The BEST fat burning cardio?

[Skilla_Staz]

Alright, with all this talk about losing fat and building muscle, or doing cardio without hindering your muscle gains, or even "eating away" at your muscles, I have a question.


Which is better for the whole "burn fat/build muscle" idea.

Short sessions (5-15 minutes) of high intensity cardio (Sprints, Agility work, maybe even HIIT)

or

Extended (15+ minutes) sessions of lower intensity cardio (Jogging, walking, etc.)


Don't just give a quick response, explain why. The more evidence you can provide to back up your statement, the better.

(I personally am for High Intensity, so I'll debate a little bit with you, don't get offended, just be prepared. If I come off as hostile, I apologize in advance)

 

[Charm&Style]

Extended (15+ minutes) sessions of lower intensity cardio (Jogging, walking, etc.)


i think its this one because it builds up your heart rate which therefore burns off the fat...not my words but i think i asked a smiliar question which i got this answer.



peace

.

 

[Skilla_Staz]

I fail to see the reasoning for this, when I jog, my heart doesnt beat anywhere near as fast as it does if I do sprints.

Three quick links FOR High Intensity:
One.
Two.
Three.
Link No. 3 shows that High Intensity raises your HR to about 75%-80% of max, as opposed to around 60% for low intensity.

Think about it, take a light jog around a track for one lap. No big deal. Now, sprint half a lap (200m) or maybe even just a 100m dash. You're going to feel your heart thumping in your chest.

 

[A-Unit]

Re:

Neither, or both.

Forget analyzing and pushing the threshhold to the BARE minimum of cardio. Do it on ALL days you're not lifting, and some days you are, monitor your BF vs your overall weight to judge muscle loss/fat loss, and you'll be fine.

3 days a week at 15 minutes is fine if you're CLOSE to what you want to be or MAINTAINING your weight and have an active job, or engage in sports on the other days, but it isn't fine for someone trying to lose weight and drop more than 5%.

NOT being active @ most jobs in the US means we burn quite a bit less than what formulas would have us believe. How intense is banging away at a comp? Or running through an office (esp. if most people begin the day with Starbucks, or will "cheat'" and have a soda -- that wipes out lost calories anyways). Basically the modern human being has been put into CRUISE control, and has little activity relative to calorie burn. I tried keeping it to 3 days, sometimes 4, but for me, everyday I'm NOT lifting, and some when I do, is about right. I'd rather do 30 minutes to 45 minutes each day (which is a small % of a total day) than attempt to sprint, and have drinking on the weekend ruin it. It's about ACTIVITY. being active BURNS calories. Bottom line.

The only reason to be SO precise is if you're SO close to your PERFECT ideal or are competing. For 95% of the World ACTIVITY is good. Moreover, you can CONSUME more food and not worry that you're going TO BUST up your weekly and daily calorie requirements. 1 More day isn't goint to matter in MUSCLE loss, unless it's done for 10-20 weeks. That might be 2,000 EXTRA calories over 10 weeks, yet you'll EASILY consume that if you're building muscle. And if you're looking for weight loss, then you're closer to your goal, too.

For some reason, the FAKE magazines drilled it into people's heads that ANY activity could be detrimental to muscle building, so EXCESSIVE cardio is bad. Perhaps, IF you're not monitoring your body as you progress, but ALL guys will monitor their body, more so b/c they'll be anal retentive about their body.



A-Unit

 

[Skilla_Staz]

I'm not saying weight loss in general, I'm saying high intensity cardio helps burn a larger volume of fat, and due to the anaerobic nature of it, doesn't cause strength/muscle loss.

I've used the "sprinter and marathon runner" physique example many times.

 

[Quiksilver]

HIIT is better, for me atleast. (160lbs, 5'10)

In the summer I do sprints in the summer and jogging in the winter. I notice that I lose fat much faster doing high intensity for 5 minutes a day, than I do with jogging for 15 minutes a day.

No real scientific evidence to back this up, its just what works best for me.

As to what A-Unit said...general "activity" just doesn't cut it(no pun) when it comes to burning fat for me, atleast not noticably. In the winter I generally chill inside when I'm not doing much. In the summer I'm outside doing something physical. Putting cardio training aside, I don't notice any fluctuations to do with general physical "activity". I acknowledge that there it DOES have an affect, but it is trivial and not worth thinking about, atleast for me.

HIIT all the way.

 

[juanita]

if u eat like a stallion 5 minutes of high velocity isn't going to do anything - u will get that flobby disgusting fat around your waist which all women hate. so eat less and do cardio longer - your body starts using stored fat only after 10 min of moderate cardion. it is a well known fact, u must be stupid to open debates about that. if u have perfect body and is young and actively exercising and not eating too much chips and gobble beer it doesn't matter how long u exercise. i know what im talking about - im 8 years in bodybuilding and have fabulous body with moderate 20 min cardio every day and 40 min cardio 2-3 times a week together with weight lifting 6 days a week

 

[Quiksilver]

Originally posted by juanita
if u eat like a stallion 5 minutes of high velocity isn't going to do anything

Are you aware of how long five minutes actually is? Have you tried running flat-out for five minutes? By the end of five minutes of sprinting, I can guarantee you that your heart rate will be ATLEAST as high as it would be after ten minutes of jogging, and will keep your body in an anaerobic state for far longer than ten minutes of jogging.
Do you even know the difference between aerobic and anarobic and? That is ultimately what this discussion is about.

Originally posted by juanita
your body starts using stored fat only after 10 min of moderate cardio

Do you know why this is? HEART RATE. It goes up much faster in high intensity cardio than it does in "moderate cardio". As I said above, after high intensity cardio, your body stays in a certain state far longer than it does after moderate cardio.

Originally posted by juanita
weight lifting 6 days a week

I won't even get started on this one.

Originally posted by juanita
if u have perfect body and is young and actively exercising and not eating too much chips and gobble beer it doesn't matter how long u exercise

I could barely understand what you were saying here, but from what I gather, you didn't read the title of the thread and missed the entire purpose of the discussion.

 

[Fortunate_Juan]

Look up the tabata method. There's some $13,000 machine that will give you a workout in 4 minutes. You can accomplish the same with tabata and skip the 13k bill. At it's basic tabata is HIIT with a few modifications. I GUARANTEE that if you jog for 15 minutes and do 1 set of tabata, you will know the reason why HIIT and HIIT similar programs burn a lot more fat. And Quick is right, lifting 6 days a week is definitely not a good idea.

 

[EFFORT]

I say that low intensity for a long duration is the way to go. Why? Because Iron Addict and DC say so


As for science, i'm pretty sure i explained it once in another thread awhile ago but you said you didn't care about the science (could of been someone else)


I basically threw some exercise physiology at you saying stuff about being aerobic and anaerobic, energy systems, glycogen, etc.

Doing that running as your fat loss work will take its toll on the majority of lifters, it stresses your CNS and u end up having to recover from your running, and muscle gains don't take place (worse case you lose muscle).

All in all though its your responbility to find a form of cardio that doesn't mess up your muscle gains, but loses you fat. Low intensity cardio for 40min-1hr works for everyone. A lot of people fail with the add muscle/lose fat, using running as there cardio.

 

[Demon]

And Quick is right, lifting 6 days a week is definitely not a good idea.

I used to lift every day of every week for at least one hour three times per day. I also lifted every other day for at least forty-five minutes. The difference in gains was minimal; although, my training approach for the former schedule centered on endurance whereas the approach for the latter schedule focused on intensity and shock.

 

[MAVER1CK]

Extended (15+ minutes) sessions of lower intensity cardio (Jogging, walking, etc.)


i think its this one because it builds up your heart rate which therefore burns off the fat...not my words but i think i asked a smiliar question which i got this answer.



peace

.

Incorrect.

Infact You dont burn much of any fat actually performing the cardio... The cardio basically conditions your body to burn fat AFTER your work out and at night.

here is a good read. it takes a bit to get it all in though.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/kurilla1.htm

 

[Warboss Alex]

What EFFORT said.

The most shredded guys in the world (pro bodybuilders whether juicing or otherwise) use low intensity, long duration cardio to drop fat and hold onto muscle pre-contest.. HMMM.

 

[Throttle]

I've had the best results for fat-burning with moderate intensity interval-based cardio of 20-40 min (including warmup & cooldown) on an elliptical machine.

 

[Skilla_Staz]

Why are sprinters so lean then, where as the longer distance runners are so soft looking?

 

[Throttle]

I don't know any soft looking long distance runners. Most of 'em just look emaciated. But that's marathon runners. I know plenty of buff cross country runners (guys AND gals).

 

[Skilla_Staz]

Most of the longer distance (800m+) I know are skinny, soft looking kids.

Also, during track season, I generally gain a little weight, but lose plenty of bodyfat. Thats one of the main reasons I'm so interested in HIIT.

 

[pvf94]

This lead's me to think, should I jog 2 miles or run rock steady for 5 minutes?

Which is better for sheddin the pounds

 

[Sunset]

Shedding pounds (if your obese) - Long distance cardio, steady rate.
Shedding pounds + to maintain muscle - High intensity cardio. Example :Guerilla Cardio

In my experience i lost more weight with long distance cardio, but lost a lot of muscle. Something you dont want to do if your want to look great, and isnt good for your health either. If your not in shape for high intensity, then dont do it either. HIIT, is my favorite for losing body fat though. My best advice , is to keep it balanced, do both, but make sure to maintain your muscle! Read WBA's for under 18 thread tho if you happen to be in your growing period.

 

[mrRuckus]

Neither, or both.

Forget analyzing and pushing the threshhold to the BARE minimum of cardio. Do it on ALL days you're not lifting, and some days you are, monitor your BF vs your overall weight to judge muscle loss/fat loss, and you'll be fine.

3 days a week at 15 minutes is fine if you're CLOSE to what you want to be or MAINTAINING your weight and have an active job, or engage in sports on the other days, but it isn't fine for someone trying to lose weight and drop more than 5%.

NOT being active @ most jobs in the US means we burn quite a bit less than what formulas would have us believe. How intense is banging away at a comp? Or running through an office (esp. if most people begin the day with Starbucks,

A-Unit

Am i weird that i like being in a cold room because i'll shiver and my body will burn more calories to heat itself? i refuse to put on a sweat shirt here at work

And i sit here bouncing my legs most of the day...

yeah i'm trying to lose some fat now and every little bit helps