Not all cardio is created equal. And if you are trying to find the smart way to workout, you want to do exercises that will give you the most bang for your buck.
This is what high-intensity interval training does (HIIT).
Different Types of Cardio
When breaking down the types of cardio a person can do, you are essentially looking at three options.
● Slow and steady cardio (walking)
● Long-distance cardio (30 minutes or more on the bike, treadmill, or running outside)
● Short bursts of high-intensity cardio (sprinting whether on a bike or running)
Walking will burn a few calories, but nothing major.
Long-distance cardio will burn plenty of fat, but the problem is that it will also burn your muscle mass away as well. It really doesn’t discern between fat and muscle. Your body will burn anything during long-distance cardio that will provide it energy.
If you doubt this, let your eyes tell you the truth. Look around at the long-distance runners. They are essentially skin and bones without a muscle to be seen.
However, HIIT cardio, 30 to 45 seconds of hard-hitting sprinting that can be accomplished on a bike or with running, will only attack fat for energy. And after a 30 to 60-second rest period, you do it all over again. Some people will keep doing this routine five or six times during a workout or more.
The results are amazing with HIIT. You get a chiseled physique with plenty of muscle tone and a low percentage of body fat. Once again, use your eyes to be the judge. Simply look at sprinters that compete in an amateur or professional manner. They almost look like Greek gods.
Look at the Science
There have been plenty of studies completed analyzing and comparing long-distance cardio to HIIT cardio and the results between the two. Not only does HIIT take much less time to complete, but it yields better fat-burning results. Being able to get your whole cardio workout completed in a small amount of time and still be able to burn away all of that unwanted fat is something that should make you consider changing the way you approach cardio from here on out.