Low Intensity Steady State Cardio
By low intensity I am referring to heart rate zones that will optimize the process of utilizing fat for energy. The intensity can vary and generally the lower the intensity, the greater percentage of calories burnt that will come from fat. But admittedly, the lower the intensity the lower the net total of calories burnt during the session, so compromise is needed.
Heart rates for Low Intensity Steady State cardio will generally fall between 50% and 65% of the trainee’s maximum heart rate. This is a general guide though, but lower will usually result in too few calories being burned from the session and higher will start to cross-over into moderate intensity cardio which I have talked about in part 2.
Advantages
LISS cardio is extremely easy to recover from. This is specific to the intensity, but if the intensity is kept under control, low intensity cardio can be used with a much higher frequency than HIIT cardio during a diet. It does not affect the nervous system in the same way and therefore, even daily LISS sessions can be used without resulting in overtraining (dependent on the rest of the workout program).
LISS cardio can burn fat directly as a fuel source. At lower intensities fat can be utilized directly as a fuel source. The percentage of calories burned from fat will depend on the intensity as well as the amount of glucose in the blood stream. Performing low intensity cardio fasted will ensure that blood glucose levels are minimal and therefore fatty acid oxidation will occur almost from the onset of the session.
There is no requirement to add additional calories into the diet to fuel the session. The whole point here is to slightly increase the caloric deficit and as we are aiming to use fat as a fuel source, adding extra calories into the diet to supplement low intensity cardio would be counter-productive.
Disadvantages
LISS cardio does not offer metabolic benefits offered by HIIT style training, so 24-hour calorie expenditure will be lower and therefore more cardio is required.
LISS is time consuming. As mentioned more sessions are required and sessions will also be longer in duration.
Used in excess and if intensity is not right, LISS can result in muscle loss. As with HIIT, finding the right balance between intensity, volume, as well as optimal inter-linking with the rest of the training program and diet is key!
Conclusions
Over these three articles I have presented you with information which can be utilized to help you setup your program to optimize fat loss whilst maintaining muscle mass. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Considerations for when implementing a cardio program would include:
Genetics; does the trainee hold muscle mass easily? Do they have areas that tend to flatten out when dieting? Do they find it easy/hard to shed fat?
Recovery; how frequently is the trainee training with weights? How frequently do they train larger body parts and in particular legs? Someone who has been training six times per week with two weekly leg sessions may quickly over-train with just a couple of HIIT sessions weekly. But a trainee who has been training only four times per week with only one leg session per week is likely to be able to handle more high intensity work.
Again, the diet setup as well as other lifestyle factors such as sleep will need to be considered. Of course, frequency of leg training could be cut back in the first example, but if that frequency has been required to build the muscle, would this really be the best idea especially when adding extra cardio? Remember, the body adapts to the stimulus it is given!
Does the trainee have a high or low metabolism? If the trainee has a high metabolism and is already training intensely with weights, will HIIT training be the best approach? The metabolic benefits offered are less important. They are probably already consuming a lot of calories in order to maintain muscle so the volume of cardio and stress created as a result of the cardio should be kept to a minimum.
Do they have a lot of fat to lose? The trainee has a deadline for being in contest shape, so what is required to ensure that they are able to reach the required condition in time? Hopefully, they will not be starting their prep in a position where fat loss needs to be rushed, but if this is the case it will affect the type and volume of cardio required.
Do they have a lot of time available? For a serious competitor, this should not be an issue. They do what they must to look the best they can. But for many, daily cardio sessions and especially twice daily may not be an option, therefore HIIT cardio, which is less time consuming, may be the best choice.
Another method I like to use with many clients is a combination of both styles of cardio. As I have mentioned in part 1, training at high intensities will cause fatty acids to be released from the cells and to circulate in the blood stream. But, at those high intensities the fatty acids cannot be utilized as a fuel source. One way around this, is to start the session with HIIT to cause this fatty acid mobilization and then to switch to LISS cardio for the second half of the session in order to oxidize the fatty acids released.
I would also advise any competitor to start with the minimal amount of cardio necessary to reach the required weekly fat loss targets. This will leave room to increase intensity, duration and/or frequency throughout the prep each time progress slows. Also, in doing too much too soon and over shooting those weekly targets, energy levels will suffer and muscle mass will be affected.
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