What Type of Workout is Best?

Hi Tony!
So I was cruising on YouTube looking at before and afters of people losing weight and I came across your video. It was truly inspirational and I have to say that what you accomplished was amazing! And I think that what your doing now with helping others reach their goals (like myself) is very noble and I hope you continue this!

Well, to cut to the chase- my question is: Is it more beneficial to have a short like 20 minute workout that's super intense, rather than spend like 2 hours at the gym with less intensity?

See, you know the phrase "quality verses quantity" and I think- that if you get your heart rate up and you're sweating really hard and all that good hard core stuff that you're ultimately burning more than if you spent a long time in the gym just leisurely walking on the treadmill or something.

So correct me if I'm wrong on the above paragraph- I've been working out ever since I was 13 and now I'm 16. In the past I've had a personal trainer and i do crossfit. Over the years i've acquired a lot more nutritional information- but- just recently did I find out that the work outs that I do by myself maybe aren't as beneficial as they could be!

Please clarify! What did you strategize for your workouts??

P.S. sorry if I wrote too much!! But thanks for taking time to read and possibly write back :)


Answer: I personally believe that shorter much more intense workouts are better for fat loss and overall athletic ability.  Working out for up to an hour with very high intensity will elevate your heart rate to a substantial degree which will burn a ton of calories during the workout.  Also, increasing your heart rate this much burns far more calories for hours after the workout than lower intensity workouts.  



So, exercising with high intensity burns more calories in a shorter amount of time and burns more calories for a longer period of time once you've completed the workout. Studies have shown that exercising with high intensity for longer than 1 hour can be detrimental  as your body produces stress hormones that break down muscle tissue so for this reason i would suggest keeping high intensity workouts to under 1 hour.  It may also be a good idea to eat a source of protein along with a complex carb before the workout in order to fuel your body.

Tony isn't a licensed nutritionist yet, so he can't give anyone advice on what  to do.  Please consult your doctor for his professional opinion on a diet/nutrition program that will work for you.

Tony's blog is a journal of his experiences and what has worked for him.   He lists general guidelines and suggestions only.  He is NOT a professional.