Too much cardio

[PowerManDL]

Long Cardio is better to answer your question Cack.

People who run for an hour are skinnier than people who only run for 20 minutes.

Marathoners are leaner and smaller than sprinters.

The longer you exercise the more calories you burn which means more fat burned.

My theory is that people want to believe in HIIT because they are lazy and don't want to do a long cardio workout they know is better. Long cardio has worked for everyone who has tried it for centuries dating back to the year 490BC when a Greek guy ran across thru the plain to the city of Marathon to bring news of a victory over the Persians.

FHG

People who run for an hour are skinnier all right-- they don't have any fat but they don't have any muscle tissue either.

Marathoners are leaner and smaller than sprinters. But I'd rather look like the sprinter, as I think most people who lift would.

Maybe you do burn more calories the longer you run, but that's not always a good thing. Nor are you taking into account the fact that HIIT is muscle sparing, which keeps metabolism higher, and that it actually aids the muscle tissue in metabolizing fat for fuel.

People want to do HIIT because it spares muscle, because it is more efficient that endurance cardio, it is more specific to strength training than endurance cardio, and because it also burns more total body fat than endurance cardio.

And just for the record, that Greek guy keeled over when he got to Marathon.

 

[gymtime]

Longer doesn;t = more calories bruned if the intensity is lower.

If you sprint for 10 minutes you burn about the same cals as walking for an hour. Call me lazy but I'd rather bust my ass for 15-20 minutes with intervals than sit on a bike for an hour and get the same, if not more benefits.

I'd also much rather look like a sprinter, but that;s beside the point.

All cardio has worked for everyone dating back to when the neandrathals were walking around.

Hell man, I don't think busting your ass for 15-20 minutes is lazy at all. To me it's six and one in terms of the effort I put out.

Also, marathoners don't eat and lift like many of us do either, which I think contributes in large part to their physiques.

 

[fhg43]

And just for the record, that Greek guy keeled over when he got to Marathon.

LOL-Damn I knew someone would remember that!!

FHG

 

[nikolai_bolkov]

I'm not even sure marathoners are leaner than sprinters. If you look at the top athletes, they appear equally 'lean' in terms of bf%, just that the sprinters have significantly more muscle.

If you want to combine an hour long workout with sprint intensity, try training for boxing. IMO, training for boxing is unequalled in terms of cardio, but you also keep your muscles working. I dropped 20 pounds of fat in 2 months training boxing and muay thai. I know it's fat because I didn't even have any muscles at that point. Left me lean and toned. My goals now are different (size), but I am going back to the boxing gym because weights and my occasional (2-3 a week) track runs aren't doing it for me in turns of fat loss anymore.

Also, that hour will go quickly, and it's hell of a lot more fun than grueling it out on the track, stairmaster, stationary bike or whatever. It's also easier to go through the torture when you have a coach yelling at you, unless you have discipline of steel and can do it by yourself.