HIIT vs Steady State Cardio

As a trainer I often get asked “what is the best way to lose weight - is it cardio or High Intense Interval Training (HIIT)?” Here we will discuss the pros and cons of both, and hopefully you will leave with a clearer idea of what style training will suit you better.

Steady State Cardio

Let’s start with steady state cardio. Steady state is exactly what it says, any form of cardiovascular/aerobic activity that is maintained for a period of time. Generally, steady state cardio is performed at a low-moderate intensity for 20+ minutes. This can be anything from walking at an incline on the treadmill, a 5km run, even up to a marathon!

Pros:

It’s Great for beginners. For those just starting a fitness program, I would suggest leaning toward steady state cardio to allow yourself time to build up endurance before performing any HIIT. I say this because if you are a person with limited fitness or starting over after an injury then the key to success involves doing the right moves, at your own pace. HIIT should be intense, but pushing too hard, too fast can result in injuries and a loss of motivation so ensure you always listen to your body and seek advice as to how to complete moves with proper form.

Steady state cardio can be performed more often: This style of training has a relatively low impact on the body, enabling you to train on frequent basis, it is also used by athletes and body-builders to lean up and lose excess body fat, so it’s proven to be a great way to shed the pounds.

Cons:

Overuse injuries: Activities like running place quite a bit of stress on the joints, especially when repeated over a period of time so as I said before, always make sure you listen to your body.

Time - Steady state cardio takes time, time that some people don’t have in their busy lives. Simple tricks to get more steady state cardio into your day are walking that extra tube stop, taking the stairs or even going for a walk with your partner after work for an house before settling down to a night in front of the telly.

Now let’s talk about HIIT.

HIIT is a short period of intensive, all-out effort activity, followed by a period of rest. It should be at such an intensity that you cannot continue to perform the activity any longer than 20 minutes. You can perform HIIT on a treadmill,  or you can use equipment such as  ropes, kettle bells, sleds, barbells, jump ropes, or even just your own bodyweight.

Pros:

Short duration: All that is required is 5-20 minutes of exercise, easily squeezed into your day be it from example before work or in your lunch break! HIIT training will get your heart rate up in to its 90%-95% which is where you really start to work in your cardiovascular zone, this is where you will see great increases in your fitness levels as your heart is having to work that much harder.

Fat-burning:  Essentially, after you stop working out, your body will continue to burn through calories for hours after the exercise has finished as you go about your day. On top of this, your resting metabolism increases, and your body becomes more efficient at using fat for fuel.

Cons:

All-out effort: Yes, you may be working out for a shorter period of time, but these intervals hurt, a lot. This is maximum effort, 110%, I want to cry when I’m done. If you sell short when HIIT training and think you’re getting the same benefit, you’re wrong. You must push your body to the limit (90% of your HR Max), or you might as well just stick with steady state cardio.

Not for beginners: as I mentioned earlier, HIIT is so demanding and intense that for a person who has not used to exercise and is making the first steps on their fitness journey that it may make them feel demotivated and cause injuries.

Less is more: Unlike steady state cardio, HIIT should only be done at the maximum, every other day. 2-3 times a week will get the job done.

So hopefully this will give you more f an understanding of the two types and you can now make an informed decision on what you think will work best for you.