high intensity vs. low intensity

ok i know this debate has been going on forever, i just want to get the facts straight. right now my excerise varies a lot, whether it be on the excersize bike, a real bike, jogging, working in bakery, rock climbing, working out, etc etc.

however, when i jog or go on the bike i usually maintain a relatively low intensity and go for a longer time like 30 mins. i usually burn around 200-300 cals in those 30 mins. (more jogging.) just curious though, ive heard high intensity burns more or is better in the long run.. so should i change it up more? do 15 mins of high intensity? or alternate like 5 mins high, 10 mins low, etc? just looking for some exercize tips. thanks!

 i copied this from the library on this site.  i think this might help..

During exercise, our body system employs both carbohydrates and fat to create energy for muscular work and other metabolic processes that operate within the body. Carbohydrate is stored in the muscles as blood glucose. It is the first to burn and most easily. Fat, in contrast, takes a longer time but it¼s absolutely inexhaustible. At low-intensity exercises, below 60% of Maximum Heart Rate, the body uses fundamentally fat rather than carbohydrate as its prime source of fuel. However, at high-intensity (>80%Maximum Heart Rate) exercises, it is more efficient to burn carbohydrates as a source of fuel due to the limited amount of oxygen supply available. This is because it takes more oxygen to burn fat than to oxidize carbohydrates. When you are exercising at low intensity, the body energy-generating mechanism switches to fat as the primary source of fuel.

Maybe do some reading on HIIT (high intensity interval training). personally, I think it's beneficial to do both long sessions of low intensity (say, walking/jogging for 40 minutes) as well as throwing in a couple of sessions of high intensity training - not only to change up your programme, but also to give your metabolism a boost.

The one thing I learned is that you want to "mix it up". If you do one type of exercise over and over and over again, you'll not only start to get bored of it, but your body gets better and more efficient at burning calories THAT way and potentially burns less calories.

You need to keep your body on it's feet. Shake it up some :)

Do some days of high intensity biking, some days of low, some days of interval :)

thanks, guys. two quesions though. 1) huggit i read that post and it was very helpful, but just to make sure, do i WANT my body have fat as a primary source of fuel? (ie. low intensity) that means it burns more fat right? dunno

and 2) what is interval training?

Personally I have found that the high intensity interval training has been more effective for weight loss.

I don't know if that is true for others.

I agree that high intensity is more effective for weight loss, because you burn more calories, period. Yes, a higher percentage of that will be muscle, BUT you're still burning more calories of fat at higher intensity.

Also, if you want to be FIT, which I do, lower intensity isn't really going to cut it. You need to keep pushing yourself to work harder.

Low intensity is not the way to go if you want optimal fat loss results.  Remember, intensity is the key factor to obtaining results...and what you get out of exercise is dependant upon what you put into it...it's that simple.

Read this article... as well as this one.

-Todd

Whether you're burning fat or carbs, ultimately all that matters is the number of calories burned. 

There are benefits to both higher and lower intensity workouts. Higher intensity strengthens the heart, burns lots of calories, reduces insulin levels; lower intensity improves endurance, is easier on joints, and because it's not so exhausting people are more likely to stick to regular exercise if they do lower intensity.

Interval training, mixing high and low intensity, can be a great mix. We can't go full out for very long, so by doing interval training we can exercise for longer than we could if we did only high intensity. And obviously it burns more than doing just low intensity.  

Here's a page that has a few different interval training workouts:
http://www.shape.com/getfit/7761?page=1

I switched from Long slow workout to High Intensity Interval Training in August.  I lost 2 inches off my waist and hips, but my weight stayed pretty stable, only down a couple of pounds.  According to some research, HIIT builds muscle mass in addition to burning fat, and as such is preferable to doing strictly Long-Slow workouts. 

Another thing I have noticed is my cardio fitness has improved GREATLY in the past month.  I have tons more energy, and going up and down stairs is a total breeze.

Agree with the posters above, mix it up, put in the effort to do some interval training along with some slower stuff.

I have new smaller pants and a pair of re-appearing cheekbones thanks to HIIT.

Total calories burned is all that matters.  You will burn more calories at a higher intensity.  Period.  Mixing it up, however, will allow your body to recover, to rebuild, and ultimately keep your metabolism "on it's toes."  The body ultimately gets too comfortable doing the same thing.

