HIIT Training v Slow paced Cardio.

HIIT Training v Slow paced Cardio.

By Keith Cormican

Steady state cardio exercises have lately been replaced in favor of high intensity interval training as the best way to lose both belly and body fat. Is steady state cardio really outdated? Have all those who used lower intensity cardio been wrong all these years? Steady state cardiovascular exercise has worked for many people who have lost a lot of weight by walking five miles a day. HIIT is good, but it is not the only way to effective fat loss.
A very heavy person is probably overweight because of a small energy imbalance – they eat more every day than they burn. Excess calories build up over time. If a person is very overweight and increases their exercise level in any way but does not also increase how much they eat, they will reverse their weight gain. HIIT works better for those with little time to exercise because will yield the same results as regular cardio in less time. HIIT also builds more muscle because it uses muscle fibers that are not used during regular cardio. During your high intensity level of training, you are working your “fast twitch” muscles – those muscle fibers that are meant to use anaerobic energy. Energy stored in the body – not energy from oxygen in the blood – is used by your fast twitch muscles when you walk, run, ride your bike or do any exercise at maximum speed.
Fast twitch muscles work more effectively when you need them if you work them consistently with High Intensity Interval Training – they help you run after your cat, dog or kids, or catch the bus pulling away from the bus stop.
Regular cardio uses those muscles that are meant to work aerobically. These muscles use the oxygen you breathe in while you work out. Building these muscles will increase your endurance, making it easier for you to walk. You can go farther at a steady pace because oxygen is used more efficiently by your muscles.
Because HIIT utilizes both slow and fast twitch muscle fibers, it uses a lot of calories in a short time. High Intensity Interval Training also creates more muscle than regular cardio because it uses the fast twitch muscle fibers that regular cardio does not use. A lot of fat loss & bodybuilding programmes recommend High Intensity Interval Training. The real secret to sculpted muscles is reduced body fat – try using High Intensity Interval Training in your workout to get that fat off your body fast!

HIIT V Slow Cardio #2.

Cardio is the most popular way to lose fat. But is it the best? -And should you do long duration cardio or HIIT? Empty stomach cardio or not? This article will teach you how to really lose fat with cardio

Wrong Ways to Use Cardio. Cardio only speeds up fat loss. You can only lose fat through weight training & healthy eating. Two common cardio errors are:
Neglecting Strength Training. Don't try to lose fat by doing cardio without strength training. Excessive cardio burns muscle, causing the skinny-fat look. You need strength training to prevent muscle loss & to build muscle.
Eating Unhealthy. Cardio without healthy nutrition is a waste of time. A healthy diet will make you lose fat faster.

Long Duration Cardio. This is cardio for 30-45mins at a steady state. On a machine or long runs outside. Pros & cons of long duration cardio:
Burns Fat. 30mins long duration cardio burns about 500kcal. This allows you to create a caloric deficit without dropping your daily calories.
Increases Endurance. If you're out of shape, long duration cardio is the easiest way to increase your cardiovascular fitness.
Boring & Time Consuming. For maximal fat loss you'll need 3 sessions of 30-45 mins per week. This can be boring & repetitive!

HIIT. High-intensity interval training. Example: alternate 60sec jogging with 30sec sprints for 15mins. Pros & cons of HIIT cardio:
More Efficient. It burns more fat and increases your cardiovascular fitness more than long duration cardio does.
More Fun, Less Time-Consuming. Takes only 15-20mins and is much more fun than 30-45mins long duration cardio.
More Difficult. HIIT will make you puke if you're a beginner with zero endurance! HIIT can also affect your recovery.

Long Duration Cardio or HIIT? If you're a beginner with 20-30% body fat, lose fat using long duration cardio. This is physically & mentally easier than HIIT. Combine this with weight training & healthy nutrition.
Your endurance will increase over time.
Realize that although long duration cardio is less efficient than HIIT, it does burn fat. While our body fat might not go down as fast, it will go down. And since long duration cardio is easier, you're less likely to skip workouts or quit.

How to Do Long Duration Cardio. I would recommend long duration cardio if you have little endurance. Remember: cardio without strength training & healthy nutrition is useless.
Moderate Intensity. 60-70% of your max heart rate (which is 220 - your age). So if you're 20 years old, that's between 120-140bpm.
3x45mins. Start with 15mins straight post workout without eating in between. Add 1min each workout until you can do 45mins.
Elliptical trainer. Most people enjoy the elliptical trainer most. But anything works: rower, stationary bike, outdoor runs etc…

How to Do HIIT. The point with HIIT is to get out of breath. If you're doing it on a machine: choose a resistance that allows you to go as fast as you can when sprinting. But better is to go outside and have fun. Some ideas:
Sprints. You can do these on a machine, but outside is better. Alternate 60sec jogging with 30sec sprinting. Repeat for 15mins.
Burpees. 5 sets of 10 burpees with 30sec rest in between. Always try to beat your previous time. Build up to 10 sets of 10 burpees, then to 100 burpees in a row. Make sure you do a Push-up from the floor.
The Bear. Do without resting 1 rep Power Clean, Front Squat, Overhead Press, Back Squat & Behind Neck Press. Repeat 4x without resting. This is your 1st set. Do 5 sets with 30sec rest in between. Build up to 8 sets of 5. When that gets easy, start adding weight (5lbs/2.5kg).
When to Do Cardio. Most people don't have time to train 6 times a week. Those who can, often burn out physically & mentally after a few weeks.
Post Strength Training. Harder, but you have more rest days and can do more cardio.
On Rest Days. Include days for total recovery: 3 days on, 1 day off, 2 days on, 1 day off.

Do You Need Cardio for Cardiovascular Fitness? Not really! Strength training increases cardiovascular fitness.

Unless you do sports that need endurance (MMA, boxing, rugby etc...) you don't really need cardio. Strength training will increase your cardiovascular fitness above average. Increase your Squat and you'll see. The proof is in the pudding!