What is the best kind of cardio to do for these short, intense intervals? (running, metabolic resistance training, swimming, biking, etc?) Also, how long is short?, what does intense REALLY mean, how many intervals is enough, and how long of a break should there be during these intervals?
Over the next week or so we’re going to be talking quite a bit about metabolic resistance training (i.e. “cardio with weights”), but before we do I want to address something that slightly concerned me when reading through some of the comments that came in on yesterday’s “empty stomach” cardio post.
Apparently, many people are still stuck doing long duration, low-intensity cardiovascular exercise — yikes!
Here’s the deal: if you’re looking to achieve maximal benefit from the time you put into your workouts, long duration “slow-go” cardio is NOT the way to go, and for many reasons.
Here are my top 5:
1. Minimal calories burned — 45 minutes on the treadmill may burn a whopping 300 calories if you’re lucky, the equivalent of ONE TENTH of a pound of fat. Exercise ten hours a week and you might just lose a pound!
Which brings me to my next point:
2. Way too much time involved — I don’t know about you, but I don’t have hours and hours of my time to pour into working out each week. In fact, very rarely do I ever exceed three hours of exercise weekly, and you know what? That’s ALL you need.
Beyond that, slow-go cardio is:
3. BORING as heck — Sitting on an exercise bike staring at the wall in front of me for 45-60 minutes? No thanks.
But perhaps even worse is the fact that slow-go cardio provides:
4. No prolonged metabolic benefit — Did you know that with higher intensity exercise it is possible to continue to burn calories for up to 48 hours post workout? It’s true (and we’ll be discussing this “afterburn” effect in another post very soon). But you know what else is true? Long duration, low intensity cardio provides virtually NO prolonged elevation in metabolism. In fact, with slow-go cardio, metabolism returns to baseline almost IMMEDIATELY following the exercise session.
And finally, the reason that trumps all the others:
5. Minimal fat loss — Minimal calories burned during the session and virtually no additional calories burned afterward = minimal, if any fat loss results. And let’s be honest, the only reason anyone is doing cardio is for the “result”.
So if slow-go cardio isn’t a great solution, what is?
Short duration, high-intensity exercise. Less time, faster results — THAT’S what it’s all about.
And keep in mind, “high intensity” is relative to you. I don’t care if you’re already in great shape or if you’re 40 lbs overweight, you can exercise with intensity.
So what about you? Are you stuck doing slow-go cardio or have you embraced the benefit of much shorter, higher intensity sessions?
Give me at least 750 comments and I’ll be back to talk about short duration, high intensity exercise in more detail tomorrow.
Talk to you in the comments section,
Joel
P.S. Want to learn 3 other specific fat-burning tips that you can start using today? Check out the below link:
==> What “special” foods can boost fat-burning by 207%?
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The best high intensity cardio workout I’ve done is the one listed for the treadmill in the Body for Life book. 2 mins on level 5 to warmup, then 1 on 6, 1 on 7, 1 on 8, 1 on 9. Then you go back to level 6, 7, 8, 9 for 3 more times, add level 10 for a min on the last one and then do level 5 for a min to cool down. Workout is only 20 mins and it kicks your butt.
Going by the formula given for calorie consumption, I am @ 1100, 1200 & 1300 for high carb days. I work out 6-7 days/week with HIIT as well as resistence training burning 500-600 calories in addition. @ the calculated calorie level, isn’t that too minimal ? Isn’t that putting my body into starvation mode ? I wish that could be cleared up and also do you have sam,ple menu plans for the specific days… low carb, low gi/gl and high carb days ?
That would be so beneficial.
45 yrs old, 5’3″, 135lbs, body fat @ 23.5%
I haven”t been able to shed a single lb for months and months no matter how I tweek my diet or workout plan. I’ve actually gained weight, but have dropped fat %. I am getting quite bulky, not fitting into my clothes. Totally messed up inside and out. Pretty desperate !!! help me!!!!!
Thank You,
Rahn
Just one other—>>>idea on Cardio’s major reason it s****. **Calorie read is by design deefficient**. That is;read outs are alot higher actual benefit to user. I.e.BIG Commercial ploy.
In my 2cent’ opine..do real aerobic HIIT-Rope Skipping -variations on Plyo moves..up^to the side’s -turn arounds, etc.
Probably a cliche..-Just do it-
Inspire one’s around you. kiLL iT..lol in Coach Zach’s words: Joels awesome Underground Strength buddy. ~
I never could stick with those slow go cardio programs…too boring and too much time involved.
Recently, I started metabolic resistance training and have stuck with it for the last 3 months. I feel great and have seen some good results. But I am interested in learning more. And some information on interval training would be great too as I have wanted to add that to my workouts but am not sure how, where, when.
Thanks!
@Joel Marion – Setting high incline on a treadmill at low speed gives just as high intensity workout as high speeds with low (or no) incline! I can set it at level 30-40% incline at 3-4 mph, and that’s plenty of intensity right there.
I am already doing HIIT on the treadmill. I am 105 lbs overweight. I jog for 30 seconds, and walk for 1.5 mins jog at 4.2mph and walk 2.4 mph. My question, i have hypertension issues, and my doctor says walking everyday will help with my hypertension, so what i want to know, can i use HIIT six days a week in the morning and three days at night, becuase the other three days i do resistance training? I have tried the walking and it does help with my blood pressure? thanks in advance any help from you will really help.
Totally agree with you reasons. 45 – 60 min. are better spent on learning how to achieve your goals and dreams! Hit it hard and get on with life
I agree about slow cardio done in a gym. But what about walking? I am doing the 10,000 steps a day program which most days involves walking to work. I take the bus home… so I am helping the planet and myself at the same time. Being out in the fresh air is great and I walk fast enough to work up a little sweat, at least when it’s warm out. Am I fooling myself that this is beneficial exercise? I really like it, personally.
One of my favorite questions from friends is “How long do you have to spend working out to stay so slim?” They give me that “lair liar pants on fire” look when I tell them I only run for 30 mins MAX 3 days a week. Then I explain that I make every second of that 30 mins count!
@KERRY – Continuous motion—->>>use a football field accelerate, decelerate..between different hash mark yardage repeats. Then go for laps in varying intensities. Road work(doesn’t have to be all the time.) is in same adjusting speed increments too.
100% commitment. Probably too basic here or may seem generalized(!?) LOL
More the training changes(the)more the body adjusts to higher calibrations. Especially for !/2 marathons..
Just 2C.’s here. Best on your day
I don’t have access to a treadmill. Monday through Friday I make at least one trip (sometime 2-3) up seven (7) floors from the bottom floor. Is this considered high intesnsity?
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Hey, it’s Joel! So you want to know a little more about me, huh? Well, I’d be happy to oblige :-)
I guess it all started back in 2001 (my freshman year of college) when I was just a “skinny fat” 19-year old kid. At the time, I was spending close to 2 hours a day in the gym (now my workouts last about 30 minutes), and despite my efforts, you’d probably never guess I worked out a day in my life by looking at me...