Cardio Fitness Training Basics

Cardio fitness training is a fundamental part of any exercise program. The words "cardio" is interchangeable with "aerobic" and is short for "cardiovascular". Improvement in the ability of the heart to deliver oxygen to the muscles and in the muscle's ability to generate energy with oxygen results in increased aerobic fitness. Engaging in aerobic training has many benefits. Many people report feeling more "energy" from their program. Aerobic capacity is associated with a faster metabolism, which means that stored body fat burns faster. This enhances weight loss.

The type of activity you choose is less important than the quality level that you maintain. Tennis, racquetball and basketball can be considered cardio if they are performed with adequate intensity and duration. Otherwise, the Scottsdale, Arizona climate is perfect for swimming, running, cycling and hiking are great forms of aerobic training. Of course indoor machines such as the elliptical, treadmill and stair-master are primarily designed to increase aerobic fitness.

A few general guidelines for cardio fitness training:

o Perform cardio training for at least thirty minutes four days a week. To qualify as aerobic, you should break a sweat and/or stay within your target heart rate for at least twenty minutes. Your approximate target heart rate is between 65 and 80 percent of your maximum heart rate (calculated as 220 minus your age) Heart rate zones vary tremendously from person to person. It's often advisable to work with a certified personal trainer to help establish your personalized heart rate zones.

o Include intervals in your aerobic fitness program at least once weekly. Interval training involves alternating high-intensity aerobic bursts with periods of rest. This can significantly increase your metabolism.

o Properly designed strength training can actually increase your aerobic capacity. A full-body circuit training program with short rest intervals doubles as aerobic training. These workouts should be performed at least twice weekly in addition to your more traditional aerobic workouts.

o Remember to consult with your doctor before starting a any fitness program.

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No-Equipment Cardio for Weight Loss

You don't need fancy machines to do cardio circuits for weight loss. You can do cardio without equipment, at home! And you'll burn fat. Here in Toronto, it rained non-stop on Sunday. So I skipped the walk to the gym (where I was going to do intervals), and did a bodyweight workout at home.

This is a great routine that you can save for any rainy day, or even better - challenge some of your buddies prior to next week's super bowl party at your house. The workout will take away some of the guilt while you pound nachos and wings, like I know some people tend to do when they watch football.

For my bodyweight workout, I decided to make one up from the exercises in the 6-month manual, rather than following one of the pre-made routines. Plus, I didn't want to do a lot of upper body stuff, because my Monday workout is heavy pressing and rowing. So I ended up creating a huge circuit, as there were just too many exercises in the manual that I wanted to do.

If you have the manual and exercise descriptions, you can do this workout the next time you feel like a change. If you don't have the manual, you'll probably have no idea what some of these exercises are...but at least now you know what you are missing.

And as I went through this workout, a workout I called "Ghetto Cardio", I got to thinking about some of the home gym setups that clients tell me they have.

You know, the more money people spend on exercise machines (like those elliptical machines), the easier and less effective their workouts become. Here I am doing the Ghetto Cardio workout, one that didn't cost me a cent, and some people have thousands of dollars worth of cardio equipment in their basements that won't give them the same "functional strength and endurance" results as bodyweight training.

And those aren't the only benefits you can get from a mid-day bodyweight circuit workout. In fact, during this workout, I relieved my computer-related upper body stress and tension, and the exercise stimulated my thought process, allowing me to plan 4 workouts for Monday's clients, and 4 newsletters this week. All in 20 minutes.

So here's the workout, and I did this circuit twice, and then some of the exercises I did a third time:

Prisoner Squat x 15

Sumo squat x 15

T-Squat x 20

Siff Squat x 20

Walking lunge x 20

Spiderman pushup x 16

Stickup x 12

Cross Crawl x 30

Inverted Rows x 12

Spiderman climbs x 24

Plank x 60 seconds

Side plank x 30 seconds

Y-squat x 20

Close grip Pushups x 20

These are all bodyweight exercises that can be done at home. You don't need to spend money or time going to the gym.

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Extreme Cardio For Weight Loss

You don't have to do cardio for weight loss at all. None. Shocking, isn't it? We've been told so many times you have to cardio, aerobics, and cardio in the fat burn zone in order to burn fat. But the truth? You have to control your diet. How you burn calories for weight loss is less important.

