Last post I talked about HIIT, and today I’d like to discuss LISS, light intensity steady-state cardio.
If your goal is fat-loss, a combination of 2-3 days HIIT and 3-4 days LISS is a great way to do-so. The idea of LISS is that your heart rate stays low (120 bpm or less), so you stay in the “fat burning zone”. Yes, you burn less calories overall, but LISS is less stressful on your neuromuscular system, allowing it to recover from your “stressful” (HIIT & lifting) workouts. Additionally, you can’t continuously “HIIT” 5-6 days/wk because it will likely lead to injury or over-working your body.
True LISS involves performing cardio at a very low intensity for 30 (up to 60) mins with the heart rate staying under 120 bpm; if possible, it’s best to do this 1st thing in the morning on an empty stomach, so you are just burning fat. **If you don’t have time in the morning, a second option would be to perform LISS right after you lift (with the idea that you already burned through any carbs you consumed when you lifted).
An alternative form of LISS (a bit more intense), would be just performing steady-state cardio at 60-80% of your max HR for 30-60 mins. This does not need to be on an empty stomach bc at a higher heart rate, you will be burning carbs.
True LISS involves performing cardio at a very low intensity for 30 (up to 60) mins with the heart rate staying under 120 bpm; if possible, it’s best to do this 1st thing in the morning on an empty stomach, so you are just burning fat. **If you don’t have time in the morning, a second option would be to perform LISS right after you lift (with the idea that you already burned through any carbs you consumed when you lifted).
An alternative form of LISS (a bit more intense), would be just performing steady-state cardio at 60-80% of your max HR for 30-60 mins. This does not need to be on an empty stomach bc at a higher heart rate, you will be burning carbs.
If you are looking to incorporate HIIT and LISS, I would recommend trying the following:
Monday: HIIT
Tuesday: LISS
Wednesday: HIIT or LISS
Thursday: LISS
Friday: HIIT
Saturday: LISS
Sunday: off-day (yoga, take a walk, or just take the day off!)
Obviously the above is just an example/recommendation (and does not include lifting days!) The HIIT-LISS combo isn't for everyone, you have to do what works for you. Sometimes just trying something new helps you stay on track, so hopefully I’ve inspired you with this J
Monday: HIIT
Tuesday: LISS
Wednesday: HIIT or LISS
Thursday: LISS
Friday: HIIT
Saturday: LISS
Sunday: off-day (yoga, take a walk, or just take the day off!)
Obviously the above is just an example/recommendation (and does not include lifting days!) The HIIT-LISS combo isn't for everyone, you have to do what works for you. Sometimes just trying something new helps you stay on track, so hopefully I’ve inspired you with this J