# HIIT/Sprinting Before Leg Training



## Contest (Oct 4, 2011)

Hi all,

Was wondering whether anyone does HIIT or any sprint type work directly before training legs?

I'm on a PPL 2x a week split and do HIIT 3x a week. Routine looks like this...

*Monday* - Pull

*Tuesday* - Push

*Wednesday* - Legs + HIIT (Same workout)

*Thursday* - Rest

*Friday* - Pull + HIIT (AM, PM)

*Saturday* - Push

*Sunday* - Legs + HIIT (Same workout)

The workout highlighted in red feels absolutely fine as the HIIT portion has its own dedicated session. Doing HIIT after leg training is getting extremely difficult however.

In the beginning it wasn't too bad but over the last few weeks I've slowly recovered from a few injuries and have managed to really increase the intensity during my leg workouts without aggravating these old injuries. This however is leaving my pretty shot now when it comes to the HIIT portion of the workout as my legs are so burnt out.

I was considering doing the following but wanted some opinions....

*Wednesday* - HIIT followed by legs

*Friday* - Pull + HIIT (AM, PM)

*Sunday* - Higher volume leg day / No HIIT


After doing some research I've read in a few places that ideally speed work should always be done prior to strength work but I'm unsure of how true this is. 


I also thought to myself that as my aim is *pure hypertrophy*, doing HIIT before legs may act as a good pre-exhaust as its anaerobic in nature. 


Lastly, I'd just like to add that my HIIT sessions are performed on the stationary bike and last 10 minutes. (15 intervals - 20 seconds on / 40 seconds off) 

Would be nice to hear from @Pscarb and @big_jim_87


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## big_jim_87 (Jul 9, 2009)

Do you have to do legs and cv on same day?


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## Contest (Oct 4, 2011)

big_jim_87 said:


> Do you have to do legs and cv on same day?


I normally split my CV and weight training sessions mate. Currently due to work I'm doing weights in the morning and 30 minutes LISS in the evenings.

On leg days however I'm a little more strapped for time so do it together. As it's all anaerobic I thought they'd compliment each other well also.


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## MRSTRONG (Apr 18, 2009)

i would do the sprints last .


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## Carbon-12 (Feb 26, 2013)

I do it on the bike after I've tried my legs and find it a killer


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## Contest (Oct 4, 2011)

ewen said:


> i would do the sprints last .


Even if its hypertrophy I'm aiming for and not strength?

I have 2 leg workouts a week and thought if I'm going to sprint, why not sprint at 100% velocity when I'm fresh. Then the other leg workout can be a much higher volume workout without the HIIT portion.

Currently when I'm sprinting after legs, I can feel it's not 100% all out like how it is when I do it from fresh on Friday's.


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## Mingster (Mar 25, 2011)

Contest said:


> I normally split my CV and weight training sessions mate. Currently due to work I'm doing weights in the morning and 30 minutes LISS in the evenings.
> 
> On leg days however I'm a little more strapped for time so do it together. As it's all anaerobic I thought they'd compliment each other well also.


I know it probably goes against the grain a little mate, but whilst you're pressed for time I would look at reducing your workload for the time being rather than still trying to cram it all in. I realise this won't be what you want to do, but ime trying to push oneself at full capacity when there are restrictions of any sort rarely ends well. I'm sure that easing off a little now will reap it's own rewards when you crank things back up when your schedule allows...


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## jonnym4 (May 8, 2011)

Change your days around? Legs push pull as an example. The only time I've seen speed work advised before is a brief part of the workout and not HIIT. I'd prefer to split them all together and May question do you even need them with weights 6x/week


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## big_jim_87 (Jul 9, 2009)

Contest said:


> I normally split my CV and weight training sessions mate. Currently due to work I'm doing weights in the morning and 30 minutes LISS in the evenings.
> 
> On leg days however I'm a little more strapped for time so do it together. As it's all anaerobic I thought they'd compliment each other well also.


Why not train legs on a day that you have more time to split it up?


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## Contest (Oct 4, 2011)

Mingster said:


> I know it probably goes against the grain a little mate, but whilst you're pressed for time I would look at reducing your workload for the time being rather than still trying to cram it all in. I realise this won't be what you want to do, but ime trying to push oneself at full capacity when there are restrictions of any sort rarely ends well. I'm sure that easing off a little now will reap it's own rewards when you crank things back up when your schedule allows...


Though what you're saying is not what I want to hear lol, I do agree with you mate. If I blast the weights, the HIIT sessions are half-****d and I imagine it will be the same if I reverse the order; though I've never tried HIIT before legs.