The latest research from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, has shown that an 8-week cardio program (3 sessions per week of 40 minutes per session) did not result in any fat loss! On the other hand, the interval training group in the same study lost several pounds.

Traditional cardio is a waste of time. Inefficient, and possibly ineffective. You are much better focusing on your proper fat loss nutrition and strength and interval workouts.

And you certainly don't have to do extreme amounts of cardio. But some people end up taking their fat loss activities to extremes. Making unhealthy, ineffective, and excessive choices.

For example, one reader emailed me about the 7 hours of cardio she did per week. She wondered why she wasn't losing ANY fat. That is an extreme amount of slow and steady cardio. Something I would never advise for a fat loss program. And she still wanted to do more!

I told her absolutely not. If 7 hours per week does't work for you, why would more? With that mentality, you'll end up spending every single non-working waking minute doing cardio. What kind of life is that?

Another reader wrote in about the pitfalls of her excessively low calorie diet...

"I'm on the weight loss track again. I found I wasn't eating enough calories (1000 kcal/day). Filling up on veggies is good (and I love them), but they don't have the calories. Eating walnuts/almonds helped get me there. Eating 1500+ is where I need to stay to lose weight and keep my energy up. I've dropped about 3 pounds this week."

Inside most people, there is going to be the urge to do more, eat less, or obsess even further about food and exercise when you are trying to reach a fitness or fat loss goal.

But taking eating and working out to the extremes is more often counterproductive, and in the long-run, downright unhealthy.

And the unfortunate thing is that the reader that emailed me about her 7 hours of ineffective aerobic training, was skeptical of the strength and interval workouts, because she didn't think it contained enough cardio.

But really, how much could be enough for this woman? 7 hours wasn't getting her any results. What did she want? 10 hours?

We need to understand that cardio is not the be-all and end-all of fat loss programs. There are many ways to burn fat and calories, not just by spending 60 minutes on an elliptical machine.

All you need are 3 workouts per week of 45 minutes per session. Do 20 minutes of total body strength training followed by 20 minutes of interval training. Then spend the rest of your week staying active through fun activities and focusing on whole, natural foods for your fat loss nutrition. No more extreme cardio!

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For Diabetics and the Rest of Us, Do Both Cardio and Weights

A new study shows that people with type 2 diabetes lower their glucose levels more when they do both aerobic and weight training exercises than when they do neither or just one of these types. The research was published in a recent edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Until this study was published, it was unclear what the best exercise routine was for diabetics. The study holds lessons for diabetics and non-diabetics alike.

Timothy Church MD led the nine-month study on 262 sedentary male and female patients with type 2 diabetes. He measured glycated hemoglobin, an accepted measure of how well diabetics have controlled their blood sugar over the past few months, with lower being better. His study has become known as the "Hart-D trial.

" Aerobic exercise included walking on a treadmill for about 150 minutes per week at a moderate pace. Resistance training included working out three days per week with upper body, leg, abdomen, and back exercises. The combination training program included only two days of resistance training per week to keep the total exercise time consistent in all three groups. Therefore, each of the three groups spent about total 140 minutes in exercises each week.

The authors of the study concluded that, although both aerobic and resistance training provide benefits of themselves, only the combination of the two seemed to reduced levels of glycated hemoglobin. In addition, fewer of the people in the combination exercise group needed to increase the amount of medications they required to control their disease. All three of the groups reduced their waists by 1.5 to 2.8 centimeters. Fat mass was reduced by 3 pounds in the resistance training group and 3.7 pounds in the combination training group. But only participants in the combination group were significantly more likely than those in the control group to get to the point where they could decrease hypoglycemic medications or reduce glycated hemoglobin levels.

"We really thought that the walking group and the combination group would be similar, but the combination group was the only group that had significant improvement. They reduced their [glycated hemoglobin] levels, while also reducing the amount of diabetes medications," said Dr. Church, who is director of preventive medicine research at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University System in Baton Rouge.

With obesity and the onset on type 2 diabetes rampant in the United States, the Church study holds lessens for everyone who is concerned with their health. Experts' advice for avoiding diabetes tends to mirror that for treating it. This can be summarized as "lose weight, avoid simple carbohydrates, such as sugar and white bread, and exercise regularly." Now this exercise can be defined as doing both aerobic exercises, as on a treadmill, and weight resistance exercises.

Church's study was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Its results were published in the November 24, 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. See "Effects of Aerobic and Resistance Training on Hemoglobin A1c Levels in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes - A Randomized Controlled Trial" Church, Blair, et al.,JAMA. 2010;304(20):2253-2262. doi:10.1001/jama.2010.1710

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Learn Aerobic and Cardio Ab Workouts

Gear up with your crunch machine and schedule your abdominal workout for morning as well as for evening. These two ways daily workout will fastened your strengthening process. Do not worry about your sets and rep. Concentrate on your lower, middle and upper abs workout of your body.

You need to take these thorough steps to execution. Drink water to recuperate and recharge your energy to expedite your strengthening process.

You can choose the best and suitable workout for your abs workout routine. This is important rather than you mesmerizing among lot many different exercise which is of no worth to you. Understand the workout equipment if you are opting for. It must satisfy your need.

If you are using a weight oriented abs workout then add weights as per set wisely. Try to mix abs workout with upper body workout and leg exercise. This will give sufficient time to regain momentum of your body. It is effective and proper muscles building method.

Your fitness centre provides you whole gamut of abs workout. The crunch is effective of all. To start abs exercise starts with cardiovascular and aerobic exercise first. This involves stretching of your muscles and it act as catalyst to smoothened your joints movement. Do not waste your valuable time rather engage yourself in body building activity. You can do these exercises at home. You can also do research work in finding the right website and exercise for your abs to do at home.

I hope this has helped anyone.

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Bodyweight Training Is Better Cardio

We were not built to do cardio on elliptical machines. Doing the same repetitive cardio motion over and over again leads to too much wear and tear. Its better to use bodyweight exercises to build our body while burning fat and strengthening the body.

Recently, one of my private clients emailed me this week, "Help! My treadmill broke. What can I do for intervals?"

My answer? Bodyweight to the rescue.

As luck would have it, I just finished up a tough lower-body circuit workout on Friday that will help keep my client's (and your) fat loss going at record pace.

Here's the circuit:

Y-squat (20 reps)

Jumping Jacks (60 reps)

T-Squat (20 reps)

Siff Squat (20 reps)

Diagonal Lunge (12 reps per leg)

Do each exercise one after the other. After one round you may choose to test yourself and do as many 1-leg squats as you can. I hit a new record of 8 on each side, even on my bad leg.

Then take 1-minute rest and repeat the circuit. Rest one minute after each round, and do up to 5 circuits.You're looking at about 4 minutes per circuit...so your heart rate should be pumping high after 1 or 2 rounds, and your legs should be fatigued after only the 3rd round. 4-5 circuits are only for advanced bodyweight masters.

After 3 rounds of the circuit I followed it up with a killer bodyweight ab routine (in which none of the exercises was done flat on my back). This included mountain climbers, stability ball jackknifes, side planks, and standing cross crawls.

Its amazing the fitness, strength, and fat loss that you can get from bodyweight exercises.

Bodyweight burns the fat, and gets you conditioned for summer sports far better than traditional bodybuilding cardio workouts

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Use Dumbbell Cardio Instead of an Aerobic Workout

Most exercisers wouldn't even consider using dumbbells for cardio. As a matter of fact, most exercisers don't even use dumbbells to a fraction of their full potential. Well, that is about to change... if you decided to follow my advice.

Workout programs traditionally are split into resistance training (like weight lifting) and cardio (like jogging, rowing or biking). Or these two types of workouts are done on separate days. And hands down, most exercisers choose aerobic exercises like jogging, biking and rowing for the cardio portion. I don't see people picking up dumbbells when it comes time to do their cardio workout.

Over the past year or so, most trainers (myself included), have moved away from aerobic exercise in favor of anaerobic exercise. Anaerobic exercise is high intensity exercise for short periods of time, repeated. Think of sprint intervals.

Evidence shows that anaerobic activity is better than aerobic activity for improving endurance, strengthening the heart and lungs and even burning fat. Not to mention it helps you become more athletic and preserves hard earned muscle. Unfortunately, not a lot of exercisers have made the switch because they have been programmed to do an aerobic workout in their "target heart rate zone".

So, it comes as no surprise that the jump to dumbbell cardio workouts have not caught on. A dumbbell cardio workout is when you do a series of dumbbell exercises in a circuit with as little rest as possible between exercises. I also call these "dumbbell intervals" because you do an interval of exercise, followed by rest and then more intervals.

Dumbbell cardio is a better choice for a great cardio (and full body) workout for a lot of reasons. First, and the most simple reason, is you don't need an expensive equipment like exercise bikes, row machines or treadmills. All you need is a set of dumbbells and you're ready to go. This also is great if you work out in a crowded gym (yuk!), where the cardio machines are in constant use.

Second, dumbbell cardio gets your heart and breathing going using the ENTIRE body, not just part of the body like the legs. Your heart has to pump blood to the muscles of the legs, the core and the upper body. This prepares the heart for more real world activities than say just jogging.

Third, aerobic exercise goes against your physique building. Yes, it does burn fat while you are doing it... but it also tells the body to do what it takes to get lighter. This means you body also sacrifices muscle to reduce the weight. On the other hand, using dumbbell cardio sends the signal to get rid of fat, but in a way that preserves the muscles of your entire body because they are needed for the completion of the workouts.

So, the next time you are looking for a great cardio workout that actually helps you build a high-performance, lean, athletic body walk past the cardio machines and pick up a pair of dumbbells instead. Plus, you might just realize how effective dumbbells are as a complete workout tool. Give dumbbell cardio workouts a try instead of boring aerobic exercise.

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Why Cardio Training is the Best Way to Burn Fat

Cardio training is probably the best method of burning excess fat from your body because the exercise is aerobic and requires a lot of oxygen during the workout. When burning fat is your main goal, you need to use up a lot of oxygen. This is the reason that you need to do cardio training.

You also need to keep up the activity for a long period of time in order to gain maximum benefit from it, so performing cardio in sessions of 30 minutes is a good idea. This will give you maximum results in terms of endurance, stamina and fat burning.

Some of the best pieces of equipment for maximum fat burning improvement are the treadmill, rowing machine, stair climber and stationary bicycle. Long cardio is good because your body will burn fat in the presence of oxygen. This is exactly what cardio training gives you. If you are looking to get ripped and lean then you should use this method.

If your main fitness goal is to burn fat and get into the best shape of your life, you need to burn the fat from your body. To reach this goal, you should start to exercise for longer periods of time by raising your heart rate into the fat burning zone.

You need to keep your heart rate up for a sustained period of time. When you first get started you can run or jog for about ten or fitness minutes, but you need to quickly increase that number to thirty to forty five minutes. This is known as the optimum time to remain active if you want to drop the fat from your body.

The amount of cardio training you do will depend on your goals and commitment. It is always a good idea to exercise a little each day, but when you are committed to a fitness goal then you need to do a little more than usual.

Another great tip is that doing your cardio training in the morning can increase the fat burning effects of the exercise. This is something that fitness models and bodybuilders do to get in shape.

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Aerobic And Cardio Training - How Hard Must You Go For Results

The most fundamental key to aerobic activities is getting out of breath. It is essential you examine your exercise to see if it is achieving this. In my experience I have met many people who do hours of swimming but never get even slightly out of breath, or play hours of tennis but say to me they cannot lose weight.

These two examples show how exercise can be misleading. When swimming, your technique may limit you from being able to reach an intensity to achieve the real health benefits of exercise. Tennis, by nature of its design is stop start and very often does not challenge the aerobic system at all. i understand it takes 2 hours to play a match but more often than not the exerciser is spending considerably more time standing around than running.

The above examples are not a criticism of tennis or swimming but rather just making you aware of what really is an aerobic activity and what is not. For your health to be maximized you must reach an intensity that you are breathing more deeply than usual for a prolonged amount of time.

In the gym it is also very common to see people on machines but not reaching the required intensity level. If your body can handle level 10 and you are gong at level 3 it is going to struggle to really make gains in fitness and health. However, do not be mistaken that level 3 is useless. It is still exponentially more beneficial than the person who never does any aerobic training , but more often than not will not get you the results you desire.

To gauge how hard to do exercise you should use the rate of perceived exertion scale (RPE). This is a subjective measure you ask yourself about how hard the exercise feels, from easy to very hard. Once you have learned this you can set the intensity on the machines to equate to this exertion level.

RPE scale:

20 - About to collapse the exercise is so hard, gasping for breath,

15 - Hard effort, could do 3-5 minutes max, breathing deeply.

10 - Comfortable, could do 15 minutes at this level, breathing a more

deeply than usual

5 - Easy, could do 30 minutes at this level, very slightly out of breath

0 - At home watching telly with the feet up.

The aim is to build up to be able to do more exercise at the higher exercise intensities. You should aim to exercise at between 13-16 out of 20.

Please note you DO NOT need to go into the 17 - 20 end of the scale, you are not Olympic athletes just yet, so you do not need to train like them. Regular exercise at 17-18 out of 20 is difficult to maintain long term.

What happens instead is that your perception of what a 15 out of 20 feels like changes so further down the line you are working at a harder effort level but you perceive this as easier than an untrained counter part.

Using this scale allows you to control your exercise intensity and maintain motivation. The key is to find that 15 out of 20 level and then use different training techniques.

For example a 15 out of 20 for a 4 minute sprint may be at speed 13 on the treadmill, but at 15 out of 20 for a 20 minute jog may be at speed 11.5. Using different stimulus for the training will increase your fitness levels and maintain motivation.

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Choose the Ideal Aerobic and Cardio Exercise

Walking

There is little doubt that walking is one exercise that anybody can undertake, being simple and very easy. It's especially helpful if you are a beginner, planning to make exercising a regular feature. Or, for some reason if you couldn't continue with your schedule of exercising in any manner, for whatever reason, this is the best way to get started again. Even those already into some kind of an exercise regimen should find it helpful as a warming up exercise. If you plan to burn fat but lack that energy to get into other sophisticated kinds of exercises, you should start with it.

Running/Jogging

Running and jogging are among the best of cardio exercises. If you love being outdoors to breathe fresh air, there is nothing to beat this experience. Any athlete is necessarily required to go jogging while training. Apart from athletes and experts, people who like going for exercises recommend jogging be adopted as a regular exercise. Running is considered to be an ideal cardiovascular exercise for those wanting to burn fat. However, any kind of exercise if carried beyond a point could cause some undesirable, but avoidable health complications and it's best to consult your doctor before hand and seek his opinion of continuing with it.

Cycling

Whichever way you look at it, cycling is simply a superb way of exercising. It has some benefits that other ways of exercising lack. And, that's because of the element of fun associated with it all the time. Of course, it effectively burns calories and fat. Even if you can't mange to go outdoors, you may like trying stationary biking at home or at the gym. You derive the same benefits minus the element of fun. Working on stationary bikes is not the same as going out for cross-country biking or mountain riding that provides excitement and sense of adventurism. Nevertheless, as the proverbial saying goes "something is better than nothing"!

Machines

Let's accept the fact that lifestyle of most doesn't leave them with as much time as to indulge in any kind of interesting outdoor activity like cycling and hiking. But, they could derive the benefits of such activities by going to the gym and opting for a machine they like using. There is quite a choice for them that go to include stationary bikes, elliptical machines, treadmills and Stairmaster, besides others.

There certainly are ways to make aerobic cardio exercises more interesting. Bring some change and break the monotony. For instance, you could try including a few sessions of weight training in your normal routine. That helps to avoid the monotony and makes it more interesting while helping you to have an increased heart rate and burns your fat too.

Before concluding, and once again, do consult doctor before venturing into any exercise regimen.

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Monark Exercise AB 927X Upright Cardio Comfort Bike with Electronic Display

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Monark Exercise AB 927X Upright Cardio Comfort Bike with Electronic Display Overview

The user-friendly Monark 927x upright training and rehabilitation bike boasts a sleek frame, updated colors, and an ultra-reliable electronic resistance system, helping it meet the rigorous demands of commercial gyms, rehabilitation centers, and active aging facilities. The bike is distinguished by a low-profile, walk-through design that lets riders of any age use the bike with comfort and ease. The electronic resistance system, meanwhile, offers such features as 12 preset programs, HR-controlled programs, a constant power mode, a timer setting, and a manual quick-start function. And thanks to the electronic display, it's a breeze to track your time, distance, speed, calories burned, and cycle power. Other details include adjustable handlebars with a quick-release lever and contact heart rate sensors, an adjustable seat with an easy pullout pin, and bottom wheels for easy transport. The 927X measures 25 by 50 by 49 inches (W x H x D), weighs 145 pounds, and carries a one-year warranty.

About Monark
Monark has over 90 years of experience in bicycle production and manufactures, develops, and markets ergometers, exercise bikes, transport bikes, and specialized bicycles. Since the early 1900s, Monark’s cycles have been living proof of precision, reliability, strength, and service. That is one of the reasons why the company is now the world leader in cycle ergometers and the market leader in Scandinavia in transport cycles. Monark's products can be found today in over 90 countries, with the largest markets in the United States, China, and Scandinavia. Despite having a worldwide operation, development and manufacturing remain in Sweden. The demands on the function and quality of Monark's products are extremely high, which also means that production must fulfill requirements for safety, quality, and professionalism.

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Pf700 Cardio Cross Trainer Lower Wire Harness

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Pf700 Cardio Cross Trainer Lower Wire Harness Overview

This is the Replacement Lower Wire Harness for the Pf700 Cardio Cross Trainer For Model Number 285282

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Fold-A-WayTM Cardio Stair Stepper Exercise Machine

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Fold-A-WayTM Cardio Stair Stepper Exercise Machine Overview

Here's a great compact stairclimber that offers a full aerobic workout and then folds up and stores under a bed or in your closet. Its built-in computer tracks and displays heart rate, pace, calories burned, training time and distance. And unlike a gym stepper, this can keep track of your total steps for the week or all workouts combined. Order today! This aerobic gym stepper offers a great workout and easy to use, no-sweat features. A movable shaft on stair stepper frame lets you easily adjust the stepper for your exact height. Pulse sensor-grips built-into the handle let your monitor your heart rate without straps or wires. Computer tracks workouts up to 99 minutes long, up to 9990 steps, and 999 calories. The large LCD monitor automatically shuts off after five minutes of non-use to save battery life. Monitor uses 2 AA batteries (included). With your own stairclimber, think of all the time you can save not having to drive to the gym. Order your own in-home gym stepper today from Brookstone and stay fit for life.


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New Model 2008 Exercise Magnetic Elliptical Cardio Fitness Trainer

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New Model 2008 Exercise Magnetic Elliptical Cardio Fitness Trainer Overview

Seen On TV Exercise Magnetic Elliptical Cardio Fitness Trainer. Feature : High quality magnetic resistance with 8 levels of workout. The Hand pulse monitoring system allows you to control your heartbeat. Very Large anti-slip platforms. Stride Length: 15.5 inches. Meter function: Scan, Time, Speed, Distance, Calories, Pulse, IPM, Body Fat.

The Turbulence Training Solution to Boring Cardio Workout Programs

Cardio workout programs are boring. Craig Ballantyne, creator of Turbulence Training has some great solutions for making your typical cardio more fun and effective.

Solution #1: Interval Training

Interval training is where you perform a period of hard work followed by a period of easy work. You can use interval training with any sort of cardio equipment or activity.

I like to use high intensity jump roping and shadowboxing, but you can also use a stationary bike or treadmill. According to Craig, the best time to do interval training is right after your strength training session.

This way, you have 3 full training days per week. But many people have found that performing strength training and interval training every other day works just as fine.

However, this would mean that you'll be training 5-6 days a week instead of just 3 days per week. The important thing is you get in the workout.

One last option is to perform you interval workouts in the morning, and strength workouts in the evening (or vice versa). Start your interval workout with a 5 minute warmup.

Then, choose from one of the following Interval Training methods:

Workout A

Perform 45 minutes of high intensity cardio, followed by a 90 second period of lower intensity cardio. Make sure you bring it down to a nice, easy pace during the 90 second portion. This is your time of rest. Savour it. The 45 second/90 second interval counts as one interval. Repeat this interval for a total of 6 times, or 13 to 14 minutes of training.

Workout B

Perform 60 seconds of work, followed by 90 seconds of rest. Of course this is harder than the 45/90 seconds workout. If you are unable to complete 60 seconds of work, then go back to 45 seconds. Spend a few more weeks and 45 seconds, then try to bring it back up to 60 seconds.

Workout C

This is the hardest workout out of all of them. In this workout, you perform hard cardio for 20-25 minutes. Hard cardio can consist of running at a moderate pace, cycling at a moderate pace, sparring with a partner, shadowboxing, or jump roping at a moderate pace. In other words, don't go all out, but don't take it easy. You should barely be able to make it past the 25 minute mark. Once again, this requires a bit of conditioning, so make sure you make it through workout A and B before trying workout C.

Solution #2: Body weight Cardio

Craig Ballantyne has created some great body weight cardio workouts. These workouts can replace your interval cardio if you don't enjoy interval cardio.

The workout is known as the Crazy 8 Bodyweight 300 Cardio circuit and consists of 8 exercises. The repetitions and seconds performed for each movement adds up to 300 repetitions and seconds.

Perform this circuit 3 times. Start off with 60 Jumping Jacks. After the Jumping Jacks, move right into a Spiderman pushup. These are a regular pushup.

However, when you go down bring one knee up to the corresponding elbow. Push back up and repeat on the other side. From here, perform walking lunges.

After the walking lunges, perform spider climbs. To do these, get back into pushup position and bring your foot up beside your hand. The idea is to place your foot right next to your hand, but if you're not flexible enough you can bring it up as far as you can.

Always keep your abs tight and hips low. After the spiderman climbs, stand up and hold your back up against a wall. Squat down to parallel and hold this position.

Continue with a plank for 60 seconds. After the plank, perform 5 burpees. These are where you stand, squat down, pushup your legs out so that you're in pushup position, perform a pushup, pull your legs back in, and jump up.

After 5 burpees, perform 25 high knees with eah leg. This is one circuit. Do 2 more circuits and call it quits. However, if you need to, you can still ad 15-20 minutes of high intensity cardio at the end of the workout.

Solution #3: Body weight Intervals

Body weight interval training is another fun way Craig Ballantyne uses to help his clients burn lots of fat. All you need is a good interval timer. To start the workout, perform body weight squats for 20 seconds.

Hold the bottom position of the squat for 10 seconds, and repeat for 7 times for a total of 4 minutes of training. This is what you call a Tabata interval.

After the squats, you're going to do pushups. However, only do 4 rounds of pushups instead of 8. Perform as many pushups as you can in 20 seconds, and rest in the top position for 10 seconds.

The final movement is the plank and side plank. Start off with 20 seconds of the plank, then move to the side plank. Alternate sides for total of 8 rounds.

You can be creative and add your own body weight exercises to the mix.

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Proven Cardio Training Workout

Exercising for weight loss has always meant spending thirty to sixty minutes on a treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical machine, etc. To me, nothing is more boring than running on a treadmill for that long. I did run outside which helped with boredom but my knees took a beating.
One day I found an article in Men's Health that talked about interval training and how much more effective it is for weight loss when compared to sixty minutes of exercise on a treadmill, jogging at the same pace. What really attracted me to interval training is the length of time required to complete a workout; twenty to thirty minutes.

Interval training is not easy but instead requires an all out effort.

There are virtually endless way to perform interval training, some with equipment and some with out. The most basic form of interval training would have you walking for a minute, then running as fast as you can for a minute and continuing the cycle for twenty minutes.

I will work this basic interval program into my workouts, but only occasionally. In fact, because there are so many variations you can develop, I only perform the same interval program about once a month or so.

Here is an example of an interval cycle I perform, actually, this is the workout I did yesterday.

100 yard walking lunge

800 meter run

100 body weight squats

I live across the street from a high school track so I did the workout there. The idea was to complete the three exercises as quickly as possible, so the only equipment I need was a stop watch. It is also football season so the field had yardage markers on it making is very easy to complete the 100 yard walking lunge. When I finished the lunges, I completed two laps (800 meters) around the track as quickly as possible. Then I immediately started the 100 body weight squats, going very deep on each. Total time 14:38. In less than twenty minutes I completed an effective and intense workout.

Here are a few other routines I perform:

400 meter run

20 burpees

20 push ups

I complete five rounds moving as quickly as possible. This routine typically takes me 25 minutes to complete.

Peddle as quickly as possible for three minutes on a stationary bike.

15 Pull ups - Many times I have to put one foot on a chair to complete all 15.

15 Dips

Again, five rounds a quickly as possible for time.

400 meter run

30 box jumps - an exercise step works great for this. Standing in front of the step, jump onto the step then back off, repeat 30 times.............. Can you say OUCH!

20 body weight squats.

Complete five rounds for time.

When the weather turns cold, I don't like exercising outside. I know it takes about 2:45 to complete a 400 meter run so I will run on the treadmill for three minutes. If my workout requires a 800 meter run, I go for six minutes.

It is difficult to overcome the exercise paradigm thinking you need at least 45 minutes of exercise. Let me share my success story with you. One of my old cardio routines had me peddling for 45 minutes. In that 45 minutes I would travel around seven miles. After two months on this program, I took that same 45 minute ride following the same course I always have. What I noticed was this, I did not push my body any harder than before, but at the end, my odometer told me I had traveled 9.3 miles! Not too shabby for 20 minutes 5 days week. My extra weight continues to come off and my body is taking on a shape this 47 year old man has not seen in sometime.

See Also : Recumbent Exercise Bikes

7 Reasons to Add Cardio Training to Your Workout

If you're a weight-training enthusiast, no doubt you know the benefits to be gained from building strong muscles. But, is cardio training part of your workout, too? If it's not, you should consider adding it to your routine. Weight training paired with cardiovascular workouts provides a nearly perfect combination for keeping you fit and healthy. Let's look at seven reasons to add cardio training to your workout.

Cardio training is good for your heart - The increased heart rate you will achieve during your cardio workout will improve the condition of your heart and lungs, by training your heart to pump more blood in fewer beats and your lungs to move more oxygen with less effort. The improvement you will gain in your cardiovascular health will reduce your risk of heart disease and improve your blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Aim for 30-60 minutes at least 3 days a week in order to achieve the best results for improving your heart.

Cardio training will help improve muscle mass - Yes, it's true - You need strength training to gain muscle, but the thirty minutes you spend on those elliptical trainers will help improve your muscle mass, too, especially if you combine the two as part of an interval training program. By going back and forth between cardio training and weight training, you are working your muscles and then letting them relax several times during a workout, which will improve your ability to build that great toned look. In addition, regular aerobic exercise causes the capillaries in your muscles to grow, which helps them to remove waste, such as lactic acid, from your body more easily. This will help improve the health of your muscles, and reduce muscle soreness after your workout.

Cardio Training Burns Fat - Adding four thirty minute cardio sessions a week to your current training schedule will help you rev up your fat burning capability. The fat loss you will see will help your toned muscles be even more noticeable.

Cardio Training Revs Up Your Metabolism - In addition to the fat you will burn during your workout, regular cardiovascular training will boost your metabolism for hours after your workout, too, helping you to maximize fat loss all day long.

Your Immune System Can Improve - People who spend thirty minutes in cardiovascular exercise at least three times a week are less likely to catch colds and other viral illnesses. It is believed that aerobic exercise improves your immune system, making it better able to fight off infection.

Your Mental State Will Improve - Cardio training causes your brain to release endorphins, the body's natural high. Endorphins act as natural painkillers and stress reducers.

You Are Likely To Live Longer - The New England Journal of Medicine has found a direct link between regular exercise and longevity.

What Cardio Training Is Best?

So, now that I've convinced you that you need cardio training, just what kind of cardio training is best? Well, most experts agree that running provides the best aerobic exercise bang for the buck, in terms of fat burning. Plus, running strengthens your legs better than most other aerobic exercise. Another benefit is that, other than a good pair of shoes, no special equipment is required for running, and you can do it virtually anywhere. Experts recommend that you begin with 20-minute sessions and work your way up to 30-40 minute runs. However, running does have its disadvantages. It's particularly hard on the knees, making it a difficult sport to continue, as you get older. There are several other cardiovascular exercises that provide great benefit for those of us who don't handle running very well.

Elliptical trainers seem to be one of the best options for those whose knees can't handle running. Elliptical machines provide the same great cardio benefit, but without all the stress on the knees. There are many great trainers to choose from, and you can find elliptical trainer reviews on many fitness websites.

Whatever type of cardiovascular training you choose, you are sure to see an increased benefit in your health and fitness by adding aerobic exercise to your regimen. With just a little extra effort added to your workout, you should see noticeable results in no time!

Visit : Fitness Heart Monitors