HITT or not to HITT

[lori501blu]

ok I am really confused I just read an article on bodybuilding.com about this – and it said that when you do cardio you’ll burn more fat if you go at a slow consistent pace, that if you work too hard the whole time when you are doing your cardio it just takes from the “stored carbs” not the “stored fat”. Now I know I always feel like I have to work my hardest, sweat a lot, etc. and I just don’t feel like I “worked” enough if I don’t give it my all.

So what are other opinions on this? HITT or not to HITT to burn the most fat??? And how have you seen the best results

Lori

[Lady C]

Everyone responds differently to things. I personally hate long cardio sessions. If you want to feel like you have "worked" your hardests, do HIIT it is tougher to do.

I do a combination of HIIT and regular "in-the-zone" cardio. One day a week I do the "in-the-zone" cardio and then the other days I do HIIT. HIIT keeps the metabolism up longer than regular cardio. I also do cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach to maximize the fat burning.

[atherjen]

personally I prefer HIIT. I hate long cardio sessions. boring
I would rather really get my heart rate up, work hard for shorter period.
I think of it this way in the long run..... you have a pot of water. you bring it to a slow boil and then it simmers. then you have another pot, bring it to a rapid boil. WHICH one is going to stay hotter longer?
the rapid boiling one. think of that like your metabolism. It will stay elevated longer after an intense cardio session (HIIT) than mod pace.

[CJNY]

My experience is that if you skip the long, slow cardio (a.k.a. "the fat burning zone") and just eat less the results are pretty much the same, except you will have saved both time and money. Except for total beginners, the training effect resulting from this type of workout just isn't that significant.

If you want to seriously improve your cardiovascular conditioning and reduce body fat then you should do do interval training (HIIT).

[Firehawk]

Doesnt HIIT done in the morning, spike your metabolism for the rest of the day, thereby eventually getting to the fat burning?

Moderate intensity cardio does burn the fat right then but thats it when you are done. The HIIT spikes metabolism , so as you are going through the day, your body will be tapping into fat stores?

[CJNY]

Calories and metabolism are essentially the same thing. When looked at that way HIIT seems to be inferior because it burns fewer calories and most of them aren't even from fat.

What HIIT does for you is train your body so it can use fat to power activity that previously had to be fueled by glycogen. That is the training effect you need to change your body composition. That's what fills you with almost limitless energy because you have (for all practical purposes) infinite fat reserves.