Ah, Cardio.  One of the most reviled forms of working out, but one of my favorite.  There’s a lot of confusion and mystery surrounding cardio.  What is “cardio”?  Well, the word cardio refers to your cardiovascular system so really anything that gets your heart rate up and gets you breathing heavier can be considered a cardio workout.
But what makes the “best” cardio? Well, that depends on who you are and your personal goals.  There are many forms of cardio so I’ll explain a few of them here.

One of the most common forms of cardio is starting to get a bad rap, being called “long slow hamster-on-a-wheel” cardio.  This includes things like walking or jogging or sitting on a stationery cycle for countless minutes or hours. I’ll agree, some of that stuff is pretty boring.  But that doesn’t negate it as a valid and good form of cardio for many people.  If other forms of cardio are too difficult for the very overweight, or out of shape, or elderly, this kind of cardio may be the only option until they can improve their fitness levels to sustain more difficult forms of cardio (as listed below).

Another type of cardio is referred to as Interval Training.  This can be done with many kinds of exercise including running, cycling, biking, rowing, swimming or even walking.  This type of cardio includes going faster for a set period of time followed by going slower for a set period of time.  For instance you could sprint for 30 seconds and then walk quickly for 60 seconds.  This is a great way to burn a lot of calories in a very short period of time.  Another way to incorporate Intervals into your cardio might be to include many hills in your endurance run or bike ride.  The hills provide the natural ‘harder’ phase while the flat areas and downhills provide the ‘active rest’ phase.

Yet another type of cardio is to incorporate intensity into your weights routines such as putting two or three exercises together into what is called a “SuperSet”, where you work one muscle group, then another (and possibly another) without resting in between sets.  One muscle group rests while the other muscle group works but overall you don’t stop moving completely from one set to another.  But the time all your sets are done for that SuperSet, you’ll definitely feel a spike in your cardiovascular system.

Finally, incorporating cardio into a weights routine can also be done by doing “full body compound” moves instead of isolation moves.  These include exercises such as Squat Presses (a squat and a dumbbell shoulder press done at the same time).  When you are doing these types of exercises, because your full body is working very hard to do move that many muscle groups at once, it definitely gets your heart rate up substantially.  Make it even harder by putting your two favorite full body compound moves into a SuperSet.  That’ll make you sweat!!

So, next time its time for your cardio workout, try any of these as a way to change things up and keep your cardio interesting.

For more cool info on this subject, check out this article: Interval Training Explained

igh intensity interval training is an easy way to burn all those fat and calories in your body without exerting yourself much. This mode of interval training with much higher and intense cardio level has become a rage in bodybuilding industry, for its benefit of helping a body burn fat to a greater extent.

The major benefit of HITT or high intensity interval training is that it lets you lose all the fat. HITT is also known as conventional form cardio vascular exercise, with better and efficient outcome for every workout lover or bodybuilder.

The very old form of cardiovascular workouts talked about losing weight by exercising at low intensity or low interval for a longer period of time, but high intensity interval training is a modern form of cardio that depends on the technique of working out intensely at an interval ranging from light to moderate level.

This very fact that HITT works opposite to conventional cardiovascular technique, makes it as the upgraded version of the latter form of exercise.

Since, high intensity interval training technique is based on intense workouts with low and medium pace in alteration, rather than a continuous pace, therefore it also tends to burn more fat and that too in less time span.

The major benefit of HITT or high intensity interval training is the fact that on a normal exercise routine your body gets accustomed to the pace and exertion and thus does not lose the amount of calories you wished for.

Also by becoming accustomed to the intensity of normal cardio exercise your body also starts conserving some calories, as it goes in a steady or stable mode. So when working with alternate and intense level of exercise, your body is not able to go into a steady or stable state and thus keeps on losing or burning fat and calories without getting a chance to store them.

HITT also has its cons which makes it ‘not-suitable’ for a particular category of people involved in workouts or cardio trainings. The very reason is the level of intensity involved in it, which makes it risky for people having medical constraints like those having heart or cardiovascular difficulties.

