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fat loss

Fitness

Cardio: How do I know what to choose?

March 25, 2014

I have such a hate and love relationship with cardio (cardiovascular exercise). I know I need it, as cardio has a range of health benefits and makes me feel happier and more energized in the long term. Although cardio should not be abused – too MUCH cardio can stress your body out and can actually cause your weight loss to stop – I personally like to do cardio a few times a week (plus I have to do it a certain amount of times a week since I am following the Kayla Itsine’s Bikini Body Guide).

Cardio Types

An important distinction to make with cardio, is what type of cardio you are doing. There are essentially two types of cardio: HIIT (high intensity interval training) and LISS (low intensity steady state).

HIIT Training

HIIT training involves periods of alternating intense exercise (sprints for example) with periods of recovery (a walk or a slow jog for example). HIIT training allows you to exercise at a higher intensity for longer periods of time than steady state exercise would.

LISS Training

LISS training involves long periods of low intensity exercise which can include activities like walking. You stay at this pace throughout the whole workout and maintain the same level of intensity.

What are the differences between HIIT and LISS training?

HIIT and LISS training both offer benefits and is still a widely discussed topic in the world of health and fitness. Which is better? Should we just do HIIT, LISS, or a combination of both?

Well, HIIT and LISS training are two different types of training, so it depends on what you like to do and what your goals are. I personally prefer a mixture – LISS training lets me catch up on social media and watch youtube videos on my phone (lol), whereas HIIT training is done in a fairly short amount of time. Both leave me dripping in sweat and making me feel accomplished.

Although both types of cardio raise your heart rate, at a lower heart rate (during LISS training) your body prefers to use fat for its energy, thus burning fat. At a higher heart rate, your body starts to use sugar instead of fat for energy, thus burning sugar and tapping into your glycogen stores.

So LISS essentially sounds like the perfect form of cardio right? That’s our goal anyway huh, to burn fat! Not quite so simple .. with anything, our bodies adapt to things really quickly, so at some point your body will get used to your LISS training and you won’t get the results you want and crave. Also a study was done by Pacheco which found that rats that did HIIT training lost more fat than the rats who did LISS training (however rats are very different to humans …). HIIT training has also been found to increase endurance, speed, and your metabolic rate (which may be why it helped contribute to the fat loss in the rats?). What is also interesting is that LISS has been touted as a way to lose fat and keep your muscles (HIIT training has been attributed to muscle loss), whereas other articles state that HIIT actually optimizes muscle strength and growth! Layne Norton wrote an interesting article on it and since hehas a PhD, I really value his input.

So see, there is still a lot of debate as to which is better and honestly I say do what makes you feel good and keeps you interested. And mix it up, keep challenging your body! Try a mix of HIIT and LISS and see how they work for you. Kayla Itsine’s Bikini Body Guide personally recommends quite a lot of LISS training (as she finds this the most effective form of cardio for slimming women’s thighs) and adds in HIIT training towards the end of the program.

I hope this article has been interesting and helpful for you! Let me know of any other articles related to this topic; I am always interested and open to knowing and learning more 🙂

Honestly yours,
Alice
References

Alfonso. (2012). What is LISS cardio? Retrieved from http://angrytrainerfitness.com/2012/06/ask-alfonso-what-is-l-i-s-s-cardio/
Guiraud, et al. (2012). High-Intensity Interval Training in Cardiac Rehabilitation. Sports Medicine, vol. 42(7), pp.587-605.
Itsines, K. (2014). Bikini Body Guide. E-book.
Obadike, O. (2012). Why does HIIT burn so much fat? Retrieved from: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ask-the-ripped-dude-hiit.html
Norton, L. (2012). Best form of cardio for bodybuilding? Retrieved from http://www.biolayne.com/contest-prep/best-form-of-cardio-for-bodybuilding/

Image from http://elitedaily.com/life/the-results-from-fasted-cardio/

 

Friday Fare, Health

Friday Fare – Honestly Fitness Delights

March 19, 2014

I’m finally on spring break!!! … Although it is hardly a break, sigh. I only get one measly week off (in England I got 5 weeks off, how crazy is that?) and I just have so much to do, and so little time. Luckily for you all, I MAKE the time to develop yummy and healthy treats for you all such as these Honestly Fitness delights!

