HIIT on off days

[banderbe]

Hi Coach I am wondering how you feel about trainees doing, say, 20 minutes of high intensity interval training on off days.

I'm wondering how that would impact recovery, if at all.

Thanks!

[Mark Rippetoe]

Depends on how you do it. Examples?

[MichaelReinke]

I am also wondering the same thing.

The way I was thinking of doing it was 4-8 x 200 meter sprints with 3-4 minutes of active recovery. I was thinking of doing this two days a week, Tuesday and Saturday, so that they never preceed a heavy squat day (I recently switched to doing front squats on Wednesday).

I am also currently not involved in any other sports or excercise for that matter.

[Mark Rippetoe]

You are free to do whatever you like, but that would not be my program.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

Michael,
Not an expert on anything so take it for what its worth, but it has been my experience that sprint work should be added to a three day per week strength program one day at a time to see how your body handles it. If you aren't trying to get in tip top shape for any particular sport and your focus is on stregnth, then once per week should be enough to maintain some decent conditioning.