If you are looking to lose fat faster, you will want to increase your calorie expenditure and cardio is a great way to do that. Learn how to combine HIIT and LISS to accelerate how much fat you will burn.
HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training and LISS is low-intensity steady-state:
- HIIT – all-out intensity of cardiovascular exercise
- LISS – cardio you can do for long periods of time without difficulty
When people decide they want to lose weight, the word “cardio” comes to play to burn more calories and, in the end, achieve a caloric deficit. Some coaches will advocate for HIIT while others believe LISS to be more sustainable. We have actually covered which is best in this article previously.
However, if you don’t mind what kind of cardio you do, know that a combination of HIIT and LISS is the best approach you can do to lose fat faster, according to studies presented by Jeremy Ethier.
Jeremy Ethier is a kinesiologist and fitness trainer, co-founder of Built With Science. His YouTube channel has over 4 million subscribers and he delivers clear information with sound background research.
Ethier talked about in one of his videos how to combine HIIT and LISS to lose fat faster. But remember, you need to be in a caloric deficit to lose weight and should tune in your diet accordingly
Related: Best Science-Based Diet for Fat Loss
How to Combine HIIT and LISS to Lose Fat Faster
Source: Li Sun on PexelsAccording to studies, HIIT is superior to LISS in three instances: VO2 max, various cardiovascular health markers, and insulin sensitivity.
HIIT also burns more calories in a shorter period of time, but it is because of having less interference with muscle gains that you should incorporate some HIIT during your training schedule.
Which HIIT exercise should you do?
- Cycling
- Rowing
- Running
According to Ethier, you should start with cycling because it minimises muscle soreness and damage after a session, making it easier to recover from especially if you are a beginner when it comes to high-intensity interval training. Rowing and running have shown to be effective when it comes to maintaining your muscles while dieting.
Since HIIT is very taxing on the body, you should combine it with LISS and here the options of which low-intensity steady-state exercise to choose is almost endless as long as you are working at a perceived effort of around 4 on a scale up to 10 (10 being all-out effort).
Which LISS exercise should you do?
- Walking
- Light cycling
- Light swimming
When it comes to LISS, choose an exercise you enjoy most because you must be consistent as this form of cardio will take over most of your training.
Putting it all together, check down below how to combine HIIT and LISS to lose fat faster.
Ideally you want to do HIIT and LISS on rest days, or at least after your weightlifting workouts as opposed to before.
For example:
- LISS (20-25 minutes) = Mondays and Thursdays
- HIIT (10-15 minutes) = Tuesdays
Just like with gaining muscle, you should progressively take training harder and harder. If you feel like you hit a plateau in losing fat, consider progressing to:
- LISS (20-40 minutes) = Mondays and Thursdays
- HIIT (15-20 minutes) = Tuesdays and Fridays
You can check out more information about Jeremy Ethier’s argument on how to combine HIIT and LISS to lose fat faster below.
VIDEO – How to Combine HIIT and LISS to Lose Fat Faster
Read More: How to Lose Weight Fast and Transform Your Body
Image Sources
- Mountain Climbers: Li Sun on Pexels