High-Intensity Interval Training

This depends on who you ask. Cardio is short for cardiovascular. That word alone makes most people think of heart health and it implies that in order to be heart healthy you have to incorporate it into your fitness routine. Then, you need to decide what type and how long. Individual needs vary according to their fitness level and what they’re trying to accomplish.

Long Endurance Cardio

Low intensity, long duration cardio is perceived as an effective way to lose weight. However, this perception is a myth. I once heard that, cardio is over-rated and my first reaction was…..you’re crazy! It’s the ultimate fat burner. Ahhh….but within that statement was an underlying message. It’s not so much about quantity, but quality.
Most people try to lose weight by creating a calorie deficit (eating less) and increasing their cardio routines. The decrease in energy stores forces the body to use protein (lean muscle mass) for fuel. This way of exercising is counterproductive. Another drawback to a long cardio session is the undue stress the repetitive pounding motions put on your joints.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

This type of exercise is a concentrated bout of cardio that includes varying speeds and intensities. The intensity is so high that your body would need to take the rest of the day to recover from such a high powered activity, thus producing an elevated afterburn affect known as Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption (EPOC).
Studies have shown, “HIIT increases the capacity for both fat and carbohydrate oxidation in skeletal muscle. The result is a tightening of metabolic control during…… high exercise challenges, such that oxidative phosphorylation (ATP) is optimized and carbohydrate use is spared. (Perry 2008)” What other type of exercise can tout such results in a short amount of time. After all one of the main reasons to incorporate HIIT is to produce the greatest quality workout in the shortest amount of time. The best part about HIIT is that it can be done anywhere: indoors or out. One excellent example is sprints. Alternate 60 seconds jogging with 30s second sprints and repeat.
Your body is made up of 2 different types of muscle fibers: fast and slow twitch. Each of these fibers has a purpose in human physiology. Your fast twitch fibers are used during anaerobic exercise such as weight training and HIIT. Slow twitch fibers are used for aerobic exercise that includes endurance training. To put this into perspective, think about the differences between marathon runners and sprinters. Even though they are participating in the same type of sport their bodies are different because of the type of muscle fibers involved in their training.
Most of us want to get the most efficient workout possible in the gym. There is not enough time in our day to squander it away on hours of cardio. So…..what which one will you choose?