Are You a Cardio Bunny?

By: Kafayat Shokunbi

Does your idea of a workout designed for fat loss include mostly cardio? Do you measure the intensity of your workout by the amount of calories you burn? Do you perform 30+ mins of cardio at a time? If you have answered “yes” to more than one of these questions, chances are--you are a cardio bunny!

(Urbandictionary)

Don’t get me wrong, I think it is gre

at when anyone decides to make an effort to improve their health and fitness. If low intensity steady state (LISS) cardio is your preferred choice of exercise, then, sure, have at it. However, if your goal is to lose bodyfat you may want to reconsider your use of LISS.

Photo credit: Ed Yordon

Yes, LISS is effective at burning bodyfat but the calories burned typically are only being burned at a slow rate and only during the actual exercise and a very short time afterwards. Research has also shown LISS to lead to muscle loss. We know that muscle has a high metabolic demand which means it requires calories. Therefore,

LISS->muscle loss->decreased metabolic demand->decreased fat burning

The alternative to LISS is high intensity interval training (HIIT). If you have not heard, HIIT is the S!^$ when it comes to fat loss! HIIT is a form of cardio where an exercise/activity is performed with 100% effort for short intervals (15-30 secs) with 2-3 mins of rest with 6-10 sets. HIIT usually only last 15-25 minutes. This form of exercise is better than LISS at fat loss because it is spares muscle and it can increase metabolic demand following a workout for longer than 10hrs after the workout! That means you can be burning an increased amount of calories just watching your favorite Housewives show!

Photo credit: Penn State

If you are a cardio bunny, I do not suggest you discontinue your bunny ways altogether. I suggest you include BOTH LISS & HIIT (and resistance training of course) into your workout regimen. Yup, after all that LISS bashing I still suggest you perform it! The reason why is because it is effective at decreasing bodyfat and if the frequency of performance is limited, you can decrease some of its aforementioned negative effects. You should also consider your own preferences. If 25 mile bike rides, 5 mile jogs, or 60 mins on the elliptical is what you love then you should do what you love. Just make sure you have realistic expectations.

#exercise