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HIIT book recommendations


Thomas G

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For the past year I've been focusing almost exclusively on nutrition and that will continue to be my focus going forward. But now that I feel I've gotten on the right path in terms of food, I'd like to pay at least a little bit of attention to exercise. I'd like to identify a good go-to book for evidence-based, scientific approach. I don't have a gym membership and would prefer not to get one. I am specifically interested in HIIT but am not really interested in bodybuilding/muscle bulk that a lot of HIIT books I am seeing seem geared towards. Can anyone offer a good recommendation?

 

Right now I'm thinking this might be a good place to start, but I really don't know so I welcome advice: The One-Minute Workout: Science Shows a Way to Get Fit That's Smarter, Faster, Shorter, by Martin Gibala, PhD and Christopher Shulgan.

 

The Longevity Diet was a great intro to CR. Basically I'm looking for the equivalent intro to HIIT.

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Thomas I haven't read One-Minute Workout but I have read a couple other books and several online articles about brief high intensity exercise.  I'm not qualified to recommend any particular book over any other because I'm not strong enough to directly apply any of the suggested exercises I've come across.  Despite that I'm increasingly convinced of the value of brief high intensity exercise and trying to increasingly incorporate it into my own routine.

 

The challenge for me and perhaps to some degree for everyone else is how do you achieve very high intensity without getting hurt?  I'm transitioning into more intense forms of exercise but ironically it is time consuming in that for myself it is a building of demanding complex skills with mental and physical components.   It is a tantalizing thought that it is possible to achieve good fitness in just a few minutes a week, but I expect many others also find it takes a lot of time/work to develop that ability.

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Thomas, if you're interested into CV fitness and are not prone to injuries than that's may be a suitable option.

 

However, it should include both lower and upper body exercises.

 

To me, resistance exercise remains the top way to increase MPS or to maintain it and avoid sarcopenia, increasing our odds to live longer. It relies on mTOR activation by the governing path, the muscle cells mechanoreceptors and we can optimize the loads to avoid injuries yet activating mTOR.

 

For the upper body you just need 4 exercises: pull-ups, bench press (push-ups at the beginning are great), dips, eventually barbell or dumbells bicep curls. 3 of these only use free body or a bar or parallel bars. No supplementary weights involved.

 

Legs, you can train by many kinds of free-body squats. I also make front squats with a 15-kg bag of pellets on my chest, plus a 20 kg barbell which I keep on my bench. Small weight but perfect form and reps to failure will do the trick.

Having a couple of barbells where you can adjust the weight, you can do just about anything. An horizontal bench for pressing and a barbell takes very little room. With a very little investment you can avoid a gym membership and train at home whenever you wish with the undisputable benefit of fresh air available.

 

This is a progression of my bodyweight from the trough of Longo's FMD to refeeding and a little optimized resistance exercise, twice a week so far. Of course not all of it is lean muscle, I'm at about 12% bodyfat now.

post-7347-0-32103900-1486495910_thumb.jpg

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Re. Gibala's book: Dr Gibala wrote quite a few technical articles. What leaves me skeptic is the fact that in the introduction he writes that one minute of HIIT exercise as he suggests equals one hour of training.

 

 

Among my biggest discoveries is a workout that provides the benefits of nearly an hour of steady aerobic exercise with just a single minute of hard exercising.

 

It sounds slightly like hype to me but, given the credentials of the author, I believe you might read the book and practice the exercises and report back to the forum. It is pretty clear that aerobic (endurance) exercise is involved, so no significant muscle hypertrophy, no activation of mTOR and MPS, rather an increase of mitochondrial number and activity. Not sure whether it is the best way to prevent sarcopenia.

 

And the issue of potential injuries remains.

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I don't remember where, but when I was researching HIIT I also read that just a couple minutes of all out sprints burns more calories than 30 minutes of jogging and is better for the heart and joints (assuming you don't have a heart attack doing it).  I don't think a lot of people are capable of real sprinting however, and it's also a good way to pull a muscle.

