8 Seconds of Doom

Hi Everyone! Today I'm going to do a variation of traditional HIIT on a recumbent bike. Here is the protocol that I use:

Warm Up
3 min: moderate pace pedaling

Intervals: 3-15 minutes (9-45 rounds)
8 sec: flat out max effort sprint pedaling
12 sec: moderate pace pedaling

Cool Down
5 min at a moderate pace

If you want to read about the science behind it, my friend MariAnne Anderson wrote about it in her article 8 Seconds of Glory.

If you've ever done this you know that there is nothing glorious about it. If you push yourself hard, it's a gut wrenching, ass-busting, make you wish you'd never tried it cardio blitz. On the bright side, it's only takes 11-23 minutes to complete of which only 3-15 minutes is really awful; it all depends on how much torture you can endure. I'll update later with how many intervals I was able complete today.

Update: 3 minute warm up, 8 minutes of intervals (24 rounds), 9 minute cool down (I was reading a magazine :).