Hardcore short workouts or long less intense workouts

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white0rabbit0
white0rabbit0 Posts: 21 Member
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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  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Better for what?
    Better for who?
  • white0rabbit0
    white0rabbit0 Posts: 21 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    Better for what?
    Better for who?

    For mainly increasing endurance and losing weight.

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    white0rabbit0 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    Better for what?
    Better for who?

    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?
  • white0rabbit0
    white0rabbit0 Posts: 21 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    white0rabbit0 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    Better for what?
    Better for who?

    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?

    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
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
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    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.
  • mikkey
    mikkey Posts: 24 Member
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    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.
  • cbrealtor55
    cbrealtor55 Posts: 37 Member
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    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.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    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?
  • white0rabbit0
    white0rabbit0 Posts: 21 Member
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    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.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    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.
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
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    white0rabbit0 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    Better for what?
    Better for who?

    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.
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
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    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?
  • DX2JX2
    DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
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    Either one will work for both purposes (weight loss and conditioning). Go with the one that better fits your schedule/disposition.
  • white0rabbit0
    white0rabbit0 Posts: 21 Member
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    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.
  • joeybrid
    joeybrid Posts: 65 Member
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    Long workouts are better for strength to give your nervous system time to recover between heavy sets of squats, bench press or deadlifts.

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