HIIT or moderate cardio

[sasa]

what is better for fat loss...HIIT or low to moderate cardio doing? And why?

 

[mbrooke5]

what is better for fat loss...HIIT or low to moderate cardio doing? And why?

From what i've read and heard from other females on this board...HIIT is better mainly because you allow your body to recover instead of hitting a point where you start buring muscle, which could happen while doing cardio at a strong steady pace. Look in the female board and there is some good infor there on the why's and how's.

 

[impulse3k]

Why not do both? I lift every other day, do HIIT in the mornings on my off days and do normal cardio in the morning on my lifting days. I'm currently cutting though.

 

[psychedout]

Honest to god, I don't know which is better. I've done both and get dammed near the same thing for fat loss.

However, I don't really like to do hiit because I find it takes way too much away from my leg workouts. Walking on the incline for 45 minutes is cool with me. My legs are fine for leg workouts with that type of cardio.

 

[FigureSkater]

HIIT shouldn't be done more than 3 days a week. Try alternating the two if you are the type of person who can do cardio daily without losing muscle mass.

Another idea: isntead of straight up and down intervals, try doing building intervals. For example, on a treadmill, I'll warm up (at 6.0 mph) for a few minutes and then do one minute of each of the following speeds (these are MY speeds, you may need to go faster/slower, so start at what is your "easy" pase that you feel like you could do for a long time): 6.5 mph, 7 mph, 7.5 mph, 8 mph...repeat for 20 min (5 times) and then cool down. It really helps build endurance and it's especially good if you have a quick recovery time.

 

[Daisy_Girl]

This answer is found in several places on the board. I am moving this to the Cardio Board, since it is not a Diet-related question.

Here are some links, but it is VERY useful to do a search before posting a generic question. Or even spend 15 minutes looking for prior posts.

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=316666

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=339863&highlight=HIIT

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=334712&highlight=HIIT

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=317756&highlight=HIIT

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=311687&highlight=HIIT

 

[Synpax]

Fat loss. Long (30-45-60 minute) cardio exercises in the 60% of max HR area.

Just have some protein afterwards.

Forget the HIIT thing.

 

[Jesse1]

From everything that I could find with a Google search (and there were dozens of articles), it would seem that the best would be moderate to high intensity long duration cardio, if you have the time and are up to it. It is the total amount of calories you burn durining your workout and afterwards that counts, not just fat calories. Also, with long duration moderate to high intensity you are getting additional benefits of aerobic and endurance improvement. This is stirctly for weight loss and fitness and has nothing at all to do with body building and how it affects muscle, although many articles said that it will not hurt muscle development as long as your diet is correct.

 

[jj3778]

I've been seeing good results with 20-25 minute sessions. If I do cardio after a workout I get directly to it: jog @ 5mph for 2 minutes then alternate between running at 8.5mph for 1 minute and walking at 3.5mph for 1 1/2 minute. If it's in the morning before breakfast or before I've done anything else then I'll warm up for 5 minutes just walking at a fast pace, like 4mph. So, it's either 20 minutes or 25.

 

[ChefWide]

For me its all a matter of time: I do HIIT because I cant spend an hour doing cardio, I do it mostly on an eliptical with 6 peaks in 20 minutes. I am HAMMERED by the end of that fest, one minute at 40 rpm one at 85, repeat.

 

[JKurz1]

For me its all a matter of time: I do HIIT because I cant spend an hour doing cardio, I do it mostly on an eliptical with 6 peaks in 20 minutes. I am HAMMERED by the end of that fest, one minute at 40 rpm one at 85, repeat.

Elliptical is the old man's machine.....lol....who was the one that said that, Syn?

 

[Synpax]

Elliptical is the old man's machine.....lol....who was the one that said that, Syn?

Dunno. Sounds about right but so many women I know use it and it seems to serve their purposes.

I guess the only thing I can add is that this is similar to someone else's take on all the different schools of weightlifting (DC, old skool, 5x5, Westside, etc.) - "Just Lift heavy and grow."

 

[wtlftr]

HIIT is a good BMR raiser. It kicks you into high gear and allows you to burn calories at a higher rate.

