Interval Training vs. Cardio vs. Weights | What burns the most calories?
When it comes to exercising, all of us have a lot of choices in the type of workout that we select. You could go for a fast paces HIIT, or go for a run or lift some heavy weights!
But what burns the most calories? What helps us lose more fat in the most efficient way possible?
Let’s settle this once and for all!
INTERVAL TRAINING
HIITs or High Intensity Interval Training is a circuit designed to last not more than 10 minutes but in those 10 minutes you basically put a lot of exercise stress on your boy. This results in more fat being burned in just a short span of minutes.
Interval workouts burn about 12–20 calories per minute which is 3 times more calories burned in a regular cardio workout.
But this also doesn’t take into consideration the main advantage of interval training — the ‘afterburn effect’, or Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption (EPOC). This refers to the extra calories your body continues to burn for up to 48 hours after you’ve finished exercising.
Your body will be burning calories even when you’re watching Netflix.
CARDIO
The best part about cardio is the feeling of carrying it on for hours. Once you settle in a run, you feel like you can tire out the treadmill itself. So in theory, you could burn fat all day.
But reality is different — we only usually do cardio for about 30–45 minutes a day. So at 10 calories per minute burned, you can expect to burn about 300–400 calories in 30 min running session.
However, with cardio, there’s not much EPOC. So once you stop exercising, that’s the end of the fat burning.
WEIGHTS
Weights aren’t only for making you r arms look extra big and your chest pump out. it also helps in burning fat and calories.
While weight training may not burn so many calories as cardio minute per minute during the workout, it can generate a high calorie burn from fat up to 36 hours after the workout is finished.
Another function of weights is that it gives you lean muscle which in turn helps in burning fat further. So you could be chilling on the beach showing off your ripped abs and still be burning calories.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, you can start off with interval training to lose some weight quickly then move to cardio for further weight loss and maintaining stamina. Finally, move to weights to build that summer body.
Add in a healthy diet and you’re well on your way for that dreamy beach bod!
