Neal Pire is a nationally noted expert on fitness and personal training. He is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and has served on the Executive Council of ACSM's credentialing arm, the Committee on Certification and Registry Boards.
Grace DeSimone has been in the fitness industry for over 30 years and brings a variety of experiences in commercial, corporate and community settings. She is the editor of ACSMs Resources for Group Exercise Instructors (LWW, 2011) and is an ACSM certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor. Grace is the National Director of Group Fitness for Plus One Health Management, an Optum Company. Should you be doing High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) or Low Intensity Steady State Cardio (LISS)?
It depends on what you’re hoping to accomplish with your workouts.
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) requires you to execute a certain exercise at maximum physical effort for a minute or two. You then rest for two to three minutes. This cycle repeats with different exercises until you are exhausted, which is roughly five times. HIIT includes exercises like burpees, mountain climbers, and jumping jacks.
Low Intensity Steady State Cardio (LISS) is aerobic exercise that requires you to operate at 60-70% capacity for at least 20 minutes. The intensity does not change through the entire workout. LISS exercises include walking, cycling, jogging, and swimming.
HIIT burns more calories, takes less time per workout, and builds lean muscle mass. There is greater chance of injury, and you can’t do it every day.
LISS improves cardiovascular health without building muscle mass, has a shorter recovery time, and is great for beginners. However, it can get boring and repetitive.
Listen in as fitness experts, Grace DeSimone and Neal Pire, discuss these two styles of cardio.
Health Topics A-Z
Quick & Dirty or Steady in 30?
From the Show: Train Your Body
Summary: Should you be doing High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) or Low Intensity Steady State Cardio (LISS)?
Air Date: 3/8/16
Duration: 10
Host: Melanie Cole, MS