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## Contest (Oct 4, 2011)

big_jim_87 said:


> Why not train legs on a day that you have more time to split it up?


If I do this, are you recommending me to do HIIT in the AM and then Legs later on in the day mate?


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## big_jim_87 (Jul 9, 2009)

jonnym4 said:


> Change your days around? Legs push pull as an example. The only time I've seen speed work advised before is a brief part of the workout and not HIIT. I'd prefer to split them all together and May question do you even need them with weights 6x/week


Id think with 6 days resistance dropping cv after legs would be fine... I hardly ever do cv on legs day during prep. That's just Mr personally tho


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## murphy2010 (Dec 17, 2010)

I wouldn't do cardio on leg day personally. Either the cardio or your workout will suffer and not be as good as it could be.

Cant you do the cardio on a different day?


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## big_jim_87 (Jul 9, 2009)

Contest said:


> If I do this, are you recommending me to do HIIT in the AM and then Legs later on in the day mate?


Can do...

Or make it a day where you train legs and liss...

What ever you feel would be better


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## Contest (Oct 4, 2011)

big_jim_87 said:


> Id think with 6 days resistance dropping cv after legs would be fine... I hardly ever do cv on legs day during prep. That's just Mr personally tho





murphy2010 said:


> I wouldn't do cardio on leg day personally. Either the cardio or your workout will suffer and not be as good as it could be.
> 
> Cant you do the cardio on a different day?


I could possibly move HIIT to another day but I've always been under the assumption that a HIIT workout is a leg workout in itself. If I were to separate the HIIT sessions away from leg days, I think recovery may be an issue.

It'll essentially end up looking something like this...

Mon - Pull

Tue - Push + HIIT

Wed - Legs

Thu - Rest

Friday - Pull

Sat - Push + HIIT

Sun - Legs


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## big_jim_87 (Jul 9, 2009)

I think it will help with recovery...

All that extra blood flow etc.

Take some aminos and pump em around.


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## Contest (Oct 4, 2011)

big_jim_87 said:


> I think it will help with recovery...
> 
> All that extra blood flow etc.
> 
> Take some aminos and pump em around.


Almost as a method of active recovery?

Just to be clear Jim, are you advocating HIIT the day before legs or after lol.

Either one will be do-able for me but I'm obviously after the most optimum option.


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## murphy2010 (Dec 17, 2010)

what is the aim of the cardio pal?

is it for fitness?


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## big_jim_87 (Jul 9, 2009)

Contest said:


> Almost as a method of active recovery?
> 
> Just to be clear Jim, are you advocating HIIT the day before legs or after lol.
> 
> Either one will be do-able for me but I'm obviously after the most optimum option.


Ether, or mate...

Your leg training only has 3 days between each session.

Before or after is fine.

Id probably do after personally... It may help with doms etc


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## Contest (Oct 4, 2011)

murphy2010 said:


> what is the aim of the cardio pal?
> 
> is it for fitness?


Fitness, general conditioning & keeping lean through my bulks.

I never let my body-fat % go high and successfully manage to add on lean muscle as each year goes on. This year though I really want to focus on the size of my legs as I feel they're lagging compared to my upper body.


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## Contest (Oct 4, 2011)

big_jim_87 said:


> Ether, or mate...
> 
> Your leg training only has 3 days between each session.
> 
> ...


Cheers for your advice pal 

I'll give this approach a crack this week and see how I feel. I'm a little worried as I trained legs yesterday and just the thought of doing HIIT today scares me lol. Legs feel all light and wobbly thanks to that routine you gave me last week :thumb:


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## big_jim_87 (Jul 9, 2009)

Contest said:


> Fitness, general conditioning & keeping lean through my bulks.
> 
> I never let my body-fat % go high and successfully manage to add on lean muscle as each year goes on. This year though I really want to focus on the size of my legs as I feel they're lagging compared to my upper body.


Fck me your doing that workout plus another one each week!?


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## Contest (Oct 4, 2011)

big_jim_87 said:


> Fck me your doing that workout plus another one each week!?


What can I say mate, I love the pain. My job/work is very mentally demanding and the gym is the only place I can turn my brain off and not think about projects lol.


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## murphy2010 (Dec 17, 2010)

Contest said:


> Fitness, general conditioning & keeping lean through my bulks.
> 
> I never let my body-fat % go high and successfully manage to add on lean muscle as each year goes on. This year though I really want to focus on the size of my legs as I feel they're lagging compared to my upper body.


Doesn't fitness clash with leg size to a point?

