BIGGEST LOSER -- WEEK FIVE

This week we did High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on the treadmill, elliptical, recumbent bike, stair-stepper, Concept 2 rower and Schwinn Airdyne. They used the following scale called Perceived Exertion to help measure the intensity of their workout intervals.

0 This is like doing nothing.
1 This is almost like doing nothing.
2 This still feels pretty light.
3 This finally feels like light exercise.
4 This feels like moderate exercise—no big deal.
5 This is getting a little harder but still pretty easy.
6 This is getting harder but still pretty doable.
7 This is harder and I’m breathing harder, too.
8 This feels very hard and talking is tough.
9 This is extremely hard—I can’t talk!
10 This is MAXIMAL—I have to stop!!!

It has nothing to do with speed, resistance or level—it’s always based on how you feel. Some person could be walking and it would feel like a “4.” Someone else could actually be running and that feels like a “4” to them. Here’s the 28 minute HIIT workout that they did.

• 1 min at what felt like a “4” or “5”
• 1 min at what felt like a “6”
• 1 min at what felt like a “7"
• 1 min at a “6” to recover
• 1 min at what felt like a “8”
• 1 min at a “6” to recover
• 1 min at an “8”
• 1 min at a “6”
• 1 min at what felt like a “9”
• 1 min at a “7”
• 1 min at a “9”
• 1 min at a “6”to recover
• 1 min at a “10” (so hard you have to stop)
• 1 min at a “4”
• 1 min at a “10” (same thing)
• 1 min at a “4”
• 2 min at an “8”
• 1 min at a “6”
• 2 min at an “8”
• 1 min at a “6”
• 2 min at a “9” (this was very hard!)
• 1 min at a “6”
• 1 min at a “10” (one more crazy one!)
• 2 min at a “4” or “5” to cool down

This week’s Biggest Loser was Brittany Cline, who lost 1.4 lbs. Tonya Westerfield placed second, losing 1.0 lbs, and Tom Emerick lost 1.2 lbs for third place. All of them lost just a little less than 1% of their body weight.

This shows just how hard it is after the first month. Where people were used to losing 2-3 lbs a week, at week five, even the top three found it hard to lose much more than a pound. Hopefully, the high intensity interval training will help get them through the slump!

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness !