Is HIIT Superior To Normal Cardio For Long Term Weight Loss?

By Howe Russ


High intensity interval training is undoubtedly one of the most talked about weight loss tips of the 21st century. But if you are unsure why so many gym lovers are jumping on board the HIIT train, you're about to find out the main reasons.

You'll discover the facts behind this training style today.

Despite being over twenty five years old, HIIT is still fairly unheard of in much of the fitness world, with many regular gym users still succumbing to the old strategy of performing long, steady state cardiovascular exercise to hit the often fabled fat burning zone. Thanks to the constantly developing scientific studies behind the health and fitness industry, long steady state cardio is now yesterday's advice for those who are looking to burn unwanted body fat!

To go back to the roots of HIIT, you need to look at the two studies which brought it into the public eye. The first of which dates all the way back to 1985. Initially designed to test if exercises helped speed the metabolism, scientists noticed that most of the weight loss results were from individuals working harder in the gym. A further study confirmed this, with three weekly HIIT sessions outperforming five regular cardio workouts for fat loss, despite those workouts being twice as long.

That was the starting point for HIIT. Since then, many sprint coaches and swimming trainers adopted the approach to help their athletes increase their explosive speed in their selected events and HIIT gradually made it's way into the world of mainstream gym training.

A 2001 study from Canada provided the first concrete evidence for HIIT as an effective method to lose weight. Studies confirmed that not only did it increase the body's usage of carbohydrates, which is uses for fuel in the workout, it also increased the fat metabolizing enzyme HADH. This was a shock at the time, because it doesn't actually use fat for fuel, it uses carbohydrates. Better still, this increase in HADH lasted for a massive fourteen hours. []

So not only was HIIT proven to be effective for losing blubber, it increased the body's ability to burn excess fat for over half a day after the workout had finished!

Further research in the same study then went on to confirm that HIIT prevented the breakdown of lean muscle tissue in a way that was far superior to regular cardiovascular activity, while also burning off six times the amount of fat per calorie as it's steady state cousin. That's correct - one calorie burned off during a high intensity workout is worth six times the fat compared to one burned off during a low to moderate session.

These startling results have since been backed up by many further studies. In fact, over the last few years this training method has crept it's way into many mainstream gyms around the world and it now appears to have earned it's place among proven fitness techniques.

Like all new fitness concepts, high intensity interval training has recently made it's appearance in the mainstream. This can lead to some labeling it as a passing fad but, having seen the mounting evidence behind it's effectiveness, you now realize that HIIT can become one of the most productive weight loss tips for those who are prepared to learn a little bit about it before jumping in.




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