Oh the infamous cardio...
Some of us hate it, others can't get enough of it. On this page, we'll go over three different types of cardio as well as the benefits and potential negatives associated with cardiovascular activity.
The three topics we'll discuss are:
N.E.A.T.
L.I.S.S.
and H.I.I.T.
N.E.A.T.
Neat stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. N.E.A.T. is made up of all the calories burned in a given day. Some of the ways those calories are burned are:
Cleaning
Fidgeting
Walking
and more
It's basically all of the movements we do in a day. Almost always, this is overlooked when it comes to fat loss. We immediately think to increase our cardiovascular exercise in the gym. That can work, but increasing N.E.A.T is going to be the easiest, most effective, and sustainable to burn more calories.
L.I.S.S.
L.I.S.S. stands for Low Intensity Steady-State cardio.
It is a great way to increase cardiovascular fitness and aerobic performance.
L.I.S.S. is usually done for extended periods of time, typically 30 minutes at the very least.
H.I.T.T.
H.I.T.T. stands for High Intensity Interval training. This form of cardio is comprised of periods of high intensity activity followed by periods of low intensity exercise.
One of the well-known benefits of H.I.I.T. is that it increases E.P.O.C. (Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption). This is why more calories are burned after the session.
Benefits of Cardiovascular Activity
Cardiovascular activity has many benefits such as increasing aerobic performance, improving command of fast-twitch muscle fibers (H.I.I.T.), as well as burning fat.
Potential Negatives
Although cardio has many benefits for health, wellness, and aesthetics, there are some occasions in which cardio is something you may want to completely cut from your routine.
We believe that high aerobic capacity and improved recruitment from muscle fibers are great things to see as a result of cardio.
However when it comes to body composition and fat loss, cardio can definitely hinder your body's ability to burn fat when done in excess.
The more cardio you do, the more often you're sending a signal to your body that asks it to be more efficient with the energy being used during the activity. This results in individuals burning less and less calories as they keep doing more and more cardio.
If your goal is to keep a lean body that burns calories in AND out of the gym, cardio should be used as a supplement to your resistance training.