Besides high vs. low intensity training...  don't forget to lift weights.  For every pound of muscle you put on, you burn several dozen extra calories per day just to maintain it--and that's just if you're sitting around.

thanks all for the advice. i will definitely try out some high intensity interval training. i just have a question though... everyone keeps saying "the total calories burned is all that matters."

well i have a question, (yes, another!) my job at the bakery has really long shifts, like 7,8,or 9 hours. it's pretty tough work, carrying boxes, lifting, baking, going into freezer, cleaning, etc. now i guess i would classify this low intensity, but i dont know if my body gets used to it because i don't think it's the kind of low intensity a body would get used to . (ie. jogging at a low pace you'd get used to, but this is very mixed what i'm actually doing.)

so im just wondering, rather longwindedly, wouldn't that burn quite a lot of calories too because of the length of time im doing it? it seems like 9 hours of bakery work would actually burn a lot more than a 30 or 40 min jog. but cause its low intensity and not a "normal exercise" is it bad?. of course i've been jogging and working out and doing other cardio in between, but im not sure if it's worth it to go out for a run after a 9 hour work day - calorie burning wise.

or is it? what's better? lol,  i just want to lose weight the best way possible! sorry for all the questions!

Well, your job would definitely burn more calories than say someone who sits at a desk in front of a computer all day (like me).  But then again, it all comes down to increasing your metabolism. 

You see, even though I sit at a desk for 8 hours and hardly even move (besides typing), I could be more successful with my fat loss goals simply because of the cardio exercise method I apply. 

Since I do high intensity interval training cardio (Max OT Cardio), I actually elevate my metabolism and force my body to burn more calories in the hours after my cardio is finished.  So even while I am sitting here at my desk doing nothing, my body's metabolism has been raised (and is continually being raised each week), so therefore I will be burning a lot more calories, even while at rest.

Moving around here and there and doing low intensity tasks, such as the ones you're doing at your job is better than sitting and doing nothing, but in the end the amount of calories burned from such low-intensity exercise is not going to have any sort of big impact on getting your metabolism raised, and forcing your body to burn off extra fat.  It's just not intense enough.

Again tho, it's not a bad thing, it's just not optimal...is all I am trying to get across here. Hope that helps some!

-Todd

I'm a high school senior... very active i play alot of sports (basketball, Softball) I'm about 5'8" - 5'9"  (a healthy weight for my height ranges from 126 lbs for a small frame and 167 lbs for a large frame) I'm around 145 lbs and trying to slim down and get my abs showing :) i'd say i could lose about 5 - 10 lbs and be where i would like to be...

I just began riding the excersise bike but drop the gear for a 125 lb person rather than a 145 lb person (myself) this allows me to ride for 30 minutes, take a break and do abs, and then ride for another 30 minutes... Total of an hour

my heart rate while on the bike is any where from 130-150 bpm

220 - your age = maximum heart rate, thus since i'm 17 years old, 220 - 17 = 203 max HR. Low-intensity exercise is defined as working at a heart rate of about 60% to 65% of your maximum heart rate Which for me would be 121 - 131 BPM High-intensity exercise is defined as working at about 75 to 85% or more of your maximum heart rate. Which for me would be 152 - 172 BPM  According to this i am in the 130-150 beats per minute range so If this is true than what kind of cardio am I doing!?!? High Intensity OR Low?!?!

Low Intensity Cardio, High Intensity Cardio:
Written by: Rodrick Etienne, Date: Apr. 8, 2006


In this article I will clear up once and for all the many myths surrounding the topic of "what intensity level is better for burning body fat?"


This is one of the most asked question by my clients.


If you were to ask 100 people which approach is better, you’d probably get 100 different answers.


The Laws of Thermodynamics and Energy Conservation


The first law of Thermodynamics states, "Work and heat are mutually convertible (can be converted from one form to another). The change in a system’s internal energy is equal to the heat absorbed (calories in) from the environment minus work done (calories out) on the environment." The law of Energy Conversation states, "Energy cannot be created or destroyed but may be transformed from one form to another." Those two laws simply mean energy in equal’s energy out.


In other words, if you want to maintain your current bodyweight, the amount of calories you consume must equal the amount of calories you burn.


If you want to gain weight, the amount of calories you consume must be roughly 20% greater than the amount that you burn.


