Good cardio workout?

[TheHeat818]

Hey guys

I'm not exactly the most in shape person and need to cut down. I've been lifting for a while but it's not really doing it unless I guess I start doing cardio

What cardio methods can I do to get in shape?

 

[FalconPunch]

Hey guys

I'm not exactly the most in shape person and need to cut down. I've been lifting for a while but it's not really doing it unless I guess I start doing cardio

What cardio methods can I do to get in shape?

You should read the FAQ in this subforum as well as the FAQ in the diet/supplement subforum as they will fully answer your question.

Your diet will play a greater role in fat/weight loss.

If you are capable of running I would go ahead and do that. You should definitely try doing HIIT. Start off with only a few shorter intervals and work your way up to more intervals of greater length or shorten the rest period in between the intervals. If you are extremely out of shape doing HIIT might be overwhelming and you should do some longer slower runs to get yourself ready for it. If you are incapable of running then I think the next best thing would be to do them on a bicycle.

Good luck.

 

[McClure]

I'd also recommend reading the stickies and faq's...but that is alot of information and if you are inexperienced with cardio training it might be confusing.

Depending on your fitness levels and goals, I would keep it simple at first.

Get a HR monitor or learn to take your HR and get in the habit of taking readings while you workout. Your perceived exertion level is rarely accurate - it's important to train within certain boundaries.

Mix in 1-2 LSD (long, slow distance) sessions per week. For me, that means over 40 minutes of work with a hr in the 130-140 range. I can talk comfortably and breath through my nose at that level.

Mix in 1-2 HIIT (high intensity interval training) sessions per week. This is a period of intense work followed by an interval of recovery. I vary the times of work and recovery. An example would be an uphill sprint/climb taking 90 seconds, followed by a slow walk back down of 120 seconds, then repeat. For me, that usually means I top out in the high 180's hr and begin my next interval when my hr drops below 120. You can vary the length of these intervals as well.

Mix in some shorter, higher hr runs/training. I'll sometimes run 30 minutes or less with my hr up over 165-170.

Mix in some easier, longer sessions. I'll sometimes run on a treadmill/elliptical training for 40 minutes with my hr around 120.

The general idea is to mix your methods and monitor your progress.

What you read in the stickies is most important - this is just what I've learned so far and based on my own experiences. I still have alot to learn, but haven't had time to get much deeper into than this.

 

[oldman]

There are lots of ways to increase endurance and burn fat, while gaining strength.
When I was young, everyone ran and mixed in jumping rope for endurance. Strength and conditioning coaches have improved todays workouts so much, it is incredible.

Depending on your current endurance level, you may need to build up your core endurance, as mentioned below, the LSD is an option- these are numerous base miles (or sets) building up your base endurance. I personally hate running. But this principle can be applied to all exercises---burpees---sledge and tire---sandbag carrying---etc.
You first have to have to build a solid base of endurance. Then throw in the High Intensity Intervals. Your goal is to bump your heartrate up for a short time (the actual exercise ttime is debatable) Burst Training bumps your heartrate up to 85% of max heartrate for 45 sec, then rests for 1 min, then exercise to bring heartrate again to 85% of max. The goal is 10 excercises at 85% of max, then repeat.

From my experience coaching, if you are really out of shape, find a few exercises that you like to do first, build some endurance off of those few exercises, then expand your workout to other exercises.
If you have never done a burpee, do not jump in the 100 Burpee challenge, rather start with pushups, and jump squats, build up your endurance until you can master the more complex exercise.