What LISS Cardio Can Do For You
HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) may have been the number one way to burn fat in the last few years, but it has been replaced by Low Intensity Steady State Cardio. LISS (Low Intensity Steady State Cardio) works wonders for your metabolism and helps you incorporate sports into your lifestyle gradually. Together with the experts, we talk about a new fitness trend—LISS cardio.
LISS is an approach to cardio training that is the exact opposite of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). Instead of working up a sweat and with maximum effort, LISS offers to do everything slowly and for a longer time.
It’s about improving endurance and overall fitness rather than total fat burning. For example, instead of running, swimming or cycling to the max, LISS cardio suggests doing it steadily at a slower pace. But you’ll travel longer distances or exercise longer.
The famous trainer Michael Blauner, who is responsible for the slender bodies of Victoria’s Secret Angels, including Adriana Lima and Gisele Bundchen, is betting on this type of activity.
The Low Intensity Steady-State type of training has actually been around for a very long time—the LISS cardio method has been around for more than twenty years.
LISS cardio benefits
Our expert methodologist and coordinator of group programs highlighted several advantages of LISS cardio.
First of all, they are not intense, so it is easier to control the technique of performing exercises and movements, and it is almost impossible to get injured in such a class.
In general, even walking with pets or going to the store are considered LISS CARDIO.
However, there is a nuance. This method was created in a society with increased hypodynamia, in order to motivate to move in principle. here, we are not talking about the full training effect.
The workout becomes effective after the fiftieth minute, as both warming up and metabolic acceleration are slow, and with the lack of free time this can be a problem,” said the expert.
Secondly, this type of training is suitable for those who cannot exercise full scale: the elderly, people with diseases of the musculoskeletal system and cardiorespiratory system. The low-impact and low-intensity workout suits absolutely everyone in terms of health safety.
Thirdly, the heart does not have to “jump out of the chest” to burn calories. In fact, the speed at which one trains is not as important as the distance one travels. That is, a low heart rate workout will lead to a “fat burning zone” just as much as a high-intensity workout, only over a longer period of time.
Fourthly, they do not require a high level of training and are not physically demanding.
It’s a great way to stay active on those days when you have no energy at all or are just getting back into a regular fitness routine. Recovery is also faster after a LISS workout, so you can work out every day without putting too much pressure on your body, and it’s an effective way to get your metabolism going.
LISS cardio cons
Experts believe that in order to make progress with workouts, you have to constantly change them. And since LISS is limited in its variety, the body will get used to the load, and as a result, the wow effect will be extremely difficult to achieve.
Low-intensity exercises are great for gradual weight loss, but they won’t help build muscle.
Who is LISS cardio good for?
The short answer is: for everyone, especially beginners. LISS will help you gradually increase your fitness level without the risk of injury or overexertion that can occur with more intense training.
How to do LISS Cardio?
Whether you like running, walking, hiking, swimming, even rollerblading, there is no specific type of exercise for LISS. The only thing to be sure of is the right pace. The exact heart rate during a LISS session will be different for everyone, depending on their fitness level.
The intensity is low—only 50-60% of your maximum heart rate. To calculate your maximum target heart rate, subtract your age from 220, then multiply that number by 0.5 and 0.6 to get your ideal range for a steady-paced workout.
LISS workouts last at least 40-60 minutes, but can last as long as 90 minutes. You have to work out at a steady pace, without stopping.
LISS cardio vs HIIT
LISS and HIIT (high-intensity interval training) are often compared. Their effect is different: while in LISS protocols fatty acids are burned during the workout by means of oxygen, but this takes a long time; during HIIT, they are not burned in the workout process (due to the predominance of anaerobic type of load), but burned during the recovery period, about 2-3 hours after.
In low-intensity activity the effect ends at the end of the session, while in high-intensity activity it lasts for a long time.
Despite all the benefits, you shouldn’t forget about other types of activity. After all, LISS cardio is low-intensity because it does not improve speed, strength, or agility. It is better to focus on LISS cardio for those who need active recovery after more intense physical activity.
Our expert does not recommend to limit yourself with LISS cardio only.
In addition to fat burning, any activity has other OBJECTIVES: improving health, improving the quality of life, producING essential hormones of joy, which is impossible at low intensity, – thIS IS THE EXPERT’S OPINION.