Lastly, to lose weight the amount of calories that you consume must be roughly 20% less than the amount that you burn.


How does this apply to cardio intensity?


Well, regardless of whether or not you are using low intensity (example 60% of your maximum heart rate) or high intensity (example 80-85% of your maximum heart rate) cardio, because energy in equal’s energy out.


Some people seem to believe that higher intensity cardio burns more fat, but it doesn’t.


Higher intensity cardio allows you to burn more calories in a shorter period of time and is beneficial when you have a limited amount of time to spend in the gym.


Several studies have proven low intensity cardio and high intensity cardio burns roughly the same amount of weight/fat. Once again it’s based upon the simple laws of Energy Conservation and Thermodynamics (calories in and calories out). Now you know the cold-hard facts about intensity as it relate to cardio training.


High intensity or low intensity, one is no better than the other in burning fat. What matters most is the total number of calories you’ve taken in compared to the amount burned at the end of each day that determines your physical progress.


As a friendly reminder, your diet is 80% responsible for your physical appearance.


Garbage in equal’s garbage out!


Healthy foods mixed with moderate amounts of your favorite junk foods equals the best of both worlds. You can enjoy a fit lifestyle and continue eating the foods that you enjoy most.


So when someone attempts to argue with you on which intensity level is best for burning fat, you can now present him or her with the science that shatters all those myths surrounding this subject.

there are a couple of more factors to consider. If you want more muscle definition (abs), then you need to improve body composition (less fat more muscle), not just to lose weight.

depending on what you're doing to lift weights already, you might want to add weight lifting and lift heavier weights. There are some very cool weight exercises that help with the power and flexibility that are useful in basketball and softball. ask on the site, and folks will answer (sorry ifyou know this already).

interval training is good for fat burning -- and  it's also good to build  speed  for your sports. for athletic performance, you'll want a mix of workouts including very short intervals, which help with explosive speed, longer intervals, and longer distance which helps with endurance.

do some research into the kinds of weight and cardio that will improve performance in your sport. that will have a double benefit of improving body composition and helping you be a better athlete.

you're talking about the offseason, uh, right? If you're talking about doing this extra working out during sports season, that's probably less of a good idea.  you need to be getting some rest in there, and more exercise on top of a sports season doesn't sound so healthy.

that heart rate formula is bogus, by the way.

oh good to know. yeah i have done training for sports and what not... but my goal is to lower my body fat percentage. I don't need any more muscle, just less fat.

I am probably not planning to play basketball or softball in college next year so for once instead of doing anerobic type work outs to gain more explosiveness and performance etc I am trying to really slim down. I have plenty of muscle and strong abs/quads... my goal is just to slim down and let them really show. It's not really that I'm fat or anything... I am probably only capable of losing 10 lbs or so and still be at a healthy weight.

Thanks for all of the information anyway though... and yes I am in the softball season right now but have not been playing for 2 weeks due to an ankle injury... the only type of excersise that doesn't bother my ankle is the exersice bike.

aha!  that's a lot more good information.

Since you're transitioning from being on sports teams, you will also need to think about how to change diet for a lower / different level of activity. That transition often results in weight gain.

So, use the tools on this site to figure out how many calories you burn when sedentary. Then log:

* what you eat for a few days

* your exercise and other vigorous activities for a few days.

That will tell you how much you burn. Then, to lose some weight, subtract 300-500 calories from the amount that you burn. People who are overweight can take a larger deficit, up to 1000 calories, but if you're already at a normal weight that's not a good idea. It's better to lose more slowly. 

Keep up the weight training so that the weight you lose is fat not muscle.  Otherwise you won't have defined abs, you'll just look skinny and flabby, yuck.

The advice about the cardio holds even if you're not doing a competitive sport. A mix of higher intensity and lower intensity/longer duration is best for fitness.

Finally, reflect on what you enjoy about activity without the structured motivation of a competitive sports team. College has lots of distractions, so if you're not keeping fit on purpose, it's easy to become sedentary and gain the "freshman 15" (I sure did, back in the day! then I picked up club running).

Think about what you like, and how you'll keep it up in college. Maybe you'll go for intramural sports, or take up ice skating, or just go to the gym to reduce stress. If you figure that out, it will help you stay fit and avoid the freshman 15.

Best with college!