For Fat Loss, HIIT is In!

The days of hours on the treadmill are over for those wanting to get rid of a little extra fat! There are two main types of cardio. The first is low intensity cardio for a long period of time. The second type is a High-Intensity Interval Training workout. Knowing the difference between the two will help you to know what is best for you to achieve the results you want.

Variations

Traditional cardio methods have you working a moderate intensity level for a prolonged period of time. On a scale of one to ten on the exertion scale, you are working somewhere around a five to seven the whole time for anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes.
With a HIIT workout, you will be alternating between high levels of exertion and lower levels of exertion for intervals that last between 15 and 60 seconds. In between these high levels of exertion, you are resting for a minute or two. You complete this type of cycle seven to ten times and then cool down.
What are the Benefits?

Traditional cardio workouts provide you with a lower exertion level so you do not run the risk of overtraining your body. This is a great place to start for beginners because they are at a lower fitness level. Before starting more intense workouts, you need to develop a base and traditional cardio provides that. The one disadvantage is that this particular method does not help to boost your metabolic rate once you are done with the workout, known as the afterburn. People also tend to find these workouts to be tedious and long, which does not promote long-term sustainability.

HIIT workouts on the other hand are shorter and can be completed in about 20 to 30 minutes. These workouts provide a high afterburn that keeps the metabolic rate high and burning calories long after the workout is over. This is the reason that HIIT workouts are so successful at helping with fat loss. The downside here is that it is a taxing workout that is not suitable for beginners. It can be easy to overtrain if you are not familiar with how to perform this workout safely.