Another reason that makes some people stay away from benefits of HITT is the fact that not every one is capable enough to workout at the requirement of this high intensity interval training program, for it requires a greater physical input.

This form of cardio may sound tough and little too unreasonable, but there are techniques to make yourself accustomed to the intensity and level of HITT. The trick here is to begin at a low pace for 5 to 6 minutes, increasing the pace to high speed and then again coming back to 4 to 6 minutes of low pace workout, finally moving on to 2 to 3 minutes of low pace along with high paced workout.

The basic idea behind the high intensity interval training is of doing a cardiovascular exercise (ranging from cycling, brisk walking, running, and treadmill walking or elliptical training) with alternate level of pace including a half or full minute interval or break before change of pace from low to high or high to low. All this is based on the aim of progressive fat burn result in much quicker and faster way, therefore for every bodybuilder HITT or high intensity interval training makes a sense when indulge in a strict fat burn or weight loss regime.

You can always reduce your gym time by introducing high intensity interval training in your weekly exercise routine, as with HITT you need not spend regular amount of hours you do on normal level of training, also with HITT you need to workout only 4 to 5 times a week or may be even 3 to 4 times depending upon the level of intensity you are involved in.

HITT is easily disguised with the amount of huffing and puffing it brings to a person, so if you are sweating and breathing good then you are burning all your fat with high intensity interval training version of modern exercise.

General HIIT Guidelines which everyone should follow as they start practicing the HIIT regime regularly:

Prior to starting with HIIT training, always make sure you have the potential to work out for at least 20 to 30 minutes at no less than 70-85% of your expected maximum heart rate, without draining yourself to a limit.

Also, it is very important to warm up and cool down for 5 minutes, every time, before and after each HIIT session.

While recovery intervals, if your heart rate does not go down back to nearly 70% of your maximum heart rate, it means that you need to cut down your intense work intervals and extend your recovery intervals.

Always keep in mind that HIIT is designed for people whose key interests are enhancing their cardiovascular fitness, stamina and fat loss, on the whole, without losing the muscle mass they already retain.

Since it is an intense mode of workout, you are required to give your complete effort and intense level of output before you switch your pace level from high to medium or low. In simple words, exercise as hard and as intensely as you can and then go back to a 2 or 3 minute of low pace workout to recover. This is the very reason that makes HITT a faster and quicker form of workout.

For those involved in a routine high intensity interval training program, it is advised that do not ignore the importance of taking a minute or 30 second interval when changing the pace. Also, stop and calm down when feeling chest pain or having trouble in breathing. This is also why even those who are new to the muscle building routine tend to ignore HITT. Thus, the intense level of program in HITT is not recommended for any person who comes in the category of either having a health problem or being a newcomer, unless the physician or the doctor has given them a go for performing such level of cardiovascular activities.

Many bodybuilders do cardio only by the clock. They know they have to hop on the treadmill and knock out 30 or 45 minutes’ worth of plugging away, and they’re done. Some more educated bodybuilders will occasionally attempt to tailor their program, opting for custom incline/intensity levels or perhaps keeping an eye on calories burned. The most intelligent bodybuilders will take heart rate into consideration when completing their cardio, in order to garner the most effective results.

Bodybuilders should be training at their optimal heart rate, which is 50 to 60 percent of their maximum heart rate. There are several steps to calculating this number.

- First, find your maximum heart rate (MHR). This is easy. Subtract your age from the number 220. If you are 30 years old, then your maximum heart rate is 220 minus 30, or 190

- Next, multiply your MHR by .50, and write down this number. This is you’re your optimal minimum.

- Next, multiply your MHR by .60, and write down this number. This number is your optimal maximum.

Now, as you complete your cardio, try to keep your heart rate between your optimal minimum and optimal maximum. It’s that easy!

In bodybuilding, “the more the better!” axiom often rings true. The more weight you lift, the bigger your muscles become. The more food you eat, the bigger you get. The more sleep you get, the better rested you become. However, in the case of cardio training intensity, more is not necessarily better. Training at heart rates of 70% or more will lead to the body consuming muscle to keep up with such an intense workload, instead of utilizing carbohydrates in the body or fat stores.

