Steady State or High Intensity?

The warmer weather finally upon us and you can see people jogging everywhere you go, but will their hours and hours of long distance running provide them with the look they are going for?  Well the answer is two-fold and depends on what their goal is.

 

If they are jogging long distances because they have plans to compete in a 5k or run a marathon then this long distance running is definitely a necessity in their training plan.  However if they are after fat loss and having a lean, muscular and toned look they are barking up the wrong tree.

 

A study published in pubmed suggests that if you are looking to shed some subcutaneous belly fat instead of doing long distance steady state cardio focus more on high intensity intermittent/interval exercise.

Not only is HIIE better for fat loss but it’s also been shown to significantly lower insulin resistance but also numerous muscular adaptations that result in muscle fat oxidation and improved glucose tolerance.

 

So what are some examples of high intensity intermittent/interval exercise?  These are short burst of a high percentage of all-out effort followed by brief recovery.  Sprints, cycling, swimming, jumping rope, rowing are all great examples.

 

However do not forget that strength training also fits the mold and even ramps up the fat loss.  Periods of all out lifting intensity followed by a short recovery not only mimics the effect of the cardio exercises mentioned above but it also leans to increased strength, muscle mass, and ladies let’s not forget bone density!

 

Click here to check out the study