Honestly Fitness Delights

Honestly Fitness Delights raw dessert balls

I created my Honestly Fitness Delights a few months ago and I am excited to share them with you. What makes them so fun and easy is the fact that there is no baking involved whatsoever. You just mix together the ingredients and put it in the fridge for an hour (or you can just eat them straightaway hehe) and they’re done! If you’re like me (who can be verrry lazy .. sometimes ..) and just want something yummy and sweet NOW, not in an hour or two, these will save you.

The Honestly Fitness Delights are refined sugar-free, grain-free and dairy free so they are great for those who have these intolerances. They contain a healthy mix of fats, complex carbohydrates, proteins and various vitamins and minerals. Flax seed is a great source of omega-3’s and just fun and crunchy to eat in general.

Honestly Fitness Delights

Alice Williams
Guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth in a healthy manner.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup + 2tbsp almond flour
  • 4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 6 tbsp apple sauce
  • 2 tsp coconut oil
  • 4 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 tbsp flaxseed
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • Optional: liquid stevia for added sweetness
  • 1. Combine all of the ingredients in a big bowl and mix well until the 'batter' becomes dark brown in colour.
  • 2. Either roll them into little dough balls, or leave them in the bowl and roll them into dough balls later, and then store in the fridge for an hour. Storing them overnight seems to produce the best flavor, but honestly they taste good anytime!
Honestly Fitness Delights raw dessert balls

 

Honestly Fitness Delights raw dessert balls

So there you have it! A really easy and healthy snack that you can count on to keep you full and satisfied. As fab as they are though, don’t eat the whole batch in one sitting as almond flour is relatively high in calories. Spread it out over the week and share it with your friends and family : )

Hope you all have a great weekend, and a great spring break for any of you who are now on it!

Honestly yours,
Alice

 

Fitness, Health, Sunday Summary

Sunday Summary: Kayla Itsines Week 3

March 16, 2014
sugar free and refined free muffins

Hello everyone!

This was an INSANE week for me! I had a research proposal and a presentation all due this past week, so I was working like a maniac to make sure I got everything finished and to some sort of a high standard. I don’t know how I managed to get everything done, but when it hit 10PM on Thursday night (yes, my classes end at 10PM), I breathed a sigh of relief because my weekend had finally started …

In addition to all this work, I had a really great consultation with Body Type Nutrition coach and fitness model, Stephen Box. He has been my secret nutrition weapon these past few months and has been helping me with losing the last bit of fat and has taught me a lot about nutrition along the way. Since I am NOT a certified nutritionist, I can always use some help and I do not think any of you should shy away from getting help from qualified sources. Anyway, I was feeling a little demotivated and he really helped set me back on track. So thank you so much for that, Stephen! Staying inspired and motivated is a key part of staying a healthy and fit individual and certainly not something that should be overlooked.

This weekend saw me making some very sound nutritional choices as my boyfriend and I went to visit his grandparents and aunt who are sugar-free and gluten-free, because his aunt has candida (which I actually want to do a whole post on at some point, because candida overgrowth is actually a huge problem). Ergo, this weekend was full of delicious meals and desserts which were guilt free! For those of you who follow me on Instagram you will have seen the photo’s I posted of all the yummy food and the beautiful scenery I enjoyed.

Kayla Itsines Week 3

Luckily for you all, I have been given permission to share some of these recipes so look out for them as I release them over the next few weeks. Here is a little teaser of one of the recipe’s I plan to share with you all …. 🙂

sugar free and refined free muffins

 

Doesn’t that look so good and fluffy?!

Kayla Itsines Week 3

So that’s it from me! Ohh, I guess I should state that I have officially finished week 3 of Kayla Itsine’s Bikini Body Guide, and will now be going into week 4. This week KILLED ME. So .. many … jump lunges … my god.

Hope you all had a wonderful week! Let me know what you got up too in the comments below 🙂

Honestly yours,
Alice