Training at levels of 50 to 60 percent is perfect for bodybuilders. If you find that 30 minutes at 50-60% is not leading to desired loss of body fat, raise the duration to 45 minutes, or use a split session (one in the morning and one following your weight training). If this additional cardio training does not help, it’s time to re-evaluate your current diet and supplementation program. Cut daily calories by 300-500, add ECA or Tridenosen, and you should be on your way to a leaner physique.

’s Got At Least 4 Minutes To Workout!

In the real world, there will be days when we simply do not have enough time to perform the ideal full-length 20-minute interval cardio workouts (not including a highly recommended 5-minute warm-up and cool-down).

In most instances, the typical approach we take is to just skip the workout altogether. The flawed assumption here is that no significant results can occur in less than 30 minutes anyways. However, this could not be further from the truth! Both our clients and we have discovered just how much can happen in 4 minutes with the right approach to training. So basically, there is no room for excuses as we all have at least 4 minutes on any given day to workout

It’s not about time… IT’S ALL ABOUT INTENSITY!

The key to these cardio interval workouts is INTENSITY. In both scientific research and real world studies, time and time again one thing is clear: Intensity is truly the only thing that makes your body change! Intensity is the key to ripping off ugly, unwanted body fat and gaining lean, sexy muscle.

As much as we’d love to claim we’ve reinvented the wheel here, this intensity principle is nothing new in the fitness world. Even as far back as 1994 in the Metabolism Journal researchers discovered the following: each calorie you expend during high-intensity exercise burns 9 times more fat than the same calorie expended during steady state aerobic exercise! Don’t believe this? Well, trust us when we say that you definitely will become a believer in intensity after performing your first interval workout. It’s really the coolest thing in the world. It’s like you just flip the switch to building the body of your dreams. See below to learn more about why this happens:

The Role of HIGH-Intensity Exercise

- Embraces the Carb-Burning Zone: High-Intensity exercise rapidly reducing muscle glycogen (stored sugar) during training which promotes enhanced total body fat-burning at all other times of day.

- Burns a TON of Calories Both During AND After Exercise: This phenomenon is due to the post-workout “AFTERBURN” know as EPOC which describes the number of calories your body expends in the recovery of your metabolism back to pre-exercise levels from high-intensity training. The best part about EPOC is that you control it, meaning that the harder you work during training the more calories your body will burn BOTH during your workout AND for up to 24-48 hours after completing your workout!

- Creates the Optimal Hormonal Environment for Fat Loss: High-Intensity exercise puts your body in a “fight or flight” mode that forces your body to CHANGE as a means of survival. More specifically, your body releases catecholamines (primarily adrenaline) in response to interval training that directly mobilizes stored body fat so that it can be burnt off as energy during activity.

The 4-Minute Rapid Fat Loss Cardio Program

How to Get 4-Minute Equipment-Free Fat Loss in Your Living Room!

This Workout Muse Cardio EXPRESS features the breakthrough Tabata Protocol that Japanese scientists used to compare the effects of only 4 minutes of high-intensity interval training to a slow, long 60-minute steady-state aerobic alternative. They found GREATER FAT LOSS and GREATER IMPROVEMENTS IN FITNESS with the following 4-minute interval routine versus the full hour of aerobics!

Each workout takes only 4 minutes, not including the highly recommended warm-up. In all, you will be in the shower 10 short minutes after breaking your first bead of sweat

Cardio EXPRESS

Are You Ready For TABATAS?

