Cardio Archives

Lose Fat with Gym Cardio Equipment

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Lose Fat with Gym Cardio Equipment

 

Gym cardio equipment were first designed and developed to help athletes train on them. The training that such equipment provides, gives the body a much needed vigorous workout. With time trainers and physicians realized that gym cardio equipment is also great for people who want to lose fat and weight and discover a trimmer body shape.

 
What is Gym Cardio equipment?

Cardio exercise equipment or cardio gym equipment includes treadmills, stationery bikes, stair climbers and rowing machines. There are also a host of other machines that combine functions and designs to provide a wholesome workout. What all the gym cardio equipments have in common is to provide your body exercise that is vigorous enough to demand more blood to be pumped into the body areas that are being exercised. This increases your heart rate and provides cardiovascular workout.

 

Why Gym Cardio Equipment?

Most of us live sedentary lives with little time for exercise and sports. Our bodies more than often are out of shape and need exercise to stay fit and healthy. Opting for gym cardio equipment gives you the opportunity to take advantage of exercises you would otherwise need to be outdoors to experience. Don’t have time for a morning run, or hate sweating it out in the park? Then opt to cycle for a few kilometers and use the stair climber for some more. By using your cardio exercise equipment you gain a vigorous workout from the convenience of your home or gym and can exercise at any time. You can also opt to increase or decrease your level of difficulty according to fitness level.

 

Choosing Gym Cardio Equipment

Trainers recommend that you vary your exercise routine so as to benefit maximally from it. Here are some pointers to help you choose the cardio exercise equipment that is right for you:

Buy equipment that you are confident you will use. Speak to a trainer about the kind of equipment that is ideal for you. For instance if you aren’t very fit and have low stamina then opt for a treadmill, a stationery bike or a stair climber. All three, will provide you the option of increasing or reducing the difficulty level of the exercise. If you are relatively fit then opt for gym cardio equipment that is more advanced and includes the functions of a treadmill and a stair climber. Do speak to your doctor before you are ready to buy cardio exercise equipment. If you have a problem with your posture or your knees then avoid the stair climber. For those who spend most of the day working in front of a computer, avoid the stationery cycle. Instead opt for gym cardio equipment that exercises your complete body.

 

Do opt for gym equipment that interests you and not for something only because it is recommended by a trainer. You don’t want your equipment to sit around like furniture while you hate yourself for not using it.



Cardio Training 101

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If you’re new to the world of fitness, first and foremost never over do it, and always get cleared by a medical doctor if you think you may have health considerations

Cardio short for cardiovascular training by design is different from resistance training. The main focal point of cardio training is to increase the fat burning process. This is accomplished by burning fat as the main fuel source. Weight resistance training builds bigger muscles and uses glucose (usable carbohydrates) as the main fuel source. Although if cardio training is intense (not able to talk and exercise simultaneously) glucose instead of fat will be used as the energy substrate. This is due to the fact that fat doesn’t burn fast enough to keep up with the rapid movement.

Like I mentioned before if you’re a newbie to exercise take it slow by walking in your neighbor 3 days a week for 20 min, for the first 2 weeks and progress up to 4-5 days a week for 45-60 min, at the end of the 3rd and 4th week. After that, you can try more intense versions of cardio including: treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes, jogging and cross trainers. Choose a level where talking with your exercise partner is still possible for 15 minutes, 3x week for 2 weeks. You can progress up to 45-60 min 3x week.

A rudimentary way of determining intensity level for these cardio modalities is 55% to 65% of your maximum heart rate. You can estimate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220, then multiple that by either .55 or .65. This is a good range that will keep you in the fat burning mode and not burning glucose that you will need for your resistance training(glucose is the preferred fuel source during weight training).

Although the age predicted max heart rate is the most common method under use today it has one major flaw. Some 60 yr olds are in better shape that some 30 yr olds, but this method would fail to recognize such an important factor. I actually prefer using something called the Borg Scale to determine intensity which I outline a little later in this article.

