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We are at war, war between the team of long duration cardio enthusiasts and high intensity interval training knuckleheads.

Every side is going on about how they are superior. Yes a 45 minute cardio session will burn more calories than a 12 minute High Intensity Interval Training session, but what about the post workout adaptations ?

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In 1994, Angelo Tremblay and his colleagues from the Physical Activities Science Laboratory at Laval University in Canada compared the results of 1 group that did 20 weeks of endurance training to another group that did 15 weeks of high intensity interval training. The total energy expenditure in the endurance training group was much higher than the interval group.

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HOWEVER, skinfold measurements revealed that the interval training group lost more bodyfat than the endurance group. The subcutaneous fat loss was nine-fold greater in the interval group!

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Izumi Tabata devised the Tabata method of interval training, you basically carry out 20 seconds of all out physical activity followed by 10 seconds of low intensity activity. You can use this for cycling, jumping ropes, burpees and so on. It’s an effective method for fat loss but its not done for long periods of time. Even a 5-minute session is enough.

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Now I want your’ll to understand that HIIT is not something you want to exploit, it’s not something you can do daily. Your Central Nervous System is affected by high intensity work and can take atleast 48 hours to recover, and keep in mind, HIIT isn’t all you’ll be doing, there will be weightlifting and cardio plus stressors from your everyday life too.

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Remember, Cardio has its own benefits, its good for your heart and it will make you more healthy, so there’s no training style or exercise that is better than another, it’s a matter of selecting and prioritizing based on our requirement.

Twice a week of HIIT is a good line if you were to draw 1, the more is not always the better, natural bodybuilding takes a long period of time, and patience will be worth the wait.

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