Short, intense workouts ... better than "slow and steady"?

adiostrasero

Usually if I want to burn a lot of calories, I work harder (duh) and go longer ... but my brother, who is in great shape and something of a fitness nut, always tells me that intensity is really what matters, even if you can only go for a short time.

Yesterday, among other things, one of the workouts we did was ... pushing a car in neutral while the other one steered. I thought it was utterly ridiculous but after we did it awhile, I had to admit it was a great workout. However, I could only do it a few times before my muscles were totally exhausted. He said that even though this may have only taken me a few minutes total, the important thing was that I had exhausted my muscles.

Thoughts? Agree or disagree?

micheleb15

I can burn more calories if I do HIIT rather than just jump on a treadmill and run for 30 min. Plus I don't get bored.

ChrisLindsay9

It really depends on your fitness goals and personal preference. I think the saying goes, the best fitness program is the one you enjoy doing. And from there, depending on your goals, you can try to find specific exercises that will help you get there faster.

With that being said, if you enjoy short, intense workouts, then you may want to research HIIT training (high-intensity interval training). There's a podcast episode about it, that I thought was particularly informative ... went into the science and studies.

http://www.brinkzone.com/general-fitness-info/brinkzone-radio-covers-hiit-training/

Next time you push a car around, make sure you get some video and/or pictures! That way, you can archive them into your own scrapbook of fitness achievements. Plus, it's just pretty cool! Heh!

kdiamond

HIIT all the way! A max of 20 minutes and I burn more than I would doing 40 slow and boring minutes.

Now when it comes to weight lifting, I take a little more time, but for cardio, fast and intense.

missmegan831

I can burn more calories if I do HIIT rather than just jump on a treadmill and run for 30 min. Plus I don't get bored.

^^ THIS

I too find that HIIT workouts are more intense and have better results and the bonus is less time consuming

bepeejaye

I think that is great! It is a start.

Be sure to watch your form, and breathing, and post-workout stretching

Have fun!

thepiratemd

on one hand, people will say "calories are calories" whether you burn them slow or fast

on the other, my body feels a COMPLETELY different way after doing some intense HIIT intervals, compared to a longer, more leisurely jog. I think my metabolism is just shifted into a higher gear for a longer time post-work out when I do an intense one

Mischievous_Rascal

HIIT is awesome!

Azdak

Usually if I want to burn a lot of calories, I work harder (duh) and go longer ... but my brother, who is in great shape and something of a fitness nut, always tells me that intensity is really what matters, even if you can only go for a short time.

Yesterday, among other things, one of the workouts we did was ... pushing a car in neutral while the other one steered. I thought it was utterly ridiculous but after we did it awhile, I had to admit it was a great workout. However, I could only do it a few times before my muscles were totally exhausted. He said that even though this may have only taken me a few minutes total, the important thing was that I had exhausted my muscles.

Thoughts? Agree or disagree?

No one should be doing the same intensity workout over and over again. It is a false premise to suggest that any one type of workout or workout intensity is the "best" approach for every person every workout.

Now, it all you are doing is lower-level endurance cardio workouts, then, yes, you should include some higher-intensity interval or tempo workouts into your routine. If you are strength training, you should be lifting weights that exhaust your muscles as well.

There is also a place for endurance workouts, for both fitness and weight loss. The moral is: don't get locked into or browbeaten into following one type of plan. Create a balanced workout routine that includes different mixes of intensity and duration.