Cardio Research Review: Best Of 2016
Fitness Rx for Men|January 2017

Many people have a love-hate relationship with cardio. But for most, cardio is essential for cardiovascular health and fat burning. But which kinds of cardio are best and how long do you really need to sweat to see results? We gathered our best reports and cutting-edge research from 2016—check out these effective methods and training techniques before your next sweat session.

Team FitRx
Cardio Research Review: Best Of 2016

THE 12-MINUTE HIIT WORKOUT

By Lisa Steuer

The method known as 10-20-30 training works like this: you gently run or use a machine for 30 seconds, then accelerate to a more moderate pace for 20 seconds, then for the last 10 seconds, you sprint at full force— as hard as you can— and then repeat the sequence. People have found this type of training to be appealing because it’s easy to count your time without using a stopwatch, and the most difficult part of the workout only lasts 10 seconds at a time.

In comparison, typical HIIT training involves 30 to 40 seconds of very hard sprinting followed by 15 to 20 seconds of jogging or walking, and is repeated several times. This method is difficult but effective and is often reserved for more advanced exercisers.

But in 2014, a study on HIIT using out-of-shape adults found that few of the participants became more fit after the study’s completion, according to The New York Times. This study involved overweight and out-of-shape adults who were asked to complete high-intensity interval training for three months. The participants could perform one of the two common types of training protocols—four minutes of fast jogging with a rest and then four more minutes of fast jogging, or 30 seconds of full-out effort, followed by rest, and then repeated three times.

The researchers believed that few of the participants became more fit because early in the study, most of the participants had quit doing most or all of their exercise assigned to them for the study (study participants were supposed to do some exercise sessions on their own, and some were supervised).

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