choice
  • “The Overlooked Challenge of Endurance Sports: Handling the Post-Race Blues”
  • The Power of ‘Pause’: Mastering Recovery for Peak Performance.
  • Beyond “Toughing It Out”: Intelligent Training Through Illness
  • Debunking Running Terminology: What You Really Need to Know
  • Be Impressed by intensity, not volume.
  • Mental Muscles: Visualise Your Way to Endurance Supremacy
  • S&C – What does the C actually mean?
  • Rethinking Injury Management:
  • Walk Your Way to Faster Running
  • RED-S; Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport
  • Periodisation Deep Dive
  • Low Energy Availability (LEA):
  • How do we burn calories? Let me count the ways…
  • Fuel Up to Smash Your Endurance Goals:
  • Supercompensation – the effective but counterintuitive training methodology.
  • Practical Mental Coping Strategies for Endurance Lows
  • Avoiding the Euphoria-Despair Roller Coaster in Endurance Racing
  • The Importance of Periodisation in Endurance Training
  • Monitoring and Managing Fatigue in Endurance Training
  • All About Stress
  • Train your breathing for better race results
  • Does how you breathe really matter?
  • Unlocking Your Athletic Potential: Nature vs. Nurture
  • Recovery: The Unsung Hero of Triumphs
  • Build Consistently, Adapt Relentlessly
  • Minimum effort. Maximum Impact
  • Specificity is KING for Endurance
  • Strength Reigns Supreme in Endurance
  • The 5 Pillars of the DB Training Methodology
  • IM Training Log w/c 14/10/19

    * I am not including the classes I coach in this training log but for reference I coach 3 indoor cycle, 2 Insanity, 2 Boxercise, 1 LBT and 1 Tabata class a week between Tuesday and Friday.

    Once again plans went awry but at this stage in the game I am not worried about it. I’m lucky enough to be a part of an Accountability Group with 5 awesome guys I met doing Tough Mudder. We check in with each other, discuss workouts, training plans, share anything we think will be useful, and talk about David Goggins… a lot! One of the things we’ve started doing recently is setting a personal weekly goal and due to how things have been going I have made mine for next week really simple; Train 6 days out of 7 as last week I only hit 5. My training plan is always 6 days on, 1 day off with Saturday as my rest day so to make sure the fundamentals are right this week that is my main focus, rebuild my routine. Yes it has only been a week but stuff can start to slide really easily if you let it and I am just making sure that doesn’t happen.

    Mon: 12:15pm Total Body Conditioning

    Mon is always a pure Row, Bike, Ski day and todays formula involved 3 rounds of Tabata on each piece of equipment. Simple and highly effective.

    Mon: 1pm CrossFit Class

    I was on my own for class today which was tough as for a workout like this one it is good to have someone to go against. I really love rowing next to someone really strong as it pushes me to go that little bit more. Class format was straight forward; 10 x 250m sprints, rest 1:1 (meaning rest as long as each sprint takes). Fastest sprint 51.9, Slowest 54.9. It was a true slog and suckfest but Coach Toby turned ‘The Prodigy’ up loud (one benefit of being in class by yourself – you can own the playlist if you ask nicely, although I didn’t need to ask, Toby knows me that well!) and I was away 🙂

    Tue: 12pm Zone 2 5k run

    My zone 2 (low aerobic) heart rate ranges from 140 to 156 and for the first two miles I could hold a steady run and stay in this zone. The last mile went completely to hell and I seemed to be walking every minute as the moment I started running I was pushing into the high aerobic zone. Very frustrating but I am trusting the process and just going with it.

    Tue: 1pm CrossFit Class

    Today was a repeat of an Open workout, 14.5 and 16.5. A grim couplet of Thursters and Bar Facing Burpees. It was sweaty, it hurt but my goal was just to keep moving and get the thing done and I made the time cap. Job done.

    Tue: 2:15pm A Harry Workout

    I was rehydrating in the social area at the gym post class, everyone else had left and I was about to get my stuff together and leave when Coach Harry looked at me and said just two words “Bike Sprints?” Me being me, my only response was “how many?’ and that was that. 6 rounds of 90 sec work/ 90 sec rest, completing 15 cals on the Assault Bike and as many 10kg DB Power Cleans as possible in the remaining time. It was my first time working out with Harry and I was determined to put up a fight on the bike so as not to get left behind. It was tough but fun. For some reason Assault Bike and Dumbbells are a favoured combination of mine.

    Wed: 1pm PT Session

    Dogshit Deadlifts today! Yes I know I am getting over a cracked or broken rib or whatever but we did deadlifts not even a month a go and I did better than I did today. The plan was 5 x 5 but I didn’t get that far. 65kg went up fine, 5 times, no issues. Add 5kg and for whatever reason I could not pick 70kg up off the floor. Last time, I was picking up 80 for 5 and my rib is better now that it was then so no idea what was going on.The only thing I know for sure is, it was a weak day! Second part of my session went much better; 45kg Deadlifts and Prowler Pushes. Talk about a lactic acid quad burn.

