Straight to the Bar

All Things Strength

HELPING YOU GET STRONGER SINCE 2004

CrossFit vs HIIT: What Workout Is Better For Weight Loss?
Posted By Mike Beatty
Filed In : Articles | Favourites

CrossFit and HIIT are both intense workout styles. Each one provides unique training benefits but HIIT workouts are best for weight loss. 

As a gym owner and personal trainer, I’ve been there from the inception of both of these training styles. I’ve been using both CrossFit and HIIT to help my clients achieve their goals. When it comes to weight loss, HIIT has always been my go-to method.

In this article, I’ll explain why HIIT beats out CrossFit for weight loss. 

What is HIIT

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) involves intense, fast, short-duration cardiovascular training that requires switching between moderate and very intense exercise bouts. It is far more taxing than the traditional long, slow cardio sessions that are commonly seen in the cardio room of nearly every gym that you walk into. The constant change between fast and slow is not only a lot more challenging; it also burns a lot more calories – and in far less time.

HIIT can be done with just a single exercise, such as burpees or sprinting, or it may involve a series of different exercises performed in a circuit manner. 

All this means that HIIT workouts can be great for weight loss.

Bodyweight HIIT workout

The Origins of HIIT

HIIT evolved from the training practices of the Japanese national speed skating team in the early 2000s. The coach of the team, Azuni Tabata, put his athletes on a unique aerobic conditioning program. 

The program involved 20-second bursts of max intensity sprint work on a cycle, followed by a 10-second recovery. This was repeated for eight rounds. 

After eight weeks, the athletes were tested. Here are the key findings …

  • The athletes burned more calories in four minutes than they had previously done with a 30-minute steady-state workout.
  • During the sprint sessions, the athletes approached their VO2 max.
  • The average increase in VO2 max was 20%.
  • After the workout, an afterburn effect was activated that increased metabolism for up to 24 hours.
  • Aerobic fitness increased by an average of 28%.

The publications of the study results caused a sensation in the fitness world. Ever since then, HIIT has been a workout staple. There are now all sorts of HIIT variations. However, the basis of them all is to intersperse short-duration high-intensity work with quick recovery periods for repeated rounds. 

You can find a variety of kettlebell HIIT workouts here.

What is CrossFit

CrossFit is a branded style of training that could be considered a subset of HIIT. It involves moving rapidly between a series of functional exercises in a circuit. The exercises are grouped together to make up Workouts of the Day (WODs).  

But a CrossFit membership is not cheap. So is CrossFit worth it?

Let’s first figure out how it started…

The Origins of CrossFit

The CrossFit brand was registered in 2000 by founder Greg Glassman and Lauren Jenai. The pair opened a gym, or ‘box, in Santa Cruz, California. Workouts were posted online and became popular among the armed forces.  

There are now more than 15,000 CrossFit boxes around the world. Around 400,000 people use CrossFit as their main form of training, like Ben Polsen did for 30 days (see his results here). 

WODs combine calisthenics, cardio, and Olympic-style training. Crossfit LLC describes it as ‘constantly varied functional movements executed at high intensity across broad time and modal domains’.

A typical CrossFit box group workout will begin with a warm-up. This will be followed by a skill development session. Then the workout of the day is performed. The workout finishes with a group stretching session.

A popular series of WODS are the Hero workouts. These are performed to honor fallen military personnel, police officers, and firefighters. One of the most popular Hero WODs is Murph, which consists of the following:

  • One mile run
  • 100 Pull-Ups
  • 200 Push-Ups
  • 300 squats
  • One mile run

One of the huge benefits for CrossFit is that you just need a pair of weightlifting shoes and a membership and you’re good to go! The personal trainers will help with designing the workout and your form.

Snatch

The Differences Between CrossFit & HIIT

Both Crossfit and HIIT involve working at high intensity. However, there are some key differences between them.

1. CrossFit is More Social than HIIT

CrossFit is usually done in group settings. Group classes are very popular, as are 3-4 person WOD sessions. There is also a competitive nature of CrossFit.

In contrast, HIIT is usually performed in individual settings. It is more likely than Crossfit to be done at home rather than in a gym. 

You can set up a home gym for CrossFit, but it will take more equipment. Check out this example.

2. HIIT is More Flexible than CrossFit

When you join a CrossFit gym, you are expected to follow the same Workout of the Day as everybody else. With HIIT, however. you have the flexibility to create your own workout based on the sprint/rest concept. 

3. HIIT Always Use Work/Rest Intervals

Alternating sprint and rest periods is the basic concept behind HIIT training. With CrossFit, you sometimes do the same thing. But not always.

The closest thing to HIIT training that you’ll find in CrossFit is the Metcon workout. Metcon stands for metabolic conditioning. The two most popular forms of Metcon WOD are AMRAP and EMOM.

AMRAP stands for ‘as many reps as possible’. You set your timer to count down from a given time and try to do as many reps as you can of the 3-5 WOD exercises. 

EMOM stands for ‘every minute on the minute’. This type of workout divides every minute of the workout into a work period and a rest period. For example, you could do 40 seconds of work and then 20 seconds of rest every minute. 

EMOM workouts are the closest Crossfit training style to HIIT. 

4. Crossfit is More Complex

HIIT should be done with relatively simple exercises that can be performed at super high intensity. 

In comparison, CrossFit involves a range of quite technical Olympic exercises, as well as gymnastics moves, such as muscle-ups. It requires more training to learn the proper exercise technique.

CrossFit vs HIIT: Which is Better for Weight Loss?

HIIT is better for weight loss than CrossFit. That is because it sustains a higher metabolism throughout the workout to burn more calories while you are exercising. 

