The Best Cardio Exercise For Weight Loss

If you’re looking for exercises to lose weight, you’ve probably heard from somewhere that you need to do cardio. Go out and run, jog on a treadmill, hop on an elliptical, or ride a stationary bike for an hour. Do that everyday for weight loss.

Nope.

That sounds like hell to me. Boring, time consuming, and probably ineffective hell.

Here’s the first thing you need to know about cardiovascular exercise for fat loss: medium does not exist.

Exercising for weight loss/fat loss needs to be intense.

Medium intensity, long duration exercise like jogging is not conducive for fat loss, athletic performance, or calorie burn. The science is clear. Jogging only results in disappointment.

Unless your sport demands high levels of cardiovascular endurance or stamina, medium intensity-long duration cardio exercise should not be done by those trying to lose fat or weight.

The best forms of cardio and conditioning for weight loss/fat loss are sprint interval training (SIT) and high intensity interval training (HIIT). Between those two, I would advocate for sprint interval training.

What are SIT and HIIT?

SIT and HIIT incorporate periods of alternating high intensity activity and very low intensity activity or complete rest. This means you’re working at near maximal intensities for a period of time and then resting.

Sprint interval training consists of a number of all out efforts broken up by periods of total rest. For example, you might do ten 40 yard sprints with all out effort with 2 minutes of rest in between sprints. Generally, a work to rest ratio of 1:6 or 1:8 is common.

High intensity interval training consists of alternating periods of high intensity efforts and low intensity rest. For example, you might run at a relatively high intensity for 15 seconds and then walk or jog for 30 seconds. Repeat that for a few rounds. The work to rest ratio can vary between 1:1 to 1:4.

There are a number of benefits to SIT and HIIT compared to traditional cardio for weight loss.

First and the most important is its effectiveness. Studies that looked at the effects of HIIT and SIT consistently showed that they are far superior compared to low or medium intensity cardio. The reason why its more effective is a discussion for another post. For now, know that SIT and HIIT training are superior or traditional cardio.

Second is the time efficiency. An effective SIT or HIIT workout session could be done in 20 minutes or less. So, you will be spending a lot less time on cardio for greater results.

Third and lastly, almost anyone can do a SIT or HIIT workout with little or no equipment. If you have a hill, you can do hill sprints. If not, you can easily do a HIIT workout just by running.

Not Just For Running

The great thing about SIT and HIIT is the versatility of the workouts. You don’t have to just run. You can do sprint or high intensity interval training via cycling, air assault bikes, battle ropes, rowing, kettlebell swings, sled pulls/pushes… The possibilities are endless and as a result, you have many choices at your fingertips.

Woman doing intense workout on gym bike. Fitness female using air bike for cardio workout at gym.

All of these activities can be done at very high intensities. You just incorporate the right work and rest periods and you have a SIT or HIIT workout.

Doing the same thing over and over again is boring as hell so rotate the workouts from time to time to maintain variety and your sanity.

To SIT or HIIT?

Both SIT and HIIT are superior to traditional, low to medium intensity cardio. However, if I had to choose between the two, sprint interval training has the edge for effectiveness and time efficiency for weight loss or fat loss.

Handsome african american muscular man flipping burning big tire outdoor with smoke

The decision between the two will come down to personal preference. Some individuals will not be able to tolerate the absolute all-out nature of SIT and will enjoy HIIT better.

A Sample SIT Protocol

A 15-second burst of all out activity may not sound like a lot, but trust me, it is. You will need to ease into a SIT program. Here’s a good one to start with:

Complete the following 2 times a week:

Week one: 4 sets of 10 seconds, 4 minutes rest between each
Week two: 6 sets of 10 seconds, 3 minutes rest between each
Week three: 8×10 sec, 2 minutes rest between each
Week four: 4×20 sec, 4 minutes rest between each
Week five: 6×20 sec, 3 minutes rest between each
Week six: 8×20 sec, 2 minutes rest between each
Week seven: 4×30 sec, 4 minutes rest between each
Week eight: 4×30 sec, 3 minutes rest between each
Week nine: 4×30 sec, 2 minutes rest between each

Complete the following 3 times a week:

Week ten: 5×30 sec, 4 minutes rest between each

Then repeat the week 10 workout for as long as you need. Or, come up with your own creative combination of work to rest ratios.

During the first few sessions, work at 80% of your full intensity. Ramp up the intensity each session. By the end of the second or third week, you should be able to work at 90-100% of your max intensity.

Obviously, warm up before you start.

Sample HIIT Workout

For those who like more continuous activity, HIIT workouts can be much simpler.

Alternate between 10-15 seconds of high intensity activity and 1 minute of a slower pace. Repeat that for 10 rounds. This is likely easier done on a treadmill, bike, or rowing machine. If you choose to use something like battle ropes, jog at a slow pace between sets.

There are many different work to rest ratios for HIIT workouts. Experiment with what feels good (or awful).

Again, warm up before you start.

Start SITing and HIITing

I wrote this as I finished a SIT workout on the battle ropes. Breaking protocol, we did 8 sets of 15 seconds with 1 minute and 15 seconds of rest. It was brutal but the entire workout took 12 minutes to do. That sounds way better than jogging on the treadmill for hours at a time.

men sprinters run on track stadium in athletics competition

Like I mentioned earlier, you must gradually work up to the high intensities, especially if you are new to sprinting or exercise in general. Sprinting is extraordinarily hard. Start at a lower intensity and work your way up.

Get to it.