People who want to lose weight often dread hearing the word cardio. Cardio gives the mental image of hours of heavy workouts that involve lots of sweat and a fast heart rate. Some people may also hear the word cardio and get excited. They love to sweat and get healthy. No matter which side you fall on, cardio is a very effective way to lose fat and get healthy. When it comes to cardio, there are two different approaches. Those are Low Impact Steady State or LISS and High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT.
LISS
The most common form of cardio is LISS. This form of cardio will have you doing the same movements over long periods. This will have you keeping your heart rate moderate. There are generally no rest periods during LISS. LISS cardio exercises are jogging, biking, aerobics, swimming, and walking. Workouts should last around thirty minutes to an hour.
HIIT
HIIT is gaining in popularity around the world. This form of cardio exercise includes high-intensity workouts for short periods of time. It will also have you up to your maximum heart rate. You will also get longer periods of rest, or low-impact activity. HIIT workouts are usually done in thirty minutes or less. Examples of this exercise include circuit training, Tabata workouts, sprinting, and soccer.
Which Is Better?
The best way to improve your heart fitness is through anaerobic exercises. These are common in most HIIT exercises. Both HIIT and LISS can help to improve your endurance no matter what intensity you work at them both. HITT intensity workouts will improve your fitness in only 20 minutes. It takes around eight weeks of LISS to achieve the same as two weeks of consistent HIIT workouts.
There is a catch to HIIT workouts though. While it is effective at burning fat, it needs more energy to burn fat and a longer recovery period. If you want to grow your muscles, you may want to opt for LISS.
The workout that will be best for you will depend on your goals. If weight loss is your main goal, you should focus on HIIT workouts. If muscle building is something you want to do, you will want to opt for LISS intensity workouts. You can also decide to do both kinds of cardio to see how it benefits your body.
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To learn about the best workouts for you, join a fitness club that can help you lose weight and build muscle. At the Mercedes Club, we can help you to achieve all your fitness goals. Please contact us today.