Fat loss. 55% - 72% at a sustained time frame of 25 minutes or greater will burn fat. what are you looking for? Long term or short term?

Figureskater. You gave a HIIT routine for the treadmill

 

[NoWork]

HIIT is the way to go IMO. Don't worry about staying in the fat burning zone. You burn the highest PERCENTAGE of fat doing absolutely nothing. I guarantee you there are more people that walk and walk and question why they're not getting results than people who bust their ass at a high intensity.

 

[ChefWide]

Elliptical is the old man's machine.....lol....who was the one that said that, Syn?

Yep. I have grey in my beard, so I guess that fits me just fine... lol!

Too many years playing bad things with my knees to do tread mill running.

 

[Dimi]

IMO HIIT is fabulous - it burns more fat in less the time and you dont risk muscle loss. I have actually written an article on the subject. www.getfit.co.za, click on GetFIT and youll see it there.

 

[JKurz1]

IMO - 65-75% max heartrate for 40 minutes burns the most fat.........HIIT, although a good change of pace, burns more of your glyogen stores which many of US need for weight training............just depends on your goals and needs...........

 

[Synpax]

IMO - 65-75% max heartrate for 40 minutes burns the most fat.........HIIT, although a good change of pace, burns more of your glyogen stores which many of US need for weight training............just depends on your goals and needs...........

I'd add that the reason for keeping it in the 65-75 and not higher is that most people can't sustain the higher rate long enough to get an equal amount of fat burnt.

So, yes, running at 95% for 10 minutes would probably burn more than running at 65% for 30 minutes. But the truth is you can't run at 95% for more than 2 minutes.

 

[JKurz1]

I'd add that the reason for keeping it in the 65-75 and not higher is that most people can't sustain the higher rate long enough to get an equal amount of fat burnt.

So, yes, running at 95% for 10 minutes would probably burn more than running at 65% for 30 minutes. But the truth is you can't run at 95% for more than 2 minutes.

Burn more glyogen, yes.........ask any bodybuilder what they do.......I'll bet 90% go 65-76 max..........not too many 250+ pounders can run and then squat 500+ lbs in the same week.......effects everything from the ankles to the hips........but, whatever works, keep doing it!

 

[Dial_tone]

Fat loss. Long (30-45-60 minute) cardio exercises in the 60% of max HR area.

Just have some protein afterwards.

Forget the HIIT thing.

I'm with this one. Right now I do 30-45 minutes between 60-70%. Above 70% and your burning starts burning carbs and it keeps burning carbs long after the exercise is over. Below 70% and your body turns it's fat-burning engine and it stays on for hours longer. I want to burn fat during cardio and save my carbs for my lifting sessions, especially in a carb restricted diet. You won't burn as many cals DURING your session but you'll come out ahead net. I'm down 14 lbs in the last 6 weeks and I credit 80% to cardio, since i'm not really dieting.

 

[JKurz1]

My range is between 128 and 144 for 35 minutes..............empty tank............

 

[Neo22]

I prefer HIIT because I feel I get more done. Look at a lot of sprinters(short distance), they are all very ripped and muscular. Do you think they sit on the treadmill for an hour at 70% workload?

 

[Womanizer]

Whey protein shake before or after hiit?

 

[Sassy69]

I'm working up to higher amounts of med speed walking right now: AM Precor at aboud 65% and PM treadmill at speed 3, incline 8. THis is a pretty easy effort but this is what has been assigned to me by my trainer. All fat burning is the goal.

 

[muscelove]

Well look at a sprinter and a marathon runner. The marathon runer is lanky and skinny and the sprinter is ripped. I do HIIT about twice a week by sprintning. It really kills my ankles though. I am 6'2 250 I may switch to a stationary bike.

 

[JKurz1]

Look how many sprinters get send home for AAS use too....plus, their training approach is 300x different........marathon runners (95%) won't touch a weight........sprinters are in the gym daily.........different goals, to compare the two cardio vascular wise is absurd.......

 

[muscelove]

I said nothing about cardio vascular differences. I was comparing their bodies. And yes their goals are different, but this post was about comparing the HIIT to moderate cardio which is like comparing a marathon runner to a sprinter.

 

[RamRom]

I burn almost 350 CAL doing HIIT for 20 min a day