With sprints you burn fat several times more than with prolonged jogging or cardio. However, their purpose is not only to lose the extra body fat.
Sprinting triggers hormonal response equal to 45 minutes intensive workout with heavy weights.
Prolonged and frequent running or jogging is the most “popular” way to lose weight. It is the worst way as well. Prolonged jogging triggers increased secretion of cortisol, which results in decomposition of muscles and lowering of testosterone and human growth hormone. Of course you can lose weight with it but this is accompanied by many negative effects.
Why sprints burn more fat than jogging?
The sprint will increase testosterone and HGH, and these burn more fat than one-hour running which will trigger more cortisol suppressing testosterone and growth hormone.
As we described here, excess fat is mostly burned during sleep, if during the day you have provided favorable conditions for it by proper nutrition and proper training.
Sprints will recruit maximum of the muscle fibers responsible for strength and volume and they seriously speed up muscle-growth.
The best example to see the effects of prolonged running and sprints is the difference between marathon runners (42 km running) and sprinters (100-200 meters sprints).
Marathon runners:
Sprinters:
Prolonged running is “punishment” for testosterone and growth hormone and seriously lowers the effect of regular weight training.
Jogging if done with moderate tempo and no longer than 20 minutes, has beneficial effect on breathing and blood circulation. But these benefits are not sufficient to classify jogging or any “cardio” as an activity that burns fat. Cardio is not a method for burning fat but a method for heart health, running stamina, etc. Breathing clean mountain air has also beneficial effects on heart and breathing. Proper workouts and nutrition with at least 8 hours night sleep, burn more fat than any cardio by far.
Sprints don’t require even approximately the time needed for jogging. You need 5-10 minutes a day, three times a week if you already do weight training.
Maybe 5-10 minutes seems little, but it is actually a lot if you begin sprinting for the first time.
How to sprint?
These durations are given as an example, it doesn’t mean that they apply to everyone. Some people might need less seconds. It depends on fitness, strength, weight, etc.
Start with moderate-tempo running for about 2-3 minutes (warmup, always). Then you sprint as fastest as you can, but for no longer than 10 seconds. Then rest by fast-pace walking for about 1 minute, then sprint again for 10 seconds. This is enough for your first time.
The next time, increase the sprint on 20 seconds, then fast-pace walking 1 minute. Do 2 sprints.
The next three times, half a minute each sprint with 1 minute fast-pace walking. Three sprints for that day.
Then continue doing 3 sprints each time, 1 minute sprint with 1 minute fast-pace walking in-between. This is enough to be done 2, maximum 3 times a week in your non-training days. It is most important that you exert maximum strength for the sprints, running as fast as you can.
The duration is short and you might have the tendency to underestimate the sprints and neglect our recommendations for gradual adaptation. Do not. Fainting and other undesirable effects can occur. It is like having the effort of a 45-minute workout with heavy weights condensed into 5 minutes without previous adaptation. It is very important that you start gradually.
With proper practice, sprinting is one of the best methods to get the body in a fat-burning mode (the effect lasts 24-48 hours), of course, with proper nutrition, training and sufficient sleep.
Jogging or sprints? Sprints are by far superior.
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