HIIT Versus Steady State Cardio Workouts: The Face-Off

!±8± HIIT Versus Steady State Cardio Workouts: The Face-Off

If you're reading up on all the various resources available on cardio training, you've likely come to the conclusion that high intensity interval training, sometimes referred to as HIIT, is the top form of cardio to complete.

It burns calories faster, helps you continue to keep burning calories all day long, and it gets you in great physical condition.

It would seem that there's no argument, given the choice between high intensity interval training and more moderate forms of cardio training, the high intensity sessions win hands down.

But, is this always the case?

Before you run to the gym to perform some intervals, there are some key factors that you should be considering. Let's take a look at what these are so you can be sure to make the right choice for you.

Your Overall Workout Program

The very first thing that you need to look at when assessing whether HIIT is right for you is what the rest of your workout program looks like. How many days of the week are you planning on doing weight lifting?

If you're in the gym doing your weight lifting for four days a week, adding another three or four days of interval training to this is very likely going to be overkill and you'll wind up injured and burnt out.

Remember, the body can only take so much physical intense exercise and there will come a time where it'll just give out.

If you're doing two or three weight training workouts a week, this leaves more time open for the intervals and for recovery purposes.

The Intensity Of Your Diet

Next, you also should consider the intensity of your diet as well. How high is your calorie intake? If you're just using a moderate calorie deficit to lose fat, you'll have more energy available to complete those hard workout sessions.

If you're using a very low calorie diet though, then it's going to be pretty trying doing these on a regular basis. You need fuel to exercise and if that fuel isn't coming in, your body is going to struggle along.

Your Carbohydrate Intake

In addition to considering calories, you also must take a close look at your carbohydrates specifically.

The reason for this is that to perform this high intensity cardio training, your body absolutely must have glucose present in its system. If it doesn't, you won't be able to do it - period.

This is simply because glucose is the only form of fuel that the body can run off of to perform this intensity of exercise so when it's not coming in through the diet, your exercise capacity is severely limited.

If you are eating carbohydrates, then you can keep up with the HIIT sessions. If you're low carb dieting, moderate intensity cardio will be a wiser choice.

Your Recovery Ability

Finally, last but not least make sure to consider your recovery ability. Each person has their own individual recovery ability and if you know that yours is poor, adding too many interval training sessions may not be a wise decision.

If you recover fine though, then two or three per week shouldn't pose too much of a problem. Just make sure you look at your own situation and not compare with what other people are doing.

So there you have a few important facts to remember about high intensity interval training. If you can keep these in mind then you should have no problem making the decision of what type of training is going to be best for you.

HIIT Versus Steady State Cardio Workouts: The Face-Off

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Fitness Without the "Dumb" Weights

!±8± Fitness Without the "Dumb" Weights

There's a lot to be said for weight resistance training - but some of us are just bored with dumbbells and repetitive movement.

Try these alternatives to invigorate your fitness lifestyle:

Upper body:

1. Do the gumby dance with Rubber Bands.

I get bored with repetitive moves here too - so I make it stupid and it gets fun! You can break up repetitive moves like a bicep curl and pretend you're working with more resistance. I pretend to be a Gumby mime artist, doing the same movements with extra resistance. The bands are great for improvising with, so combine your different movements to see how you can break the routine.

2. Use 1pd, 3pd or 5pd weighted balls also known as dancer's balls.

These balls fit in your hands and you can dance with them - but gently - so you don't throw out your arm joints! Try this activity - slow arm circles while sitting and lying, feel where you arm collapses, falters of feels weak. Now take the ball around your weak spot and see how you can integrate your abs into making the movement stronger. Try not to overwork your weak spot as this can cause muscle fatigue. The intention is to find how your abs and back can shift to SUPPORT the arm movement, rather than using your arm to do all the work.

3. Use the weighted balls while sitting on a fitness ball.

This makes it more interesting and challenging for your muscles and mind to balance. Do the arm rotations slowly and enjoy the massage of your joints. It's not all about muscle - your tendons and joints need to feel some juice moving through them too. You can use the balls to do arm stretches and reaches and create your own dance and stretch.

Lower Body and cardio combinations:

The legs act as a pump for the blood to return back to the heart. So find activities that are not repetitive to activate your heart and muscle health.

4. Boot camp training.

You can sign up for a weekly training that gets you playing games and doing physical activities you would not do unless someone you "forces" you to do them. These activities get you playing as if you're in the play ground - walking, running, jumping and balancing through obstacle courses, running up and down hills. Having some one yelling at you to do different activities activates the muscles and brain to fire in new ways, which stimulates the metabolism like crazy. Make sure you are not forced to do activities beyond your limit.

