The Muscle Couple is excited to release this article as it’s been a real sensitive subject for many people close to us over the years.

If your lifetime goal is to maintain a lean healthy physique, free of pain with full upright mobility , you should pay attention.

As you’ve no doubt read before here, the body of research strongly favors High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) for both fat loss and lean mass gain/maintenance.  The research shows metabolic adaptations in the muscle and various energy pathways from performing regular HIIT increases fat oxidation especially post exercise (ie throughout the day).

We won’t go into the technical jargon of these mechanisms other than to say there are volumes of research on Google if you’d like to read about them. So even though science has proven High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) will burn the most fat in the shortest amount of time, there is unfortunately one big problem in the way many people are training to accomplish this.

Many-many people performing HIIT are making a HUGE MISTAKE with the “type of cardio training” they are performing to accomplish this.

How many people do you see running on treadmills, or outside on hard surfaces(streets or tracks)?  Our bet is a lot or potentially the majority.  These folks are SEVERELY DAMAGING their lower body muscular complex and most of them don’t know it.

Show me a person who has been a runner for 25+ years and I’ll show you a person who has chronic pain in one, some or all of the following areas:

• Knees
• Ankles
• Low Back
• Shins
• Foot
• Hips

The pounding you place on your body from Repetitive, High Impact, Hard Surface Cardio Training (running or sprinting) degrades your lower body complex soft tissues(ligaments, tendons etc) and lower spine and sets you up for serious mobility limitations in your 60′s-70′s and 80′s.

Think about having to have your ACL replaced at 70 years old?   Or having such severe plantar fasciitis in both of your feet,  you’re forced to have specialized surgery and purchase expensive orthotic shoes just to even walk?  Or arthritis of the hips and low back so extreme, it causes a bent over, hunched appearance?

If you think we’re exaggerating these potential issues, you better start asking around or doing some Google Research.

The point we’re trying to make is you should perform your aerobic exercise in a LI-HIT-CT kind of way.

LOW IMPACT-HIGH INTENSITY-CARDIO TRAINING

Learn to ride a bike(stationary or otherwise), use the elliptical or walk on the stair master at higher and varying intensities/durations. You can still maintain the kind of intensity necessary to burn fat or maintain performance. (longer steady state cardio LSSC is a perfect substitute if have ROM issues or are injured)

WE GUARANTEE you’ll feel the same release of endorphins/encalphins known as “Runners High”.  It’s an absolute myth only running produces “Runners High”.  The facts are found right here if you doubt us.

If you’re a runner and you want to cure yourself of the “Running Addiction”, gradually replace your running sessions with LI-HIT-CT.  Wean yourself off little by little until you can train yourself to feel the same way psychologically from your low impact cardio.

Make this choice now and your body will thank you later.

Happy 4th of July TMC fans and readers!

We hope you can spend some time with your families and loved ones wherever you may be.

MIHWCS