HIIT Won't Shift Belly Fat

Thunderfan66

I read this interesting article today about some new research suggesting that HIIT does not shift belly fat as effectively as consistent moderate exercise.....

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/fitness/high-intensity-interval-training-wont-shift-belly-fat-sydney-uni-study-shows/story-fneuzle5-1226912035689

Capt_Apollo

the article makes no mention of calories at all. losing body fat from anywhere on the body is mostly a result of a calorie deficit. however you get that deficit- HIIT cardio, Low Intensity Steady State Cardio, or simply eating less- is of little consequence.

neandermagnon

the HIIT v steady state cardio argument IMO is largely irrelevent for fat loss........ it's relevent for sports-specific training, as in whether the sport requires short bursts of intense exercise or long term stamina (sprinting v marathon running) .... but for fat loss what matters in terms of staying lean for life is choosing an exercise that you enjoy and can stick to for life. Fat loss isn't a race or a competition.... the goal is to get healthy and stay healthy for life. Worrying about marginal differences in fat burn between HIIT and steady state cardio (if there even is a difference at all) is entirely missing the point. It doesn't matter if you're losing fat slightly more quickly if you hate the exercise you're doing and are going to give up after a couple of weeks. It doesn't matter if the fat loss is a little slower, if you're doing something you enjoy and will stick with long term. So this debate is largely worthless except to people who want to market yet another fat loss e-book or programme....... for people who want to get healthy and stay healthy for life, the best advice is to just do whatever exercise you know you'll be able to stick to in the long term, and focus on enjoying yourself while exercising and getting into the habit of exercising regularly.

ETA: and without a calorie deficit you'll just regain the fat you lost while exercising anyway....

Shropshire1959

NOTHING shifts belly fat ALONE..

Well, apart from surgery

yogicarl

True - stick to what you are going to stick with. I have been forcing myself to run, fast walk, HIIT cardio etc. all winter and shifted no weight at all. As soon as spring comes around I am losing steadily at about 1lb per week. I haven't changed my diet and I have stopped running and doing HIIT - I simply haven't got time because the growing season is here and I am too busy lifting bags of compost around, potting up plants and transplanting them into the garden allotment a 10 minute walk down the road.

What I figure is if I do HIIT, I am so physically and mentally stressed afterward that I will sit for the rest of the day and do very little, but I can and do garden all day and that's where I am seeing steady results - not hitting the body hard, but steady enjoyable activity.

nosebag1212

stupid pointless article, 'belly fat' or any other kind of fat is reduced by one thing, a calorie deficit, whether you achieve this from hiit, steady state or any other kind of cardio is irrelevant

chivalryder

No exercise at all will ever SHIFT fat from any one location to another. Fat is where fat is. All you can do is eat at a calorie deficit and the fat will disappear.

ssbmacdaddy

I agree I found when I do HIIT I feel very drained and stressed - u think any time the body feels stressed it retains weight due to stress hormones saying its stressful and it is a time I need to be careful. I think it's a marathon not a sprint as they say. Do excercise that can be done consistently without injury and eat within the calorie parameters and the weight will come off. Look at different sports and you will see different body types. Sprinters are stocky. Distance runners are lankey. I like walking at my age it does less damage and a lot of good.

ahamm002

Note that the article doesn't make any mention of heart rate during the "high intensity intervals." I suspect the subjects weren't actually working that hard during their 60 second intervals.

So sure, HIIT doesn't work if you don't do it right . . . great study!