I am 26 years old, 277lbs and I havent done any kind of cardio work out in probably a year.I have been on a doctor monitored died for the past three months and have been able to drop from 316 lbs to 277 lbs. I have been really focused on this diet and in life in general. I want to take this focus and apply it to other aspects of my life such as exercise. I am really interested in HIIT but from what I have read it sounds like this is only for people that are already in a fairly good physical condition. How would you suggest that I work up to HIIT and at what point would I want to go from working up to it, to doing it?In the past 3 months I have set a lot and accomplished of goals for myself both with weight loss and personal ones. I know I have the strength to push my self as far as I need to. My next step is that by mid summer I want to be around 250lbs or less and be running on a regular basis.

Thank you in advance for any help you can offer.

Eric

First of all congratulations on your weight loss so far Eric! It’s good to see you are motivated this will really help you with your HIIT and losing more weight and improving your overall health and wellbeing.

As for HIIT being only for people in good physical condition, it’s really up to you and your doctor whether or not you can take part in strenuous physical activity. Factors such as lifestyle, genes, medication and fitness level can create a situation where HIIT is not ideal, and your doctor will inform you of this after a physical check up. Seeing that you are on a doctor monitored diet there is more need to consult your health professional before starting HIIT, to allow for modification of your diet and ensure your body is well nourished and ready for recovery and adaptation.

More often then not your doctor will clear you for exercise of any intensity with a warning against over-training, however without knowing anything about existing medical conditions or hereditary factors no one online should be really telling what you can or can’t do.

If your doctor gives you the all clear for >90% MHR anaerobic training (and you personally feel you can do it), start small and increase the duration and intensity of your HIIT sessions each week. You may find that when you start HIIT you’re doing basic interval training (low-mid intensity), with experience you will be able to nudge your way into the “High Intensity” zone and see the real benefits of HIIT.

If you don’t feel confident in jumping straight into HIIT, or your doctor advises against it then your best bet would be starting a LISS (low intensity steady-state cardio) program mixed with a regular interval training program to get a feel for intervals.

To summarize, the point where you progress from working up to HIIT, to actual HIIT is defined by how prepared you feel and clearance from a health professional.