What's your Speed? Finding the Right Cardio Intensity

People often ask which is better, high or low intensity cardio? Truthfully there is no right answer for every person. Ultimately, it comes down to whatever works better for you. That being said, there are a few times when you might want to consider doing a low intensity cardio session rather than a high intensity cardio session, and vice versa.

When should you do low intensity cardio?

• If you are trying to put on muscle and have a hard time putting on weight, you’re whats known as a hardgainer. I would stick to low intensity cardio workouts in order to limit the calories you burn.
• If you are someone who prefers doing cardio in the morning while on an empty stomach, you should keep your intensity low.  If you do high intensity cardio you risk losing too much muscle.
• If you are already on a low calorie diet, high intensity cardio might stimulate your appetite too much resulting in increased temptation and cravings.
• If you are on an intense weight lifting program, high intensity cardio might be too much stress on your body. Your muscles need to recover!

When should you do high intenstity cardio?

• If you don’t have a lot of time to be at the gym, high intensity cardio is a great way to get a fantastic workout in a short amount of time.
• If you are looking for a highly efficient way to burn off stubborn fat, increasing your intensity will help your body burn those extra calories.  
• If low intensity cardio is just way too boring for you to do! I’m serious, it can get boring, so step up your intensity from time to time.  
• If you have a slower metabolism and want to keep fat gain to a minimum, while still eating a surplus of calories, you have to maintain a high intensity cardio program.

Personally, I feel like combining both methods of cardio can be very useful both physiologically and psychologically. Varying your routine breaks up the monotony and helps keep things fresh.

-Fazoo Fitness