Advantages of cardio training: When your muscles need oxygen and nutrients it’s your heart-lung complex (cardiovascular) that does the job. When your body has waste products that need to be expelled like carbon dioxide and metabolic wastes, your cardio system better be in tip top shape, or illness and disease might soon follow. The better shape you’re in the more proficient your heart will be to pump blood to all the various organs. This translates into more energy for you throughout the day and a more rewarding and productive life.

An out of shape person has his or her heart working overtime just to accomplish the minimal about of work required to maintain life. Now take that person and try to make them do something active beyond sitting on the couch. The heart will have a stressful time keeping up because it’s all ready working hard. Shortness of breath, rapid heart beat, wheezing, loss of balance and fatigue are signs of a weak cardio system.

The more cardio trained you are, the less your heart has to work. Who do you think has more energy a person with a resting heart rate of 80(how many times the heart beats in one minute) or a person with resting heart rate of 110 beats per minute? The person with the resting heart rate of 80 is more proficient in pumping blood throughout the body compared to the person who needs an extra 30 beats per minute to get the same amount of blood pumped throughout the body.

A good method of determining of how hard you’re working is something called the Borg Scale and my own preference of intensity feedback:

6, 7, 8 = very, very light

9, 10 = very light

11, 12 = fairly light

13, 14 = somewhat hard (correlates 55-65% age predicted max HR)

15, 16 = hard

17, 18 = very hard

19, 20 = very, very hard

You’re your own master here, which is why I like using this scale. Begin with light sessions according to how you perceive your own exertion and work your way up until you can maintain 2 somewhat hard workouts for about 45-60 min, 2 x week along with another 2 light workout sessions alternating between the 2 for a total of 4 sessions a week.

Again, cardio training along with resistance training is essential to good health. It is also the cheapest and easiest way to exercise, just grab some running shoes and you’re all set!



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Jumping Rope

Jumping rope provides a number of health benefits: not only is it a great cardiovascular exercise that burns calories and fat, but it also develops good coordination between the hands and feet, as well as rhythm (muscle coordination). The greatest thing about jumping rope is that it is very inexpensive and you can do it almost anywhere.

Jumping rope has been proven to be a very effective method for burning fat. It has been shown to burn as many as 1,000 calories per hour. Wow, that is some serious caloric expenditure! Some of the best and leanest athletes swear by it. Movies often depict professional boxers skipping rope because it develops great cardiovascular endurance and stamina. It’s no wonder that boxers are some of the best-conditioned athletes.

Grab a jump rope and try it yourself!

Stand erect, but relaxed, when you jump.

Keep your knees slightly bent.

Look straight ahead, not at your feet.

Land on the balls of your feet, not on your heels.

Keep your arms fairly still, do not flail.

Start by jumping slowly, building up your speed so you can jump rope more quickly over time. See how many times you can jump without missing. Try to do 100 skips before you have to stop – then, beat that record the next time. Do 50 super fast jumps, followed by 50 slower jumps.

Jumping rope is great for the whole family. Have even more fun by getting some friends to play Double-Dutch. Jump rope for 30 minutes, five times a week, and watch your waistline shrink. Go invest in a jump rope today, and quickly get the body you want.

Jumping on a Trampoline

Jumping on a trampoline – yes, I said jumping on a trampoline – is a great workout. It not only develops excellent proprioception (body awareness), but it also burns a ton of fat and calories. And did you know that the rhythmic bouncing has a powerful effect on the lymphatic system, which builds a stronger immune system?

A trampoline provides exercise that are easy on the joints, very low in stress, and great for the body.

It’s easy to start a trampoline regimen. Buy a mini-trampoline for your living room and jump while watching your favorite TV show, or bounce to a trampoline workout video. For tons of family fun, buy a large trampoline for the backyard. Start jumping on your trampoline for 30 minutes a day and bounce away your pounds.

Outdoor Sprints

A Great workout: go outside and sprint as hard and fast as you possibly can. Once you feel like you’re going to collapse, stop; walk until you’re no longer huffing and puffing; then, sprint again. You might call this the ‘Forrest Gump’ Workout. Repeat as many times as you can, or until you complete a full 30 minutes of sprints and rest/walking.