- 5-minute warm-up (optional, but highly recommended)

- Select the appropriate Tabatas Variation for your current fitness level:

Level I- Beginners- Modified Tabatas: 10 s on, 20 s off

- 10 s on (sprint), 20 s off (recover)- 1:2 work to rest ratio – Repeat this 30 s round 8x for 4 total minutes

Level II- Intermediate- Modified Tabatas: 15 s on, 15 s off

- 15 s on (sprint), 15 s off (recover)- 1:1 work to rest ratio – Repeat this 30 s round 8x for 4 total minutes

Level III- Advanced- Original Tabatas: 20 s on, 10 s off

- 20 s on (sprint), 10 s off (recover)- 2:1 work to rest ratio – Repeat this 30 s round 8x for 4 total minutes

The Top 6 Body Weight Cardio Exercises

Choose either one exercise below and perform it for the full duration of your workout OR feel free to switch to different exercises from round to round to mix things up and get a little more variety:

1.) Stationary Running

2.) Jumping Claps (Modified Jumping Jack)

3.) Cross-Country Skier

4.) Mountain Climber

5.) Burpee Variation

6.) Shadow Boxing or Kickboxing

Perform These Cardio Workouts Only On Days:

- When you truly have NO TIME for the prescribed full-length 20-minute interval workouts (e.g. travel days)

- For an extra metabolic boost during the day to accelerate fat loss (immediately in the morning or 4-6 hours before/after your main workout of the day)

- Before a “free meal” to serve as a bit of damage control so that your body is primed to use the extra carbs and calories from this meal for muscle growth and recovery while minimizing fat-storage (don’t push this too far – this is not an excuse to go hog-wild!)

IMPORTANT NOTE-

Feel free to perform this protocol with any mode of cardio exercise (e.g. outdoor/treadmill running, cycling, etc.). We have simply provided the best equipment-free cardio exercises for the utmost simplicity and convenience.

You can even employ body weight resistance training exercises (squats, push-ups, lunges, etc.) or other resistance training exercises using dumbbells, bands, sandbags, etc. to perform these express workouts. Use your imagination to explore the infinite possibilities for endless variety and to keep your workouts exciting, fun, and fresh!

Taking good care of your body is something many people take for granted. Witness the increasing problem with obesity in this country and we can all start to see why this is true. If you are overweight then you need to understand why the fat loss benefits associated with cardio training are so important. It is one of the best ways to maintain overall bodily health and weight.

So just what is cardio or aerobic training? It is physical activity that uses the largest muscles in the body in a continuous and uninterrupted manner, usually in a repetitive motion. To be most effective your heart rate needs to be elevated to 60 to 85 percent of its maximum rate. These types of activities can include walking, jogging, aerobics, biking, swimming, and any other activity that keeps your heart rate at a sustained level.

Here are 5 good reasons that cardiovascular exercise can help you meet your fat loss goals.

1. Energizes the body and mind – As your fitness levels increase with regular exercise you will find you have more energy during the day which helps you concentrate on the tasks at hand.

2. Disease prevention – The thing that is great about cardio training is the workout your cardiovascular system gets. It strengthens the heart and lungs and the fat loss benefits include reducing the effects of diabetes and lowering cholesterol levels.

3. Weight reduction and control – One of the hardest parts of any weight loss attempt is keeping the weight off once it’s been lost. Aerobic training not only helps you lose the fat but it also keeps it off if you stick to your exercise routine.

4. Loss of body fat – When it comes to weight loss this is what everyone wants. Excess body fat is not something anyone desires and cardio training helps burn away those excess calories and reshape your body.

5. It’s a great stress reliever – With all of the stress that modern life throws at us spending that half hour to hour working out can help relieve many of life’s stresses which leads to a healthier mind and body.

But remember that in order to gain these fat loss health benefits from cardio training you need to stick to your program. Be consistent to the point that it becomes habit and before long you’ll feel like you are missing out if you miss a workout.

So no matter what age you are, if you are not in shape you have probably wondered about getting in shape. You have probably made some type of New Years resolution, and you have probably gotten a membership at a gym too. The problem with many people is if they do not see the finish line they will not finish the race. Losing weight and getting into shape is a long process, like a marathon, it can be such a long process that it can get frustrating because all we want is our hot bodies and our perfect butts “right now.” But unless you plan on getting liposuction or some rubber band put around your stomach, results may take awhile, oh and by the way just because you lose weight does not mean you are in shape. So what happens when your only goal is to lose weight and you hit your plateau and the scale stops going down? What is going to motivate you to keep on doing your workouts and why even do cardio workouts, if all you want to do is lose weight? Well, you might be surprised on how many different things can benefit your body when you do a lot of cardio.