    Thu: 12pm Zone 2 5k run

    Another run where the first 2 miles were great but the third mile was spiking heart rates and lots of walking. This has to get better though right?!

    Thu: 1pm CrossFit Class

    All about the Back Squat today and after my shit day with the barbell yesterday lets just say I was feeling a little nervous about how this was going to go. 5 sets of 3, building to a heavy 3 for the day. Since ‘rib gate’ I haven’t tested my back squat, or any squat that much, but in July I hit 65kg which is a good average for me. I am pleased to say that I hit 65kg today, although I took my time getting there. I hit 60kg ok, put 65 on the bar, did one rep, decided I didn’t like it so took it off again. Hit 60kg again, had a word with myself, loaded up 65 and hit my 3 reps. What was all the fuss about? It’s a barbell, I love it but I am not confident with it so yes, sometimes I make a fuss! Finished the session with some accessory work in the shape of 3 x 20 15kg DB 24″ Step Ups.

    Thu: 2pm Playtime with Jade

    I was trying to decide what else to do when I noticed Jade at the back of the box with a barbell out. We’d already done 30 burpees as it’s her 30th birthday today and the tradition in our gym is that you do birthday burpees. I managed to coerce all of the 1 o clock class in to doing them with her as who wants to do 30 burpees alone on their birthday. I ended up joining her and her barbell and we worked our way through sets of power cleans and power snatch. Next up was 30 Pull Ups, then 30 Push Ups and finally some skipping. Happy Birthday Jade 🙂

    Fri: 12:15pm Total Body Conditioning

    Another ‘made up on the spot and ingenious session’ by head Coach Toby involving a 10 min Assault Bike Test, Goblet Squats, Max Effort Rows and a Team Challenge of Ski Erg Cals and Burpees. Just like last week, I had planned to jump in the 1pm class but was completely done in so skipped it and just helped judge the guys doing The Open.

    Sat: Rest Day

    I had planned to do something today as the Forza Fitness squad were going out in the evening and I knew that Sunday would most likely be a write off. But, the day was busy, no workout was done so, rest day. There were a couple of burpees on the dance floor that night though!

    Sun: Rest Day

    And here is where it all fell apart. Sat night some of us made plans to train together today. The night wore on, more cocktails were drunk but we were still talking, and fist bumping, about training. Roll on Sunday and everything is quiet… no messages are being exchanged, everyone is busy, my dog went back to school (advanced classes as well 🙂 ), the boy and I had an afternoon nap, dinner time rolls around and it is clear that nothing resembling a workout is going to happen. No biggie though, last night was worth it and come 2020 the alcohol will be cut completely. I barely drink as it is and these nights happen less than once every 2 months so I’m not beating myself up about it. Whats the point. It’s done, it’s happened. Tomorrow is a new day, a new week and I have my goal. Train 6 days out of 7, no excuses. So I will do just that and have no remorse about 1 missed workout!

  • The Difference Between Good and Great: One Critical Choice
  • “The Overlooked Challenge of Endurance Sports: Handling the Post-Race Blues”
  • The Power of ‘Pause’: Mastering Recovery for Peak Performance.
  • Beyond “Toughing It Out”: Intelligent Training Through Illness
  • Debunking Running Terminology: What You Really Need to Know
  • Be Impressed by intensity, not volume.
  • Mental Muscles: Visualise Your Way to Endurance Supremacy
  • S&C – What does the C actually mean?
  • Rethinking Injury Management:
  • Walk Your Way to Faster Running
  • RED-S; Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport
  • Periodisation Deep Dive
  • Low Energy Availability (LEA):
  • How do we burn calories? Let me count the ways…
  • Fuel Up to Smash Your Endurance Goals:
  • Supercompensation – the effective but counterintuitive training methodology.
  • Practical Mental Coping Strategies for Endurance Lows
  • Avoiding the Euphoria-Despair Roller Coaster in Endurance Racing
  • The Importance of Periodisation in Endurance Training
  • Monitoring and Managing Fatigue in Endurance Training
  • All About Stress
  • Train your breathing for better race results
  • Does how you breathe really matter?
  • Unlocking Your Athletic Potential: Nature vs. Nurture
  • Recovery: The Unsung Hero of Triumphs
  • Build Consistently, Adapt Relentlessly
  • Minimum effort. Maximum Impact
  • Specificity is KING for Endurance
  • Strength Reigns Supreme in Endurance
  • The 5 Pillars of the DB Training Methodology
  • IM Training Log w/c 30/09/19

    * I am not including the classes I coach in this training log but for reference I coach 3 indoor cycle, 2 Insanity, 2 Boxercise, 1 LBT and 1 Tabata class a week between Tuesday and Friday.

    This week the focus on low heart rate training, in relation to running and cycling and also back to back sessions to improve endurance.

    Mon: 12:15pm Total Body Conditioning Class

    Very simple but effective cardio conditioning circuit cycling through 2 mins on, 1 min off between the assault bike, rower and ski erg for just over 35 minutes.

    Mon: 1pm 5k Run

    First attempt at zone training. 5k run working to keep my heart rate in the aerobic zone and below 142. It was a very slow 5k!

