This article will hopefully get you thinking differently about your cardio workouts. I’m here to pose the question to you… Is cardio essential to get lean and in great shape? You will find out that I’m not against cardio as such just against traditional cardio.
When most people start exercising to lose weight and get in shape the first thing they think they need to do is do some type of cardio exercise to lose body fat. They never even question the logic behind it. However I am going to question it. You might be surprised to find out that some of the leanest people on the planet (men and women) NEVER do any type of traditional cardio exercise. Just look at some of the 100m sprinters in the Olympics. They all have ripped abs, only doing speed and weight training.
I do admit that there is a place for low intensity cardio for seriously overweight and obese people, but even then there are better and more effective ways.
What is cardio? If you asked the majority of people they would say pumping away for 30mins on a treadmill, bike or x-training machine while watching the TV screen at their gym. This is what I determine to be traditional cardio. No wonder people get bored with their routines and end up giving up after a few weeks when they don’t see results.
Cardio can be any type exercise that strengthens the cardiovascular system. In the simplest terms; if it gets you blowing and gets your heart pumping, its cardio. If you achieve this by doing weight training activities.. its still conditioning your heart.
Here are a few examples. A barbell clean and press: this is when you lift a barbell from the floor to your shoulders they press it over your head. Ladies, just because this is usually seen as an exercise for men it doesn’t matter if you’re not lifting as much. Choose a weight that is challenging for you, and you will get just as much benefit.
When you think of the clean and press you think, weight training exercise for strength but if you do a set of 10-15 reps on a challenging weight your heart rate will get up to 80-90% of its max. And you will be blowing pretty hard.
Similarly you can try a doing a one arm snatch or swings with a kettlebell or dumbbell. This will get your heart pumping, gasping for breath and your legs will be burning. Do 5 minutes of continuous body weight squats, lunges and pushups. Again notice how much you sweat, your muscles burn and your lungs are gasping for air.
This is the best way to condition your heart. Conventionally they are seen as strength training or weight training; however they are also a great way to fulfill all your cardio needs.
If you do these full body exercises with enough intensity, you not only condition almost every muscle in your entire body but also save time…something that can’t be said for the traditional 30mins on a treadmill or bike while watching TV. If you can work out while reading or watching TV you are not concentrating or working at a high enough intensity to see any actual results.
I challenge you to stop doing your traditional cardio workout for a few months and start training in a different way. Apply the training and diet techniques found in this free eBook which you can pick up at this URL. http://www.easyfitnesstips.com/SixPackAbsE-Report.htm and get the six-pack you always wanted.
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