Besides weight loss, there are a lot of long-term benefits that happen when you do cardio, you get a stronger heart and healthier lungs, who doesn’t want that? Doing a cardio workout will give you more energy, which directly affects how you perform during the day, with your job, and your family, because if you have kids you need energy. It reduces stress; that alone is why we should all be doing cardio. Stress sucks, and hardly anybody likes it and less stress means better sleep. Now it is not about how long you sleep, but it is better sleep, healthier sleep. Have you ever heard of the term quality over quantity? Well this is quality and quantity. Cardio increases bone density, and it reduces the risk of cancer and heart disease. If you struggle with depression and anxiety, than a cardio workout can temporarily relieve you of your depression and you will feel better about yourself. It will also make you feel better about yourself, raise your self-esteem a little; we all need to feel better about ourselves. But if we take our focus off ourselves for a moment, having a cardio routine can set a great example for our kids, so that they can grow up and have healthy long lives, a healthy life can be passed down to your kids.

So with all this knowledge, how many times and for how long do you need to workout to get these benefits? Well, I will give you a couple options; some say you need to do 30 – 60 minutes of cardio three to five days a week, and some other people say if you have a heavy workout you can do three day a week, for 20 minutes. You can choose, but just getting out there and doing something active is great. If you want to have someone guide you, try P90X, it is a great workout routine that will guide you in great cardio workouts and strength workouts.

ease is the number one killer in the United States today. If you have certain risks factors, it is critical that you take measures to improve and maintain good cardio health. Keep reading to discover what you can do to naturally improve your heart function for a long and healthy life.

1. Lose weight. This should be at the top of your list to get into good physical health overall, but it is especially important to your cardio health. Overweight people are at a higher risk for developing diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and even certain types of cancer. Obesity will also cause your heart to pump harder which can lead to long term damage.

2. Stop smoking. This killer habit can put you at a much higher risk for heart attack and stroke. Smoking is one of the most preventable causes of heart disease there is. So if you smoke stop. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you live with a smoker, insist that they not smoke around you. Second hand smoke can do just as much, if not more, damage to your lungs.

3. Exercise. Your heart is a muscle. The best way to develop any muscle is through exercise. This includes your heart muscle. Exercise gets your blood pumping and makes your heart stronger. It also reduces cholesterol levels and helps to reduce stress.

4. Eat heart healthy foods. Foods that are rich in potassium are good for your heart. You should also try to avoid foods that are high in sodium because sodium will make you retain excess water and put a strain on your heart muscle. Studies have shown that foods that are rich in omega 3 fatty acids are good for your heart. Stop eating the high calorie, high fat junk foods and start eating a diet rich in fiber, fruit and vegetables.

5. Lower your stress levels. This can be easier said than done. We all lead busy, stressful lives. If you feel that you are under too much stress, investigate ways to decrease these stress levels. There may be some things you cannot change, but some things you can. If you are trying to be perfect in everything you do, stop. Nobody is perfect and trying to achieve perfection will cause unneeded stress in your life. Find something that you can do that will de-stress you. Some people like to exercise while others engage in their favorite hobby. Whatever you, do try to lower your stress level to protect your heart from the damage that ongoing stress can cause.

So there you have five great tips on how to improve and maintain your cardio health. Use these tips wisely and develop a few of your own. Keep your cardiovascular system healthy and lower your risk for heart disease.

Are you concentrating on the physical aspects when contemplating the best cardio workout for weight loss? Don’t stop there! Once you discover the psychological benefits, you will become hooked on fitness. Countless studies have proven the mood-enhancing effects of a 20 or 30 minute workout. From teens to seniors will experience this uplifting, invigorating result. Geared to create your new body? Ready to get ripped to burn belly fat? Let’s see why a cardio workout for weight loss delivers the goods every time.