CrossFit was created as holistic training to improve strength, conditioning, flexibility, aerobic capacity, and fat loss. HIIT, though, is made for fat loss. 

HIIT Produces an Afterburn Effect

High Intensity Interval Training does a more effective job than CrossFit of bringing on the EPOC effect. EPOC stands for enhanced post-exercise oxygen consumption. It is also known as the afterburn effect. 

When Tabata did his experiments he found that subjects worked close to VO2 max. This is the  maximum oxygen the body uses in exercise. The more your muscles have to work, the more the body uses. High intensity work like this means that the body has what is called an afterburn where metabolism increases. 

HIIT workouts burn a lot of fat during exercise. They also burn more calories for at least 24 hours after the workout!

HIIT Helps You Retain Muscle as You Lose Fat

HIIT workouts help you to retain muscle tissue as you lose weight.

One problem encountered by folks doing cardio for fat loss is that they may lose muscle tissue. Just take a look at the difference between sprinters and long-distance runners. 

Sprinters look muscular and sinewy. Long-distance runners have lost a lot more muscle. So if you want to really change your shape and not just become smaller and yet keep your belly fat then HIIT is the way to do it right.

In addition, high-intensity cardio in the form of sprint work can actually add mass to the quadriceps.

HIIT is More Versatile than CrossFit

One of the biggest benefits of HIIT is that it can be done anywhere.

The principles of HIIT can be applied without any equipment and therefore can be done anywhere, including outside in the fresh air down at the local park. This makes it more accessible as a means of weight loss than CrossFit.

HIIT also involves exercises that are easier to perform than CrossFit. That reduces the chance of injury and requires less technique skill.

HIIT is More Time Efficient than CrossFit

A Tabata HIIT workout involves eight rounds of 20-second sprint/ 10-second rest intervals. That’s a total of just four minutes of training time. Add a two-minute warm-up and cooldown on either side and you’ve got a super-effective fat-burning workout that lasts for only 8 minutes. 

It is, therefore, a very time-efficient method of fat-burning and more effective for fat loss in time taken than CrossFit. 

HIIT Makes You Fitter AND Leaner

HIIT training brings benefits in the areas of blood pressure, sensitivity to insulin, the cardiovascular system, and aerobic and anaerobic systems. 

Tabata’s results showed an increase in anaerobic fitness by up to 28%. His subjects had stronger hearts and could perform faster and for longer after training. If you want to not only look strong and healthy but be strong and healthy, you have simply got to HIIT it.

benefits of HIIT workout

Summary

HIIT is a better way to train for weight loss than Crossfit. It will burn more calories during the workout, produce a greater after burn effect and help you to retain muscle tissue as you lose weight. 

HIIT is also short duration.  A Tabata HIIT workout will only take eight minutes, including the warm-up and cooldown. If you value your time and don’t have a lot of it to spare for training then HIIT is the way to go.

Check out these super effective HIIT workouts you can do right in your own home. 

Over to you. Drop us a line on Twitter ( @scottbird ), or add a comment below.

Cheers.

 

NB : if you love talking about strength-training as much as I do, you might also like to check out the weekly newsletter (there's also a daily version available). A regular dose of fitness-focussed discussions, absolutely free.

1 Comment

  1. Scott Bird

    Great article Mike. Love doing a spot of HIIT work myself – big fan.

    Reply

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Monday, 20 Jun 2022 | Strength & Fitness Newsletter - […] CrossFit vs HIIT: What Workout Is Better For Weight Loss?Mike Beatty | Follow @stronghomegymAbsolutely. […]

Leave a Reply

What's This?

Straight to the Bar is the online home of fitness enthusiast Scott Bird, and looks at the many training approaches, essential techniques, uncommon exercises and superb equipment to help you become as strong as humanly possible. In short, this site is the home of all things strength.

images of strength

Strong.

Want to see (and learn) more Feats of Strength like this? Dive in.

Just Joined Us? Try These.

There are some incredible writers on the team here. To give you an idea, check these out :

If you enjoyed these, check out the complete ‘Best Of Straight to the Bar‘ list. Fantastic.

setting up a home gym?

If you’re getting ready to put together a solid Home Gym (fantastic thing), here’s how.

For more, swing by the full guide. Absolutely free.

And of course, you’ll find everything you need over in the SttB Strength Store. Massive range.

Ever Tried Kettlebells?

If you’ve seen people using them but never taken the plunge yourself, here are the ones I use personally. You can also pick up a book/DVD/course if you want to learn how to put them to work.

Ready To Learn Even More?

I love learning new skills, and the many seminars & workshops available are a great way to do that. If you’re looking for a specific type of workshop nearby, check out the ones on Dragon Door. Great mix of kettlebell and calisthenics-based offerings.

The Precision Nutrition Certification Program

The Precision Nutrition Certification Program

The Precision Nutrition Certification Program.

If you’re a fitness professional and love the Precision Nutrition approach, check out their certification offering. To say it’s comprehensive is an understatement.

Wherever You Are, We Are.

In addition to the main site, you can share your strength-training passion with a like-minded community on :

Wherever you like to hang out, get your regular dose of strength. Straight to the Bar.

Written By Mike Beatty
Mike Beatty is an author for Straight to the Bar and Founder of Strong Home Gym ( @stronghomegym ). He is a qualified Physical Education teacher, writer, podcaster and home gym enthusiast. He helps people set up a home gym on any budget with advice on how to make the most out of your equipment and space available.
Drawing of Scott Andrew Bird performing a deadlift. Artwork by Vince Palko.