This is a very intense workout, so you need a good level of fitness and conditioning before trying it. Sprint your butt off, walk until you catch your breath, then do it again. The harder you push yourself, combined with the faster and longer distance you run, the sooner you will get in shape and the more fat you will lose.

Outdoor sprints offer fat loss and a great body at no cost, so push harder than you ever have pushed before. If this sounds too difficult, consider the payoff. Any successful athlete will tell you they have put their bodies through this type of workout challenge.

If you are in good physical health, a sprint workout is extremely safe – so remember, just because you might feel like quitting doesn’t mean you have to. In other words, keep pushing and get your butt in shape, no whining, no complaining; just results, and a happy, more confident you.

Stadium Stairs

Running up stairs is a great no-cost, outdoor workout available at your local high school or college stadium. Sprint to the top of the stadium, then walk down the stairs. Remember, safety first! As soon as you get to the bottom, sprint back up to the top, and repeat.

This extremely high-intensity cardio program will burn fat quickly and send your heart rate through the roof. Sprinting stairs is a common exercise for all levels of athletes, and who among us doesn’t want the lean, muscular shape of an athlete? So stop complaining about not being able to afford the fancy equipment. Go to the stairs and run your butt off! You’ll get a tight, firm rear because you’ll lose that fat from your behind, and everywhere else, as you burn up the calories running up those stairs.



Crack Your Cardio Comfort Zone

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t Results with your Cardio Routine. Crank Up the Intensity – Reduce the Time This is your formula for maximum fat loss. Trouble is, we start OFF doing this and slowly but surely, our results seem harder to attain. You’ve embraced the idea that Long, Boring, Steady State Cardio is just not going to cut it when real world fat loss is your goal.

You changed your cardio routine up and are trying the interval style routine – something like this… 1 minute high, 1-2 minutes low. Perform for 10-15-20 minutes. However, as human nature will have it, we ALL tend to take the path of Least Resistance. This leaves us with a Less than Effective interval routine that can impact the length of time it takes for us to see results.

It’s time to break out of your “Cardio Comfort Zone” and challenge yourself to see faster fat loss results. Signs you are In Your Cardio Comfort Zone:

You can hold a conversation. You enjoy the show that is on TV. You are reading a book or magazine. 20 minutes has passed and you could go for 20 more.

When it comes to Cardio and Fat Loss – Intensity is the Secret Ingredient. It takes intensity in EVERYTHING you do to lose weight, lose inches and burn fat. When your intervals are performed at an intense level, your body will spend the rest of the day expending energy to recover from the challenge you have given it. This is referred to as EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) and it means that you consume a great deal more oxygen recovering from the exercise bout than you would have if you’d just done a steady-state workout – this in turn allows you to burn more fat and calories for the rest of the day.

However, our amazing body quickly adapts to any exercise routine we out it through, and each time we repeat a particular workout, our body has changed to meet the demands, becomes more EFFICIENT at performing the workout and thus ends up burning LESS fat and calories.

Therefore it is important to recognize that with each and every workout you perform, whether it be your intervals or your resistance training routine – you must find a way to change it up and keep yourself challenged. Training in your comfort zone is useless. Your metabolism will increase only when your body is forced to change.

Get Ready to Challenge your Body!

It can be as simple as the next time you perform your interval routine, check your previous session and stretch yourself just a tad to beat it. Either go a little longer, a little further, a little faster, etc.

I personally found that switching my “go to” interval routine on the treadmill from the 1 minute high at 7.5, 1 minute low at 3.5 – TO 30 second high, 30 seconds low allowed me to push myself even harder during this short burst of intensity…I was able to sprint at an 8.5 – something I could not accomplish for an entire minute in my regular “go to” interval routine. In just 8 minutes I was questioning whether I could complete the 10 I had scheduled for my routine that day. This is true challenge and true intensity and what it takes to bust through plateaus and see amazing results. (FYI: As always, if you are new to this style of exercise, do not begin without first consulting with your physician)

This week, take your cardio routine Up a notch or two and see how much more you can accomplish in Less time!



