What is the Best Cardio For Weight Loss?

Most people presume that the best cardio for weight loss is steady-state cardio. What exactly is steady-state cardio? It’s when you go at one pace for the entire duration you are performing cardio.

However, is this form of cardio the most optimal for you to perform when it comes to losing weight and retaining lean muscle?

Moreover, is there another way you can do cardio that does involve you running for 45-60 minutes?

Let’s find out!

Steady-State Cardio Benefits and Dangers For Muscle Loss?

Low-Intensity steady-state cardio (LISS) and moderate-intensity cardio is the most practiced form of cardio out there.

Again, you will know someone is performing this type of cardio when you see them going at the same tempo for the entire duration.

For example, you will see people on the streets walking and/ or running. And at the gym, you will see folks on the treadmill or elliptical going at the same pace for an hour or so.

Performing this type of cardio has amazing benefits for your cardiovascular health, lung health and overall well being.

However, this form of cardio can affect your ability to retain lean muscle.

And because weight training is the best overall way to get a flat stomach, lose body fat and increase lean muscle mass, you do not want to lose that muscle from doing steady-state cardio.

Having said that, there is a type of cardio that can help you retain lean muscle mass, it is called H.I.I.T.

Keep reading below to find out exactly how H.I.I.T helps retains lean muscle mass.

the best cardio for weight loss is HIIT

What is High-Intensity Interval Training?

High-Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T) is a form of cardio where you perform short bursts of high intensity ‘sprints’ and then lower your intensity for a certain time period.

You would perform this type of cardio a set number of times or go for a certain duration.

For example, let’s say you go to the park and perform sprints. You sprint for 15-20 seconds and then after that sprint is complete, you can either walk or do a light jog for about a minute or minute in a half. The rest period would be based on how fatigued you get.

You would repeat this cycle for about 15-20 minutes.

Or you could just have a set number of sprints you’re going to perform.

Having said that, you’re not just limited to sprints here. You can do intervals on really any cardio machine as well.

For example, let’s say you choose to do H.I.I.T on a bike. It is recommended that you warm-up for 5 minutes before you start your intervals. When you do start your intervals, turn the level up to a level that is challenging for you. When you’ve done your interval for about 20-30 seconds, lower the level and go at a slower pace for about a minute, minute and a half. Repeat this for 15-20 minutes.

Why is this Form of Cardio Recommended?

The reason why it is recommended to do this form of cardio is that it helps retain lean muscle mass better than doing steady-state cardio.

Additionally, it helps you burn body fat quicker per unit.

However, it is suggested that you do this form of cardio 24-36 hours before your weight training workout. The reason being, you can get extremely fatigued from this type of cardio and it could hinder your weight training progress.

Therefore, doing this on off days is optimal.

Doing H.I.I.T 2-3x a week would be sufficient enough to blast away body fat!

What about Fasted Cardio?

You must have heard people talking about how they do cardio on an empty stomach. The claim is that since you have not eaten anything, you will burn more fat.

However, is this the best cardio for weight loss?

Studies show that fasted cardio is NOT more beneficial for fat loss than when you eat and perform cardio.

Matter of fact, there was a study done on two groups. One group did cardio while having eaten before, while the other has fasted.

They found no difference between the groups at all when it came to fat loss.

Having said this, this is not to say you cannot do fasted cardio.

If you prefer doing fasted cardio, great! If you prefer to eat before you do it, awesome! Do whatever works best for you.

However, just know that both work equally great for fat loss!

The best cardio for weight loss is H.I.I.T

What Is The Best Cardio For Weight Loss?

When it comes to losing weight the fastest and retaining lean muscle mass, H.I.I.T is the best cardio.

Although this may be true, because of how challenging and demanding it is, it can be hard for you to stick to it due to recovery taking so long.

For this reason, limiting the days you perform your cardio and performing more weight training is optimal. Do weights 2-4x a week and stick to doing H.I.I.T about 2-3x a week!