Cardio vs. Interval Training Debate

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 26 people | Log in to rate

Ranked #601 in Health, #12,040 overall

Cardio is a Waste of Time!

Cardio vs. Interval Training

Have you ever tried running for 30 minutes to an hour, 3-5 times per week, for months, only to find that your fitness results plateau and you never get to the level you want?

The vast majority of people run because they want to look better, but don't end up looking better from it at all. In fact, many people begin to develop larger appetites and slip into the "I ran today, so I can eat this bag of chips" phase.

So why do so many people at the gym run all the time, if it's not helping them achieve their goals?

The answer: they've been lied to!

Here's the deal: traditional cardio IS good for the heart of course (more on that in a sec), but it is also very bad for many joints, the knees, ankles, and hips, and here's the kicker: there are actually ways to get your heart and lungs working 10x harder without running at all!

The most important thing to consider here is that you can get all the heart-related benefits of cardio routines from "High-Intensity Interval Training" (HIIT), and here's the best part: you will actually see steady improvement in your strength, speed, stamina, agility AND the way you look!

My Cardio vs. Interval Training Story 

Here's my fitness story:

I played year-round sports from the time that I was 5 years old, all the way through high school. However, I was always 'chubby', even though I ran track, played football, basketball and volleyball regularly.

It seemed like everyone was running and talking about "going on a run" to "get in shape". So, naturally, I tried it myself. Even though I was always running, I was between 190-207 pounds (I'm 6' 3"). This was also partially because of a poor diet, but more on that in a minute...

Fast-forward to college:

Most people put on the "Freshman 15" when they leave the house and go off to college, but I did the opposite. I changed my diet a bit (because of high triglycerides), and started losing excess fat.

NOTE: While my triglycerides (one of the leading causes of heart attacks in people under 50) went down from changing my diet, they have gone waaaaay down from that level after implementing an interval training workout regimen!

But then (this is where the magic happened), I plateaued. I couldn't seem to run enough to lose any more excess fat, and I wasn't gaining muscles at all from working out either.

Why is that magical, you ask? Well, I decided to take up an "interval training" workout program, and I lost 28lbs of fat and packed on 5-6 lbs of lean muscle! What's crazy, is that at first I wasn't even doing anything a trainer or athlete would even call "Interval Training"...

Anyway, I've never felt so good in my life, and it's all due to utilizing maximum capacity exercises at short, repeated intervals!

Plus, as an added bonus, now that I know more of what I'm doing, I only work out about 30-40 minutes, 3 times per week. (Before, I would stretch a lot longer, run for 30 minutes, AND 'lift weights' for 30 minutes or so, meaning my workouts would take 60-90 minutes.)

So, in the end, I've saved myself 1-3 hours per week, burned off over 20 lbs, trimmed my waist by 2 inches, and boosted my strength, speed and stamina!

In short: I LOVE Interval Training, and I will NEVER waste my time with boring cardio routines again!

Interval Training: Why the "Fat-Burning Zone" is a MYTH! 

Many people seem to have the impression that in order to lose fat, they need to run long enough and fast enough to get in the "fat burning zone".

I guess this is probably due to the fact that most treadmills have those green, yellow & red bars for how hard you're working...but it's just not true!

Yes, getting your blood flowing and working up a good sweat can burn a lot of calories quickly, and if you have a deficit of calories (on a consistent basis) and you're still receiving proper nutrition, you WILL lose weight over time.

However, by utilizing "supersets" (i.e. short, high-intensity clusters with small breaks between), your body will respond with hormonal and metabolic power boosts! =)

When you run for a long time, and get in the habit of doing so at the same approximate speeds, your body responds by adapting to the speeds and intensity, which typically shows results at first.

But, after doing cardio routines for a few weeks, your results will plateau, and there is only so much room to work with when you have only 3 main variables: speed, incline & duration.

Why Interval Training Works For Us "Regular" Folks 

"So if traditional cardio routines only have 3 major variables to manipulate to allow for steady improvement, what does interval training have to work with?"

