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.
professional maid services Park Ridge ..At around ?350 pounds a treatment, Lipo-Dissolve the so called... Read More
Well, to begin with, there isn't really any one Mediterranean... Read More
A healthy pregnancy almost always involves weight gain. But now... Read More
How to Say No When You Don't Want the FoodA... Read More
At the University of Illinois, a new research found that... Read More
How many calories you consume has a big impact on... Read More
While the gastric bypass may seem like the perfect solution... Read More
Developed by Dr. Arthur Agatston, The South Beach Diet touts... Read More
There are many factors that cause us to increase body... Read More
How would you like to eat all you want and... Read More
Everyone who has ever been on a diet has hit... Read More
An Interview with Success Story, Caitlin JohnsonIf you don't know... Read More
Good health is an invaluable bliss and you cannot simply... Read More
Healthy eating has become part of your life, but you're... Read More
1. Persistence!Violate this step and you'll never achieve permanent results.... Read More
Adaptation is the most important concept I teach. The human... Read More
Are you feeling down and out? Do you feel even... Read More
There is never any absolute certainty about what the nutritional... Read More
This is a very important topic that needs to be... Read More
"THE SECRET REMEDY OF THE ANCIENT WARRIORS"Since what would seem... Read More
There are a few different ways to determine if you... Read More
Body Mass Index (bmi) A Misleading measure of ObesityMany professionals... Read More
As parents who've had gastric bypass we face many challenges... Read More
Ever heard of the expression, "Getting up on the wrong... Read More
If you are trying to lose weight, the holidays literally... Read More
cleaning lady near Lincolnshire ..Causes of ObesityJust like there is no weight loss pill... Read More
Are you wondering why you're not losing weight? If you're... Read More
Not only was I fat, I was in poor health... Read More
1. Start Exercising first thing in the morning.As soon as... Read More
Yes, you read it right?no diets!The first step in this... Read More
"I tried that diet and lost 8 pounds in the... Read More
Lose a pound of fat? what does it take? Not... Read More
Although every dieter knows that keeping food records is a... Read More
If you are looking for a way to lose fifty... Read More
Have I become invisible or are people just aiming right... Read More
The words I read made me furious. There it was,... Read More
If you want to reduce your body fat, focus on... Read More
Are you one of the 90 million Americans who are... Read More
All of us that have had a love-hate relationship with... Read More
According to Veronica Atkins, the widow of Dr. Robert Atkins,... Read More
The holidays are definitely a special time of year. These... Read More
REDUCE YOUR WEIGHTNow you are not very far from losing... Read More
Are you one of the many who may be tempted... Read More
According to the American Obesity Association, an astounding 64.5 percent... Read More
You know you have will-power. You can change a diaper... Read More
Low carb diets, though popular, have met with much controversy.... Read More
Nice girls don't speak up. Nice girls take care of... Read More
IntroductionThe history of The Atkins Diet goes back to the... Read More
Maybe you losing weight comes down to the simple question,... Read More
As I was saying in my past articles, others have... Read More
Weight Loss |