Episode 53Mar 27, 2026· 6:11

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

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About this episode

This episode covers the lack of standardized definitions behind common fitness terms like HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and LISS (Low Intensity Steady State), arguing they function more as marketing labels than scientific categories. Annie Landry explains what each term loosely means in practice, then makes a specific case for women over 35: as recovery capacity declines and hormonal shifts increase,…

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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

Organized into 5 chapters — open any part to read the full text.

0:001. Intro and Annie Landry's Voice NoteAshley Grant introduces the episode and plays a voice note from Annie Landry, who sets up the problem of confusing fitness buzzwords for women over 35.0:532. What HIIT and LISS Actually MeanAnnie Landry explains that terms like HIIT and LISS have no standardized definitions and function more as marketing labels, then breaks down what each term loosely means in practice.2:063. Why Pairing HIIT and LISS Matters for Women Over 35Annie argues that as recovery capacity and hormonal balance shift after 35, combining short high-intensity sessions with consistent walking supports muscle, bone density, and stress management without spiking cortisol.3:174. Ashley's Reaction and Her Own Active Recovery RoutineAshley 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.5:115. Closing and Listener InvitationAshley wraps up with the takeaway to pair high and low intensity movement, thanks Annie, and invites listeners to submit their own voice notes at famousashleygrant.com/fitness.

Open full transcript

Mentioned in this episode

personAnnie Landry

Listener who submitted a voice note breaking down fitness buzzwords like HIIT and LISS and arguing they function more as marketing labels than scientific categories.

websitefamousashleygrant.com/fitness

Ashley's website where listeners can submit voice notes to share their fitness journey or tips for the show.

productZumba

Used by Ashley as an example of a branded class name that could just as easily be called Latin dancing or dance fitness — illustrating how fitness labels are marketing.

Key themes

Fitness buzzwords as marketing labels

Annie argues that terms like HIIT and LISS have no standardized scientific definitions and function more as marketing labels — what one trainer calls HIIT, another might just call circuit training.

What HIIT and LISS actually mean in practice

Annie breaks down the loose practical definitions of HIIT (short bursts of near-maximal effort) and LISS (sustained lower-effort movement like walking), while acknowledging even these definitions shift depending on who's using them.

Recovery capacity shifting after 35

Annie makes the case that as women move through their mid-30s and beyond, recovery capacity changes, hormonal shifts become more dramatic, and piling on intense workouts every day can backfire.

Pairing high and low intensity instead of choosing one

Both Annie and Ashley push back on the idea of going all-in on one intensity level, arguing that combining short high-intensity sessions with consistent walking serves different physical needs simultaneously.

Cortisol and the risk of always going high intensity

Ashley echoes Annie's point that constantly spiking cortisol through high-intensity workouts can raise stress and actually defeat the purpose of trying to strengthen the body or lose weight.

Ashley's personal active recovery schedule

Ashley shares that she personally schedules walking, yoga, or stretching on Wednesdays and Sundays so her muscles get a break before the next hard session.

Class names as interchangeable labels

Ashley riffs on how branded class names like Zumba, Latin dancing, and dance fitness are all just different labels for the same underlying movement, reinforcing Annie's point about marketing language.

Listening to your body

Ashley closes by framing the whole conversation around individual response — what helps depends on your body, so you have to listen to it rather than follow a fixed formula.

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