Are high intensity workouts the best for weight loss?

CourtzzD

Hi all,
I've been trying to figure out what to do for exercise and I think I've been making it too complicated. I do yoga Monday and Wednesday every week and I was looking to do something else Tuesday/Thursday but I have no idea what. I've always thought it has to be high impact to make a difference but I've been reading on here that some have been successful at losing weight by simply doing 45min of cardio (ex. the elliptical) four or more times per week.
So here's my question, for someone like myself who is moderately active (I've done personal training and the gym up to five times per week in the past) but has 100+lbs to lose, what is the best option to maximize weight loss? Is high intensity resistance training necessary or is a moderate cardio session all it takes?

kevinmacpa

If your body is capable of doing some high intensity interval training, it's really effective in burning loads of calorie, and boost your metabolism for the rest of the day.

It's very time efficient, and the effect carries over to the rest of the day. But it is very demanding on the body.

When I do steady state cardio, like walking on treadmill with incline of 5 at speed of 3.5 or 4, I walk about 45 min; when I do HIIT training on cycling machine, with 3 min warm up and 3 min cool down, I can only do maybe 6 to 7 min of HIIT training, and I am dying at the end, before cool down. I feel like I burn more calorie during that 6 to 7 min of HIIT than 45 min of walking.

If you want to do it, make sure you set appropriate intensity so you push yourself to the limit but without injuries.

pokegurl

You will definitely see results if you add on some combination of high intensity and cardio, doing it regularly for a few months. I LOVE yoga (have done it for years and still catch a power yoga class from time to time), but it wasn't until I started more challenging classes at the gym that I saw results.

arditarose

You can burn a lot of calories with HIIT, but you still need to be tracking food intake accurately.

DopeItUp

The best workouts for weight loss are food push-aways and fork put-downs, I've found. Workouts are just the icing on the cake, relying on it for fat loss is an exercise (no pun intended) in futility.

CourtzzD

I'm hoping to add exercise in addition to tracking my food choices, which I already have well in hand. Just looking for insight into what others have done with success.

arditarose

CourtzzD wrote: »

I'm hoping to add exercise in addition to tracking my food choices, which I already have well in hand. Just looking for insight into what others have done with success.

Since you asked...I lost more fat when I stopped doing cardio and started lifting.

spartan_d

As a general rule, yes. If your program or fitness facility emphasizes a relaxing workout... well, you might make some progress, but probably not a lot.