High or low intensity cardio?

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kam744
kam744 Posts: 24 Member
edited June 2016 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone!

I wanted to see what everyone's thoughts were on using a higher intensity (incline and higher speed) compared to a longer cardio workout at a low intensity? I started working out and logging on mfp two months ago and I'm seeing some great results from it. Normally I will do cardio for 20 minutes (similar to HIIT, although I don't think it's truly HIIT). However, I decided to change to a longer workout, but with much lower intensity to burn extra calories for a mini vacation this weekend. I was confused because my workout of 53 minutes seemed much easier than the higher intensity 20 minutes. My goal is to lose another 20 pounds and I know it is CICO. So would it be more beneficial to complete the longer, lower intensity cardio?

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  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    IMO it comes down to personal preference. You're not going to burn enough calories in the next few days to make a difference this weekend. Do what you enjoy.
  • meritage4
    meritage4 Posts: 1,441 Member
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    You can even mix it up a bit. Some days shorter and faster, other days longer and slower.
  • AnthonyX150X
    AnthonyX150X Posts: 293 Member
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    HIIT Cardio will burn more calories in a shorter amount of time rather than longer lower intensity cardio.

    It comes down to what you prefer more though and what you feel more comfortable with.
  • kam744
    kam744 Posts: 24 Member
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    Great!!! Thank you! I was a bit surprised how my stanima had built up in the past few months. I think I'll keep switching it up depending on my schedule.
  • AnthonyX150X
    AnthonyX150X Posts: 293 Member
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    kam744 wrote: »
    Great!!! Thank you! I was a bit surprised how my stanima had built up in the past few months. I think I'll keep switching it up depending on my schedule.

    The more you do cardio, the more your stamina will improve. But yeah do whatever type of the cardio that fits into your schedule and is more convenient to you.
  • jessiethe3rd
    jessiethe3rd Posts: 239 Member
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    For fat burning and fitness true hiit cannot be replicated. 60-70 Target HR zone is a good medium which will burn fat. Go above that and you get into fitness / cardio area. 30+ minutes is great at that target HR zone. Make sure to get something that can track your HR zones.
  • mrevansx
    mrevansx Posts: 5 Member
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    I've heard that a good combination of HIIT and then a steady state excercise is good in combonation, the HIIT (for 15 to 20 minutes) mobilizes fat stores and then a 30+ steady state in the "fat burning zone" (115 to 140 beats per minute if you're using a heart rate monitor)to burn that mobilised fat off. Of course, it goes without saying that without the diet component no amount of cardio or HIIT will be able to get rid of those last stubborn pounds :-(

    I'm not surprised that you have seen an improvement in your conditioning though, HIIT is very effective at improving your stamina and this combination of HIIT with steady state will help to build your endurance base while also improving you stamina and overall work capacity. Good luck and keep up the good work.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    jessiethe3rd wrote: »
    For fat burning and fitness true hiit cannot be replicated. 60-70 Target HR zone is a good medium which will burn fat. Go above that and you get into fitness / cardio area. 30+ minutes is great at that target HR zone. Make sure to get something that can track your HR zones.

    Honestly, substrate utilization during training doesn't really matter when it comes to long term fat loss. The whole heart rate zone idea as a method of fat oxidation doesn't stack up to anything meaningful when you look at long term fat loss.
  • baciodolce18
    baciodolce18 Posts: 113 Member
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    Are you trying to bank calories for your vacation or lose weight? Just out of curiosity. I'd say if you're trying to bank, just do as much as you can safely push yourself to do whichever way that ends up being.

    In the long term, I do both. Running is my cardio, though I will sometimes sub walking at an incline for my low intensity day. I do about 3 lower intensity and 1 interval (either hills or sprints) at higher intensity. They usually have similar calorie burns, but it's a lot easier to tack on some extra low intensity than extra high intensity.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    Different types of workouts have a synergistic effect. For most people, in most situations, it's better to not make it an "either/or" issue. HIIT cardio will drive your fitness to new levels, sometimes dramatically so. Endurance cardio can be more easily tolerated, often burns more total calories (even counting the EPOC from HIIT), can be done more often, and, last but not least, enhances your ability to perform HIIT workouts (primarily by improving ability to recover from the work intervals). Then there is HISS--High Intensity Steady State and tempo training--that can sometimes be the best of both worlds IMO.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
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    If you haven't been running or cycling for years, you'll get the most fitness gains from longer, lower intensity workouts. You also get better calorie burns because you're investing more time. It's good to do some higher intensity stuff now and then, but don't overdo it. A lot of people train for racing by spending 80 % of their time at moderate intensity and 20 % doing HIIT. More time at a moderate pace is best for improving stamina; you spend more time doing something, your body gets better at doing it for more time. :smile:
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,390 Member
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    There are benefits regardless of intensity levels above couch potato, but the benefits vary with the times and intensities. I personally get bored more easily with the long and slow workouts, but they still have their place. In terms of calorie burn the intensity you can sustain for that period of time at steady state will always overcome really high intensity such as HIIT.

    Mix it up, have fun, and consider your primary goals to help influence your decisions. Since one of my primary goals is to make working out more interesting and remove boredom, I often opt to add some higher intensity steady state or intervals into anything over a half hour or so. The only time I can really enjoy a lighter pace is if I do some more intense HIIT or HISS type stuff before the lower paced.


    Similar to the OP I can easily burn a crap ton more calories keeping intensity lower and working out longer. I find that staying at intensities low enough to not dip as much into glycogen stores don't make me nearly as hungry as the higher intensity stuff. In my case it seems that once at or slightly above LT pace, just a little extra push really adds up in the hunger game.

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