Episode 53Mar 27, 2026· 6:11

Wait, Is HIIT Just a Marketing Label? What Fitness Buzzwords Actually Mean

About this episode

That class you've been scared to try might not be as intense as its name suggests, and that "easy" walk might be doing more for you than you think. Fitness expert Annie Landry breaks down what HIIT and LISS actually mean from an exercise science standpoint (hint: the fitness industry has been a little loose with those definitions), and why women over thirty-five specifically may want to stop chasing intensity every…

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MaryMay 22, 2026

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I found this podcast completely by accident, and now it’s my constant companion on trips.

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Who this episode is for

This episode may resonate with you if:

You're a fitness instructor or personal trainer trying to explain to clients why class names like 'HIIT' or 'metabolic conditioning' don't map cleanly onto what you're actually programming for them.

You're a woman in your late 30s or 40s who keeps hearing 'hormone-friendly workouts' and 'fat-burning zones' and wants a plain-language breakdown of what any of it actually means for your training.

You've been doing high-intensity workouts five or six days a week and feel like you're working hard but not seeing results — or you're consistently tired and sore.

You're trying to build a weekly workout schedule that includes recovery days but aren't sure what 'active recovery' actually looks like in practice.

You work in fitness marketing or content and are thinking about how class naming conventions shape what people expect from a workout before they even show up.

What you’ll learn

Treat fitness buzzwords like HIIT and LISS as marketing labels, not scientific categories

Pair short high-intensity sessions with consistent walking instead of going all-out every day

Recognize that piling on intense workouts every day can backfire by spiking cortisol

Schedule specific low-intensity days rather than leaving recovery to chance

Questions this episode helps answer

what does HIIT actually mean

answered

Annie explains that HIIT has no universally standardized definition — it's more of a marketing label than a strict scientific category, though in exercise physiology it usually means short bursts of near-maximal effort followed by recovery.

"here's the truth. There's no universally standardized definition of terms like HIT and LIS in the fitness world. There are more like marketing labels than strict scientific categories. What one trainer calls HIT, another might just call circuit training."

is LISS just walking

answered

Annie says LISS — low-intensity steady state — can be walking, but the definition is slippery: some in the fitness industry also call running LISS, which shows how tricky these labels get.

"steady state. That's your sustained, lower -effort movement. Walking, easy cycling, inclined treadmill. something you can do while breathing through your nose and having a conversation. But some in the fitness industry refer to running as list training as well, so you can see how these definitions can get tricky. Now here's where this becomes"

why do fitness class names mean different things

answered

Ashley reflects that all the different class names — Zumba, dance fitness, Latin dancing — are basically just marketing labels for different forms of movement, and the same logic applies to HIIT and LISS.

"labels. So is it Zumba or is it just Latin dancing? Is it Latin dancing or is it dance fitness? Is it dance fitness or is it just shaking your ass to the music? You know, it's funny thinking about this because whenever I've heard different people refer to different things, it's all just. different forms of movement right and yes some of it is"

is high intensity exercise every day too much

answered

Both Annie and Ashley say going high intensity all the time can backfire — spiking cortisol raises stress and can actually defeat the purpose of trying to strengthen your body, which is why Ashley personally schedules active recovery days on Wednesdays and Sundays.

"backfire. Whenever you're spiking your cortisol levels, it can actually raise your stress. And it not only raises your stress, sometimes it actually defeats the whole purpose of what you're trying to do, which is trying to strengthen your body and help you lose weight. So I think that's"

how should I work out differently after 35

answered

Annie's view is to pair short, intentional high-intensity sessions with consistent walking — the higher-intensity work maintains muscle, power, and bone density, while walking supports recovery and stress management without spiking cortisol, because "the goal isn't to train like you're 22."

"combining short, intentional, high -intensity sessions with consistent walking. The HIIT, or higher -intensity intervals, help maintain muscle, power, bone density, and metabolic health. The walking, your LIS, supports recovery, blood sugar regulation, stress management, and overall daily expenditure without spiking cortisol through"

Setting expectations: This episode is not a deep dive into exercise science or a structured guide to building a workout program. It's a short, conversational episode where a listener voice note explains that terms like HIIT and LISS are mostly marketing labels, followed by Ashley riffing on that idea and sharing how she personally schedules walking and yoga on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Tone & style

Opinion and personal experience from a guest voice note and the host. No cited research. Annie acknowledges upfront that fitness terms like HIIT and LISS have no universally standardized definitions.

toneUpbeat & practical

focusDemystifying fitness buzzwords like HIIT and LISS — which Annie Landry argues are more marketing labels than scientific categories — and making a case for pairing high and low intensity movement rather than defaulting to all-out effort every session.

stylecasual_chat

energymedium

complexitybeginner

pressure Levellow

emotional Textureupbeat, conversational, light

Notable quotes

"here's the truth. There's no universally standardized definition of terms like HIT and LIS in the fitness world. There are more like marketing labels than strict scientific categories. What one trainer"

— Famous Ashley Grant

"labels. So is it Zumba or is it just Latin dancing? Is it Latin dancing or is it dance fitness? Is it dance fitness or is it just shaking your ass to the music? You know, it's funny thinking about"

— Famous Ashley Grant

"isn't to train like you're 22. It's to train in a way that supports strength, longevity, and feeling amazing in your body for decades to come."

— Famous Ashley Grant

"move every single day. But having the days on Wednesdays and Sundays where I walk or just do yoga or just more stretching, that's really beneficial to me. It makes me feel like my muscles are getting that break that they need so that, you know,"

— Famous Ashley Grant

Episode transcript

5 chapters — tap to expand the full text

Ashley reflects on Annie's message, riffs on class names being marketing labels, and shares how she personally schedules walking and yoga on Wednesdays and Sundays to give her muscles a break.