Hey Jordan,
I currently do 7x30 min cardio/week, normally the stairs, average HR 120-140bpm. I’ve recently started bjj classes at 1-2x/week and also do 1-2x/week outdoor sprint sessions for no more than 5-10 total reps.
I lift everyday and also get a decent number of steps in, but I’m curious whether you think I’d benefit from replacing some of my LISS training with more HITT at the gym?
I enjoy the LISS, although fairly time consuming. If I remember correctly, I heard BBM mention that LISS is preferable for GPP as it “builds the base” for when anaerobic work is needed.
Cheers
Howdy,
So, you’ve got 210 min of steady state stairs, 2 BJJ sessions, and 1-2 outdoor sprint sessions per week.
One thing I like to do is to calculate training load in order to see what the next step(s) should be. Your training load is approximately:
- Stairs = ~ 5 METs/min at that HR x 210 1050 Met-min per week
- Martial arts = ~ 7 METs/min x unknown duration
- Sprints = 8-9 METs/min x unknown duration
*all of these values are derived from the Compendium of Physical Activity with some tweaks based on the predicted intensity
So, you’re doing enough conditioning to exceed the current guidelines. The next obvious step is probably not more intensity or volume per se’, it’s more formalized programming and periodization…just like you’d do in resistance training. Imagine a person lifting 3x/wk, using compound lifts primarily, and doing 6-12 reps per set. They ask if they should lower the rep range, but the real answer is being more intentional about the programming itself, i.e. RPE, rep schemes, total volume, etc.
So, that’s what I’d do…tailoring it to you of course.
As far as LISS vs HIIT, both work about the same for driving up cardiorespiratory fitness, though HIIT tends to be more fatiguing in the short term, and less tolerant of volume. So, the more conditioning someone can do, the more LISS they’ll do.
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