High Intensity vs. Low Intensity Workouts: Which Is Better For You?
When you start going to the gym, you’ll quickly realize that it isn’t just about what exercises you do, it’s also how you do those exercises. With so many different supersets, 3x12’s, or going past failure, it’s easy to get confused on what you should do for the best results. But if you keep reading, you’ll become an expert in no time when it comes to workout intensity.
In this article we’ll discuss:
- What is a high intensity workout?
- What is a low intensity workout?
- Which one is best for you?
What Is a High Intensity Workout?
It may seem like there’s an obvious answer, any type of training that feels intense. But it goes much deeper than that. High intensity workouts are workouts that use a lot of energy in a short amount of time. At this level of intensity, your heart is working at around 80–95% of your maximum heart rate. Some examples of high intensity workouts are sprints, Plyometrics (push ups, pull ups), and heavy weightlifting. To know if you are training intensely while weightlifting, you should be doing rep ranges around 5–12 reps, and should be getting very close or achieving failure. Studies show that failing anywhere between 5–30 reps builds a similar amount of muscle, but in the lower rep ranges, you will be less fatigued and it will be easier for you to progress.
What is a low intensity workout?
Low intensity workouts are a less intense version of exercise that puts less stress on your muscles and joints, but still improves cardiovascular health, muscle strength, and burns calories, but not as much as high intensity workouts. Examples of low intensity exercises include: walking, swimming, and light weightlifting. Light weightlifting can be training with lighter weight than you can handle, a higher rep range, and low intensity (not training close or to failure).
Which one is best for you?
Since the question “Which one is better?” really depends on your training style. So lets jump in and figure out which one is the right choice
Low intensity
Low intensity may be the right choice if you are a beginner, since you will build a lot of muscle at the start while weightlifting no matter what. Lifting light is great for getting your form down ebfore you enter an advanced stage of lifting. Low intensity is also a great option for people on a time crunch since you don’t need to rest as long between your sets. These workouts also are great for keeping your heart healthy, which is always a plus.
High intensity
High intensity could be the better option for you if you’re looking to put on some muscle. Studies have pretty much proven that training close to, or better yet to failure is the cheat code to building muscle. High intensity training is great for cardio too, since the more intense you work out, the more calories you burn.
Conclusion
Picking the right one for you can be tough, but if you really think about your fitness goals and where you want to be, you will feel so much better before, during and after your workouts.
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