Lets face it, most of us live pretty busy lives and the amount of time spent exercising does eat up what little free time a lot of us have. I don't like to waste my free time anymore than anyone else so if I am going to use it up on an activity, I feel the rewards of the activity should out way the cost.
That being said, one of the activities that I add to my workout routines is a cardio program. I'll be blunt in stating that I love to lift weights but I absolutely loathe doing cardio. I personally do not enjoy cardio at all but I do understand how it is very important to my workout regimen. So, if I am going to invest my time in a cardio routine, you better believe I am going to make sure that I am maximizing the benefit of that routine.
There's a lot of great cardio equipment out there and I personally use a variety of them ranging anywhere from treadmills, to exercise bikes to stair steppers and more. My main focus for this article will be treadmills since they appear to be the most popular of the cardio equipment. However the same principles can be applied to other cardio equipment too.
Slow down, it's not a race
I have found that I burn fatter moving at a moderate pace than an all out sprint. When you go out at a 100% you burn more glycogen than fat. Basically your burning carbohydrates instead of your fat stores. The idea to effectively burn fat is to go at a moderate pace for a longer period of time.
Moderate pace means just that, not too fast and not too slow. On a treadmill I like to walk at a fast enough pace where I am building up a sweat but I could also hold a conversation without panting. The keyword here is walk, I believe that once you start jogging and running you are really moving away from the optimal fat burning pace.
Short and sweet isn't the key
Your cardio time should range anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. However, I also believe that your body can only take so much exercise at a time. Therefore if you plan on an hour and a half cardio session I would recommend splitting up your cardio into two sessions: one for the morning and then one in the evening. I have tested all types of cardio durations and workout times on my own body and found that a good 40 to 45 minute session in the morning works the best for me.
If you're going to do it, do it right
Always perform a full range of motion on your exercise equipment. Don't cheat yourself by taking baby steps. On the treadmill take long strides instead of short little steps. By taking the longer strides you will work the hamstrings and glutes (back of the leg and buttocks) more.
In addition to talking longer strides try to avoid holding on to the rails of the treadmill. Let your arms move back and forth as you would when running. You will be surprised of the difference of not holding on to the exercise equipment if you are already use to holding on to the treadmill, stair stepper or any other exercise equipment while performing the exercise.
If you don't believe me, try it out for one workout and I promise you will feel the difference in a matter of minutes.
Note: If you feel that you must hold on to avoid falling or getting hurt then by all means hold on.
Breathe
I like to take deep breaths in the nose and out the mouth when doing cardio exercise. I find that I focus more on the activity at hand when I concentrate on my breathing. I also have found that I sweat more too. I know it sounds crazy but give it a try and I bet you will notice a difference too.
Note: Not over exaggerated deep breathes but not short breaths either.
Tying it all together
I conclusion I personally feel that if I am going to add cardio to my workout routine then I want to do whatever it takes to maximize the workouts benefits. I have personally found that I more efficiently burn body fat by slowing my pace down, increasing my cardio workouts over a longer duration, using full range of motion on the equipment and breathing correctly. Go ahead and give these ideas a try and see if they work for you too.
Gerald Gore is the owner of the online fitness review site One4Fitness. For more health and fitness related tips and reviews on workout equipment visit Gerald's site at http://www.one4fitness.com.
disinfecting cleaning services Winnetka ..Everywhere we look in the western world we are inundated... Read More
Yep, it is that time of year again! Time to... Read More
Any doctor worth their salt will tell you diets don't... Read More
A little information if often a dangerous thing... and many... Read More
New studies suggested once again that citric fruits including oranges,... Read More
Among the most popular forms of dieting is the South... Read More
The cost of a tummy tuck is something to consider... Read More
For people that are obese, losing weight quickly can seem... Read More
Can You Lose Weight Where You Want?If you have excess... Read More
Are you weighted down with delusion, depression and on the... Read More
I had lost nearly fifty pounds before anyone mentioned my... Read More
The average American eats about twice as much protein than... Read More
Fats are always looked at as a negative in a... Read More
An eating disorder is a life threatening condition that often... Read More
A healthy pregnancy almost always involves weight gain. But now... Read More
Some of you will not like what I have to... Read More
How was it for you? Did you get through the... Read More
America is in a health care crisis. More than 60... Read More
The Atkins low-carb diet consists of four phases: Induction, Ongoing... Read More
I wrote this article back in the late fall when... Read More
Twenty years ago, I did not expect to accomplish what... Read More
Changing habits is one of the most difficult challanges we... Read More
Since gastric bypass weight loss surgery gives us a second... Read More
Choosing the right diet type is the most important decision... Read More
No doubt about it, when we feel stressed we want... Read More
last minute cleaning help Highland Park ..Losing weight is a lifelong commitment. It takes patience and... Read More
You may not like what I have to say, even... Read More
Food manufacturers can easily manipulate a whole population by the... Read More
You've decided it's time to lose some weight. A lot... Read More
Are you trying to lose weight?If you are, STOP!Funny thing... Read More
It is estimated that about 32 million Americans are following... Read More
You know you have weighted, err, waited more than enough.... Read More
Many celiacs lose weight before they are diagnosed; indeed it... Read More
The Atkins diet can be boring because of the limited... Read More
Weight loss information is often confusing and misleading. The more... Read More
Sometimes, just the thought of starting on a diet and... Read More
Experts say obesity will overtake smoking as the biggest health... Read More
I have tried many "diets" here in the USA and... Read More
WEIGHT LOSS:Nutrition and weight-loss researchers say that some supplements can... Read More
Be Prepared. For the Boy Scouts it means you are... Read More
Many people have asked me what foods they should eat... Read More
How to Break Your PlateauToday is a typical morning like... Read More
Debunking The Ab MythAb training has been done to death... Read More
Low Carb, Low Fat, More protein, Eat all the fat... Read More
For the person who wants to shed a few pounds... Read More
Dieting and weight loss is almost certainly the most lucrative... Read More
In the early nineties I had the opportunity to work... Read More
Oh, no . . . You suddenly realize that you... Read More
All Diets Work: No Diets WorkHave you lost weight in... Read More
Most of us are aware of the AA axiom of... Read More
Weight Loss |