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Moderate and vigorous physical activities of comparable energy expenditure are compared in the below paper for their effects on things like fitness and fatty oxidation.

 

Impact of high-intensity exercise on energy expenditure, lipid oxidation and body fatness.

Yoshioka M, Doucet E, St-Pierre S, Alméras N, Richard D, Labrie A, Després JP, Bouchard C, Tremblay A.

Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2001 Mar;25(3):332-9.

PMID: 11319629

http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v25/n3/full/0801554a.html

http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v25/n3/pdf/0801554a.pdf

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Two studies were conducted to assess the potential of an increase in exercise intensity to alter energy and lipid metabolism and body fatness under conditions mimicking real life.

METHODS: Study 1 was based on the comparison of adiposity markers obtained in 352 male healthy adults who participated in the Québec Family Study who either regularly participated in high-intensity physical activities or did not. Study 2 was designed to determine the effects of high-intensity exercise on post-exercise post-prandial energy and lipid metabolism as well as the contribution of beta-adrenergic stimulation to such differences under a real-life setting.

RESULTS: Results from Study 1 showed that men who regularly take part in intense physical activities display lower fat percentage and subcutaneous adiposity than men who never perform such activities, and this was true even if the latter group reported a lower energy intake (917 kJ/day, P<0.05). In Study 2, the high-intensity exercise stimulus produced a greater post-exercise post-prandial oxygen consumption as well as fat oxidation than the resting session, an effect which disappeared with the addition of propranolol. In addition, the increase in post-prandial oxygen consumption observed after the high-intensity exercise session was also significantly greater than that promoted by the low-intensity exercise session.

CONCLUSION: These results suggest that high-intensity exercise favors a lesser body fat deposition which might be related to an increase in post-exercise energy metabolism that is mediated by beta-adrenergic stimulation.

Keywords

high-intensity exercise; energy and lipid balance; propranolol

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi ALL!

 

I believe in vigorous exercise, daily (or almost daily).  I personally use the most up-to-date Precor elliptical cross trainer with hand motion in the gym I go to daily, which I use for 30-60 min daily, at the maximum resistance (20) and at a high speed. 

Running willl inevitably damage your knees, but the motion of ellipticals will not.  Also, as Gordo points out, there are also other dan gers to running.

By using the Precor at the maximum resistance, I am gaining advantage in strengthening peripheral muscles -- probably important, since CRON is likely to try to "eat up your muscles" to make up for the missing calories.

HIIT doesn't appeal to me.

Another advantage to exercising cardiovascularly for at lest 30 minutes is setting a meditative state -- similar to "runners high" -- which I think is good for the psyche.

 

I recall seeing at the last CR Conference, how seriously Dean exercises every day -- more power to you, Dean!

 

:)xyz

 

  --  Saul

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Just a few days ago Luigi fontana published a great book named "la grande via" , in it He analyze 1) nutritions 2) exercises ( also HIT training and yoga and tai chi) 3) meditation , especially mindfullness. There are also a chapter about nutrition for children and another on ecology and impact of our choices on the world. Really great view . I appreciate his intention more than Longo's.

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Great update, cloud. Berrino-Fontana, the first one is pretty much followed by former cancer patients. Has a penchant toward legumes if I'm not wrong.

I've just ordered the kindle edition. 

 

Two books on longevity now, no English edition, not Longo nor Fontana? Is that possible? Our American friends lagging behind? Italian language turned into a useful tool? The world has turned upside down as it seems.

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Two books on longevity now, no English edition, not Longo nor Fontana? Is that possible? Our American friends lagging behind? Italian language turned into a useful tool? The world has turned upside down as it seems.

Trump is a good example of world turned upside down....

