Question about HIIT

[W13NY]

I'm currently bulking and don't like to do cardio much because I want to keep as much size as possible until my cut phase, but I want to get my abs to show. My question is how many times a week should I do HIIT to shed some fat off of the stomach area in order to get them to show, but not lose muscle while doing it?

Stats:
5'10
162
About 12-14% bf.

 

[Rosie Chee]

I'm currently bulking and don't like to do cardio much because I want to keep as much size as possible until my cut phase, but I want to get my abs to show. My question is how many times a week should I do HIIT to shed some fat off of the stomach area in order to get them to show, but not lose muscle while doing it?

Stats:
5'10
162
About 12-14% bf.

If you're bulking, which it would suggest since your thread is in the Bulking subforum, then you are NOT going to lose fat if you are trying to gain size unless you are doing a slow recomp. You don't lose muscle during a 'bulk'.

As far as doing HIIT, three times a week is enough. Make sure that you have at least ONE DAY between days on which you do HIIT. Would also be good to do it on non-resistance training days.


~Rosie
Team APPNUT

 

[jaydollars]

2-3 times a week with at least 1 days rest in between, you could do while bulking but no sense really, the HIIT will elevate your hormones but unless you still have a calorie surplus it will be detrimental to your bulking

 

[suncloud]

^^^
the beauty of HIIT is it boosts your metabolic rate, causing you to burn calories faster. doing that on a bulk will offset your calorie surplus. additionally, HIIT works best in a low carb/slow digesting carb environment, which is rarely part of a bulk. IMO.

 

[jaydollars]

^^^
the beauty of HIIT is it boosts your metabolic rate, causing you to burn calories faster. doing that on a bulk will offset your calorie surplus. additionally, HIIT works best in a low carb/slow digesting carb environment, which is rarely part of a bulk. IMO.

Yea the beauty of HIIT is the increase in metabolic rate, not really what you are looking for when you build muscle

 

[ianm4208]

the hiit program is 9 times more effective at fat loss than regular ol' cardio. It is great while trying to sustain muscle mass n lose some of that belly. If you are trying to gain or lose mass, there will always be compensation. For the best bulking, i will have to deal with some body fat. For the best weight loss, i will have to deal with some lose of muscle mass. If i try to combine the two, they both will suffer. Thats where hiit comes in. One's compensation will be less.

Go to ProjectSwole.com and type in HIIT in the search box. Steve over at project swole will tell you everything you need to know. Yet if his post doesnt cover all your questions, leave a note on the bottom of the pg n he will quickly and directly answer your questions

 

[BoyFromAus]

As rodja (I think) pointed out one time, HIIT's efficacy is overstated. It is very effective in fat burning but at what cost?

When you're on a cut you're calorie deprived. So if you're already doing high volume or high intensity weight training, adding HIIT on top of that is gonna hammer the living hell out of your CNS and your recovery.

Ok maybe not for some of you super humans out there, but it did it for me when I was doing fat loss. I was always fatigued and had trouble maintaining strength. So i had to cut out the HIIT to 1 day a week.

 

[jaydollars]

I think the mistake people make with HIIT is they do it very low carb which is bad, you need energy fo HIIT, I suggest 1 hour before you eat a meal with at least 50grams complex carbs and drink tons of BCAA during, this well help prevent your body from dipping into muscle stores for energy...if you are on low carb diet, like keto, you will strip your body of muscle during HIIT

During the workout you don't really burn fat, it is the hours that follow where the magic happens