The difference between regular cardio and HIIT cardio.

BetesBitch
BetesBitch Posts: 234 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
What's the difference other than HIIT is high intensity interval training and regular cardio would be from jogging at same pace throughout or elliptical same pace throughout etc etc.... Oh and HIIT burns more calories in the same about of time right.

BUT results are the same right? Calories burned means calories burned no matter how you do it.

Anybody got anything to ad that i might be missing? Thanks

Replies

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    Steady state cardio doesn't help to raise RMR where HIIT cardio does. A higher RMR means more fat burning (since at rest the body's main source of energy is body fat).

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
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  • Cayjominara
    Cayjominara Posts: 270 Member
    The reason I do HIIT, is that I get more work done in less time. The increased heart rate, the shorter rest periods, and the intense movements burn the calories faster. From what I have read, HIIT also promotes calorie burn over a longer period of time AFTER you've done the workout. I'm no expert of course. When I do HIIT, I really FEEL it compared to traditional exercise. I feel as though I have obtained a more complete workout.
  • EvenThatNameIsTaken
    EvenThatNameIsTaken Posts: 164 Member
    Personally, I'm learning that I get a wayyy better mood lift when I do HIIT runs instead of just running at a comfortable pace the whole time. I like the "burst." :)
  • samamps88
    samamps88 Posts: 52
    There have been many different studies on this and you will no doubt get a hundred different opinions from 100 different people all claiming the truth.

    HIIT will burn more calories in the same amount of time as steady state cardio because you are working harder imajine driving at 100mph or 30mph and the fuel consumption difference.

    However you cannot keep up HIIT for as long as you can steady state so some will argue that you can burn more by steady state cardio if you do it longer.

    But you also must look at where the energy comes from to fuel the different types of exercise, for instance steady state will eventually take its fuel from stored fat, whereas HIIT will primarily use stored glycogen as its fuel (this is why you have limited resources for HIIT training. So if you are using fat as your fuel then whem you finish exercise your body is more likely to replenish these stores first and then repair muscles second ( your body always likes to have spare energy especially when operating at a defecit). This doesnt mean you will get fat it just means less chance of building extra muscles by performing steady state cardio.

    Whereas with HIIT because it does not burn calories from fat to fuel the workout when you finish it has to refill the glycogen stores and then repair muscles, this is why it is now believed that more fat can be lost by doing this because it preserves muscles better than steady state cardio and more muscle mass means a greater caloric need.

    At the end of the day a calorie defecit is the only thing that will cause weight loss, however if you want to maintain muscle mass whilst cutting fat then it is better to do HIIT training In addition to strength training, if your goal is weight loss then all that matters is calories in vs calories out it does not matter if you even exercise at all.
  • Mrsallypants
    Mrsallypants Posts: 887 Member
    You'll burn way more calories in a shorter amount of time doing HIIT than steady state (working at the same pace).
  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
    HIIT can yield similar results that weight training does because they are both high intensity.. so on a cellular level there is a difference between HIIT and steady state cardio, and with muscle fibers used fast and slow twitch.
  • samamps88
    samamps88 Posts: 52
    Steady state cardio doesn't help to raise RMR where HIIT cardio does. A higher RMR means more fat burning (since at rest the body's main source of energy is body fat).

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    It does raise rmr any exercise even walking raises rmr however the higher the intensity the greater the effect.
    Although most studies find that to gain the greatest post exercise 'burn' HIIT training should be at over 70%vo2max for 90 minutes (avg of 180calories extra post exercise over following 24-39 hours) the fitter you are the greater the effect.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    What's the difference other than HIIT is high intensity interval training and regular cardio would be from jogging at same pace throughout or elliptical same pace throughout etc etc.... Oh and HIIT burns more calories in the same about of time right.

    BUT results are the same right? Calories burned means calories burned no matter how you do it.

    Anybody got anything to ad that i might be missing? Thanks

    HIIT is magic and special and lasts for days and days and days apparently... :)

    I had a conversation with someone the other day when he extolled the virtues of HIIT and described what I, as a runner, would describe as "intervals", except I do mine outside rather than on a hamster wheel in an air conditioned room.

    It's just a different mode of training, and in the same way as tempo training does it helps to condition the system to operate at higher intensity for longer periods.
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
    HIIT is also developing different muscular systems - steady state cardio at a lower intensity will develop slow twitch fiber, while pushing to levels closer to your VO2max will work fast twitch muscle*. This is why serious runners will do both long slow distance and interval training.

    *note- this is a vast oversimplification, but the point is essentially correct.
  • BetesBitch
    BetesBitch Posts: 234 Member
    There have been many different studies on this and you will no doubt get a hundred different opinions from 100 different people all claiming the truth.

    HIIT will burn more calories in the same amount of time as steady state cardio because you are working harder imajine driving at 100mph or 30mph and the fuel consumption difference.

    However you cannot keep up HIIT for as long as you can steady state so some will argue that you can burn more by steady state cardio if you do it longer.

    But you also must look at where the energy comes from to fuel the different types of exercise, for instance steady state will eventually take its fuel from stored fat, whereas HIIT will primarily use stored glycogen as its fuel (this is why you have limited resources for HIIT training. So if you are using fat as your fuel then whem you finish exercise your body is more likely to replenish these stores first and then repair muscles second ( your body always likes to have spare energy especially when operating at a defecit). This doesnt mean you will get fat it just means less chance of building extra muscles by performing steady state cardio.

    Whereas with HIIT because it does not burn calories from fat to fuel the workout when you finish it has to refill the glycogen stores and then repair muscles, this is why it is now believed that more fat can be lost by doing this because it preserves muscles better than steady state cardio and more muscle mass means a greater caloric need.

