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    Hardcore short workouts or long less intense workouts

    Posts: 21 Member
    edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
    I just started doing longer less intense workout instead of my usual short high intensity workouts. Both leave me feeling equally tired but is one better than the other? I normally don't use weights unless I'm doing squats or lunges.

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    Replies

    • Posts: 19,809 Member
      Better for what?
      Better for who?
    • Posts: 21 Member
      sijomial wrote: »
      Better for what?
      Better for who?

      For mainly increasing endurance and losing weight.

    • Posts: 19,809 Member
      white0rabbit0 wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      For mainly increasing endurance and losing weight.

      Long duration, moderate intensity then.
      You do realise you are supposed to be eating back exercise calories though?
    • Posts: 21 Member
      sijomial wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      Long duration, moderate intensity then.
      You do realise you are supposed to be eating back exercise calories though?

      I usually eat a meal before working out and a smoothie or protein bars after. So I eat back about half of what I usually workout
    • Posts: 6,840 Member
      From personal experience I lose weight better with a shorter more intense workout. But the most effective workout is the one you are willing to keep doing. If you hate exercising at high intensity, go longer and slower. If you hate exercising for hours, go shorter and more intense.
    • Posts: 24 Member
      A recent paper suggested that interval training is better for cellular change, which may correlate with better results. I do HIIT and results are easy quicker than slogging on the elliptical for an hour.
    • Posts: 37 Member
      For me Hiit is the best for burning fat but I also do two or three days a week of steady state cardio in the mornings. That will help with endurance.
    • Posts: 35,719 Member
      white0rabbit0 wrote: »
      I just started doing longer less intense workout instead of my usual short high intensity workouts. Both leave me feeling equally tired but is one better than the other? I normally don't use weights unless I'm doing squats or lunges.

      what are your goals?
    • Posts: 21 Member
      I need to lose about 15 more pounds but I have stopped losing weight even though I haven't changed anything. I started at 200lbs and now I'm at 138. I thought maybe switching from hiit to longer steady workouts might help.
    • Posts: 5,727 Member
      cbrealtor55 wrote: »
      For me Hiit is the best for burning fat but I also do two or three days a week of steady state cardio in the mornings. That will help with endurance.

      Except HIIT doesn't burn fat, any more than any other exercise.. in fact, it burns less.
    • Posts: 2,541 Member
      white0rabbit0 wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      For mainly increasing endurance and losing weight.

      Endurance in what?

      Case in point: I'm a runner, focusing on long distance (half marathons). Doing short little mile runs aren't going to do much of anything in helping me knock out 13.1 miles in an actual race scenario.

      So for me, I've actually got to do the longer workout to help accomplish my goals. And it doesn't hurt that I can burn 400+ on a five-mile day, and close to 1,000 for a 10-mile run.
    • Posts: 2,541 Member
      white0rabbit0 wrote: »
      I need to lose about 15 more pounds but I have stopped losing weight even though I haven't changed anything. I started at 200lbs and now I'm at 138. I thought maybe switching from hiit to longer steady workouts might help.

      Do you have any performance goals?
    • Posts: 1,921 Member
      Either one will work for both purposes (weight loss and conditioning). Go with the one that better fits your schedule/disposition.
    • Posts: 21 Member
      I don't have any specific goalsas far as strength or proformance I just want to get to my goal weight and then start working on strength more. I just can't seem to lose any more weight without seriously limiting my calories.
    • Posts: 65 Member
      Long workouts are better for strength to give your nervous system time to recover between heavy sets of squats, bench press or deadlifts.
    This discussion has been closed.

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