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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Do You Know What is the Best Aerobic Exercise For Fat Loss?

Ok... It has been written so much lately and it starts to feel like beating a dead horse... And I'm guilty of doing that too because I have written several articles about why aerobic exercises or cardio exercises are not good for fat loss.

So... is there really a good way to use aerobic exercises for fat loss? That is the million dollar question. I'm going to tell you about it today in this first part expose on interval aerobic training. And you will walk away from this lesson knowing more than most folks do about using the aerobic exercises the right way for fat loss.

First of all, I believe interval aerobic training is superior to the constant, slow aerobic exercises that most people are doing now for several reasons.

First, you get a better workout in a shorter amount of time. That makes sense because interval cardio demands quick pace with slow resting paces in-between.

Secondly, interval training is less boring and more challenging which means you will more likely stick with the program rather than wimp out because quite frankly, I absolutely hate slow, plodding and boring exercises... don't you?

Third point would be that you can change the variety and speed of your program frequently so your body doesn't get used to workouts and you avoid that dreaded fat-loss plateau... you know when your attention span starts to wander and you find more interesting things to do instead of working out to burn off your fat... like watching TV or eating more junk foods...

The best part about interval aerobic training is that you will jump start your metabolism which will burn up the fat around your love handles! And you don't even have to be an advanced fitness workout freak to use and enjoy the benefits of an interval workout.

In short, beginners are welcomed!

So, if you haven't done any workouts in a while... and you want to get started... interval workouts is a great way to get started. However, I have to caution you, if you are out of shape, you should consult with your family doctor before taking on a workout plan.

Because the most important thing is you want to get in the best shape of your life... but you shouldn't have to die for it. Now we got the safety message out of the way... let's move on...

If you are a beginner... I suggest baby steps. Start using your aerobic machine at a slow and comfortable pace for twenty minutes. But every once in a while, slightly increase your pace for thirty seconds to a minute. Doing this beginner program is interval aerobic training. And don't get me wrong here... interval aerobic training doesn't mean super high intensity -- "bop 'til I drop" activity!

Because that would be no fun when your body feels like crap after working it out more than it has in a long time.

Moderate exercises is best when you are first starting. The key thing is to do it! And stick with it. And vary it. And use interval training to challenge your body in short bursts.

What interval aerobic training will do is similar to throwing gasoline on a fire. It will stoke your inner body metabolism into a roaring fire that consumes the layers of ugly fat.

And I should mention that research has given a lot of evidence that interval training is vastly superior to the "traditional" aerobic training. For instance, a study from the Laval University in 1994 did a comparison of these two type of aerobic trainings and concluded that the subjects that used interval training had far better results over a period of 12 weeks. They lost more fat. And that is exactly what we want for the hours and time we spend at the gym.

And the reason being for better results is because interval training causes more activity which puts more pressure on the muscles to perform which requires more energy to support the muscles which means more fat gets burned...

Whew! That's a mouthful huh?

To put this in the simplest terms possible -- interval training burns more calories!

There you go!

So quit worrying about using those calorie counters you see in the LED display on your aerobic machines. It is nonsense. And it doesn't accurately present what exactly is going on within your body and after you leave the gym.

You got that right... interval training revs up your metabolism such that it still burns calories and fat... even after you are back home and watching TV!

Ok. That's it for now. I will get the second part up soon.

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LifeSpan Fitness RW 1000 Rowing Rower Machine Overview

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Jogging Makes You Slow

We have all done it, you have probably been ordered to do it by your coach, you'll probably want to do it to lose some weight... But is jogging really the answer to your training needs.

I mean, will going for a jog solve your lack of endurance in a game of squash, rugby, football or golf?

Are you lumping around more body fat around the court than you absolutely have too so you feel that a jog around the block will make this go away...

What I write over the next page or so will probably annoy you, you may even flat out disagree with me. All I ask is that you keep an open mind.

Some 40 or so years ago, a man Mr K Cooper invented the world of aerobics and ever since, we have been "shackled" to the concept of effective training involving an hour long bout of aerobic training, normally in the form of a jog, cycling down the street, or attending a fitness class.

However this form of training has been long since proven to NOT be the most effective method for most sports AND, more importantly, NOT an effective fat loss tool either.

How has this form of training managed to remain the foremost practised workout in the world? Whilst my sceptical head has many theories on this, the purpose of this article is not to disprove the aerobic method, but to provide you with reasons to try something else instead.

I could bore you with many studies that prove that Interval based training principles and resistance style workouts are better for your sports training needs, but instead I want to appeal to your common sense.

Unless your chosen sport is purely endurance based, such as marathon running, triathlon, long distance cycling or cross country skiing then you need to look at the how you challenge your body when you are "playing" your game?

Even an endurance based sport demands a different look for optimum training plans, but that is for another article!

Most sports require short bursts of effort interspersed with periods of rest. The ability for your body to handle these efforts is based on the ability for your muscles to recover effectively ready for the next effort. Think of the short sprint to reach a long ball, darting across the squash court, or rushing at an opponent to make a tackle.

Most sports require a level of strength exerted over a short period of time, ie. POWER. Think of a tennis stoke, golf swing, a leap or a quick start.

Most sports require a flexibility and at the same time a stability of your joints to execute a controlled movement. Think a kick of a ball, striking a ball with a bat, or throwing an object.

Now tell me how spending most of your training time doing a low intensity, aerobic style workout like that of jogging or an hour on an exercise bike is going to help you develop a better body for sport?

This style of workout that has been shown to restrict mobility, increase your chances of repetitive strain injuries and breaks down muscle tissue in order to retain your body's natural homeostasis.

Armed with a little knowledge and a helping of common sense, you can see that doing your "usual" workout may not be optimum for you or your sport! I also mentioned at the start that this style of training is not that effective for fat loss either! The only study I will cite in this article demonstrates that an interval based training plan has be shown to be NINE times more effective for fat loss than doing long slow steady state workouts such as jogging, or working out on an exercise bike for an hour or more!

Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism. Tremblay A, Simoneau JA, Bouchard C. Physical Activity Sciences Laboratory, Laval University, Ste-Foy, Quebec, Canada.

So what should you be doing for your sports training?

Well simple really, take a look at the demands your sport has on the body...

Is it short sprints, then go out and train for short sprints...

Is it dynamic, powerful movements whilst on your feet, then train to make dynamic, powerful movements whilst on your feet (that means stay away from the machines, and pick up a dumbbell or two!)

Is it jumping, first step quickness, changes of direction, flexibility, stability, strength, power?

You see what I am getting at?

Most of us never need to do aerobic style training, whilst to some this will come as a relief, you may still be resisting this paradigm shift. What I propose is such a fundamental shift in over 40 years of training folk lore that it is easy to dismiss such a simplistic concept.

Sabine is a keen skier, water in the summer, snow in the winter. Since changing her training approach from that of endurance athlete to that of power and strength, her sporting performance has taken a dramatic turn for the better, what's more her body fat percentage dropped to below 20%. Her workouts never last more than 45 minutes and has not done a single aerobic workout since the change.

Whilst every sport is different, it is important to note that the basic requirements of "most" sports requires a very different model of training than that which is normally adopted. Before heading out for your next workout, take a close look at the demands of your sport and ask yourself honestly if the jog you are about to do is going to make a difference? Or are you just doing it because that is what you have always done.

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