Low Intensity Cardio vs. Intense Cardio Routines

When comparing intense cardio routines vs low intensity cardio, for maximum weight loss opt for the intense cardio routines.  Here’s why. Initially, let’s define the two.  Low intensity cardio workouts raise the heart rate by approximately 50%.  Intense cardio routines are those that are designed to raise your heart speed by about 75%.

We will look at measuring heart rate a bit later, however each of the aerobic workouts have their place, based on who’s doing the cardio workout.  Fat Burning Cardio Workouts when done in conjunction to a Proper Diet Plan is a sure way to lose weight if done on a consistent basis.

Intense Cardio Routines Take Off the Weight

For weight reduction, intense cardio routines are absolutely the best.  These intensive exercises burn approximately 14 calories for every minute, or a lot more fat than low intensity cardio exercises (roughly seven per minute), and have been found to possess the added benefit of burning up calories hours after the aerobic workouts are completed.  When you do not have much time to spend inside the fitness center, high intensity cardio exercises is where your training should lie.  See the video at the bottom for more on how you can monitor heart rate.

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Low Intensity Cardio Provide Other Benefits

Low intensity cardiovascular workouts burn fewer calories, so to realize the same benefits you will have to exercise for longer periods of time.  That held, high intensity cardio workouts are not for everybody.  Individuals just starting aerobic workouts, people with certain health conditions, and people getting up in the years, especially if they are not in great physical shape, should not attempt high intensity aerobic exercises until they can physically deal with them.

So if heart rate will be the decisive factor in high intensity cardio routines, how should that be decided?  The formula we employ for getting to the target heart rate zone, or where the heart rate should be maintained throughout one of your high intensity cardio routines.  First, subtract your age from the number 220, or for women 226.  If you are a 40 year old male, that would be 180.  For the lower end of the objective heart rate zone, multiply by 0.6.  For our example, the low end of your target heart rate zone would be 108.  For the high end, multiply the 180 figure by 0.9 to arrive with a heart rate of 162.  A more accurate method of determining these figures for cardio workouts will be the Karvonen Formula, which would require you to enter your resting heart rate.

For those that want to stay within the low intensity cardio workouts, you will want to stay inside the 50% range of maximum heart rate.  In addition to those individuals stated above, they are good to utilize as warm up for all those about to embark on their higher intensity workouts.  Except for the span of time required in these aerobic workouts, they provide the advantages of helping to decrease blood pressure and cholesterol and have less injury threat.  But also, they still burn fat, as 85% of the calories burned in this zone are fats.  We are familiar with a couple of products we think you should check out: one designed for women, called Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss for Women, and one for men called Alpha Male Advanced Workouts.

We trust this provides you some insight into the benefits and disadvantages of low intensity cardio workouts verses intense cardio routines.  Clearly, if you’re physically able, it’s best to work in the high intensity workouts zone.  If you possibly can, remember to keep the exercises concise (20 to 30 minutes) and approximately three to four times weekly should do the trick.