Ten vital benefits of a stretching, strength training, weight loss cardio workout:

1. Outwits osteoporosis

2. Trounces type 2 diabetes

3. Helps heart health

4. Whittles down weight

5. Diminishes mild depression

6. Spruces up sleep quality

7. Promotes mind-power

8. Improves self-image

9. Fine-tunes flexibility

10. Elevates energy levels

Now, how do you go about making this impressive list of benefits your own? Mention the word ‘exercise’ and many folks visualize expensive gym memberships, bulge-revealing gym mirrors and staring eyes. Relax! You really don’t have to go this route if it isn’t for you. There are dozens of ways to reach your fitness goals. Aim to include the following three components in your exercise routine:

Aerobic Training: This refers to those activities that get your heart really pumping and your breathing thoroughly revved up. Now, you don’t need to invest in heavy-duty elliptical exercise equipment to achieve this. You can simply come up with a range of informal, enjoyable family activities. Anything from mountain biking, to walking or dancing will do.

Flexibility Training: The second leg of your cardio workout for weight loss, should include some stretching exercises to increase your flexibility. This is another way of preventing injuries, as it enables your joints, ligaments and muscles to stretch and bend with ease. It also helps to prevent the stiffness that is often associated with aging. Here some basic yoga exercises or an exercise band will do the trick.

Strength Training: Strength training is vital to increase your lean muscle mass. Again, you don’t need expensive home gym equipment. Many reputable, budget, fat-burning programs take you by the hand in your weight loss quest. In these, experts give you step-by-step instructions for using little more than a bench and a set of dumbbells to get you to your weight training quota. Remember to work on your core-strength (mid-section) as well. This is one of the best ways to strengthen your back, in order to prevent back injuries.

The great thing about weight training is that it really turns your body into a calorie-crunching furnace. Your goal is to up your lean muscle mass, while reducing your body fat. This equips you with a super-efficient metabolism that continues to burn calories even while you sleep. Doesn’t that sound great? Compare this scenario to fad diets that are likely to put your metabolism on a go-slow strike, by shifting all your body-gears into starvation mode.

That’s all there is to it. You can try to work up to 30 minutes four or five days a week for maximum benefits. Just make sure that you get some expert advice when you start out. Consult your doctor if you haven’t been training for a while, or if you have any illness or injury.

There is no area of your being that will remain untouched by a regular, relaxed weight loss cardio workout. Just imagine the dividends in terms of the positive effect it will have on your self-image, the way you will carry yourself, the way your clothes will fit, and the mood-lifting endorphins that will be produced. This is your recipe for health and wellbeing.

The most important thing to do, is to put the fun back into fitness. If you enjoy what you are doing, you will keep it up. If you include the rest of the family, you are also more likely to stay with it. It really doesn’t have to be a drag. If you prefer to combine your cardio workout for weight loss with a health club membership, by all means go for it. But if you can’t afford it, don’t let this fact stop you from creating your new, healthy, toned body.

Can you think of anything more torturous than spending an hour pedaling away on a bike or plodding along on the treadmill? You’re not alone. Most exercise enthusiasts dread conventional cardio – why?

Because it’s b-o-r-i-n-g.

So why do it at all? The goal of a cardio workout is to lose the unwanted inches and to develop the efficiency of your heart and lungs. But new studies are out that show our slow-go cardio sessions may not be as effective for burning off that holiday bulge as we thought.

When you plod along on the treadmill at an even pace, your body enters what is called a steady state. This means that your body has adjusted to the pace and is now trying to conserve energy.

Conserve energy? But I thought the point was to burn energy?

And so your dilemma goes: You can’t stand the monotony of traditional cardio and it leaves you with less than satisfactory results. So what should you do?

The answer is HIIT, a new training technique that blasts both boredom and fat.

“In research, HIIT has been shown to burn adipose (fat) tissue more effectively than low-intensity exercise – up to 50% more efficiently.”

“HIIT speeds up your metabolism and keeps it revved up for some time after your workout. The bottom line is that HIIT training burns a greater number of total calories than low-intensity training, and more calories burned equals less fat on your body.”