Here they are:
- intensity level
- speed (reps, mph, etc.)
- exercise duration
- rests between supersets
- bodyweight vs. weighted exercises
- recovery period between workouts
- repetitions
- lifting form
- repetition time
- weights
- exercise variability

Here's the deal: by gradually changing and increasing the intensity of the workouts, picking different exercises that focus on the same muscles, combining varying complex workouts (that target multiple muscle groups simultaneously), and allowing for proper recovery times between workouts, Interval Training will catapult your fitness results like nothing else!

So why did I say Interval Training works for us "regular folks"? Because most people don't know (or care) about the scientific reasonings behind the metabolic, hormonal and muscular processes their bodies go through, they just want results they can see and feel, without having to bend over backwards!

Yes, there have been numerous studies on the benefits of Interval Training related, and it has been verified by Olympic athletes, marathon runners, military officers and personal trainers, but you just want something that works, right?

Here's why Interval Training works:

The key is that with Interval Training, so many things can be tweaked and improved upon, that there is a practically infinite amount of potential!

This means you will never get bored with your workouts, you will never stagnate and drop off with your results, you will never have to workout for more than 45 minutes again (including stretching and warming up), and you will get in the best shape of your life in mere months! (This is exactly what I did with "Turbulence Training"!)

YOUR TURN! 

Cardio vs. Interval Training

Loading Fetching blurbs now... please stand by

Yes, you're right!

Craig in the UK too. says:

ote "
john uk says:

what a load of bollocks burn more than you eat result simple

Posted July 21, 2009"

Not bollocks John, but proven scientific fact. If you tried it first before condemning it, perhaps your opinions would elicit more credence and respect from your peers.

Posted December 17, 2009

Larry says:

Interval training doesn't improve lactic acid clearance, though it can improve the threshold you can operate at. Old fashioned cariod will improve clearance. Doing both is best. And if you ever want to run longer than a mile, you do need to have the muscle endurance that only comes from putting in some longer distances too..,.

Posted December 04, 2009

David says:

I've lost 35lbs in eight weeks, but plateaued. I'm eating right, in terms of quantity, frequency, and balance. I started HIIT three days ago and I'm already losing rapidly again?! What John UK doesn't realize is that metabolism counts in the equation and that the method by which we measure calories/joules is completely false. We don't "burn" food, but our measurement system is BASED on food burning...I spent years in calorie deficit, but lost tons of muscle, NOT the fat. Moreover, as I lost muscle, my percentage body fat INCREASED...at calorie deficit...

Posted December 02, 2009

Bri says:

I was reading the "No way, Monkeybrain!" comments, and I think maybe the reason for the lack of energy might be due to not consuming enough calories or not being adequately hydrated. The reason that interval cardio works more than the standard cardio is simple: if you run at a constant pace for 30 min on a treadmill, chances are, you stop burning calories once you finish your run. However, after a 30 min interval cardio session, you continue to burn calories well after. I never understood why I could spend so much time in the gym running, yet never saw any changes. I'm naturally thin anyway, but I tend to hold more fat around my waist than any other part of my body....and it wasn't until I integrated interval cardio, along with weight lifting, that I really saw results. I'm quite impressed with how much of a difference interval cardio makes, and I will never return back to standard cardio.

Posted November 22, 2009

Anonymous says:

interval is MUCH better :D

Posted November 16, 2009

Brian McDermott says:

I have always been a runner and used to run around 8km, 3 times per week. I realised (after a number of years of pounding the streets and the treadmill - and post-partial meniscectomy) that I simply wasn't getting any fitter. The penny dropped when I was helping my wife train for a charity 10k run: I was running alongside my wife and friends for an entire 10km a few times per week and I quite literally wasn't breaking sweat. I strolled it. This highlighted to me that I could be working a whole lot harder and far more efficienty. I started MMA training and also attended Spin classes (high-intensity, interval-based stationary cycling) and I very quickly realised that I was nowhere near as fit as I hoped. My recovery time (when my heart was being asked to actually 'work') was atrocious at the beginning of this new regime. 18 months on - I have never looked back. I NEVER spend 45-60 minutes on the treadmill anymore. Instead, in addition to spinning and thai-boxing, my cardio generally involved around 30 minutes of interval training on the treadmill - varying incline and speed. I do 2-3 minutes of 'all-out' sprinting on the treadmill at 1% incline, then a 1 minute break; then 2-3 minute 'all-out' again with a 2% incline then break... etc. Try it. It will exhaust you, keep you interested due to the scope of the variation; the fat will fall off of you and your recovery rates will improve no end.

