HIIT, Resistance, BTN: Which workout is best for the holidays?

A current debate rages in the fitness industry between high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and resistance training. Each side has strong defenders. Some stress the need for variety to “change it up.”

Let me clarify that I have absolutely nothing against HIIT. I use it frequently in my own workouts and have used it when teaching as well.

Virtually any exercise will trigger the release of beta-endorphins. The more intense the exercise, the more beta-endorphin is released. That’s certainly one of the reasons people enjoy, or even prefer, intense workouts.

However, when it comes to comparing HIIT to resistance training, I have noticed something interesting. Die-hard HIIT proponents always seem to measure the benefits of HIIT against the least amount of cardio they can find, and then proudly proclaim that HIIT provides superior results.

We don’t really have to choose between anything long and slow and HIIT. If you train well and train hard, you can go hard AND long. HIIT alone will not necessarily provide that training adaptation.

I’ve learned that progressive, periodized training can develop a power/endurance dyad, along with a mental discipline that short-duration bursts don’t normally develop. There are mental, emotional, and even spiritual benefits to resistance training. I frequently use HIIT as part of a long, structured, “authentic” workout.

But I also use HIIT when my day is full and I need to fall back on my BTN training (better than nothing).

One of the convenient features of HIIT is how little time it takes. At this time of year, it’s helpful to be able to do a short workout.

Here’s an 11 minute format I devised for the Stairmaster, but it can be done on any cardio equipment. Set the timer, if you have one, for 11 minutes. On the Stairmaster, each workout is divided into 30 vertical rows of duration depending on the programmed time. An 11-minute workout yields 30 rows of 22 seconds each.

I heat for 9 rows. That takes 3 minutes, 18 seconds. Every 3 rows, I increase the intensity by 1 vertical point. Then I start my intervals.

The remaining time allows 7 intervals. The work segment is 2 rows (44 seconds), followed by a 1 row recovery (22 seconds). The first work interval is moderately hard, a transition between warming up and HIIT. The other 6 intervals are performed as high as the Stairmaster can go. Low in the recovery period at level 3 warm-up, but no lower.

If I start to lean on the Stairmaster during the work segment, I move back one vertical point until I’m back in good disciplined shape. It’s rare that I need to go back more than one, but I’ve been down 2 ounces or twice. The goal is not to take extra recovery, just to get back into good shape and make it harder.

If you’re like me, you prefer a longer, serious workout than something like this. Still, the BTN approach can be used very easily and has helped me get through insane programming often. I’ve done it on indoor bikes and treadmills, and it works.

This approach could help anyone who has too many routines and misses training this season.

Sure, it’s just BTN for exercise freaks, but it’s HIIT, which is a bona fide workout. Better than nothing when there is no time. Why skip vacation workouts?