Wondering about the necessity of doing cardio whilst dieting? Read on! Simply Shredded asks Alan Aragon - When trying to cut down, what are your thoughts on HIIT (high intensity interval training) and LISS (low intensity steady state) Cardio? Alans answer - I can’t really stand either one, to tell you the truth. Cardio is grossly overrated, and is not an absolute necessity for everyone who wants to lean down. For the most part, a calorie deficit is a calorie deficit. Weight training can easily cause the cardiovascular adaptations that people seek through cardio, with the added benefit of supporting lean body mass & strength. I’m a strong proponent of doing the least amount of formal cardio as necessary to reach the goal, starting with zero. Achieving the goal with the least amount of ‘formal’ cardio has the following benefits, in no particular order of importance: It saves time. It prevents joints from incurring overuse injuries. It promotes better recovery from weight training, particularly in the muscles that might experience work-overlap (ie, the legs). Resistance training has plenty of cardio-respiratory & cardiovascular effects on its own, as long as you’re not training like a pure powerlifter with long rest periods between all sets. Cardio is a good ‘trump card’ to use if/when fat loss plateaus arise and other options are maxed out. If you use the card right from the outset, you won’t have any cards to pull when you need them. It can always be added incrementally on an as-needed basis. This achieves the underlying goal of doing the minimum amount of work required to reach & maintain the goal. If your goal was to become a better runner, cyclist, swimmer, etc for performance or endurance’s sake, then the protocol would definitely incorporate the training of those qualities through cardio. However, cardio simply is not mandatory or optimal for other non-endurance pursuits – given that a sound resistance training protocol is maintained. I would also add to this that if someone ENJOYS cardio, there’s no reason in particular to avoid it. Just watch for the common tendency to overdo it. With all of that said, I think that HIIT or LISS cardio should be done on the basis of personal preference and orthopedic (& cardiac) tolerance. Some people are just not cut out for HIIT, so LISS is their better option. Those who can physically handle high-intensity or high-impact stuff, and don’t have a lot of spare time & patience, HIIT is the ticket. Both accomplish the same thing, but use different routes to get there; one is not blanketly ‘better’ than the other. HIIT is more stressful on the body, but it’s more time-efficient. LISS is time-consuming, but less risky, and less prone to interfere with recovery from weight training. Pick your personal poison. Also note that there’s nothing wrong with doing both on an alternating or combined basis. Read the rest of Alan Aragons interview with Simply Shredded here: simplyshredded/nutrition-expert-alan-aragon-talks-with-simplyshredded-com.html
Posted on: Thu, 17 Jul 2014 07:50:39 +0000
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