[CatB]

I have read in a few places online that John has done some training with advanced female athletes and kind of "by accident" he discovered that by having these women do sprints/HIIT on a recumbant bike, they were able to lose a good amount of body fat specifically from the lower body.

I am wondering if John (or someone else who might know more about this) could chime in and share some details about what these sprints looked like (rest vs. work intervals, how many times per week, etc).

Hoping to get some feedback on this!

Thanks!
Cass

[CatB]

No one???? Boo hoo!

I was really fascinated with this finding and am really hoping someone (JB????) would weigh in on the results or share their personal experiences.

Thanks!
Cat

[John M Berardi]

Thanks for the question - pretty straightforward really:

high intensity cycling sprints seem to be best for leaning out the LEGS
high intensity running sprints seem to be best for leaning out the MIDSECTION

Obviously if you're eating well and training properly, everything will get leaner. However, for people with problem areas, we go with more of one or the other in the program.

Just be careful. If you do too much high intensity work you can reach CNS burn-out. And if you do too much of a specific type, you could get an overuse injury.

Oh yea, we never use the recumbent bike for anything. Nor do we use spinning bikes.

It's always upright bikes with variable resistance and speed settings. This way we can set a specific intensity (say Level 8 or whatever) and whether you're pedaling fast or slow, the resistance (and workload) is the same.

Most good quality clubs have bikes that accommodate this.

[John M Berardi]

Oh yea, and in terms of the intervals, we use "work intervals" of less than 30 seconds (all-out effort) and "rest intervals" of anywhere from 30-90 seconds. Reps depend on the rest interval. Might look like this.

30s on, 30s off - for 15 intervals (15 min workout)
30s on, 90s off - for 15 intervals (30 min workout)

There are lots of options here. Your best bet is to play around yourself and discover what you like/works for you.

[CatB]

Originally Posted by John M Berardi

Thanks for the question - pretty straightforward really:

high intensity cycling sprints seem to be best for leaning out the LEGS
high intensity running sprints seem to be best for leaning out the MIDSECTION

Obviously if you're eating well and training properly, everything will get leaner. However, for people with problem areas, we go with more of one or the other in the program.

Just be careful. If you do too much high intensity work you can reach CNS burn-out. And if you do too much of a specific type, you could get an overuse injury.

Oh yea, we never use the recumbent bike for anything. Nor do we use spinning bikes.

It's always upright bikes with variable resistance and speed settings. This way we can set a specific intensity (say Level 8 or whatever) and whether you're pedaling fast or slow, the resistance (and workload) is the same.

Most good quality clubs have bikes that accommodate this.

thanks for the reply, John! I really appreciate it!

Did I misread the original info that specifically said you used the recumbant bike? I was almost positive that is what it said.

Ok, so right now, I am in a very slow muscle building mode where I am eating in a small surplus on lifting days (like 100 cal) and then on the non-lifting days, I am in a very small deficit (only about 100 cals). I know this will make the gains come slowly but hopefully will also keep the fat gains away.


Could 2 days of doing this kind of HIIT work within my program given the goals stated above?

(FYI, I am already fairly lean, about 16% bf, but any remaining fat seems to love to hang out on my upper thights, hams, and lower butt)!

Thanks!

[John M Berardi]

Originally Posted by CatB

thanks for the reply, John! I really appreciate it!

Did I misread the original info that specifically said you used the recumbant bike? I was almost positive that is what it said.

Ok, so right now, I am in a very slow muscle building mode where I am eating in a small surplus on lifting days (like 100 cal) and then on the non-lifting days, I am in a very small deficit (only about 100 cals). I know this will make the gains come slowly but hopefully will also keep the fat gains away.


Could 2 days of doing this kind of HIIT work within my program given the goals stated above?

(FYI, I am already fairly lean, about 16% bf, but any remaining fat seems to love to hang out on my upper thights, hams, and lower butt)!

Thanks!

You must have mis-read - or I was mis-quoted. I dislike the recumbent bike for a host of reasons.

As far as building in 2 days of cycle sprints - for your goals, it's a great idea. Very efficient.

[CatB]

Originally Posted by John M Berardi

You must have mis-read - or I was mis-quoted. I dislike the recumbent bike for a host of reasons.

As far as building in 2 days of cycle sprints - for your goals, it's a great idea. Very efficient.

Yeah, I just found the article online again and it did say recumbant - glad you corrected that for me... the recumbant bikes actually hurt my back wicked!

Thanks, John! Off to try the bike sprints now!

Cat

[CatB]

John-

Ok, few quick questions, since I just got back from doing this:

1) Are you saying that whether you are in the work mode or the active recovery mode, the tension should be set the same (.i.e. Level 8, or whatever) and the only thing that should change is the speed?

2) What determines how long your workouts should be? I just did 10 rounds with 30 sec work, 60 sec active recovery. I think my workout ended up being about 17-18 minutes.

3) When you say that the bike sprints are best for leaning out the legs, would that include lower glutes, too?

Thanks for all your help! I hope other women are looking at this and gaining some insight, too!

Cat

[John M Berardi]

Originally Posted by CatB

John-

Ok, few quick questions, since I just got back from doing this:

1) Are you saying that whether you are in the work mode or the active recovery mode, the tension should be set the same (.i.e. Level 8, or whatever) and the only thing that should change is the speed?

2) What determines how long your workouts should be? I just did 10 rounds with 30 sec work, 60 sec active recovery. I think my workout ended up being about 17-18 minutes.

3) When you say that the bike sprints are best for leaning out the legs, would that include lower glutes, too?

Thanks for all your help! I hope other women are looking at this and gaining some insight, too!

Cat

1) No, that'd be impossible. Or the work part would be too easy. What I'm saying is that when doing a sprint for 30 sec, your leg speed will taper down as you fatigue. But with the right bike, the level stays the same and the work stays the same regardless of leg speed.You'll actually feel, at the same level, slower pedaling seem harder and faster pedaling seem easier. That's cause the work is the same. And the slower you go, the more you'll feel the resistance per unit time. Of course, for the rest interval, you set the level lower and then you recover. If you don't know what I'm talking about, no biggie. Just work hard and you'll do fine.

2) There isn't a "perfect" prescription. Start of slowly and build up. Maybe 10 sprints the first week. Then increase the level, the number of reps, anything from week to week. Just make some small improvement. Over time you'll see massive leaps forward in what you're capable of. However, set your upper limit at 30 minutes for now.

3) You should get leaner everywhere with emphasis on the legs. Don't overthink this. Do these sprints cause they're good for you. Let the leanness come as a side effect. And make sure to mix it up from time to time. If it's nice outside and you want to go sprint on a track, do it! Don't stick yourself inside on a bike because you think it'll make a 1% difference on your thigh fat.

[CatB]

Originally Posted by John M Berardi

1)

Don't overthink this. Do these sprints cause they're good for you. Let the leanness come as a side effect. And make sure to mix it up from time to time. If it's nice outside and you want to go sprint on a track, do it! Don't stick yourself inside on a bike because you think it'll make a 1% difference on your thigh fat.

You're right, John, thanks for the "virtual slap"! Sometimes, I grab onto something and I am like a dog with a bone! I finally leaned out by stopping the overanalyzing and "analysis paralysis" and just trying to do the right things (lift heavy, eat right) 90% of the time, and finally got to the place I wanted my physique to be! (well, almost....us perfectionists are never 100% happy and alway see room for improvement!).

I enjoy being part of this forum, and always appreciate your personal replies.

Thanks again!
Cat