Posted October 12, 2009

jon says:

interval training has been proven to increase a person's anaerobic capacity by over 25%!!! If yur an athlete you NEED to use this training

Posted September 18, 2009

jim says:

im ready to give this a shot kinda worried though cause im 5'10" 170lbs im muscular but have layers of fat on me i just want to get rid of i hope i dont lose any muscle doing this or weight!

Posted July 05, 2009

dj cesar says:

been doing normal paced cardio (tread) for close to 10 years now (about 1-2x per week), I tried Interval for the 1st time today and WOW what a difference, not only did I run my fastest mile (9 min.), I also hit a new max speed of 9.5 and burned 600 calories (4 miles) in about 35 minutes + 6 minute cool down and I feel more energized than ever. I can't wait to see if the results on my body in a few weeks.

Posted May 05, 2009

aspiring personal trainer says:

if you do interval training and are tired for the next few weeks.. like our friend over there who disagrees with interval training, you obviously are doing it wrong. interval training can be decreased in intensity in so many ways that you can do it everyday.

Posted April 05, 2009

Cop-Speak says:

I love your lens; Interval Training is the way to go!

Posted March 30, 2009

kg says:

Interval Training

Posted January 30, 2009

PTLars says:

Tabatas are great and I use them a lot in my sessions. With the help of this timer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hb7bSnXhuuM it is very easy to follow the intervals. It is a cool little timer, the best is the vibration mode! You get it here: http://tinyurl.com/5duwpo. Need ideas for Tabata-Style WODs? Go here: http://tinyurl.com/593d6t

Posted September 11, 2008

Sue-at-Squidoo says:

Did I say Of course - you are right, interval is the way to go!!

Posted May 05, 2008

Sue-at-Squidoo says:

I've just updated my website with my own interval training routine. I'm totally liberated from my hours of cardio that I've done for years and over the next few weeks will revamp my site with more new info
Sue

Posted May 05, 2008

beachbum_gabby says:

of course, Interval Training

Posted April 27, 2008

nataliejep says:

What an awesome lens. I enjoyed reading your info and I learn something. I'm always on the look out for fat loss tips

Natalie

Posted April 19, 2008

Lingus says:

Something of an eye opener. I've heard that intervals were good for increasing resting metabolism also.
For a minute there I thought there wasn't a product for sale

Posted April 14, 2008

Health101 says:

Interval is the way to go.

Posted April 12, 2008

FitnessFanatic says:

Hey everyone! Thanks for all the great comments...WOW! I didn't expect this to be a one-sided debate, but I guess that shows that Interval Training is pretty awesome, huh? =)

Posted April 10, 2008

No way, Monkeybrain!

john uk says:

what a load of bollocks burn more than you eat result simple

Posted July 21, 2009

Kieran says:

I tried interval training and was tired for two days. I had bags under my eyes and spent the whole time yawning. Since I went back to my normal runs (first I do bodyweight exercises like push-ups, chair dips, plank and then go for my run) I feel more refreshed, more invigorated, and I'm steadily losing body fat. I'm not denying that interval training has many benefits (growth hormone release is probably the most important in my opinion) but I don't think it's the be-all and end-all when it comes to training.

Posted August 25, 2008

 
view all 37 comments

Wanna give your Heart a workout?

How Interval Training is Better for Your Heart Than Traditional Cardio 

Concerned with your Heart's health? Good! You should be...

Lots of people go running regularly to lose weight. While this is NOT as effective as consistent interval training, many argue that cardio is the best method for keeping your heart healthy. Therefore, there are lots of skinny folks that go running primarily for their heart (and maybe to STAY skinny).