What is HIIT?

High-Intensity Interval Training: is an exercise strategy that improves performance with short training sessions. These sessions involve a warm up period, several short, maximum-intensity efforts that are separated by moderate recovery intervals, and a cool down period.

In other words, your 60 minutes of low-intensity cardio is replaced with more effective, High Intensity Interval Training for as little as 15 minutes. The addition of explosions of speed into your comfortable pace will increase your power, muscle tone, speed, strength, endurance and best of all will melt the inches off.

Here is an example of a HIIT program – this can be done on any form of cardio equipment or even jogging outside or swimming laps:

* Start with an easy 4 minute warm up, casually increasing your pace to the one that you usually maintain for your workout.

* Once you are sufficiently warm, sky rocket your intensity for 30 seconds.

* Return to your normal pace for the next 30 seconds and then sky rocket again.

* Repeat this 30-30 interval for 6 minutes and then gradually decrease your intensity as you enter a cooling off pace.

After your HIIT session you can expect to burn more calories due to an increase in your metabolism – sounds good, right? If you aren’t ready to jump into a full-fledged HIIT session, try on of the following modified HIIT workouts:

Modified HIIT 1:

* Start with at least a 5 minute warm up, casually increasing your pace to the one that you usually maintain for your workout.

* Once you are sufficiently warm, increase your intensity for a full minute.

* Return to your normal pace and remain here until you have recovered enough to go again.

* Repeat this 1 minute interval with full recovery time between each one for the full extent of your workout and then gradually decrease your intensity as you enter a cooling off pace.

Modified HIIT 2:

* Start with at least a 5 minute warm up, casually increasing your pace to the one that you usually maintain for your workout.

* Once you are sufficiently warm, change your speed and intensity for 2 minutes.

* Return to your normal pace for 2 minutes and then change your intensity and speed again. The key is to keep your body guessing – you aren’t doing full intensity work, but you also aren’t staying at the same pace for the entire length of the workout.

* Repeat this 2 minute interval for the full extent of your workout and then gradually decrease your intensity as you enter a cooling off pace.

There you have it – all you need to take your cardio workout to the next level.

Have you ever tried doing cardio (aerobic) training to lose fat? Did you try the popular method of spending long durations (like 45 minutes to an hour) at a gentle pace so you could be in the so-called “Fat-Burning Zone?”

Me too.

And did you get the body you were after?

Me neither!

I believe this is because there’s no such thing as “The Fat-Burning Zone.” In fact, I think the whole idea is a myth. Just look around the gym at all those fat people you see plodding slowly away on their treadmills and cycling machines, month in and month out, with no results, and you’ll be forced to agree with me. I think the idea of a special “zone” sells well because it sounds scientific, especially when explained by “experts.” It also seems nice and easy – people don’t like to hear that they need to work intensely and sweat hard. But the truth is that gentle and moderate exercise is just going to give you, well, gentle and moderate results.

Because of this failure, all cardio training has unfortunately been given quite a bad name recently, with many trainers and authors rushing out to condemn it as useless. They’re often not being totally honest with you though, and have usually got something to sell you – like “Underground Four-Second Fat Blasting Functional Secrets From Russia!” or something to that effect.

Proper cardio training has always been excellent for fat loss. Here’s the thing though: Proper cardio means intense cardio. To make it work, you have to be seriously sweating. If you exercise so gently that you can read a book or watch TV or even talk on a mobile phone, then naturally you’re going to get no results. Proper cardio training also means doing it for a long enough duration. No, you don’t need to spend an hour or more doing your cardio – but you do need to spend at least 20 minutes if you want to see results.

All this, by the way, is also why I have little time or patience for people who say that all you have to do is take the stairs instead of the elevator at work, or that you can get “all the exercise you need” by doing housework and gardening. That may be good enough for the average person, but why settle for average?

If your aspirations are higher than merely “having a healthy heart” or “avoiding diabetes,” it follows that the quality – and quantity – of your workouts must be that much higher too.