Fontana told that he is working on the english edition, but it will take time (I had the impression that he is translating the book personally). The Longo's book was written in English by him and translated in Italian by a translator, I think that the english edition will be pubblished soon,

Anyway I think that most of the people here know and practise most of the content of the books. but they can be important and relevant for the majority of other people.

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I started to browse the book and, although not very technical, there are a few points which sure help give us a perspective. Give me a perspective at least.

 

for example, in the chapter on physical exercise, there is something relevant to this thread, that is:

  • Aerobic exercise is useful in the prevention of CVD, diabetis and cancer (by the reduction of visceral fat and blood insulin)
  • Resistance exercise is useful in the prevention of osteoporosis and sarcopenia.

there is also a brief tip on the choice: HIIT or constant frequency. The authors advise constant frequency, but if the time is a problem, they advise both.

 

Also, it seems that 5-10  minutes per day of aerobic exercise is enough and over that threshold there are probably no further benefits for health or longevity.

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I believe in vigorous exercise, daily (or almost daily).  I personally use the most up-to-date Precor elliptical cross trainer with hand motion in the gym I go to daily, which I use for 30-60 min daily, at the maximum resistance (20) and at a high speed. 

 

That's a very good routine, I'm thinking about buying a good elliptical trainer and put it in my porch. Exercising in the fresh air doubles its efficacy.

I've been running frequently last year, but after a few months my knees started to ache and had just to stop. Running on the beach is more knee-friendly, whereas tarmac is a knee-killer.

Elliptical bike does not imply shocking transients on knees and other joints.

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It was interesting to compare the same amount of energy expenditure in moderate, easier on the knees, versus vigorous physical activity.

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4067492/figure/F2/

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Walking versus running for hypertension, cholesterol, and diabetes mellitus risk reduction.

Williams PT, Thompson PD.

Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2013 May;33(5):1085-91. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.112.300878.

PMID: 23559628 Free PMC Article

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4067492/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4067492/pdf/nihms-450905.pdf

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To test whether equivalent energy expenditure by moderate-intensity (eg, walking) and vigorous-intensity exercise (eg, running) provides equivalent health benefits.

APPROACH AND RESULTS:

We used the National Runners' (n=33 060) and Walkers' (n=15 945) Health Study cohorts to examine the effect of differences in exercise mode and thereby exercise intensity on coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors. Baseline expenditure (metabolic equivant hours per day [METh/d]) was compared with self-reported, physician-diagnosed incident hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus, and CHD during 6.2 years follow-up. Running significantly decreased the risks for incident hypertension by 4.2% (P<10(-7)), hypercholesterolemia by 4.3% (P<10(-14)), diabetes mellitus by 12.1% (P<10(-5)), and CHD by 4.5% per METh/d (P=0.05). The corresponding reductions for walking were 7.2% (P<10(-6)), 7.0% (P<10(-8)), 12.3% (P<10(-4)), and 9.3% (P=0.01). Relative to <1.8 METh/d, the risk reductions for 1.8 to 3.6, 3.6 to 5.4, 5.4 to 7.2, and ≥7.2 METh/d were as follows: (1) 10.1%, 17.7%, 25.1%, and 34.9% from running and 14.0%, 23.8%, 21.8%, and 38.3% from walking for hypercholesterolemia; (2) 19.7%, 19.4%, 26.8%, and 39.8% from running and 14.7%, 19.1%, 23.6%, and 13.3% from walking for hypertension; and (3) 43.5%, 44.1%, 47.7%, and 68.2% from running, and 34.1%, 44.2% and 23.6% from walking for diabetes mellitus (walking >5.4 METh/d excluded for too few cases). The risk reductions were not significantly different for running than walking for diabetes mellitus (P=0.94), hypertension (P=0.06), or CHD (P=0.26), and only marginally greater for walking than running for hypercholesterolemia (P=0.04).

CONCLUSIONS:

Equivalent energy expenditures by moderate (walking) and vigorous (running) exercise produced similar risk reductions for hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus, and possibly CHD.

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