Jogging vs HITT

Well I'm trying to come up with the best plan for weight loss. I'm between two different plans and I've done each of them a few times. The two plans are as follows: Jogging- a moderate jog around my neighborhood with breaks in between. I take a break when my legs get tired then start up again. I usually jog 1.5 miles a day. The second plan is what I think is called HITT where you go gradually speed up then slow back down and repeat. When i do this, I usually get my breathing going much faster than the jog (if that is related to calories burned).

Now I was wondering, should i go with a jog or HITT or maybe a combination/alternation of both?

Thanks
 
I doubt what your doing is HITT, but higher intensity is always better.
 
I would do both and alternate. Do you run every single day? Do something like jog/HIIT/jog/day off/HIIT/jog/day off. HIIT is something that is not sustainable for any sort of lengthy time. Generally its something like 1 minute sprint, 2 min jog or walk alternated. The idea is to throw you into an anaerobic zone with a high heart rate tapping a different energy system and in the long run, burning more calories even when you rest after your activity.

If you do jog everyday there is going to be a point when your body just adapts to it and you won't get the same benefits-weight loss or otherwise. I would recommend throwing some cross train days in there just to mix it up and avoid some common injuries that come with pounding the pavement day after day. Swimming, cycling, eliptical, rowing, basketball, skating, anything but running. It would also be to your benefit for weight loss to add some strenth training.

Good luck on your goals!
 
i run everyday,,BUT, i vary my distances, pace, intensity, and where abouts i run, some days i end up with stair sprints, or practising a few katas, all about variety

mix it up. 1.5 miles is what, just over 2kms? try get up to 2miles when you go for a jog, or run 1.5 miles in a hilly area, run stairs, or on sand (if its close), like sparrow said, if its cardio you mainly do,,theres endless activities to do.

have fun! =]
 
HIIT is an excellent way to optimize fat loss, but you need to be in reasonably good aerobic shape to safely take it on as a beginner IMO. That said, you can certainly try and incorporate moderate interval training in your runs and eventually work up to more intense HIIT as your overall fitness level improves.

My approach has always been to work on establishing an aerobic base first before going on to developing anaerobic fitness levels ( i.e HIIT is primarily anaerobic cardio ) - but that's just me. :)

How is your overall aerobic conditioning base ?

For example, can you run steadily for 30 minutes at a fairly good pace ?
 
Last edited:
Back
Top