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

By Howe Russ


If you are one of the many people who have recently discovered high intensity interval training as an exercise strategy, you may be wondering how it compares to regular cardiovascular exercise as far as fat burning goes. While HIIT has become one of the most effective weight loss tips of the 21st century so far, very few exercise enthusiasts know much about it.

Today you will discover the science behind HIIT and the reason it has become such a practised method in gyms around the world over the last few years.

Although it has only recently crossed over in to mainstream society, HIIT has been used for nearly three decades. It was previously widely believed that cardiovascular activity performed over a long distance at a steady pace was better for both endurance and fat loss. However, recent studies have blown these old theories out of the water.

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.

From there, interest in this subject was high and research was being carried out almost every single year. Many athletes adopted it to their own training regime. Sprinters and swimmers were particular fans at this point.

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. [
Learn the facts about high intensity interval training from personal trainer Russ Howe PTI.
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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!

The biggest finding of the whole test, and the one which will undoubtedly interest the most people reading this review, is the fact that researchers confirmed that one calorie used during a HIIT workout shed almost six times the fat of one calorie used during a steady state workout. That's because the body continues to burn calories after the session as a result of keeping the intensity level quite high.

Since then, of course, countless new studies have went on to confirm the effectiveness behind interval training and it has become one of the most talked about discoveries in the history of the fitness industry, with countless personal trainers and fitness experts putting their weight behind it.

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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