Aerobics (prolonged steady state submax cardio) is not very good for many health or fat loss related benefits. I already did a post on why aerobics sucks for fat loss. And then I went over the health benefits of interval training versus steady-state aerobics in my article on interval training for fat loss.

But I have to admit that aerobic exercise has its place. It can be a useful tool for removing stubborn body fat in the areas that men (abs) and women (butts, hips, and thighs) have the most… But… only if you do it on one of these two occasions (and I’ll also explain why!):

#1 Time to Do Aerobics: After Interval Training

First let’s see what intervals and aerobics do to your body…

Cardio (aerobic) target heart rate at steady state. It uses fat for energy, but the problem is that it takes a long time for the body to start using fat as fuel for this type of cardio.

High intensity interval training. It burns glycogen and releases fatty acids into the bloodstream, but it doesn’t use those fatty acids for energy, which means they are redeposited in fat cells.

This is how you get the two best worlds:

1. Do your 12 minutes or less of interval training
2.Wait 5 minutes
3. Do 20 (maximum 30) minutes of constant cardiovascular exercise (aerobics)

When you do it this way, HIIT followed by 5 minutes of rest guarantees a huge release of fatty acids into your bloodstream, which means you’re guaranteed to burn fat for fuel when you do your aerobic exercises. Ready huh?

Time #2 You Should Do Aerobics: After Weight Lifting

Intense weight lifting is very similar to high intensity interval training in the effects it has on your body, the fuel it uses, etc. So the only other time you should do aerobic cardio is after lifting weights.

I recommend 20-30 minutes of low to medium intensity steady state cardio after weight lifting.

why you should know this

CNS Overload: If you’re lifting heavy weights, focusing on strength, doing low reps with heavy weights 3 times a week, you’re working your central nervous system to increase your strength (mostly). Interval training on your “off” days can be overwhelming for some people, steady aerobics after weights is a good option if that’s the case for you.

Stubborn Fat: If you are already 10-12% body fat (guys) or 15-17% body weight (women) and need to get SUPER lean then you should use HIIT followed by aerobics on this case. It will help shed those last stubborn pounds.