HIIT VS LISS CARDIO WHATS BETTER?

So Cardio is no doubt one of the last things you will ever here me talk about. Those of you that have followed me for some time know that i do not like cardio nor do i usually prescribe it to my clients. With That said tho my recent bout of injuries have left me really not being able to lift. From messing up my back a few months ago to messing up my shoulder just recently i have really only been able to do BFR (blood flow restriction) training and not much else. Since i haven't really been able to train lately very hard i have started doing a lot more just average exercise activity and this has lead to me taking more walks, bike rides and just being more active in general and a lot of Pokemon Go! (thank goodness that game came out when it did)

The 2 Types

So for cardio there are two types generally speaking.

 

We have option one which is LISS (Low Intensity Steady State) Cardio which is your walking, bike riding ect. or you know Pokemon Go. LISS is anything that just has you moving at a steady state.

The other type of cardio is the one you here often talked about a lot and thats HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) HIIT consist of exercises like sprints. HIIT is when you are around your max Heart Rate for a very short period of time 10-20 seconds max following that with 2-3 min of rest then repeating for 5-10 rounds. A lot of people think you can sprint for 30-1 minute in there high intensity stages but This could not be farther from the truth, If you are truly doing HIIT then you won’t physically be able to last longer than 30 seconds. In my  experience with HIIT i found 15-20 seconds to be perfect. Understand those 15-20 seconds is ALL OUT NOTHING LEFT - GOING AS HARD AS POSSIBLE a lot of people cant even do HIIT because they just cant take the pain that it gives you and the mental fight when you do it right.

 

The Pros of HIIT Cardio

- Increased Metabolic rate for 24 hours after session

- Its short, your typical HIIT session wont be more than 20 minutes

- Its a lot more fun that steady state

- HIIT uses your fast twitch muscle fibers. This is why sprinters are often a lot more jacked than a marathon runner.

 

The Cons of HIIT Cardio

- It may be short but its very difficult

- It can decrease your overall energy and strength from your other training sessions for the week

- It can become an addiction to where you want to do it to much

 

The Pros of LISS Cardio

- It can be any moving activity you want! you can go for a walk, bike ride, swim laps or even just go shopping, Its anything that causes activity during your day.

- Its easy and really requires no extra effort

- LISS will help you relieve stress

- LISS is perfect for rest days as it does not effect the energy output for your other training sessions for the week.

- LISS is perfect for maintaining strength on a cut because it wont take much extra energy to perform so you can still kill the weights full force.

 

The Cons of LIIS Cardio

- You body can adapt overtime to the LISS cardio and you either have to add more in or eat less food.

- While HIIT will raise your caloric after burn effect for 24 hours after the session, LISS only burns calories during the activity and does not further raise metabolic after burn.

- LISS takes longer to get the same effects that you get from HIIT. What you can accomplish in 20 Min of HIIT is equivalent to around an 1 hour in LISS. And plus you don't get the after burn benefits like you do from HIIT.

 

When Should You Do Each?

So when it comes to what type of cardio you have to do the real answer is whatever and however much you want. I have a rule that i like to stick to and that rule is do the least amount of cardio that you can do and still make progress for whatever your goal may be. The great thing about LISS is that its so easy to incorporate. Playing Pokemon Go for example is a great form of LISS cardio. Me personally i do a lot more LISS activity than i do HIIT. That used to be exactly the opposite but 2 years ago i tried an experiment and just dropped all the HIIT cardio i was doing and what i found was that my lifting progress sky rocketed! I put on over 100 pounds on my squat and deadlift, and added 50lbs to my bench. Dropping HIIT was the only thing i did differently. I found that eliminating HIIT saved so much extra energy each week to make gains. I also noticed it was so much easier to put size on.

 

It has been really 2 years now and i have not done barely any type of HIIT cardio other than on a couple days that i wanted to. Being injured from the heavy weights right now I have done a little bit of HIIT cardio here and there but i still rarely ever do it.

Struggling with Pokemon Go but really looking to level up in the game? Check out my tips to be the best trainer like no one ever was :D

New Found Respect

If you have read my blogs for a long time then you know that i have completely flip flopped my thoughts on cardio from where they used to be. I used to always praise the effects of HIIT and i always used to recommend it to people over LISS but ever since i got injured i have rediscovered a whole new love and respect for LISS cardio. Since i got injured i have been taking so many more walks, and bike rides just to move a little extra and it really helps just clear your mind and relieve stress.

 

When Should HIIT be used?

Like i said before the type of cardio you choose is really up to you but in my opinion i would save HIIT for the final stages of your cut to really maximize fat loss. Other than that if your going to do cardio i might just add a general walk or two a day just to move a little more for general health. For me i try to go on a 20 min walk a day usually that is after i eat lunch at work. I take about 20 min after i eat to go play Pokemon Go and roam around.

 

It All Depends on Lifestyle

For so many of us including my self we are at a desk all day and we don’t get nearly as many steps a day as we should just for general health. Walking has endless benefits and its something that anyone can do and i personally think it is one of the best exercises you can do right next to swimming. Think about it. Walking is non impact, it requires no equipment, it feels good, it’s not hard on your heart, and its just easy to do and incorporate in your life. Walking is something we all need more of just for general health. I found when i started walking more that i started to be in a lot better mood and with more steady energy during the day. We get Vitamin D from the sun and some of the side effects of Vitamin D is increased mood and increased overall energy and metabolism. Such a great list of benefits from such a simple thing to do!

Like Lifting but don't want to do any cardio? Check out SHDUPA - I designed this 12 week strength and size program with no cardio involved!

Lets Give Cardio a Little Love At Least

Before my stream of injures this year i really did no extra walking or any type of LISS. In a way I'm sort of happy i got injured because ever since then i have been going on so many walks during the day and i have just felt great! Remember that all negatives will lead to a positive just have faith. So Thats going to wrap up this weeks blog. Kind of shorter one this week but i hope you got something out of it. To sum this up quickly

- LISS and HIIT both have pros and cons

- You can choose to do some cardio or no cardio and be just fine

- Cardio is optional

- Walking is one of the best forms of exercise you can do

- Start playing Pokemon Go :D 

- HIIT can be effective in the last stages of a cut but i would prefer LISS over HIIT during any other time.

- HIIT takes serious energy so it might effect your other training sessions for the week.

- LISS will help with recovery and help relieve soreness

Do you guys do any cardio and if you do what type do you prefer and why? Let me know in the comments below! If you guys liked this blog let me know by just giving it a share as i greatly appreciate it. Till next time guys...

 

Stay Healthy :)

Shawn Fausey

• Shawn Fausey is the Founder and CEO of Fausey's Fitness. With Over 6 years experience in Bodybuilding, Powerlifting and Nutrition. Shawn offers services of online fitness coaching, programing and consulting. Shawn is also a Graphic Designer and can be reached for graphic services on www.rev-graphics.com
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