LISS cardio
Redirected from "LIT cardio"
Also known as: Low-intensity steady-state cardio, LIT cardio, Low-intensity training
LISS stands for low-intensity steady state. LISS cardio is continuous cardio performed at a deliberately easy, fairly steady intensity. It is a common form of LIT, short for low-intensity training, which is a broader umbrella for easy training and does not require a perfectly steady workload. The terms overlap but are not exact synonyms. Brisk walking, easy cycling, gentle rowing, or relaxed jogging can all qualify when the effort stays low and relatively stable for the person doing it.
LISS does not define one precisely standardized physiological zone. Pace, incline, resistance, and duration can vary between sessions. Within a LISS session, the workload is continuous and relatively steady, without deliberate hard intervals. This distinguishes it from HIIT, which alternates hard work with recovery. Two people may still need very different speeds or power outputs to perform the same relative low-intensity session.
LISS and Zone 2 training often overlap in everyday fitness language, but they are not exact synonyms. LISS describes a continuous, relatively steady low-effort format, whereas Zone 2 attempts to specify an intensity near an aerobic threshold and can be prescribed with continuous, variable, or interval-type sessions. Device manufacturers and coaching systems also set their zone boundaries differently. A review of exercise-intensity prescription concluded that fixed percentages of maximum heart rate or aerobic capacity often place different people in different physiological intensity domains.
The main advantage of LISS is manageability. It is usually easier to repeat, extend, and combine with strength training and endurance goals than frequent hard intervals. It can build an aerobic base and contribute to weekly activity with less acute strain than HIIT, but duration still creates training load. A long walk with hills or a lengthy bike ride is not automatically negligible just because the pace feels easy.
LISS is also not automatically active recovery. A brief easy session may feel restorative, whereas a long session can add meaningful fatigue. Judge it by its actual effect on your performance and recovery. For endurance development, progress can come from gradually extending duration, increasing frequency, or modestly raising pace while the intended easy effort remains stable.