Body by Science / HIIT Experiment

HI Guys,

I have started yesterday this training, but I use mainly my body weight. Have you tried that? Dr McGuff recommends the machines, but I would like to do that training at home, so I started with the body weight. Have you tried body weight exercises using this method?

So what I am doing:
  1. pull ups
  2. push ups
  3. squats
  4. sitting next to wall
  5. military press using dumbbells

I will keep posting my progress after some time.
 
HI Guys,

I have started yesterday this training, but I use mainly my body weight. Have you tried that? Dr McGuff recommends the machines, but I would like to do that training at home, so I started with the body weight. Have you tried body weight exercises using this method?

So what I am doing:
  1. pull ups
  2. push ups
  3. squats
  4. sitting next to wall
  5. military press using dumbbells
I will keep posting my progress after some time.

Well, I suppose if you did each exercise very, VERY SLOOOOOWLY, it might work.
 
Well, I suppose if you did each exercise very, VERY SLOOOOOWLY, it might work.

Or if that is not enough, add additionbal weight (like a backpack with rocks). But as Laura pointed out, the slower you go, the harder it gets. The hardest to get right might be the squats, as these are powerful and well-developed muscles in most people.
But if you find a way to do the exercise to muscular fatigue in between 45 and 90 seconds, that would be an indication that the weight is right, provided you go slow.
 
Well, I suppose if you did each exercise very, VERY SLOOOOOWLY, it might work.

Of course :) I did it about 8 sec/each move (negative and positive). For sure I felt it and I have done it till I was not able to make any move (to the end).

So:

  1. pull ups - ~ 80 sec - so looks like it's okay weight
  2. push ups ~ 70 sec - so looks like it's okay weight
  3. squats - 3 minutes - next time I will add some weight
  4. sitting next to wall - 2 minutes
  5. military press using dumbbells - 3 minutes - I will add more weight on next time.
 
First, many thanks for Scottie! Because he described his experience on FB after a few weeks of HIT training. A post at Fb was a trigger for me, as Scottie gave a very informative and personal presentation of this training method. Timing for me was great, because at that time I took a break of a month from regular / classical fitness training in gym, which i practiced for a year and a half.
After I studied the book Body by Science, internet articles and videos, I decided to start with this type of training together with my good friend.
After half a year of this training, the results and conclusions from my brief are: the same as when I went 3 times a week for 1.5 hours in gym. I even think I managed to get more weight on my legs and better prepare for recreational hiking. I also got more freedom, more money because I pay only one training per week. etc..

Once again thank you Scottie and others who shared their experiences and knowledge on this topic.
Definitely a valuable and important thing!
 
Of course :) I did it about 8 sec/each move (negative and positive). For sure I felt it and I have done it till I was not able to make any move (to the end).

So:

  1. pull ups - ~ 80 sec - so looks like it's okay weight
  2. push ups ~ 70 sec - so looks like it's okay weight
  3. squats - 3 minutes - next time I will add some weight
  4. sitting next to wall - 2 minutes
  5. military press using dumbbells - 3 minutes - I will add more weight on next time.
You may find that if you increase the time to a minimum of 10 seconds per move in one direction, and repeat, that your times will come down with using the same weight. As Laura said, " ... exercise very, VERY SLOOOOOWLY ... ", that is the key to this form of exercising.
 
I have started yesterday this training, but I use mainly my body weight. Have you tried that? Dr McGuff recommends the machines, but I would like to do that training at home, so I started with the body weight. Have you tried body weight exercises using this method?

Yeah, I did bodyweight HIT exclusively for a number of months as an experiment, and my results were that I did increase in strength so I know it can be done effectively.

During that experiment I used Drew Baye's "Project Kratos" as a guide for form and progression ideas. The book price is a little steep I think, but he has a number of explanatory and demonstrative videos on Youtube that you can use to get some of its main points.

Also, Lawrence Neal and Dr. James Steele have also done bodyweight exercise experiments, and they have videos on Youtube that you can check out as well.
  • squats - 3 minutes - next time I will add some weight
  • sitting next to wall - 2 minutes
You could also try switching the order so that you do the wall sit first and the squats after. That way the wall sit acts as a pre-exhaust for your quads and should bring your squat time down.

Edit: Clarification.
 
You could also try switching the order so that you do the wall sit first and the squats after. That way the wall sit acts as a pre-exhaust for your quads and should bring your squat time down.

