Okay, so from what I understand, performing HIIT cardio is to be treated as if it was an actual "weight-training" session. I say that because the intesity is high, should not be empty stomach, should be taking glut, stimulants, and any other supps we would for training, and each HIIT should be followed with fast digesting whey (and maybe carbs, not sure?) So all that being said, if we are looking for maximum fat loss, we should do 30 or so min of LISS in the AM and/or after lifting right? Does that mean that after a 5min warmup, 20min HIIT, 5min cool down - that we should continue for another 20-30min but only LISS??

Reena,
That would be overkill. Choose one type of cardio or the other. You can perform HIIT anytime you want to do cardio. Morning or post training. If you are performing HIIT first thing in the morning, you would want to take some Glutamine Select and Lean Out or Energy Reserve (and Density if you have it) to ensure you are using stored fat as your primary energy source. The BCAA's will also help you hold on to hard earned muscle.
High Intensity Interval Training is the superior form of cardio for fat loss. You can burn about 6x more fat in about half the time vs. LISS. In addition, your metabolic rate will continue to be raised for hours afterward (if you really work hard during). Compare the physique of an Olympic sprinter (HIIT) to an Olympic Marathoner (LISS).
CR

Thanks for making that clear!
I do work very hard during HIIT sessions. Start with moderate warmup 5min. Then start the intervals which i do for about 20-25 mins. Incline at 8-10 and my "work interval" is a 30-45sec run at 6.5mph and my "rest interval" is 60-90sec slow walk at 2mph. Finally, 5min cool down.

I was under the impression that HIIT POST-TRAINING would use up muscle? Therefore LISS would be performed instead. From what I have interpreted from your reply, you are in support of HIIT anytime of day and feel that it is the most effective and efficient route for maximum fatloss? Does that mean that there really is no need or even no "room" for LISS?

There are many schools of thought on this one. At Beverly we believe HIIT is the way to go. It is definitely best post training because muscle glycogen levels are already depleted and your body should look to stored fat as its primary energy source. Muscle loss will be minimal if any.
If you have the time to do an hour of LISS in the morning you certainly can and will get results, but the extra 40 minutes of sleep is better for me.
CR

YES! I agree about the sleep...

I average 5 hours a night, but I know I should get more - especially for optimal results and growth...

I cannot express how much I appreciate this info...I am willing to do just about anything to achieve my fat loss goals!! I was doing 45-60min LISS, lifting 4-5 days, and 2-3 sessions of HIIT but I felt that the timing was off because of my hectic schedule. Some days I felt I was overtraining and other days over eating because of all the different training times.

Thanks again and I intend on weaning off LISS and incorporating HIIT. The good thing is that my body recovers quickly so I can probably do 4-5 sessions of HIIT and 1-2 LISS.

Good Luck! Stick to your plan and you will achieve your goals. I start over a year and a half ago and now it is a lifestyle for me. I get all kinds of **** from my family and my friends but I don't care. They think I am sacrificing to much but I just tell them I love training. Enough of that soapbox stuff. HIIT will strip the fat off. I mix it up with different ranges on the treadmill, bike, and elliptical. I even do sprints at the local high school track. If you want any other ideas just pm me.

Fat loss/prep guru Lyle McDonald does have a protocol that uses HIIT followed by LISS. I don't want to go into detail, but the info can be found on his website or in his books. His explanation and reasoning are very sound, worth the time to search out the info.

Hello,
I just wanted to thank you for your input. I also receive a lot of **** from the family. To make things worse, they expect me to always look perfect because of choosing this lifestyle. I have put on about 15 pounds after spending over a year dieting and training for a show. I messed up my metabolism and hormones were all out of whack! Anyways, now that I am a little heavier than last year, I have been "called out" for gaining weight!!!! It really is painful to hear that from family, especially when I spend day in and day out thinking about my meals and training and supplements!

I will definitely look into Lyle McDonald!

The reason why I posted the original question is because it just kinda made sense to me to follow with LISS. I am eager to see what the "experts" have to say!

Thanks again for all the advice!

THANK YOU MARK D!

I cannot believe I had never heard of Lyle McDonald?!? I am so greatful to you for referring him. His priciples and thoughts are quite parallel with my own and the information I found answered many of my questions. I am going to look into his books and decide on which one would be most beneficial for my goals (fat/weight loss). I wish I could order them all, but they are quite expensive! I actually tried the HITT followed by low-mod cardio and "loved" it.

Fortunately, everyone has there own thoughts and ideas on the best approach for diet and training. Unfortunately, it can makes things very confusing and we turn ourselves into guinea pigs, experimenting all kinds of methods! I have yet to find what works best for my body, it has been a very emotionally and physically challenging journey. My stubborness and desperatism for losing weight is both a blessing (for will power) and a curse (too hard on myself).

You are quite welcome!!! Mr. McDonald is a wealth of information. I think his theories and applications are very sound and based on "real world" trials, not studies on rats. He has protocols for fat loss that cover a broad spectrum of individuals and does not have just a "cookie cutter" approach in regards to what is best. That is what I like. You are right, the books are expensive, but they are very thorough. I have also found a ton of info for free on the net.

So I took the plunge!

I went ahead and ordered the rapid fat loss handbook and the ultimate diet 2.0! So far, based on the info I found on his forum, his approach seems well researched and guaranteed effective (only if I comply). I start the RFL diet tomorrow and hopefully I'll see changes!

Thanks again for exposing me to this incredible man with his no non-sense approach!

UPDATE!

Okay so I have both books and have taken about 85% of the information and applied it. I must say that the UD2.0 is very flexible and is actually quite easy to follow. The RFL is absolutely insane and I decided that I would not continue with it after only 4 days. All in all, I found that Lyle McDonald is quite knowledgeable and has a great reputation for being well researched. However, his attitude and overall vibe is quite degrading and dismissive. I cannot believe the lack of support on his forum and how "stupid" I feel just asking some questions regarding his protocols. That being said, I have found that I still have the upmost respect and trust for beverly! The information, support and quality of Beverly is next to none! the people here are of another caliber and I can honestly say that I am so impressed with the level of professionalism and care that is on this forum.

I can say soooooo much more, but I will just end here.

Thanks to everyone who is behind the scenes of this amazing organization and bless you for helping us reach our goals!