When comparing fat burning between high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and steady-state cardio, here’s how it breaks down:
- **Steady-State Cardio** (e.g., jogging or cycling at a consistent, moderate pace) burns a higher percentage of calories from fat during the workout. It plays an important role in cardiovascular training and is great for endurance building and lower-intensity days. However, the total calorie burn is generally lower compared to high-intensity exercises.
- **High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)** burns more total calories overall. While HIIT relies more on carbohydrates during the workout, it leads to an **afterburn effect** (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC), meaning your body continues to burn calories at an elevated rate for hours afterward. This afterburn often results in greater fat loss over time, even though more carbs are burned during the workout itself.
For fat loss, HIIT tends to be more efficient because of the total calorie burn and lasting metabolic effects. However, steady-state cardio is an essential part of any well-rounded fitness program, especially for building endurance and recovery.
At Rzone, we know that **steady-state cardio** isn’t bad—it has a valuable place in your training plan. The key is ensuring you’re progressively changing your cardio efforts over time so your body stays challenged. Alternating between steady-state cardio and HIIT, and continuously pushing the limits just a little more each time, keeps your body adapting, improving, and burning fat efficiently.
That’s what makes our Rzone programming stand out! We combine both approaches to keep your workouts balanced and effective. Our training methodology teaches you how to safely increase your effort while keeping your body challenged and pushing beyond your comfort zone—helping you burn more fat and calories without feeling overwhelmed.
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