Why High Intensity Cardio Is Better Than Low Intensity Cardio

In this article I will explain the misleading information out there about high intensity cardio workouts. Remember before starting any fitness program always consult your physician. Before we get started you will need to know your resting heart rate.Here is what you will need to know to figure out you heart rate range.First you need to know your resting heart rate. You can find this out by checking your pulse first thing in the morning before opening your eyes. If you can’t do this then sit in a quiet dark room for about 20-30 minutes then take your pulse this is close enough. Once you know your resting heart rate plug it in to this equation along with you percentage for desired workout intensity. Moderate intensity is 60- 70% high intensity is 70-80%. The equation is as fallows: (220)-(age)-(resting heart rate) x (intensity) + (resting heart rate) = (your beats per minute). For example 220 – 28 = 192 – 70 = 122 x.70 = 85 + 70 = 155 beats per minute. This is the equation that I was taught as a AFAA certified personal trainer. What is a low intensity cardio workout?A low intensity workout is one in which you keep you heart rate at a moderate level for an extended period of time. A normal low intensity workout would be a heart rate of 60% of your maximum heart rate for a period of 60 minutes or more. This is known in the fitness world as aerobic cardio workout. Aerobic workouts use fat as their primary energy source. About 90% of all calories burned in aerobic workout are from fat. This sounds great because the main reason most people workout is to lose fat. But this can be misleading as I will explain later in this article.What is a high intensity cardio workout? A high intensity cardio workout is one in which you keep your heart rate at intense level for a short period of time. A normal high intensity workout would be a heart rate around 75% of your maximum heart rate for a short period of time 30 seconds to 3 minutes. In between those periods you would have short rest periods from about 30 to 90 seconds. This is known in the fitness world as anaerobic cardio workout or interval training. Anaerobic cardio workouts use carbohydrates as well as fat as their main source of energy. You will probably use 40% carbohydrate to 60% fat for every calorie burned in this workout. Be aware that protein (muscle) can also be broken down for energy if the level of intensity remains high for to long. So don’t over do it! Start slow and work your way up to longer intervals.So now that we know the difference between a high vs. low intensity cardio workout. Let’s talk about why high intensity is better. The first reason why high intensity is better is simply because even though you burn less fat per calorie. You burn more fat over all. Take a look at the math. Low intensity workout: 50% of your maximum heart rate burns 7 calories per minute 90% of the calories are from fat. So 90% of 7 calories per minute equals 6.30 calories burned from fat per minute. High intensity workout: 75% of your maximum heart rate burns 14 calories per minute 60% of the calories are from fat. So 60% of 14 calories per minute equals 8.40 calories burned from fat per minute. So as you can see high intensity although it burns less percentage of fat per calorie still burns more calories from fat. Also you burn more total calories in less time.This means you can spend less time exercising and still get the same calorie burn. Most high intensity workouts only last about 20 minutes for the same calorie burn as an hour of low intensity workouts. High intensity workout is also better because you will raise your RMR (resting metabolic rate) for 1-2 days. Although you will increase your RMR with a low intensity cardio workout it will only be for a 1-2 hours. High intensity cardio workouts cause you to engage more of your muscle for more power. This causes more damage to your muscle which your body must work to repair. So this means you will burn more calories over the next few day even if you don’t exercise. High intensity cardio workouts also condition the heart better for real world activities.Although high intensity workouts burn more fat calories they are not for everyone. Always make sure to consult your physician before starting any sort of workout routine.