Cardio exercise is vital to physical health and mental well-being. It’s also a powerful fat-loss weapon. What cardio methods are the safest and most sustainable? Which ones burn the most calories, and how can cardio modalities for body-shaping goals be programmed?
Renaissance Periodization co-founder Dr. Mike Israetel addressed these questions with a cardio tier list, offering three categories of activities ranked by their compatibility with specific goals.
[Related: Supercharge Your Cardio With This Hill Running Workout From a Running Coach]
What Type of Cardio Burns the Most Calories?
Israetel’s first category ranked cardio activities based on daily calorie-burning potential. His rankings are grouped according to the following criteria:
Tier 1 — Moderate-Intensity Interval Training [MIIT]
Israetel recommends moderate-effort varied-intensity activities for longer durations to burn the most total calories. These offer the best combination of intensity and duration for the best energy output.
The faster you go, the more distance you cover, the more calories you burn.
Israetel’s top three MIIT options are:
“This kind of interval training burns an ungodly amount of calories,” exclaims Israetel. MIIT alternates bouts of lower-intensity exercise with moderate-paced exercise. The body stays active, benefiting from varied intensities.
If you don’t like interval training, Israetel says jogging, cycling, or swimming at a continuous pace offers similar benefits. Both variations are great for weight loss. MIIT was found to be more tolerable than high-intensity interval training [HIIT] for obesity management in a 2023 study. (1)
Tier 2 — Boxing/Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, etc.
Another great way to burn calories is through combat training or sports. Israetel is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grappler. Many performance activities can be sustained long enough for a good cardio workout.
Tier 3 — High-Intensity Interval Training [HIIT]
While HIIT burns the most calories per time spent exercising, it’s less sustainable than lower-intensity training. HIIT rotates short bursts of high-effort movement with equal or longer periods of rest or low-paced activity. It’s best suited for shorter durations.
Per unit time, high-intensity interval training is kind of undefeated, but you just can’t do it for that long.
HIIT provides the best performance and health benefits with minimal time commitment. (2) Research shows that it’s as good or better than moderate-intensity continuous training for fat loss. (3)
What Type of Cardio Interferes With Muscle Growth the Least?
“Muscle breakdown increases with intensity,” explains Israetel. Sprints are out; low intensity is key. Keeping or gaining new muscle while getting in cardio is a delicate process. Israetel believes these exercises preserve muscle best.
1. Elliptical (110-130 BPM)
The elliptical machine is Israetel’s first choice since it’s the most accessible cardio with the lowest joint impact. Moreover, the workload is shared between the upper and lower body, resulting in less muscle fatigue. Low-effort cardio also uses more endurance-type muscle fibers.
Slower twitch fibers don’t grow much, [are] insanely resistant to damage and heal ultra-fast; it’s the perfect scenario.
Israetel adds further, that:
“If you’re burning a certain number of calories with just one muscle, that muscle is working hard…getting fatigued, and then it’s getting inference with its growth pathways,” dissected Israetel, who recommends keeping the heart rate between 110 to 130 beats per minute (BPM) for best results.
2. Incline or Regular Walking
Walking is the best basic cardio, and more is better, especially if it’s your only form of exercise.
My preferred choice of cardio is a step tracker; I just walk. My total steps add on a fat loss phase…around 12,000 steps.
On average, walking for 30 minutes at a moderately intense pace burns around 100-200 calories. It can be more or less depending on the person, environment, and pace. Walking uphill on an inclined treadmill is more challenging and will burn more calories.
[Read: The Ultimate Guide to Walking for Weight Loss]
3. Moderate-Pace Swimming
Israetel likes swimming as an alternative light cardio option. It’s easy on the joints, requires full-body effort, and offers gentle resistance for a low-intensity workout. However, it has more limitations, such as competency, accessibility, and weather.
Swimming can be tricky when trying to lose weight. Colder water can affect the body’s hunger signals, which can cause hunger pangs. Swimming in warmer water or heated pools may help.
Choosing the Best Cardio for Your Goals
Daily cardio is something most people can do long-term without issue. Low-intensity cardio won’t beat up the joints. Israetel summarized his points with goal-setting references based on generally accepted training recommendations.
Israetel provided his top suggested exercises for three scenarios:
Best Cardio Workouts for Fat Loss
- High effort intervals
- Jogging or endurance training
- Exercise that keeps heart rate up as long as possible
Best Cardio Workouts for Fat Loss (While Maintaining Muscle)
- Elliptical and incline walking
- Any total body, joint-friendly cardio with a heart rate under 130 BPM
Best Cardio Workouts for Sustainability
- Walking
- Fun physical activities
- Sports
Lastly, Israetel gave cardio suggestions for different fitness levels. He recommends that beginners choose fun, sustainable activities while intermediates should do fun cardio that meets their goals. Israetel held his advanced counterparts to the highest standard, prioritizing goals.
Featured image: @drmikeisraetel on Instagram