    At the end of the day a calorie defecit is the only thing that will cause weight loss, however if you want to maintain muscle mass whilst cutting fat then it is better to do HIIT training In addition to strength training, if your goal is weight loss then all that matters is calories in vs calories out it does not matter if you even exercise at all.

    HIIT uses stored glycogen for it's fuel!!! RED FLAG - Type 1 diabetic here on insulin! Id have to say steady cardio is more safe for me.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    What's the difference other than HIIT is high intensity interval training and regular cardio would be from jogging at same pace throughout or elliptical same pace throughout etc etc....

    They produce different physiological changes in the body. If someone wants a high level of overall fitness, both are needed.
    Oh and HIIT burns more calories in the same about of time right.

    No, that's not correct. Most of the time, for most people, it's the other way 'round, actually.
  • BetesBitch
    BetesBitch Posts: 234 Member
    I just want to be healthy and get my Type 1 diabetes in check as much as possible. Once this is maintained, weightloss will follow. Prob be some loss during as well.
  • IWILLBelieveAchieveInspire
    IWILLBelieveAchieveInspire Posts: 218 Member
    All I will add is... when i used to do steady state cardio I almost never had any muscle soreness afterwards. Now that I'm doing HIIT on the treadmill my legs are very sore the next day. Much like if I did a leg day, so I know I'm working it much harder. Its absolutely exhausting to do HIIT but it does make 20-30min go by so much faster. I'm pretty new to it and do 1min walk and then 30sec run as hard as I can..sprinting. For me that's not as fast as most because I'm slower than a snail typically when i run.lol But I'm sweating like crazy and out of breath so I'm working it. ;)
  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,301 Member
    There have been many different studies on this and you will no doubt get a hundred different opinions from 100 different people all claiming the truth.

    HIIT will burn more calories in the same amount of time as steady state cardio because you are working harder imajine driving at 100mph or 30mph and the fuel consumption difference.

    However you cannot keep up HIIT for as long as you can steady state so some will argue that you can burn more by steady state cardio if you do it longer.

    But you also must look at where the energy comes from to fuel the different types of exercise, for instance steady state will eventually take its fuel from stored fat, whereas HIIT will primarily use stored glycogen as its fuel (this is why you have limited resources for HIIT training. So if you are using fat as your fuel then whem you finish exercise your body is more likely to replenish these stores first and then repair muscles second ( your body always likes to have spare energy especially when operating at a defecit). This doesnt mean you will get fat it just means less chance of building extra muscles by performing steady state cardio.

    Whereas with HIIT because it does not burn calories from fat to fuel the workout when you finish it has to refill the glycogen stores and then repair muscles, this is why it is now believed that more fat can be lost by doing this because it preserves muscles better than steady state cardio and more muscle mass means a greater caloric need.

    At the end of the day a calorie defecit is the only thing that will cause weight loss, however if you want to maintain muscle mass whilst cutting fat then it is better to do HIIT training In addition to strength training, if your goal is weight loss then all that matters is calories in vs calories out it does not matter if you even exercise at all.

    BUMP
  • toddis
    toddis Posts: 941 Member
    The only thing I have to add is that some people get the same amount of physical improvement for 2 sessions of HIIT a week as other people get from steady state cardio. The key is that it's true high intensity, not really intervals. 30 seconds max effort, 4 minute, rest, repeat, sort of thing.
  • Roadie2000
    Roadie2000 Posts: 1,801 Member
    I haven't noticed I burn more calories doing HIIT, but I hear you will continue to burn more calories after your workout. Not sure if that's actually true or not, and it's probably not that many calories anyway.

    I think they're both beneficial in different ways, slow and steady seems to help with my endurance, and HIIT seems to help with my speed and explosiveness.
  • RMZ2014
    RMZ2014 Posts: 31 Member
    A study I read about a year ago that was done on women doing HIIT or steady pace on the treadmill showed the women doing HIIT burned slightly more fat during the work out but their AFTERBURN calories were a lot higher for the next 24-48 hours. It basically revved up their metabolism.

    The same study was really interesting in that the women who did the shorter intervals 8 second with a short recovery period 30 seconds for 20 minutes benefited more than women doing longer intervals. Interesting for sure, more studies need to be done of course.

    My treadmill takes awhile to get up to speed so I do 15-20 sec of sprinting and 40-45 seconds of walking. I feel waay better after I do HIITS and it doesn't take as long. It is a good workout but I don't hate it like I hate straight up running. I can't talk myself into running.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    they both have their benefits in a typical balanced exercise plan. the same way that people say to give your muscles a break from strength trainin apply to HIIT cardio as well. and low intensity steady state cardio has it's place as well. a 20-30 minute jog can help even the most dedicated people create a bit more of a calorie deficit buffer
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    The key is that it's true high intensity, not really intervals. 30 seconds max effort, 4 minute, rest, repeat, sort of thing.

    So 20 seconds maximal effort 20 seconds recovery pace repeat 20 times doesnt count then?

    Presumably the warm up mile and cool down both at 10 minute mile pace invalidate the intervals...
  • annie61702
    annie61702 Posts: 120 Member
    It seems like there is a lot of conflicting advice, but I think any interval type exercise has got to be good. I do steady state cardio on the treadmill 3 times a week, and recently changed my two times a week on the elliptical to intervals of 1 min. all out, 2 min. recovery for 10 intervals, with 5 min. warm up and 5 min. cool down. It kicks my *kitten*. But it is getting a little easier. I figure it can't hurt. :-)

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