Cardio Hack: Less is More

Are you someone who is trying to lose weight and thinks the best way to do it is by running on the treadmill for a long period of time? 

What if I told you there is a way to see better results by doing less cardio? 

Seems too good to be true right? Let me explain. 

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a common method that has been getting more attention in recent years. This type of cardio is performed by alternating between a higher intensity level of resistance or speed for a short period of time, followed by a lower level of intensity. By doing this, you fluctuate your heart rate which places more of a metabolic stress on your muscles which leads to burning more calories. 

You read that right. By doing less cardio while alternating between a high and low intensity level you can see more results when it comes to burning fat. 

A sample of what type of HIIT cardio I perform:

Stairmaster:

Level 4- 20 seconds

Level 10- 40 seconds 

Level 4- 20 seconds

Level 10- 40 seconds

Repeat for 15-20 minutes. 

I do cardio everyday, and usually I do not go for more than 20 minutes. 

Depending on your goals, this same format can be integrated into your workouts with a different form of cardio like an elliptical, stationary bike. etc. 

Consider this analogy like how a car burns gas. If you drive on the highway for a long period of time, you actually burn less gas because you are moving at a constant speed. This is similar to the human body expending energy. When you drive in the city, constantly slowing down and accelerating again burns more gas, which is similar to HIIT training by fluctuating your speeds and intensity. 

If you are trying to lose weight and currently do long periods of cardio at a constant speed, I would highly recommend trying a form of HIIT cardio and compare your results! 

If you do HIIT cardio or are new to trying it, comment below and let us know what results you've gotten from it!