Steady-State vs. HIIT: What Works Better for Fat Loss & Athletic Performance?

Hello Ziddis! Have you ever considered which type of workout is better for fat loss and improved athletic performance? When it comes to fat loss and athletic performance, cardio is often a hot topic. Some think long steady-state sessions work better while others swear by high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Do you have a side to pick too? Let us understand the science behind both and which could be your best bet.

Fat Loss Strength Training

Cardio alone is never enough as the ultimate fat loss solution. Strength training also plays an important role here. This is how a combination could work for you:

• Muscle burns more calories even at rest. So the more muscle you build, the higher your resting metabolic rate will be. This would highly assist in fat loss.
• Strength training can help with insulin sensitivity. This will eventually help better fat utilization and prevent unnecessary fat storage.
• Lighting weights can preserve lean mass. Only doing cardio for fat loss will not only make you loss fat but also muscle.

A combination of steady-state and HIIT along with strength training can make up for the most effective fat-burning plan.

Strength Training for Weight Loss

While cardio helps with burning calories, if you add resistance training it can ensure that the lost weight is from fats, not muscle and help for a more sustainable weight loss. A few key approaches are:

• Compound movement exercises like squats, deadlifts and bench presses can help engage multiple muscle groups and maximize the calorie burn.
• Progressive overload is where you gradually increase the weights during your strength training. This keeps the body adapting and leads to more fat loss and muscle building.
• Metabolic resistance training can help you by combining strength and cardio in a circuit which can increase calorie burn while building muscle.
• Adding resistance training to your fat loss plan can help you lock in sustainable results rather than just temporary weight loss.

Resistance Training for Weight Loss: HIIT vs. Steady-State

Resistance training plays a bigger role than you imagine in weight loss. Both HIIT and steady-state cardio have their advantages but is there one you should be prioritizing? Let us check what each offers and according to your fitness goal, you can make your pick.

Pros of HIIT:

• Burns more calories in less time
• Increases post-exercise calorie burn aka EPOC effect
• Improves athletic performance
• Help build more endurance.

Pros of Steady-State:

• Easier to recover from
• More sustainable
• Uses fat as a primary fuel source
• Low impact so reduces the risk of injury.

In our opinion, a mix of both would do wonders for your fitness goal. Adding steady-state for endurance and recovery days and using HIIT for intense workouts can help maximize fat loss without burnout. This way your resistance training can reap the benefits of weight loss consistently and sustainably.

Fat Burning Weight Lifting: The Best Approach

Strength training is not just about building muscle but it is in fact an effective tool in burning fat. Here’s how you can maximize your weightlifting session for fat loss:

• Shorter rest periods for about 30 to 45 seconds can maintain a higher heart rate and increase calorie burn.
• Higher reps with moderate weights are better than heavier weights with less reps. Lifting in the 8 to 15 range of reps can help keep the intensity high and build more muscle.
• Pairing supersets and circuits or performing them in continuous sequence can increase your fat-burning rate.

When paired with HIIT and steady-state cardio, strength training becomes the foundation for a lean and athletic physique.

Read Also: HIIT May Not Be Right for You. Here’s Why

Takeaway For Your Strength Training and Weight Loss

Fat loss and athletic performance aren’t about choosing between steady-state and HIIT. It is about understanding how you can leverage the advantages of both to make a compiling and sustainable fat loss plan.

Summing it up, always remember this:

• Steady-state cardio for fat oxidation and recovery
• HIIT workouts for a metabolic boost
• Resistance training to build muscles and aid fat burning.

Along with this, make sure you fuel up before your workouts with some healthy snacks. If you want a cleaner healthier option for those, MuscleBlaze has a range of fit foods to help you with healthy snacking and oats protein to fuel your muscle-building journey.

Sustainable fitness isn’t about extremes. It is about balance. Mix it up, stay consistent, and let your results speak for themselves!