I can imagine sessions like hill sprints etc having a good effect, but things like just general runs don't they have a negative effect?

I know since I started getting fit I've found that leg strength has been impacted for me the most. But I do run usually about 30 miles a week which may be why


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## big_jim_87 (Jul 9, 2009)

Contest said:


> What can I say mate, I love the pain. My job/work is very mentally demanding and the gym is the only place I can turn my brain off and not think about projects lol.


How are you finding recovery?

Do you use any sups around workout?


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## Contest (Oct 4, 2011)

murphy2010 said:


> Doesn't fitness clash with leg size to a point?
> 
> I can imagine sessions like hill sprints etc having a good effect, but things like just general runs don't they have a negative effect?
> 
> I know since I started getting fit I've found that leg strength has been impacted for me the most. But I do run usually about 30 miles a week which may be why


I don't feel like my leg strength has been affected at all to be honest and my legs do appear to be getting bigger and leaner.

Currently I'm doing 30 minutess LISS 3x a week on the treadmill where I'll walk 5kmh at an incline of 7.5% *or...* 30 minutes on the stationary bike.

*And...*

5 minute warm-up, 10 minutes HIIT, 15 minutes cool-down 3x a week on the stationary bike.

I never jog or run on the treadmill.



big_jim_87 said:


> How are you finding recovery?
> 
> Do you use any sups around workout?


I do indeed mate and I'm quite anal about it lol. Having no issues what so ever with recovery.

As I'm doing weights in the morning, my supplement regime looks like this...

*Breakfast / Pre-workout*

- 50g Whey

- 6g BCAA

- 5g Leucine

- 20g Glutamine

- 2g Vitamin C

*Intra-workout*

- 25g Vitargo

- 1 Scoop of Xtend (7g BCAA, 2.5g Glutamine, 1170mg Electrolytes)

*Post-workout*

- 50g Whey

- 25g Vitargo

- 5g Leucine

- 20g Glutamine

- 2g Vitamin C

- 250mg Na-R-Ala


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## big_jim_87 (Jul 9, 2009)

Contest said:


> I don't feel like my leg strength has been affected at all to be honest and my legs do appear to be getting bigger and leaner.
> 
> Currently I'm doing 30 minutess LISS 3x a week on the treadmill where I'll walk 5kmh at an incline of 7.5% *or...* 30 minutes on the stationary bike.
> 
> ...


Looks pretty good mate

As long as you feel ok and are seeing results you want then keep it up


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## Contest (Oct 4, 2011)

Interesting article: Cardio Leg Slam


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## 36-26 (Jun 30, 2009)

I see no reason to do HIIT on the same day as legs especially not before your session. Your aim is hypertrophy and all that'll do is take away from your leg session IMO. The most important thing for hypertrophy is your weights session so to not prioritise that is madness. A leg session is HIIT in a way anyway


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## 3752 (Jan 7, 2005)

with that much training i fail to understand why you need any type of cardio to be honest mate, you should be training intensely enough not to need it....


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## Contest (Oct 4, 2011)

Pscarb said:


> with that much training i fail to understand why you need any type of cardio to be honest mate, you should be training intensely enough not to need it....


Hi Paul,

I don't know what category I fall under, but I seem to get my best results by combining an equal amount of weight training and cardio together through the year. I always manage to put on more muscle mass and still keep my body-fat % really low this way. I also like the fact that I get to eat a little more this way as opposed to dropping calories and feeling hungry all the time.

If I feel fatigued I always drop back on the cardio but whilst I feel good, I just carry on with it.


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## 3752 (Jan 7, 2005)

Well from what I see your not doing equal amounts?? But you are training which should be high intensity then your following this with high intensity cardio?? Another issue I have with this is that HIIT cardio releases FFA's but it does not use these for energy so they will release and circulate the body then be stored back as fat. A better way would be to follow a high intense weights session with steady state cardio then the SS will use the FFA's the HIIT will release


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## Contest (Oct 4, 2011)

Pscarb said:


> Well from what I see your not doing equal amounts?? But you are training which should be high intensity then your following this with high intensity cardio?? Another issue I have with this is that HIIT cardio releases FFA's but it does not use these for energy so they will release and circulate the body then be stored back as fat. A better way would be to follow a high intense weights session with steady state cardio then the SS will use the FFA's the HIIT will release


Based on that mate, would you always follow HIIT with some LISS so that these FFA's get used up as opposed to circulating and storing as fat again?


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## 3752 (Jan 7, 2005)

Yes I normally do 12min HIIT followed by some steady state the duration will depend on the goal


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