Are you confused that which type of cardio should you do – HIIT vs LISS? If yes, then you are in the right place. This article will clear all your doubts.
Which form of cardio is best for you is totally depends on your goals. In order to reach your goals faster, it’s important to understand the difference between them.
HIIT vs LISS Cardio
Cardiovascular exercises are those exercises that increase your heart rate. HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) and LISS (Low-Intensity Steady State), both are the type of cardio exercises.
LISS cardio is a form of cardio where you perform cardio exercises at a slow and steady rate. Whereas, HIIT is an intense and more dynamic form of cardio (1).
Both have their own benefits and reasons to do. Here’s the difference between HIIT and steady-state cardio.
Let’s understand each of them in detail.
What is HIIT Cardio?
As the name suggests, HIIT involves very high-intensity exercises followed by a short rest period (interval).
HIIT is a combination of short burst high-intensity cardio exercise and a quick recovery period with light exercise. Like 30 second sprint then 2 minutes of brisk walking.
It’s a quick and enjoyable way to burn calories, to improve your cardiovascular abilities and overall fitness (2).
Many types of exercises can be performed in a HIIT workout including running, cycling, sprinting, rope jumping, push-ups, burpees, etc.
How to do it?
For example, a HIIT session includes sprinting for 30 seconds, followed by 1-2 minutes of brisk walking or cycling at a fast pace against high resistance for 30 seconds, followed by 1-2 minutes of easy cycling.
HIIT cardio is very intense hence a 10-20 minute session is enough for most people. You can go for more if you’re an intermediate or advanced level athlete.
You can design your own HIIT workout as per your choice and exercise preference. Generally, the heart rate remains at 80-95% of your maximum capacity and about 40-50% during the less-intensity interval.
Read more: What is High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT Guide)
Benefits of HIIT
Here are some of the benefits of doing HIIT over LISS cardio.
Burn more calories: By doing HIIT, you can burn more calories than the traditional stead-state cardio.
Time efficient: This is an effective workout for someone with a busy schedule. Because of its high intensity, HIIT cardio can give you more in less time.
Studies show that three sessions of 20 minutes HIIT in a week is better than doing jogging for an hour.
HIIT Boost metabolism: Studies show that HIIT keeps your metabolic rate high for about the next 24 hours of workout (3).
Afterburn effect: HIIT is a high-intensity training protocol. Due to which, your body keeps on burning calories even after the workout.
Downsides of HIIT
Very taxing: As you know that HIIT is an intense and short interval cardio protocol. Hence, it may be very taxing for beginners or for people who don’t have enough stamina.
Takes more time to recover: Unlike LISS cardio, HIIT puts more stress on your muscles. HIIT is an anaerobic activity (the anaerobic system is a system in which your body utilizes energy during short bursts of intense exercise lasting for up to 2 minutes).
Now because anaerobic training is so intense, your body needs more time to recover. Hence, it is recommended to do HIIT cardio for about 2-3 times a week.
What Is LISS Cardio?
LISS or Low intensity steady-state, is a form of cardio which involves low-to-moderate intensity exercises for an extended period.
You can also name it as low-intensity exercise, steady-state training, or cardiovascular exercise. A typical LISS cardio session is about 30-60 minutes long.
The common examples of LISS cardio are brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, or any other less intense exercises.
The American Council on Exercise tells that steady-state cardio is an effective way to train your aerobic system and to burn calories.
Unlike HIIT, the heart rate remains low in LISS. Your goal is to maintain your heart rate at 50-65% of your maximum capacity.
Benefits of LISS Cardio
Better fat-burning effects: Instead of burning glycogen from your muscles, LISS cardio uses fat as fuel. Also, according to a 2014 study, continuous aerobic exercises are better than HIIT at fat distribution in overweight adults.
Feasible for anyone: LISS cardio is not that intense and comparatively easier to do. Hence, it is appropriate for advanced as well as beginner levels.
Less taxing & easy to recover: LISS cardio does not put much stress on your skeletal muscles. Hence, you may find easier and faster recovery after steady-state cardio.
Good for endurance athletes: Low-intensity exercises for an extended period of time is very effective in improving muscular endurance.
Downsides of LISS Cardio
Requires longer time: A typical LISS cardio session is about 30-60 minutes long.
Damn boring: You may get bored of doing the same exercises at a slower pace for a longer time. I personally hate steady-state cardio for this reason and prefer HIIT.
Still, if you want to do LISS cardio, then you can add variety in your exercises to make it less boring.
HIIT vs LISS: What Should You Do?
Both have their own place. You have to choose according to your goal as there’s no one size fits all.
As we have discussed the benefits and downsides of both types of cardio. Now you can choose the one which suits you the best as there is no one size fits all.
Different people have different goals – muscle building, fat loss, improve cardiovascular ability, etc. You have to choose the one which aids in achieving your goal. You can also mix both of them.
LISS Cardio…
If your primary goal is to increase your cardiovascular ability or you’re an endurance athlete, then steady-state cardio is better for you. It would help in increasing your aerobic capacity and muscular endurance.
LISS cardio is also good for weight loss, especially for overweight people or beginners. As its an easy way to burn calories.
HIIT Cardio…
For serious muscle-building or lean physique goals, I recommend you to do HIIT.
Doing HIIT cardio a few times a week helps you in getting stronger and faster, boosts metabolism, preserve lean muscle mass, burns extra calories, and improves your physical fitness.
HIIT is good for fat loss as it burns a lot of calories in a very short period of time. Also if you like explosive workout, then HIIT cardio is a great routine for you.
HIIT vs LISS Cardio – In A Nutshell
So this was the detailed article explaining HIIT vs LISS cardio. Here are the key points you should notice.
So there are mainly 3 differeces between HIIT and LISS cardio:
1. Intensity: LISS cardio is of low intensity and keeps your heart rate at about 60% of your maximum capacity. Whereas, HIIT is a high-intensity training protocol and takes your heart rate up to 95% of maximum capacity.
2. Time duration: Steady-state cardio takes normally 30-60 minutes. Whereas, for HIIT, a 20 minutes session is enough because of its high intensity.
3. Calories burned: You may think that LISS cardio burns more calories because of its longer duration. But due to the high intensity, HIIT burns a lot of calories in a short span of time. You keep burning calories even after the session due to its afterburn effect.
Thanks for reading this far. I hope you like the article and learned something from this.
If you have any query related to fitness, just leave a comment below.
