HIIT? Strength Training? Types of Exercise and Their Benefits.

•Weight/Strength Training : training that uses weights for resistance. By creating a stress to the muscles with weights (e.g. barbells, dumbbells, machines), muscles become activated, develop and get stronger.

BENEFITS: helps control weight, stop bone loss, improve balance, build muscle, improve muscle tone & definition, improve body composition, boost metabolism (BMR), boost energy levels.

•Cardio: anything that raises your heart rate and makes you breathe heavy.

BENEFITS: weight loss, improves cardiovascular function & ↓ risk of heart attack, ↓ blood pressure, regulates blood sugar,  ↑ lung capacity, mood boost, improves sleep, reduces stress.

HIIT (high intensity interval training) – intervals of high intensity exercise followed by a short rest period.
i.e. 1 minute of sprints (85-90% max heart rate) followed by 30 seconds of rest repeated for 15 minutes

LISS (low intensity steady state) – gets your heart rate up to an aerobic level, or 50-60% of your max heart rate, and is maintained for 30 minutes or more
i.e. walk on the treadmill for 45 minutes

•Circuit Training : alternate between several exercises (usually 5-10) that target different muscle groups with minimal rest

What are the benefits of HIIT vs LISS vs Circuit Training?

•HIIT
BENEFITS: time efficient, effective at reducing body fat, has an after-burn effect (EPOC)
CONS: a lot of work/intensity, challenging for beginners, more recovery time needed, not ideal for those with heart conditions

•LISS
BENEFITS: provides fat loss results, safe for everyone, little recovery time, low injury risk
CONS: can plateau over time, less

CIRCUIT TRAINING
BENEFITS: full body workout that combines weight training and cardio (maximum results), powerful calorie burn and fat loss, improves metabolism, variety of movements/fun workout, can break through fitness plateau
CONS: can be challenging for beginners, causes fatigue quickly