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About Karen Sullivan
Expertise
Karen can help with lifting technique, muscle recovery, weight loss, body building and powerlifting. She has been certified by AFPA for the last 10 years as a Personal Trainer and has recently acquired a certification from the same agency as a Post Rehabilitative Exercise Specialist. Any recommendations or advice rendered are based on fitness information as specified by the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Fitness Professionals and Associates.

Experience

Past/Present clients
Clients include athletes training for marathons, mountain climbing and general weight loss. In addition I have clients troubled with COPD, Fibromyalgia, and Parkinsons as well as stroke rehab. She was the Strength and Conditioning coach for Williamsburg Aquatic Club, a USA Swim Team, in Williamsburg, Virginia for 3 years. Karen is presently working at Main Street Gym in Historic St. Charles, Missouri where she teaches Pilates and continues her work with clients. Her training reaches across the country with her long distance Body Restoration eTraining. Her dedication to fitness reaches into the nutritional supplementation with Shaklee products. She only works with clients who add nutritional supplementation to their training. Read more of her story on www.shaklee.net/BodyRestoration

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Weightlifting & Exercise - HIIT/ Fat Loss

Expert: Karen Sullivan - 10/24/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hi! Hit name is Ken. I've been searching the net about this whole HIIT concept and constructed a lil program of my own. It could be impatience or uncertainty but the results I hear/read about seem to be greater than wut I'm seeing. My program is simple...

Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun, etc (every other day):
2 set, high repetition, workout + interval cardio
Every day in between:
interval cardio

The interval cardio is basically, 45 sec moderate intensity warm-up, then a 1 min high intensity activity, with a 20 sec rest, usually for 5 sets

The activity varies between kickboxing, down ups, short distance back-and-forth sprints or a varied routine with a heavy resistance band

My goal is to emulate that whole P90X routine advertised everywhere. Without the noutritional plan (due to bare minimum funds). I still eat as healthy as possible tho of course, since I'm going to school to be a Dietician & Personal Trainer =)
Basically a different monthly routine (with body fat loss as the main focus) for 3 months. Any help or advice is greatly appreciated. I'd like to know if I'm wasting my time with this routine lol. Or if there's any room for imrpovement.

Thanx in advance =)
Take Care

ANSWER: Ken,
Several things come to mind as I read the breakdown of your training. Have you exercised before you started this routine? The P90X is an outstanding routine and one of the only ones on the market I would recommend. That said, I think that your intervals need to be longer especially if you exercised before you started this program. Also, you didn't indicate the total exercise time. Is it an hour?

Then looking at the food. When you say it is healthy I would ask you to tell me how healthy. Sometimes people think that when they are using healthy choice meals that is healthy. Some say a no fat salad dressing is healthy...I do not agree with either of those choices for healthy eating. Healthy eating is buying only fresh food and lightly steaming or eating raw....no bottled dressings and only lean fresh meats. Balance is the idea...no chemicals is the other. In the outside chance you have to do bottled dressing or any product choose the one that is regular...not diet and use little. I understand the healthy organic foods are more expensive and we can't all do that. This makes me angry! I think the whole FDA and USDA system has . . . well that is another subject all together. Try to be straight forward with the choices and think about many European countries. They purchase their foods fresh daily. They walk to the market, they walk to work and they don't eat to excess. That my friend is the reason for their health.

I will be glad to discuss more details with you.
Karen

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanx for yur response. To answer yur question, Yes I have exercised before. No more than 2 years back I was benchpressing 400lbs and deadlifting 600lbs, though I admit I wasn't sporting a fully rounded/even figure. My bodyfat and cardio was my weak points. Points I'm aiming to fix now lol.

As far as healthy eating goes. By healthy I mean, as healthy as I can possibly afford. Not exactly, as healthy as sumone sporting an 09' Mustang GT can afford lol. I choose fat-free's over normals, I rarely eat and feel full since I alwayz consume half of what fills me every 2-3 hours, maybe once a month will I eat pizza or fast food and even then I make it as healthy as it can be. The details are long and boring but short story is, I'm atm dependant on others for anything that costs money and they too are short on funds.

The exercise time is a 45 sec warm-up, 5 sets of 1min activity and 20s rests which totals out to be 7mins 5s. And with this I have noticed results but, as stated previously, not at the speed of what I was expecting. However my lung power has imrpoved greatly, but fat loss is my goal so, I consider it a bonus lol.

You said it could be longer? I was thinking just that lol, but not sure how much longer. And not sure if I'm not giving enough rest time between intervals.

*And btw, I agree about the whole 'healthy food is more expensive than unhealthy foods' being a very dumb motto companies have come to adopt. But, what can ya do lol, people will be people I guess.

Thanx again, Take Care

Answer
Ken,
I still am not sure how long the total exercise time it. 45+5x60+20x === 7x5 ==== 35 minutes???? I think 45 to an hour is what you should do. And what amounts to about 3-4 times a week??? I am not a huge proponent of increasing cardio in order to lose weight. Cardio, in my estimation, is for heart and lung health. The weight loss comes in the lifting and in the food. But you need to be active 30-60 minutes. That said...I think the issue may be your food.

I am heartily opposed to the fat free stuff. I suggest you make that ONE CHANGE in your diet. The issue with chemicals in the food is what really ticks me off. The body stores that stuff and there is no place for it in the body. It is not assimilated at all but sits there. It gets in the way of the normal metabolic function and can slow down fat loss. Bad stuff. Have regular or nothing at all. Get into herbs and learning to taste the food. Herbs aren't expensive! Grow them, what fun!

Are you eating just because someone says you should eat every 2 to 3 hours or are you really hungry? You may be consuming too many calories. Pay very close attention to your body. When normal meal times come consider your feelings. Are you hungry or just thirsty? Are you hungry or upset about something? If it is truly hunger than eat. But you may be able to cut out stuff. Also on those snacks you truly only need about 2 tbsp of something. How about a 2 tbsp of raw almonds???? That with water should set you up. How about an apple with a table spoon of peanut butter on it??? Balance.
See how that works.
Karen

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