    Tue: 1pm CrossFit Class

    A lot of time spent working on pull ups during the skill/strength portion of the class. I am definitely seeing some progress with regards to my broken/cracked rib and things involving me hanging off a bar are getting easier again 🙂 The WOD was a grim 15 min AMRAP of 5 x Jumping Chest to Bar Pull up, 10 x 45kg Deadlift, 16 12.5kg Alt DB Snatch and a 200m row. Usually I love DB Snatch but today it just sucked a little less than everything else sucked!

    Tue: 2:15pm 5k run

    Second attempt at zone training. Again working to keep my heart rate in the aerobic zone and below 142. Went slightly better than yesterday 🙂

    Wed: 12:15 Total Body Conditioning Class

    First order of the day, a 10 minute assault bike effort. This started to remind me of the horrors of last weeks 30 min max effort threshold heart rate test but luckily I had my girl Claire on the bike next to me and she, without saying a word, pushed me to get it done and get it done well. 1 minutes rest and then it was on to 2 10 min EMOM’s involving Rowing & 10kg Plate Cleans and Ski Erg & DB Down Ups.

    Wed: 1pm Crossfit Class

    No run today as I really wanted to do this class. A 10k partner row. The rules being you can split the meters however you want but both partners must row 5k each and the time cap is 40 minutes. I bagged the awesome Olly as my partner at the beginning of the TBC class… and then started to question my sanity as that boy is seriously fast and I realised I would be getting very little rest! We always make a good team though and despite it being a workout that really, really hurt, we managed to have a lot of fun and smash the time cap!

    Thu: 12:00pm 5k Run

    Third run of the week and the first mile was great, I didn’t need to walk to keep my heart rate were I wanted it and I thought I was starting to get the hang of it. Then the second mile was, shall we say, a little less smooth and the third mile was complete crap. Every time I pushed into a run my heart rate instantly pinged into the threshold zone and it was possibly the slowest mile I’ve run for the longest time. Still, I preserved and got it done.

    Thu: 1pm CrossFit Class

    Skill/ Strength focus was on Toes To Bar and Handstand Push Ups. Two movements I suck at and two movements severely hampered by, yes, you guessed it, my bloody cracked/broken rib! However, more proof that it is definitely healing.. I landed my first toes to bar 🙂 No, I couldn’t get another one but small victories right. I now know that I can do it! The WOD was two 6 minute AMRAP’s, separated by 2 minutes rest, of 1; Toes to Bar (so in my case knees to chest!) & Burpee Box Jump Overs and 2; DB Push Press and Double Unders. I do love a bit of skipping but I’m now using my super heavy RX Gear Zeus rope and man does it burn.

    Fri: 12:15pm Total Body Conditioning Class

    I had planned for today to be a rest day but originally my lovely friend Amy was signed in on her own and she is not one for doing solo classes so I thought I’d do the decent thing and come keep her company. What a mistake! Welcome to Burpee Frikkin Friday! Yep, you can tell The Open is coming up… shame I’n not entering this year though. We 30 minutes of rowing, over row burpees, DB Row Clusters (Head Coach Toby’s latest tortute creation!) Over DB Burpees, Ski Erg and Plate Jumps. It was gross but awesome and more than enough for what should be a rest day.

    Sat: Tough Mudder 5k Urban

    Saturday is usually my rest day but we (being my husband and I) were off to play on Clapham Common at at Tough Mudder event with no mud and no water. Different and a brilliant little event and the last UK event of 2019. Totally different to anything else Tough Mudder offer and it showed as pretty much everyone on course was new to Tough Mudder and obstacle racing in general. This meant we were able to hang out at obstacles and help a huge amount of people. It was all over by 4pm and that was it, TM done for another year. Now, it’s a waiting game to see if we are chosen as ambassadors for a 4th year in 2020.

    Sun: 9:30am Forza Fitness Squad Strong Girl Sunday Funday

    5 of us this week playing around in my studio this week and it was all about boxing and core work. Lots of combination work and laughs, just as a Sunday Funday should be… especially when one of the squad creates a very confusing combination that foxes everyone!

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  • Debunking Running Terminology: What You Really Need to Know
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  • Mental Muscles: Visualise Your Way to Endurance Supremacy
  • S&C – What does the C actually mean?
  • Rethinking Injury Management:
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  • RED-S; Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport
  • Periodisation Deep Dive
  • Low Energy Availability (LEA):
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  • Fuel Up to Smash Your Endurance Goals:
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  • Practical Mental Coping Strategies for Endurance Lows
  • Avoiding the Euphoria-Despair Roller Coaster in Endurance Racing
  • The Importance of Periodisation in Endurance Training
  • Monitoring and Managing Fatigue in Endurance Training
  • All About Stress
  • Train your breathing for better race results
  • Does how you breathe really matter?
  • Unlocking Your Athletic Potential: Nature vs. Nurture
  • Recovery: The Unsung Hero of Triumphs
  • Build Consistently, Adapt Relentlessly
  • Minimum effort. Maximum Impact
  • Specificity is KING for Endurance
  • Strength Reigns Supreme in Endurance
  • The 5 Pillars of the DB Training Methodology