5. Game Days with the Kids. (Or just adults if you wish!)

If you have kids, you can play great activities that involve them too. Does anyone remember the old jumping sack race, three legged race and egg and spoon race? These are great activities for co-coordinating brain and muscle strength that challenge and increase your metabolism. Ball games and frisbee are always a great way to challenge your brain and muscle coordination as well.

6. Hiking.

Getting out in the out doors makes "working out" a pleasure and gives you the oxygen you're starved of in a gym and in air conditioning. Hiking also challenges the muscles and metabolism to fire in different ways that will only increase the need for more muscle cells and increase metabolism.

Combo workouts - Whole body:

7. Clean out the garden.

OK - I always resented doing the weeding in the garden. But these days a good session of pruning, weeding and breaking up garden waste involves every muscle group you could imagine. If you don't have a garden - you probably have a friend who does and they will love you for thinking about them!

8. Martial Arts.

There is nothing as deflating as trying to do a series of 10 kicks and realizing you have another 100 or so to go. Be warned that some martial arts training has no sympathy for the faint hearted. The kicking practice and warm ups of Kung Fu is the best way to activate the power and integration of your leg muscles. The warm up kicks will give you more control over your leg muscles that using a machine in the gym or even your good old leg lunges. Leg lunges are great but only work on balancing joints and muscles in stationary position. Once you start using kicks, you activate your core muscles, your guts and your attitude.

9. Qi Gong

For beginners find a tai chi class that gets you to do real slow form (Wu style) that activates your legs. For the more gung-ho, try fast form. Qi gong classes are also great low intensity ways to activate your legs and core as well as balance your blood pressure and breathing at the same time. You will be surprised how this slow form can tone your whole body.

10. Start Bouncing!

A good bouncing trampoline or "rebounder" with the right spring balance will tone all your muscles, inside and out. Dave Hall has created a mini-trampoline called "cellercise" which has springs with the right rebound so you avoid jarring the body and spine. Bouncing and balancing on a rebounder wakes up the core muscles, stirs up the body fat and invigorates lymph, blood vessels, organs, bones, skin and hormonal system.

Fitness Without the "Dumb" Weights

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Get Rid Of Depression: Qibounding Relieves Melancholic Depression Symptoms

!±8± Get Rid Of Depression: Qibounding Relieves Melancholic Depression Symptoms

Do you have melancholic depression symptoms? You can get rid of depression by Qibounding. Discover how others have used this soft bounce rebounder to remove the sadness, inertia, nervousness, and low confidence levels that plague you when you're depressed.

Did you know that every month, thousands and thousands of people search for painless ways to commit suicide or the best way to commit suicide? These people are looking for a way out because they can't stand being depressed anymore. You may be one of these people. If you are, don't give up! You can feel good again.

I know this from personal experience. Twenty years ago, I was minutes from committing suicide. I stopped because I couldn't leave my beloved dog behind. After that, I went looking for the best ways to relieve depression. And I found them.

One of them is rebounding. And if you're going to rebound, Qibounding is the way to go.

People who have discovered Qibounding (which is using a mini trampoline called a Qibounder) have described the exercise as a "joyful experience" and a "miracle cure" for being in the midst of the dark cloud of depression. More scientifically, researchers have discovered that the body produces a rather large amount of serotonin during rebounding. This is what creates the chemical changes in your brain that allow you to feel better.

This isn't a placebo. There's scientific evidence to prove the impact of this type of exercise on depression.

Can it really be this easy to lift your mood out of the cellar?

My own experience and that of a friend and others I've talked to says, "Yes!"

I no longer suffer from the severe depression that nearly drove me to suicide. By using a combination of energy healing, meditation, and exercise (walking and rebounding), I've removed the "black dog" of depression from my life. But I do sometimes experience some milder symptoms. A few minutes a day on the rebounder truly does lift my mood.

A friend picked up a rebounder at a garage sale. She bought it for exercise. But it pulled her completely out of a deep depression she'd been in for months. She was amazed.

She's talked to others who have bought rebounders and had the same results. And here's what a Qibounder said on the Bellicon (the maker of this rebounder) site: "I battle periodic depression and found myself at a low point after a build up of life events. I happened upon a blog that talked about the benefits of rebounding to the lymphatic system and for depression. I began my research on rebounders and luckily found QiBounding!....Rebounding has truly changed my life! I cannot believe how happy it makes me."

See? You can get rid of depression and put melancholic depression symptoms behind you. Just start Qibounding!

Get Rid Of Depression: Qibounding Relieves Melancholic Depression Symptoms

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