Trying to get back some fitness, establish some routine and loose some weight after some time off. I like to mix things up a bit, so ride, run (when I am 100% confident my hip is sorted), swim, indoor climb, body weight stuff etc. Also been trying a bit of HIIT on an evening as it fits around work. Any suggestions of decent routines or things I should aim for?

Metafit. Off the top of my head ‘chicken loop’ green lid’ ‘jaws’ ‘wipeout’ all about 20 minutes long and will leave you feeling burst in both cv and muscle fatigue.

If you’re not sure about running because of your hip I’m not sure HIIT is the way to go.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/07/why-high-impact-exercise-is-good-for-your-bones/

Hip was a muscular consequence of several years of back issues. It seems fine with everything I’ve done so far, but running was what sent it over the edge back in the autumn so guess I am being a little cautious. Going to chat to the physio tomorrow before trying a short test/run walk later in the week. I’m walking 10000 steps a day in my commute and 6-9 miles at weekends whilst I’ve been waiting to get back on the bike, so think it’s pretty decent. Guess just being cautious.

The HIIT routine I’ve done so far with ‘high knees’, ‘mountain climber’ and burpees seems to have no affect on my hip. It’s just a bit dull. Thanks lotto. I’ll look up metafit and see if there is anything I can adapt round my schedule.

My wife uses Joe Wicks’ free YouTube HIIT routines and does does them in our home gym/workshop.

The Joe Wicks (The Body Coach on YouTube) ones are pretty good. Did a couple last week, was still hurting 3 days later….

I did the insanity program once.

It worked really well, just need the commitment.

And the time….

Insanity as above, though it is murderously hard. Alternatively, and the one I still use 3 years later, is ‘UFC Fit’, it still gives good results, but is a little bit more sensible than Insanity, in so much as the warm up is just that, and you aren’t dying by the time its finished.

I use a free iPhone app called IntervalTimer, with a cheap indoor exercise bike. I spin in least resistance for warmup/interval “low” rest phase, and whack the setting to full when doing the “high”

However, i’m of the opinion that I’d rather be out on the real bike that I want the benefits for at the weekends.

You can customise the interval set sizes and timings fully.

I’ve got an hour routine set up, so I can watch a downloaded documentary (e.g. its how i wanted Planet Earth II)

I record using a HRM and it produces a nice spikey graph.

Currently the app is set to.

– 10 min warmup

5 sets of 30 seconds full on, with 2 min break

6 sets of 1 min full on, with 2:30 min break

5 sets of 30 seconds full on, with 2 min break

– 15 mins cool down

By watching HRM data I can see when i’m warmed up etc.. its around the 7/8 min mark. so 10 isn’t too bad. I could probably should add make it 4 or 5 smaller sets and lose some of the cool down. its been evolving almost every time I do it.

I do spin classes 2-4 times a week which is good for my cycle fitness.
It does nothing for any other kind of fitness as I discovered on Saturday when I joined a 30 minute Les Mills GRIT class for the first time. I haven’t felt this stiff & aching since my first game of football after a fifteen year gap

That the thing about my using the “real bike” on real mountains (well hills..).. doing more of what I want to improve on (in my case going up hills) on the bike I want to improve on is my take. the indoor bike is for convenience, better than nothing.. not a replacement and shouldnt impact usual ride routine (#preach)

I remember watching “the coach mtb” on bike channel and one of the guys was an indoor trainer addict.. but it didn’t help him much off the trainer!

As I’m working abroad and away from my bike for an extended period I’ve just completed the entire Insanity programme. Results were pretty good: lost 13lbs when I wasn’t really fat in the first place, put a lot more power in my legs (lots of quad-heavy stuff in the programme) and really improved general fitness. I had the opportunity to get out on a bike for a bit after finishing Insanity and it did make a difference.
Down sides: it gets a bit boring with the repetition of the programmes, it takes one hell of a commitment which I don’t think I would have managed if I was home with my family and this old man’s knees meant I had to do a lot of the tuck jump type stuff on a thin mat to provide some cushioning.
Overall, I’d recommend it but holy moley Shaun will make you his bitch.

I do spin classes 2-4 times a week which is good for my cycle fitness.
It does nothing for any other kind of fitness as I discovered on Saturday when I joined a 30 minute Les Mills GRIT class for the first time. I haven’t felt this stiff & aching since my first game of football after a fifteen year gap

Yip!

Pretty much all of my aerobic fitness is through cycling, was training for fire team at work last thursday night, going through sprinting drills for running out hoses, I was struggling to get out of bed next morning!.

Thanks for the heads up on the Joe Wicks videos on YouTube – thats really useful and great if I’m away for work. I plan to get the turbo set up (our stuff is a bit spread out round the country, and need my road bike back) and plan to use Sufferfest. Like you say, fitness is sport specific, so cycling at the weekend will benefit from cycling in the week! I have done a test 1.5 mile run this evening (and I am going to the physio tomorrow) and hip is a bit achey, but certainly not sore! Due to my back, I am better to not just do one sport a lot, and mix it up! I just need to find a pool near our new home that I actually like and isnt heaving!

I use the ones by these guys:

you’ll need your own music.

The ones by GCN used to be okay until they added adverts mid-routine and sometimes in the middle of a sprint.

If you can, join a gym and do the group HIIT classes. I find I push myself a lot harder when in a class and the classes vary all the time, so it never gets boring. Pure gym have lots of gyms and lots of classes and it’s around £20 a month. I don’t work for them just found them great for the price.