Smart Cardio to Burn Fat

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Myths Exposed and Little Known Secrets Revealed

 What do you think of when I mention cardio? An hour-long jog? A long, steady session on the exercise bike? Sweatin’ to the oldies? If it’s any of those things, you’re doing cardio, but you’re not doing smart cardio. There are lots of things you can do to burn calories, but if you’re reading this article, you know that you want the calories you burn to come from fat, not lean mass. Traditional long, slow distance cardio burns muscle and fat pretty indiscriminately. In fact, if you do enough, you may find that your body burns muscle preferentially to ease the demands of doing so much aerobic work. That’s exactly the opposite of what you want.

So how do you do cardio without sacrificing precious muscle? The answer is interval work. Definitely get yourself cleared by a doctor before jumping into intervals, because the whole idea is to rapidly and repeatedly raise your heart rate, alternating the high heart rate work with brief recovery periods. The optimal way to do interval work is probably to do walk back sprints. Sprint all-out for 15 seconds, then turn around and walk back to where you started. It should take about 45 seconds to walk back. Once you’re back where you started, sprint for 15 seconds again. Do seven sprints your first week, and add one sprint per week until you’re up to 20 sprints per session. If you’re not up for sprints, you can approximate them on an exercycle or an elliptical machine. Simply go all-out for 15 seconds, then pedal or walk at a recovery pace for 45. The same build-up pattern applies.

In order to grasp this concept, you must first learn what your body burns for energy during strenuous exercise.  I call this energy body burn, “The Hierarchy Scale Of Energy.”  The human body accesses certain nutrients for energy and does so in a precise manner every time.  This access order NEVER changes.  Let me repeat, NEVER changes.  This scale will alter the way you train forever!  Here it is.

 

   1. MUSCLE GLYCOGEN

(Sugar processed from carbohydrates and stored in muscle for contraction)

   2. LIVER GLYCOGEN

(Storage organ for excess glycogen; primary fuel source for brain function)

   3. BBA (BLOOD BORNE AMINO ACIDS)

(Branched Chain Amino Acids formed from protein)



4. FAT (Speaks for itself)

 

 ¨Notice where FAT is on the scale.  It is last!!!  It’s the one thing we hate the most about our body and it’s the one thing your body hates to give up.  The irony! 

 ¨It takes between 20-30 minutes to reach level #4, depending on the time of day you train and when you last ingested carbohydrates.

 

   Case#1: Come into the gym and jump on the cardio machine (pick your favorite).  Remember it will take 20-30 minutes to burn the muscle glycogen, liver glycogen and BBA before you reach fat.  In reality, the first 25 minutes of cardio is totally USELESS!! That is of course unless you actually enjoy doing cardio, simply for the love of doing cardio.  If you do, then I will affectionately call you NUTS!  Most people do it for fat loss, so why not make it the most effective?  To access fat, you now have to add an additional 20 minutes of cardio to get any results.  The entire cardio session alone will be around 45 minutes. Now you go to weight training.  But wait, where is your muscle glycogen (fuel for muscle contraction?) Right, it’s gone!  The result; weaker workout, less muscle development, increased fatigue, over training, burnout, longer recovery and a slower metabolism.  In short, NO PROGRESS!  You get discouraged and quit training because your body is not changing.

 

   Case #2: Come into the gym and you jump on the cardio machine for 5-minutes to warm-up. Now you hit the weights.  Where is your muscle glycogen?  Right, ready to go for power and intensity resistance training.  Train for 30 minutes with weights and use up #1-3 on the Hierarchy Scale.  Result; increased strength, more lean muscle, less fatigue, no burnout, more intensity. Now begin cardio training.  What is the only available energy source left to burn for the cardio session since #1-3 are gone?  You got it, #4!!  Now you access fat stores immediately and only have to do 15-20 minutes of cardio to get the same benefits as 45 minutes in Case #1.  That means more fat loss! In short, PHENOMENAL PROGRESS!  You get psyched and train harder.

Which would you choose to do? I know my answer!

 

 



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We all want to be in shape. We know that in order to lose weight or maintain our weight to be fit and healthy, that we need to work out, and burn more calories than we consume. Studies have proven that the higher the intensity of a work out, the more calories are burned. This is important because a high intensity cardio workout may take half as long as a low intensity one to accomplish the same goal, and burning calories seems to be the most significant factor in fat loss.

Metabolism is positively affected by high intensity cardio because fat is burned, as are calories from glycogen. As the body replenishes needed glycogen by subsequent meals, the glycogen will replenish your body’s reserves instead of turning to fat. Low intensity workouts do not provide this benefit. This adds up to health benefits well beyond the workout session and means that calories are melting away after the workout and that adds up to maximum fat loss.

Rapid fat loss is one of the major advantages to cardiovascular exercise. Spending just twenty minutes doing high intensity workouts may be equal to a 45-minute low intensity workout. For people who have a busy lifestyle, high intensity workouts may make the difference between having time for an exercise program and not. Another thing that seems to be a key factor for some people is that low intensity workouts get boring, while high intensity cardio does not.

Another apparent benefit is that it seems to help the body increase its lactic acid threshold. When an individual works out, lactic acid floods the body to help the muscles answer the demand. Lactic acid can be felt in the muscles as a burning sensation. Excessive levels of lactic acid result in fatigue. High intensity cardio seems to increase the body’s ability to flush out excess lactic acid; this means that its possible to exercise more frequently and effectively because of this increase in lactic acid threshold.

High intensity cardio with all of its benefits and advantages is not recommended for people who are just beginning to exercise, or for those that have heart problems or other health concerns. It always a good idea to check with your health care provider before beginning a high intensity cardio workout program.

Cardio exercises should be approached gradually, by integrating them into your routine. There are many activities that work nicely as a means to accomplish a good high intensity workout. For example, stationary bikes, stair masters, running, or walking all can be incorporated into a great fat loss regimen. The important factor here seems to be finding an activity that is enjoyable and that fits into the lifestyle of the person.

High Intensity cardio is based on the idea that intense short bursts of effort will yield quick and effective results. However it is not advisable to exert that much effort for prolonged periods of time. Evidence suggests that high intensity cardio workouts are a good way to jazz up a workout to provide many health benefits.

As mentioned before it is always advisable to consult with your doctor before beginning a new workout routine, however it is also suggested that you seek reliable advice from a trained fitness professional. High intensity cardio can burn fat quick, boost metabolism and improve recovery time and so it has many advantages over other training methods.



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The best way to burn fat is the combination between nutrition, cardio training, weight training and motivation. If you leave out one of these factors then losing fat permanently is impossible. It is not enough to only do cardio or weight training, or even worse only using strict diets without any training at all. All of these factors have their own place, some are more important than others but all of them are important to achieve permanent fat loss.

Weight training

The primary fat burning effect of weight training into play comes after the workout from the increase in Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and from the increase in post-exercise metabolic rate. During weight training workouts, you are burning primarily sugar. The more muscle mass you have the more calories you burn.

For example:

BMR (men and women) = 370 + (21.6 X lean mass in kg)

If a man weighs 85 kg with 25% bodyfat then his lean body mass (LBM) is 63.75 kg

If we do the calculation then his BMR is 1747 calories. but if another man who also weighs 85 kg but he has 8% bodyfat then he would burn 2059.12 calories. That is an extra 312.12 calories. But for most people the extra increase in resting metabolism is not enough to lose fat permanently.

Cardio training

Weight training has a bigger effect after a workout but cardio has a bigger effect during a workout. Because aerobic exercise uses oxygen and is therefore fat-burning in nature. If you do a 30 minute cardio (aerobic) workout then you are a bit leaner after the 30 minute workout then before. All calories burned will have an impact on fat loss because overall calorie balance is what really matters. Sustained fat burning, oxygen-utilizing aerobic exercise is critical for fat loss. It is really not important if you do steady state cardio or high intensity interval training (HIIT), what matter is how many calories you have burned.



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Long, slow cardio is not the fastest way to burn fat. Research shows that short interval training workouts burn belly fat faster.

I was one of the first trainers to question long, slow cardio for fat loss back in the late 1990’s and I believe that traditional cardio is over-rated.

Interval training, or interval “cardio” if you want to call it that, is much, much better for fat loss. It burns belly fat in half the workout time.

I figured this out just before the year 2000. Back in 1998-99, I was but a lowly grad student, studying the effects of androstenedione (the supplement taken by the mighty baseball player, Mark McGwire during his record-breaking home run quest in ‘98).

In my study (which was published in the Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology for any science nerds like myself out there), we had guys use the supplement and go through a couple of weight training sessions. By February of ‘99 I was stuck in the lab, analyzing the blood samples using some fancy radio-active isotopes.

And when I say stuck in the lab, I mean STUCK. I’d get there at 7am, and record my last data point at 11pm. Sixteen hours of mad science. And if I wasn’t there, I was downstairs in the medical library, studying papers on testosterone and training.

Now coming from a very athletic background, this sedentary lifestyle didn’t sit well with me. But there I was, studing for a degree in Exercise Physiology and left with no time for exercise. Or so I thought.

Fortunately, I actually had a 50 minute window once per day of “down-time” while the lab’s gamma-counter analyzed blood samples.

That left me 50 minutes to get to the gym (5 minutes across campus) and get a workout in the remaining 40 or so minutes. I knew that if I applied my studies to the workout, I could get maximum results in minimum time.

As a former athlete, I knew that I had to find a way to stay fit and to avoid the fat gain that comes with working long hours in a sedentary environment. And I also had to stay true to the high-school bodybuilder I once was, so there was no way I was willing to sacrifice my muscle to one of those long-cardio, low protein fat-loss plans that were popular at the time.

Instead, I had to draw on my academic studies and my experiences working with athletes as the school’s Strength & Conditioning Coach. I knew that sprint intervals were associated with more fat loss than slow cardio, and I knew that you could also increase aerobic fitness by doing sprints (but you can’t increase sprint performance by doing aerobic training).

So clearly, intervals were (and ARE!) superior to long slow cardio for fat loss. I had seen first hand the incredible results of sprint intervals in the summer and fall, as the athletes made huge fitness improvements and shed winter fat in a short time using my interval programs. I knew that intervals had to be the next step in the evolution of cardio.

The biggest benefit of intervals? A lot of results in a short amount of time. I knew that I only had 40 minutes to train, and therefore I could only spend 15-20 minutes doing intervals.

I also understand that interval training sounds intimidating to a lot of people, so I need to clear up how an interval training workout goes.

After all, I believe everyone can do interval training for fat burning. Even beginners. For beginners who usually exercise for 30 minutes at 3.5 mph on the treadmill, their interval workout would be to go for 1 minute at 3.8mph and then recover for 2 minutes at 3.0 mph. That’s it. Repeat 6 times. If you are more advanced, you would use more intense exercise.

Interval training doesn’t have to be sprinting for your life. It just needs to start off harder than normal and progress from there.

Most folks hate cardio, so they are happy to use interval training as an effective replacement to lose stomach fat. Here is my list of preferred ways to do your intervals, ranked in order from best to worst, based on my experiences.

1. Sprinting outdoors (Hill sprinting might be the absolute best method)

2. Kettlebell exercises

3. Bodyweight interval circuits

4. Treadmill running

5. Stationary cycle (upright cycling preferred over recumbant bike)

With those 5 interval training methods, you’ll burn fat fast and never have to do cardio again!



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A misconception that just does not go away is that you will lose muscle, if you do cardio training. So many people are worried about losing the muscle that they worked so hard to get, that they avoid cardio. Is it really possible to lose large amount of muscle whilst doing cardio?

Most people try to bulk up as much as possible, eating as much food as they can. And often people gain a lot of fat along the way because they avoid cardio workouts. But when people are happy with their muscle weight and try to lose fat then so many people lose muscle as well as fat. And it is not because of intense cardio but mainly because of the strict dieting. And I really do not know many people who consistantly measure their fat percentage. But knowing how much fat you have is essential, otherwise you have no idea if you are losing fat or muscle.

Cardio is not the main cause of muscle loss. You can still maintain your muscles, even if you do 45-minute intensive cardio workouts daily. The main reasons are inadequate caloric intake, inadequate protein or dieting without including a weight training program.

If you want to build muscle then people don´t want to gain much fat. And if people want to lose fat then they don´t want to lose muscle. It is very tricky to do them right. Not eating enough food or skipping meals are much more important factors than doing enough cardio.

Including adequate meal frequency, protein, carbohydrates and total calories to your daily diet is very important. If you are worried about losing muscle then track your lean body mass with skinfold testing and adjust your cardio and nutrition accordingly. You can make the right decisions according to your feedback.



Cardio Training What Will You Benefit

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Being fit and healthy is the in thing. Actually, it really never goes out of style. That body is the most valuable asset you could have in your lifetime. Thus it is important that you take good care of it. Give it the proper attention it needs.

When it comes to ensuring and maintaining the health, the best option is to do cardio training.

What Is Cardio Training?

Cardio training involves any activity that requires the use of the large muscle groups of the body in a regular and uninterrupted manner. It elevates the heart rate between 60 to 85 percent of the fastest heart rate you could get.

Some of the usual cardio training activities are walking, jogging, running, aerobics, cycling, tae bo, swimming and rowing. Cardio training is considered an aerobic exercise as one is required to move from one exercise to another.

What Are the Benefits of Training?

1. Gives Energy to the Body

You can expect more energy and higher endurance after some time of regular cardio training.

2. Prevents Diseases

One could prevent heart diseases with regular cardio training. It is also helpful in preventing other variety of diseases like diabetes, obesity and even high cholesterol. The cardiovascular training strengthens the heart and the lungs. The low to moderated type of cardio exercises are required for people seeking to prevent diseases. Examples of these are walking, brisk walking or jogging.

3. Control Your Weight

With cardio training, you are able to burn more calories. This will help one who needs to lose weight. While those who already achieved their ideal body mass, the training will make it easier to control the weight.

Cardio training helps burn calories. However this generally depends on your current weight and the kind of cardio training you are undergoing. Better consult this matter with your physician or trainer, to know the proper type of training for your needs.

4. Lose Body Fats

Some people do not have problem with their weights. However, there may be some excess fats that keep bothering. Cardio training will help in getting rid of those. The activities involve the movements of large muscle groups. Regularly doing the training will make you leaner.

5. Get Rid of Boredom

Cardio training is fun. It pumps up your system. You will definitely feel more energized and on the go.

Recommendations to Better Enjoy the Benefits of Cardio Training

Cardio training is essential when you need to make health improvements. For starters, it is best to do the 30 to 45 minutes of exercises, 3 to 5 days a week. If you are aiming for weight loss, the training must be done 5 days a week. The more frequent you do it; the more likely it is that you will lose weight. However, avoid exhausting yourself too much in exercise. Avoid going beyond 45 minutes. Remember, it has to be done in a regular basis.

Start now. Walk or ride the bike around the neighborhood now. Follow that aerobics video you purchased. Set a goal and follow that goal. At the same time, modify your diet too. Eat healthy food.

As you increase in the fitness level, the intensity of the training must also increase. This is to have an area of variation and there should always be room for improvement. Implement this by intensifying some parts of the training. If you are into jogging or running, increase speed every 5 minutes for at least a minute or two. It is important that you challenge yourself, so as not to be stuck in a stump.

Avoid doing the cardio exercises before bedtime. You will have a difficult time sleeping if you do so as the energy level of the body will stay high for sometime.

If you are undergoing weight training too, do the cardio exercises right after, not before.

It is best to take a snack 30 minutes before doing the cardio exercises. Do not start with training in an empty stomach. This will not help in achieving the proper momentum when you train. At the same time, avoid indulging in large meals too before exercise. Just give your body the proper supply it will need to sustain exhausting movements.

It is good to do the cardio exercises outdoors. This way you can easily interact with nature and breathe fresh air. You can also simply enjoy going around the neighborhood as you get your system healthier by the minute. It is possible to make some friends among the people who also do their exercises.

Be consistent and stick with the training once you have started it. This is the only way that cardio training will benefit your body and your health in the long run.