For a woman looking to shed those extra pounds, the first training methodology that comes to mind is cardio.

As good a tool as it may be, it’s important that you come to realize the differences in cardio training techniques so that you know which one is going to best fit the overall approach you want to be utilizing.

The two main types of cardio training are traditional cardio training, which is performed at a much lower intensity and for a longer period of time and then H.I.I.T , where the intensity is taken up to a much greater degree.

Let’s go over both of these so that you can get the information you need to know to make an informed decision.

Understanding The Variations

First let’s go over what each variation stands for.  Traditional cardio training will be where you work at a moderate intensity level – about an exertion level of five to seven on a scale of one to ten.  You’ll carry this form of exercise out for at least 20 minutes, often going up to 60 minutes or longer if your program requires it.Fat Burning Diet - Traditional CardioWith H.I.I.T however, you’ll alternate between intense bursts of all-out exercise with active rest periods where you allow the body to recover from the exercise that was just performed.

Usually the interval bursts last for around 15-60 seconds, while the rest periods are two to three times as long.

Once each component is finished, you repeat the process seven to ten more times, starting with a warm-up and ending with a cool-down.

Fat Burning Diet - HIITThe Benefits Of Each

So now that you know what these cardio variations are, what are the benefits of each?

With the traditional cardio workout, you get the benefit of it not being all that intense, so you won’t risk overtraining by doing it. Also, for beginners, this tends to work very well because you don’t have to have a fully developed level of base fitness first before doing it.  It’s a great way to begin getting into exercise.

The drawback however is that it’s not as good for boosting your metabolic rate after the workout is finished, so you only see calorie burning effects while you’re actually doing that.

In addition to that, most people find these workouts to be rather boring, so adherence rates can start to fall.

With H.I.I.T however, since you’re constantly switching between the intense and active rest bouts, it’ll go by much faster and it is shorter to begin with. Most sessions only last around 20-25 minutes total.

Furthermore, this type of training will increase your metabolism for hours after it’s completed, so will help to speed along fat loss significantly.

The drawback however is that it is much more taxing on your central nervous system, so you can overtrain if you do too much of it, especially along with a weight lifting workout.

Furthermore, many beginners can’t complete this variation, so it can make things very hard for them.

The Best Time To Perform Your Cardio Variation

In terms of when do to each variation, traditional cardio is best done first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.  H.I.I.T should be done after a meal is consumed at any point throughout the day but always after or in another session than any weight lifting you’re going to perform.

So there you have the down-low on cardio training variations. Make sure that you keep these in mind if you hope to see optimal results from your training program.

What type of cardio do you perform? What results do you get from it? Please share below 🙂

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