Thanks for this reminder... I've been meaning to "shake things up" like that for awhile now. And yet for some odd I reason, I forget every time... :umm:
 
You may find that if you increase the time to a minimum of 10 seconds per move in one direction, and repeat, that your times will come down with using the same weight. As Laura said, " ... exercise very, VERY SLOOOOOWLY ... ", that is the key to this form of exercising.

The so essential thing is to create the broadest tense in the muscles and tendons. It makes them harder and stronger.
 
You may find that if you increase the time to a minimum of 10 seconds per move in one direction, and repeat, that your times will come down with using the same weight. As Laura said, " ... exercise very, VERY SLOOOOOWLY ... ", that is the key to this form of exercising.

Will do that!

One additional question I have regarding this training. It should be performed once a week. What about the rest of the week? Can I i.e. run or do other lighter workouts? Or the body need regeneration and I should not do anything else? What are your thoughts and experience about that? Thanks!
 
...
One additional question I have regarding this training. It should be performed once a week. What about the rest of the week? Can I i.e. run or do other lighter workouts? Or the body need regeneration and I should not do anything else? What are your thoughts and experience about that? Thanks!
Yes, you can do other very light workouts, or running, as long as you work on different muscle sets. It is only this HIIT exercise, that you do once a week, to give the muscles time to recuperate from being worked to failure. I used to walk relatively briskly for an hour per day, until I started this programme, now I do it less frequently, so as to allow the walking muscles used to recuperate, and on other days I walk slowly for half of that time, so for half an hour.
 
Hi Gruchaa, I do both, I go running for one hour each week with a group and do the HIIT training at home every 8-9 days. I just make sure not to have those activities on two consecutive days. My body needs two to three days of rest between any kind of workout, otherwise I feel really miserable and weak and not healthy.
Just my personal experience but doing both feels actually more complete for me because the conditioning aspect of running (moderate pace, you should be able to still be talking) was something that I personally was missing with just doing HIIT. Have fun with your workout!
 
I've been doing the bodyweight HIIT for 5 weeks now, just as presented in the video mentioned before
Thanks A Jay, I'll check those links.

I used the timer for the first session but decided to leave it since. I'm pretty sure I'm still between 40-90 seconds for each exercise except for the squat where you have to add some weight to get there (or on one leg, I should try but I'm afraid it won't enhance symmetry).
I understand the most important is to always try to get to your limits, and beyond. It makes me breathe and shout!

I definitely feel the difference. It feels good. Well, not just afterward, it takes me several minutes to catch my breath again. It's deep and I'm pale. Impressive how it inflates the muscles.
I've bought the book, have not read it yet but implemented thanks to this video.

It makes me want to move more in general. I feel good. Those last 2 weeks, the muscle soreness has not been too incapacitating. I believe working with weight at one point will be important too, but bodyweight exercise is great because you can compare how well you do at the same exercise and compare it from week to week.

EDIT: YAY, Jedi Master! :wow:
 
Hi Gruchaa, I do both, I go running for one hour each week with a group and do the HIIT training at home every 8-9 days. I just make sure not to have those activities on two consecutive days. My body needs two to three days of rest between any kind of workout, otherwise I feel really miserable and weak and not healthy.
Just my personal experience but doing both feels actually more complete for me because the conditioning aspect of running (moderate pace, you should be able to still be talking) was something that I personally was missing with just doing HIIT. Have fun with your workout!

Oh, it's great to hear others saying what I've also been doing and experiencing as well. I have been taking an exercise class called Fire for over a year now. It's basically a full body workout using many different forms of exercise; body weight, isometric, calisthenics, balance, running, sprints etc. When I first started doing BBS, that's all I did but I found myself missing the Fire classes. So I started attending those again. A typical week might be BBS on Monday morning, Fire on Friday morning. Some weeks I do Boot Camp Monday night, Fire Friday morning. I will skip BBS at times. This last Monday morning was the first BBS workout in three weeks. It was a good one. I think between BBS and the Carnivore diet, I really began to excel at the exercise classes. My classmates sort of voted me 'most improved.' Another younger guy referred to me as 'pack leader.' lol (yeah right) Anyway my body has changed enough that I've been getting regular comments over the past couple of months. Bottom line is; I like the exercise classes. Looking forward to going tomorrow morning!
 
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