Steady State Cardio Vs. HIIT Cardio

Cardio, you either love it or you hate it! Some say you have to do hours of cardio and some say not to do any or very little. Some say its better to do steady state cardio and some say  HIIT (high intensity interval training) is the best way to go. With a lot of information being thrown around about cardio it’s easy to get confused about which route to take. I personally am not a lover of cardio, however cardio is important and I will explain why it is important and the difference between steady state and HIIT.

So why should we do cardio? Well the heart is a muscle and like every muscle in your body if you want to strengthen it then you have to work it. Cardiovascular activity places stress on the heart, it forces your heart to work! Not to mention the post-workout benefits of cardio; decreases resting heart rate and blood pressure, increases lung and heart rate volume, lowers LDL cholesterol and body fat and lastly, it improves circulation and strengthens connective tissue. The benefits go on but I think you get the point J

Steady State Vs. HIIT?

Steady state cardio is exactly that, it’s a cardio workout that is continuous with a steady effort. Steady state cardio is usually performed for a longer period of time versus HIIT training. HIIT is a little more intense, it is a short period of vigorous effort followed by a period of rest (and by rest I mean not as intense). Because the intensity is high, HIIT is not performed for a long period of time like steady state cardio can be. Below is a chart that lists some of the pros and cons of both steady state cardio and HIIT.

                                  Steady State                                                                            HIIT

ref;http://thehybridathlete.com/running-guide-training/

So which is better? Well that depends on both your goals and personal preference. I personally like doing both. Right now while prepping for my competition I am training both. I switch everyday between steady state and HIIT, I do both for 30 minutes each session. I usually do steady state on the Stairmaster and my HIIT on the Elliptical Cross Ramp. I sometimes try and do my HIIT training on the treadmill but I have horrible knees and running really irritates them! Also I like to perform both steady state and HIIT fasted, Yup that's right on an empty stomach! This is a whole other topic though so I won't go into detail with fasted cardio. Everyone is different and you need to do what works best for you!

 

Have a great day!

 

Stephanie xo.