Body by Science / HIIT Experiment

[Scottie]

it's only a few hundred lines of code written entirely in Javascript and HTML

Um, you can do that?! Heck, I would have made apps already had I known that!

 

[Mark]

Um, you can do that?! Heck, I would have made apps already had I known that!

You can, just gotta know how to build them. I'll send you info.

 

[Jenn]

I came across this short interview with Doug McGuff on PaleoHacks. He breaks down the science behind HIIT and gives some recommendations for those who just are starting out.

 

[Voyageur]

For those of you who don't want to use a smartphone app, I've attached my HIIT Tracker Excel spreadsheet.

That's great, and noticed 3 of 5 where you doubled the weight in that time, with the leg press going from 40 - 200lbs. - impressive!

 

[Scottie]

with the leg press going from 40 - 200lbs. - impressive!

Well, not really... The first several sessions was me just trying to figure out how much weight was right for each exercise!

 

[Voyageur]

Well, not really... The first several sessions was me just trying to figure out how much weight was right for each exercise!

I see, so incremental calibrations until it felt about right.

 

[Mark]

Yesterday I modified my workout. Previously I'd found an app link on a site related to the Body by Science book. It's the TUL app with 9 exercises. So I started doing all 9. I've been doing that for somewhere around 4 months, probably a little more. So while working on this new app that I built I decided to modify my routine to only the "Big 5" as described in the book. Those are seated row, chest press, pulldown, overhead press, and leg press. WOW. The difference is significant.

When doing 9 exercises I'd wear down to the point that in my last 2 or 3 exercises I wasn't getting a lot done overall in terms of how much weight I could use. But with only 5 I can do more weight for a bit longer and as a result the load in my muscles is a lot more. Today my entire back and shoulders are sore, whereas before I'd have some soreness, but not at this level.

So overall I wanted to point out that doing the "Big 5" is a lot different than doing the 9 - which includes the Big 5 plus 4 more (2 flys and 2 more leg exercises). The way I feel right now I'd say the 5 are more productive.

Also, I'm just about done debugging the new app I made, and I can get it into Google Play no problem, so sometime this week I hope to post a link here in this thread.

 

[Altair]

@Mark, I tried to use the TUL app (the iOS version) and don't understand what PIN option means. I can select number of "pins" per exercise but can't specify number of repetitions or used weight. Is it "points of intensity"?

 

[aimarok]

When doing 9 exercises I'd wear down to the point that in my last 2 or 3 exercises I wasn't get a lot done overall in terms of how much weight I could use. But with only 5 I can do more weight for a bit longer and as a result the load in my muscles is a lot more. Today my entire back and shoulders are sore, whereas before I'd have some soreness, but not at this level.

It totally makes sense. The book authors says that even switching to Big 3 routine still makes the job done and helps people to overcome their plateau.

 

[Jacques]

I'm still waiting for the book to arrive and start reading it so I can understand the science of it in more detail, but Arwenn brought to our attention a video with a fellow doing the big 5 workout adapted to the home using your own bodyweight, except for a chin-up bar (which costs $30-40) and a bar or broom, and I tried it out the other day after waiting a little over a week to workout, and I'm impressed! Almost all my major muscle groups are still feeling the burn after two days, but I never thought my legs would feel this kind of burn after doing ONE set of bodyweight squats to total failure. He goes 10 seconds for a full rep (up and down) but I chose to increase that to 12-14 seconds. Even Doug McGuff posted on the video and recommends it. I didn't see it posted on the thread here, unless I missed it, so here it is.

I have done it too last saturday and I am quite impressed. After the workout, I was totally exhausted. And as Turgon, after a couple of days, I still am feeling the burn on all my major muscles.

Thanks so much for sharing that video Turgon. Very easy (technically speaking) to do those at home since I already had a kind of chin-up bar and a bar.

So, it is a go for me too.

 

[luc]

And as Turgon, after a couple of days, I still am feeling the burn on all my major muscles.

Same for me - interestingly, I feel the effects of the training (sore muscles at first, then just general "sportsy" feeling if that makes sense) for pretty much exactly one week! Seems this one week resting period is spot on for me. After all, there is a lot of research and experience behind the one-week time frame.

Lacking any gadget except a barbell, my current training looks as follows:

1. Bent-over barbell row
2. Standing overhead press
3. Dead lift
4. Push-ups on the floor with a weight on my back (instead of bench press)
5. One-leg squat, using two chairs for balance - works great!
6. Pull-ups (body weight) - works great!

BTW, as you can see, I added the pull-up to the "free-weight big 5" from the book - I found it strange that they have included a pull-down exercise in the "machine big 5" but not in the free-weight version. Some sort of pull-up or pull-down exercise is included in almost any exercise plan... Does anybody know why they didn't include it in the free-weight big 5?

 

[genero81]

BTW, as you can see, I added the pull-up to the "free-weight big 5" from the book - I found it strange that they have included a pull-down exercise in the "machine big 5" but not in the free-weight version. Some sort of pull-up or pull-down exercise is included in almost any exercise plan... Does anybody know why they didn't include it in the free-weight big 5?

That is strange, I didn't notice that. Just so happens the community center where I work out has all Nautilus equipment so I'm doing the big five on machines. Between the bent over rows and the negatives on the overhead press, one is working the back muscles sufficiently? That's all I can think of.

 

[Laura]

BTW, as you can see, I added the pull-up to the "free-weight big 5" from the book - I found it strange that they have included a pull-down exercise in the "machine big 5" but not in the free-weight version. Some sort of pull-up or pull-down exercise is included in almost any exercise plan... Does anybody know why they didn't include it in the free-weight big 5?

I think it may be because, for many people, a pull-up is harmful to the low back. I know that I simply could not do it. But I can do all of the Big 5 even in my debilitated state!!!

 

[luc]

I think it may be because, for many people, a pull-up is harmful to the low back. I know that I simply could not do it. But I can do all of the Big 5 even in my debilitated state!!!

Yes, this might be it. Also, they use the bench press in the free-weight version and not push-ups, although this would simplify the equipment greatly. I guess it's just that for push-ups or pull-ups to work well in this training, you need a very specific relation between strength and body weight. I think it will still work for many people (like it does for me), but if you simply lack the strength to pull up/push your body, or you are so strong and light that you cannot reach exhaustion in a reasonable time, it won't do.

 

[Mark]

@Mark, I tried to use the TUL app (the iOS version) and don't understand what PIN option means. I can select number of "pins" per exercise but can't specify number of repetitions or used weight. Is it "points of intensity"?

The pin setting assumes you're using weight machines where you adjust the weight by moving a pin into a hole. On those you'd insert a pin into the right weight level. So for example, maybe pin 10 is at 190 lbs (or the equivalent in kgs). See the image below: