Well, first of all, I actually took a course recently that was devoted to scientific research into why steady -
pace cardio exercise is actually not that effective at strengthening the heart.
Not exact matches
With the traditional
cardio exercises performed at steady
pace you address only your aerobic fitness, while HIIT improves your anaerobic fitness as well.
At the same time the fast
pace makes your cardiovascular system work twice as hard, providing both
cardio exercise and muscle building movement.
There «re certain strength training workouts that can double as
cardio: According to a recent study by the American Council on Exercise kettlebell
exercises can burn up to 20 calories a minute which is the equivalent of running at a 6 - minute mile
pace!
According to the American College of Sports Medicine study, performing just 10 reps at fast
pace has the same effect on your metabolism as a 30 second explosive bike sprint, making the burpees one of the best
cardio exercises.
There is significant scientific evidence to support the fact that even a few minutes of interval - style
exercises can increase endurance, improve your metabolic and
cardio health, and even suppress your appetite more than a longer workout at a moderate
pace would.
-- Both HIIT and Steady
Pace cardio are very popular forms of cardiovascular
exercise, and both have a number of pros and cons.
Cardio (short for «cardiovascular training») is a form of aerobic
exercise (as opposed to anaerobic,) and includes both «steady - state» activities — think running, biking or swimming at a steady
pace — and high - intensity activity like HIIT training or Tabata workouts (which can ALSO be done while you're running, biking or swimming, but also in other ways which I'll talk more in a bit...).
PHA training, or alternating between upper body and lower body
exercises, makes a great
cardio workout because the heart pumps blood throughout the body at a higher
pace.
Finally, the last of the worst 6 pack abs
exercises isn't an ab
exercise at all, but rather, hours of moderate
paced, steady state
cardio training.
The two main causes of a «broken» metabolism — severe calorie restriction and excessive
exercise (especially
cardio), cause a negative feedback loop that «requires» you to eat less and less and
exercise more and more to maintain your
pace of weight loss.
What most people don't realize is that high intensity weight training (when done in a specific fashion) increases your metabolic rate to a higher degree than typical «same -
pace»
cardio exercise routines.
When done at the brisk
pace recommended here, walking is mild or moderate intensity
cardio exercise.
If you
exercise this way you can reduce the amount of time you do your
cardio and you will burn off more calories than going at a steady
pace.
The best form of
cardio if you're trying to lose weight is without question High Intensity Interval Training, where you perform short, intense
exercises such as sprints, as opposed to jogging a mile or two at a steady
pace.