H.I.I.T. success stories, tips or hints?

So I've been doing lots of research on H.I.I.T. (high intensity interval training), and hear almost miraculous things about it. Things like you only have to do about 15-20 minutes of cardio with 30-40 second bursts of activity at your max exertion with enough rest between to bring your heart rate back down (I hear 2-3 minutes) ... that this, if you're also strength training 3-4 days per week, can replace 40-60 minute cardio sessions at a moderate pace. I've also heard that you will burn up to 6 times more calories over a 24 hour period after a H.I.I.T. session.

I've started building this kind of training into my trail running and elliptical work lately, but it's still too early to tell if there'll be a difference in my rate of loss and leaning-up, but I'm hopeful.

I'd love to hear from those of you who use H.I.I.T. in their workout schedule. How often do you do it? How, or on what, do you do it (jump rope, elliptical, running)? Have you seen results, and if so, after how long/often? Has H.I.I.T. replaced most of your "normal" cardio work (you know, those long sessions on the bike or treadmill)? What is your  high-intensity to low-intensity ratio?

And lastly, does anyone know if "high intensity" depend on one's current physical condition? For example, to ME running at 8mph for 40 second, then back down to 3mph for 2 minutes feels like a H.I.I.T. workout ... but I've read that THAT won't do it. But for me, it sure feels intense!

Thanks in advance, I look forward to your replies!

Oh, sure - or a jump rope, or using high-speed DDR. It will work with anything where you work in the anaerobic zone with high pulse for a short while, and then recover with less intensity for a period of time. Check out The HIIT Revolution for Fat Burning Success by Troy Anderson for a whole lot of different options you can consider ;)

Original Post by melkor:

Oh, sure - or a jump rope, or using high-speed DDR. It will work with anything where you work in the anaerobic zone with high pulse for a short while, and then recover with less intensity for a period of time. Check out The HIIT Revolution for Fat Burning Success by Troy Anderson for a whole lot of different options you can consider ;)

 Thanks Melkor - there is something wrong with the link above...

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/s ports_body_training_performance_bodybuilding/ the_hiit_revolution_for_fat_burning_success&a mp;cr=

I think there is something missing from the end.

It's a two-page article, using javascript to change pages - if you'ge got javascript turned off, chances are you won't see the "next page" link in red down at the bottom of the first page.

 Be careful with it though - you don't neccesarily need full-on HIIT unless you've already got a good base level of cardio conditioning ;)

yeah - I am not sure why, but I get nothing on the page at all.  Just the T-nation header.  That is it.  Maybe my browser at work won't allow me to go there.  I have to do some HIIT in the next phase of NROLFW.