Which is Better, Steady State Cardio or HIIT?

Should You Do Steady State Cardio or HIIT?

There are two cardio-type exercise. The first type is steady state cardio. This is where you remain at a fairly consistent pace throughout your exercise session, so you are not increasing and decreasing your heart rate dramatically throughout your workout.

HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is based on short intense bursts of exercise followed by a rest period.  An example of a HIIT session could be 45 seconds of sprinting followed by 1 minute of rest. This is done about 8 or 10 times. By the last round, you’ll be drained and exhausted.

So which is better? Steady state cardio or HIIT?

Which is Better, Steady State Cardio or HIIT?

Steady state cardio exercise involves keeping your heart rate at a fairly constant rate throughout. One of the main benefits of this form of exercise is that it helps your body to build more stamina and to become stronger. Steady state cardio is perhaps the traditional way of exercising – going out for a run at a constant speed, swimming 40 lengths at a constant pace or cycling at constant speed.

Free Report: Top Types of Steady State Cardio Workout

What is HIIT?

HIIT is a type of exercise whereby your heart rate is deliberately varied throughout the workout session. Over the years, studies have found that this is a very effective form of exercising and can have significant advantages for those trying to lose weight.

More calories are burned by constantly varying your heart rate rather than keeping it consistent. You can do HIIT exercise with both strength training and cardio. HIIT cardio, for example, could mean that you run as fast as you can for 45 seconds and then jog slowly for 30 seconds, and then repeat.

Steady State Cardio or HIIT: What’s Best For You?

Many people will argue that HIIT is the best type of exercise. However, there’s nothing to suggest that you shouldn’t do more than one type of exercise within your regular workout routine. You should seek to include as many different types of exercise as you can, including strength and resistance training, steady state cardio, HIIT cardio and other forms of HIIT exercise, such as Tabata.

If you’re doing more than one type of exercise, it will always be difficult to discover which is the most effective one for you. You can experiment to try and find a good balance for your body, either by cutting down on one type of exercise in a given week or by omitting a particular workout entirely and seeing the impact it has on you and your body.

Myths About Steady State Cardio

For some reason, many people on the internet like to shout that steady state cardio is just plain useless for weight loss. In reality, it’s quite an effective option. It usually results in longer but more achievable workouts. Following the workout, you’ll recover more quickly. Over time, you’ll also see your endurance increasing and you’ll be able to go for longer and longer bouts of time.

This is a myth that says your body will simply “adapt” to your steady state routine and it won’t have any affect after so many days, weeks, or months. While it is good to keep mixing things up so that you can challenge yourself, the only “adapting” your body will be doing is through the building of muscle and endurance, and isn’t that what you want?

A steady state cardio routine will make you a healthier individual. Once running a mile a day becomes your “norm” you might want to push yourself by going uphill, faster, or for longer and your body will eventually get strong enough to handle that with ease too. But, the workout still counts because you still need calories and nutrients to perform it.

Free Report: Top Types of Steady State Cardio 

No matter what your fitness goals are, you’re probably involving some kind of exercise into your weekly routine. Exercise helps you to tone up your body and lose weight or build muscle, while improving your general health and making you feel good.  Steady state cardio works for many because it’s straightforward and easy to embrace. If you haven’t exercised in a long time or you want to push your current workout routine and take it to the next level, download my free report, Top Types of Steady State Cardio Workout.