Well, to dispel any myths or doubts, let me say that traditional cardio is not as effective as interval training for heart health, because interval training works the heart, lungs and muscles to the max for short lengths of time, which keeps your system from getting used to the long, steady cardio workouts.

This, in turn, keeps you from stagnating, and boosts your heart's stamina and strength more than traditional cardio, too!

Interval Training Video 

This is the video that got me on the right track with losing fat and gaining muscle, so I figured I'd find it and let you check it out, too.

By the way: if you're curious about the program Craig talks about (which is the exact routine I used to cut 28lbs of fat & gain 5-6lbs of lean muscle), check out my review of his Turbulence Training program for details on my results, free example exercises, and bonus fitness guides worth $634.71!

High Intensity Interval Training

curated content from YouTube

What's Your Weapon of Choice? 

Loading poll. Please Wait...

How Often Do I Need To Do Interval Training? 

The majority of people who workout regularly, do so either 3 or 5 times per week. Most of us have heard of recovery periods, and know that it's best to give yourself a day between exercising, but it depends heavily on what you're doing in your workouts.

For example, many bodybuilders will complete their heavy-lifting routines on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Then, to keep from gaining too much weight, they simply run or bike on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This burns the extra calories they are taking in to keep their muscle mass high, while giving their muscles a rest between workouts.

However, most of us aren't bodybuilders, and most of us don't have 1-2 hours per day, 5 days per week to devote to our fitness efforts.

So the question is: "If I'm using an Interval Training routine, how often should I work out?"

How Much Is TOO Much? 

Well, if you're looking for the answer to the question above...I'll just let Yuri answer that one for ya:

When To Do Interval Cardio Training???

curated content from YouTube

The Program That Unlocked My Fitness Potential... 

Wow...That was a lot of information to digest, but I hope it helped. In summary: Interval Training is an amazing method for boosting your fitness results while decreasing the amount of time you spend in the gym.

After starting one easy-to-follow Interval Training program, I was able to achieve the best results of my life, and I want you to have the same opportunity.

The exact Interval Training program I used is called Turbulence Training, and it is literally THE reason I feel so great about my body.

If you're interested in checking out, be sure to head over to my Turbulence Training review to learn more about my results with it, get free exercises, and get 5 FREE fitness guides when you get the already jam-packed Turbulence Training program!

Anything Else? 

Well, now that you've had a chance to look at it from both sides, what do you like the best? Feel free to elaborate on your vote and discuss what works for you, or just say hi! (Also: I would really appreciate it if you bookmark and/or rate this page. Thanks!)

submit
Show All

Interval Training: What to Remember

Interval Training keeps your body from growing accustomed to long, boring cardio routines, and drives your results on an upward trend!

By performing short, high-intensity workouts, your body will improve faster than you've ever thought possible. Your strength, speed, agility, stamina..and the way you look will improve tremendously, all in a very short time!

Fitness To-Do List

1) Read Turbulence Training review to learn more

2) Get Turbulence Training & FREE bonuses (Worth $634.71)

3) Take action with the Turbulence Training program

4) Enjoy having an amazing, head-turning, healthy body!

by FitnessFanatic

Hey! I'm using Squidoo to help people make better fitness & nutrition decisions to live healthier, happier lives!
(more)

Explore related pages

Are There Any Fat Burning Supplements That Really Work?
This article takes a closer look into the sports supplement industry to determin...
The Easiest Way To Instantly Accelerate Your Rate Of Fat Loss
This article tells about an astonishingly simple and incredibly easy way for vir...
Home Workout Routines - Ultimate Gymless Workout
If your reading this it's more than likely that you realize that you don't need...
Body Transformation With Turbulence Training For Effective Fat Loss
Are you interested in effectively losing fat as quickly as possible in the...
Lose Weight Fast: A Mashup
This is a "mashup" lens with a bunch of useful information related to losing wei...
Build muscle and stay in shape 101
Today's society is struggling with obesity. Is it really the fast food crowding...

Related Topics

FitnessFanatic Recommends...

Create a Lens!