Which cardio is better for weight loss LISS or HIIT?
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Studies show that LISS or low intensity steady state cardio, mobilizes more fat to be burned. You work for a longer period of time at a lower intensity focusing on staying within a targeted heart rate zone.
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HIIT or high intensity interval training require you train for high intensities for short bursts. These kind of workouts use carbohydrates as their primary energy source and fat as the secondary source.
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But if the purpose of adding in cardio is to increase your calorie deficit for weight loss, you also need to look at it like this,
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If I perform a LISS workout like walking briskly for 60 min I burn ex. 320 cals. If I perform a HIIT workout for 30 min I burn ex. 400 cals.
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So, even if your body mobilizes a higher amount of fats during LISS, if you burn more calories doing HIIT, even if the rate of fat use is lower, you may actually be burning a similar amount of fat in addition to increased calories.
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HIIT:
❌not realistic for everyone
❌requires more recovery time
❌ shouldn’t be done daily (this is a general rule, obviously there are so many kind of HIIT and durations)
✔️takes less time
✔️increases endurance
✔️slight increase calorie burn post workout
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LISS:
❌ takes more time
❌ may not burn as many calories
✔️ easy to do more often
✔️ good no matter what your fitness level
✔️higher adherence level
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So what should you do?
Ideally a combination of both. However, it is always important to start at your fitness level and increase the intensity of your workouts slowly. Going too hard too fast often reaults in people giving up or being so sore they can’t continue. It’s also really important you enjoy how you train. And lastly, don’t neglect your nutrition. No amount of HIIT or LISS means you can eat whatever you want. Proper nutrition is key to seeing the results of your hard work.
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I only do HIIT 1x week. I need to be in the right frame of mind to do it and really push myself. Personally I’d have a very challenging time increasing the amount of HIIT I do because I prefer weight training + walking.
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