Distance or Speed for fat loss?

[Sierra]

Soo i know this has probably been covered so many times, but i just want to get it straight once and for all... Distance running or Speed (interval) running (OR maybe even a mix of both?
) for MAXIMUM fat loss + MINIMAL muscle loss?!?!

I'd say I'm in decent shape right now- just trying to lose a little bit of fat to get my muscles to show and to have the 6 pack. (i can slightly see it in the mornings [img]smile.gif[/img] ) I've been lifting for a little less then a year now and I just started a great exercise routine but i want to know what i should do about cardio.

Oh and one more question- When is cardio the best for max fat loss and minimum muscle loss?
^ I heard that in the mornings if you do cardio you can lose fat but youll also lose muscle :\ which im willing to accept because i'd say im a pretty fast gainer, but others say that doing cardio after working out is the best..:\

[UpNorth]

Current thinking is that interval training or HIIT will be best for fast loss/muscle retention mixed with continued weight lifting. Although HIIT and lifting should be done on different days.

At what time of the day you do HIIT is a debated topic but it boils down to one thing: it really doesn't make a difference and even if it does it won't be much of a difference. IMO I would do HIIT whenever it is most convienent for you.

Good luck with your goals and make sure to keep up the diet because as we all know that is THE MOST important part of the equation.

[T-Runner]

Okay, here's a very late reply to this question.

When I got in peak marathon shape, I would have a decent base mileage (over 50 miles a week) and was pretty lean. However, when I moved from the base-building phase to the three phases that included speedwork 2 days/wk, the little pouch at the bottom of my belly melted off no matter how much I ate. I was lifting 4 days/wk also.

In the long run, you can lose the weight either way. But if you do some sprinting or speedwork a couple of days a week, you'll see good results. As far as when to do it, I'd just do it when you're already working out. So build it into your daily run if you run on a given day (e.g., just add 4X200 to a run of a few miles) or do it at the end of a weight workout if you lift on a given day. Good luck.