5 Reasons Why High Intensity Training Provides Better Results Than Long-Steady Cardio
By Andy on November 05, 2017
The number one reason clients come to us is to lose weight. And if I ask most people the best way to lose weight, I still hear that “cardio” is the best way. When I dig in to find out what, exactly, they mean by “cardio”, I almost always end up with some form of steady-state, low-intensity running or cycling. I’m going to be honest with you: it’s frustrating.So I’ve put together 5 seriously important reasons why you should stop the long, slow runs and start moving fast and with purpose:
- It takes less time. Wayyyy less. Although the number one reason people come to us is to lose weight, the number one excuse we still hear is that they don’t have enough time. If you include any form of high intensity training (circuits, weights, sprints, etc) you’ll likely be completely spent after 30-45 minutes instead of the 2 hours it might take on the treadmill.
- It burns calories for 24-48 hours AFTER you’re done. It’s true that an hour on the treadmill will burn as much or more calories than 45-60 minutes of weights. But that’s only during the actual time that the training takes place. Because resistance training requires so many more nutrients to recover (protein, oxygen, minerals, vitamins, energy), the body continues to breath heavier and pump more blood around the body for many hours afterwards. All that work the body is doing to recover = More calories burnt!
- It builds strength which looks MUCH sexier: “Building Muscle” does not necessarily mean getting bigger. In fact, if you gain 1 lb of muscle and lose 1 lb of fat, you’ll get considerably smaller! Long, steady-state cardio actually tends to atrophy muscle, which results in the saggy skin and “skinny fat” look many of us are trying to avoid. Increased muscle means better posture, a more athletic frame and clothes look much better (both on AND off).
- More muscle means higher metabolism…which means you can eat MORE and still look great! This is a big one for me. I love food. I can’t go around starving myself. So if I have more lean mass than fat, it means that my body will constantly be working to feed my muscles. That burns calories, LOTS of them. And that means I get to eat more. What’s better than that!
- It releases endorphins, and those feel AWESOME! If you ever compare the way you feel at the end of a tough interval session (sprints, a CrossFit class, tough circuit training) vs the way you feel after 60 minutes of running the same pace, I bet you notice the difference immediately. Our own genetics are predestined to prefer high intensity training. It gets the endorphins pumping throughout your body and you feel amazing, like a god. That’s no accident. Your body knows what you need and encourages you to do it.
So the next time you think to yourself that you better start running because you want to lose weight…think again.
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