Exercise is usually separated into aerobic/endurance training and power/strength activities. Long-distance running is an example of aerobic/ endurance, whereas high-intensity interval training (HIIT) falls into the facility/strength category.(1)

Are long, continuous endurance runs higher to your training, or must you give attention to high-intensity workouts? The reply largely relies on your training goal, fitness level, and delight.

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What Is Endurance Training?

Endurance training can also be generally known as “prolonged exercise training.” It’s classically performed at a comparatively low intensity over a protracted duration. Long slow distance training is one form of endurance workout. During long slow distance training, a person sustains a submaximal workload for an extended time.(2)

Classic endurance training ends in enhanced cardiac output, maximal oxygen consumption, and the event of latest cells. The result? The flexibility to keep up cardio exercise for longer distances and times with ease.(3)

What Is High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)?

HIIT is performed with a comparatively high load or intensity at a brief duration. Typical HIIT workouts qualify as strength training exercises. You perform repeated bouts of labor at near maximal power for a brief period.(4,5)

But, simply because you’re doing interval training doesn’t mean you’re doing HIIT. For it to be high-intensity training, you’ve got to push yourself to your max with every interval. Studies show that almost all people overestimate their exertion levels.(6) Be honest and constantly adapt your workouts for progressive overload.

How Does Endurance Training Compare With High-Intensity Training?

Endurance training and HIIT exhibit the same energy consumption (i.e., they burn an equal amount of calories through the workout).(8) But how individuals adapt to the training relies on many aspects, including:

• genetics
• gender
• age
• nutrition
• training history
• environment

Moreover, it’s rare for a workout to be purely endurance or strength training. Most activities mix endurance and strength.(9) Even cardio-focused HIIT, like cycling intervals, will likely develop strength.

Ultimately, each HIIT and endurance training make you stronger, increase your stamina and cardiac output, enable you reduce weight and fat, and positively impact your fitness.

Studies show that short-term, intense exercise can result in endurance adaptations. Inversely, low-load training approaching failure can result in strength adaptations. Should you challenge yourself, you’ll see results, irrespective of the form of workout.(10)

Thoughtful Workout Programming

When planning your HIIT and endurance exercise routines, the adage of “an excessive amount of, too soon” holds. Studies show that concurrently increasing strength and endurance training volume impedes progress.(11,12,13)

Goals-Based Training Program

Now that you just understand how endurance and interval training at high intensities affect your fitness, it’s time to set some goals! Find your objectives and the best way to achieve them within the list below. Then, use the Find the HIIT series on the adidas Training app!

Goal 1: Get Began

Do This:

Lower-intensity HIIT and endurance training

Why?

Have you simply taken up running and still find it difficult to run for longer periods of time without stopping? Then you must begin with low-intensity intervals. Try running for brief intervals followed by walking rests so you possibly can get well. You’ll find a great program for beginners in our blog post, Go from Walking to Running with These Expert Suggestions!

Goal 2: Improve Race Times

Do This: 

Endurance training and HIIT

Why? 

An efficient training program for improving your race time is built like a pyramid:

• The stable foundation consists of longer runs to construct your aerobic capability.
• You possibly can enhance your base by improving your running form and performing strengthening, stabilizing, and stretching exercises.
• The highest of the pyramid consists of race-specific maximum efforts like tempo runs and high-intensity intervals.

Goal 3: Run Half Marathons And Longer Races

Do This: 

Endurance training*

Why?

If you should finish a half marathon or longer, you could first put within the mileage. Long, low-intensity runs make up the vast majority of your preparation. Particularly, this helps your tendons, ligaments, bones, and dealing muscles get used to sustained impact. This helps to prevent overuse and injury. Long-distance runs increase your aerobic endurance and streamline your running form. 

*Note: If you should run a sub-3 hour marathon, you not only must train at high volumes, but you furthermore may need to include speed work and high-intensity interval training into your training plan.

Goal 4: Run 10Ks And Shorter Races

Do This: 

HIIT and HIIT sprints

Why?

High-intensity intervals are crucial for short-distance races like five and ten kilometers. The shorter the race, the more fast-paced and intense workouts you must do. For races of as much as ten kilometers, you often run at or above your anaerobic or lactate threshold. That is the extent at which the oxygen isn’t any longer sufficient to metabolize the accumulating lactate (lactic acid) attributable to high-intensity exercise.

High-intensity interval training and difficult tempo runs at race speed are good ways of increase your body’s tolerance to high lactate levels. This not only improves your lactate tolerance and pace endurance but in addition increases your VO2 max. 

Goal 5: Lose Weight

Do This: 

HIIT

Why?

The very best workouts for losing a few pounds are people who enable you achieve a negative energy balance (where more calories are burned than consumed). High-intensity intervals burn a high amount of calories in a brief time period. The high intensity of the workout puts plenty of strain in your muscles. The strategy of rebuilding and repairing your muscle tissue after the workout requires additional energy, and the afterburn effect continues to burn calories post-exercise. HIIT results in a greater afterburn than endurance training.(14)

Is HIIT Making You Hungry?

Try endurance training should you’re attempting to reduce weight but feel extra hungry after your HIIT workouts. Your intense exercise is perhaps dysregulating your appetite. Longer, more relaxed activities may soothe your hunger hormones and maintain a negative energy balance.(15)

Goal 6: Construct Strength

Do This: 

HIIT

Why?

HIIT workouts usually tend to increase muscle mass throughout the body. Muscles get greater when exercised to fatigue (or very close). Since HIIT goals to coach as hard as possible with every interval, these workouts are prone to develop total-body strength.

But should you’re recent to exercise or returning after a break, any workout will increase your muscle mass. So beginners can use endurance training to realize their strength development goals. When you recover from the initial training hump, avoid a plateau by adding HIIT.

Goal 7: Lose Fat

Do This:

Endurance training

Why?

Generally speaking, endurance training is a fat-burning activity. While you run, cycle, or exercise at around 60% effort, your body uses fat as fuel. Anything about that switches to glycogen and acid for energy (like if you reach your maximal output during HIIT). 

After an initial fat loss stage, start incorporating HIIT into your workout program. HIIT workouts increase muscle mass greater than endurance training. Muscles increase metabolism, helping you employ more fat through the day (even when resting). 

For more information on the mechanisms of exercise for fat loss, see this blog post: How To Burn Fat Running.

It Gets Easier!

Tough training sessions are very hard on the body and require plenty of recovery time. The higher your base is, the more training your body can handle, and the less recovery time it needs after intense workouts. Or just put, you possibly can train harder and more steadily.

Create Your Workout Program

Endurance training and HIIT are equally vital. Your exact workout plans are dependent upon your goals and lifestyle. Nevertheless, you must incorporate each forms of exercise to make the most of the training effects of each.

Admittedly, going for an hour-long run requires less planning and knowledge than creating your personal HIIT workout. To assist, we’ve launched a recent high-intensity interval training series on our adidas Training app. Allow us to guide you: 

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