Beginner’s Guide : Cardio

The dreaded cardio! There's hundreds and hundreds of memes saying "If you see me running, you should too because something is after me", but if everyone hates cardio so much why are there so many cardio machines in the gym? Today we're going to talk about the different types of cardio, which is best for you depending on your goals, how to maximize cardio for fat loss and tips to get you started!

Different Reasons For Cardio

A cardio program should be treated the same as strength training. Depending on your goals, programs can be very diverse and need to be customized.

FAT LOSS

Cardio is extremely effective for fat loss because it's a fast calorie burner. A general strength training session will burn an average of 266 calories an hour for a 185 pound person, while running 8MPH can burn around 1,000 calories in the same amount of time. However, fat loss is more about heart rate than speed (we'll hit on this later in the blog).

TRAINING FOR A RUN

Got a 5k or a marathon (bless you) coming up? Don't think you can just show up without training first. For a beginner, start with a run/walk interval where you run from 1-5 minutes and then walk the same amount of time. Repeat this 4-6 times a session and slowly increase time, distance, and duration as you progress.

STRENGTH TRAINING

Cardio is good for everyone, no matter your athletic level. If you are in the gym mainly for strength training, a good HIIT routine will incorporate cardio with strength training activities. Most strength trainers will do HIIT with light cardio on machines. Intense cardio sessions use so much energy that there's none left for your normal workout session, so save cardio for after your normal workout.

Heart Rate

Heart rate is more important than speed or distance if you're trying to cut fat. If you look at the diagram below (from Greatist), your heart rate should be in zone two.

Tips

• Learn proper form no matter what you're doing in the gym. Again, NO MATTER WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN THE GYM (this includes cardio).
• Don't increase too rapidly. The most you should increase your distance is 10% each week.
• If you are going to do more running than other workout routines, go ahead and invest in good running shoes. Those Chucks aren't going to cut it.
• STRETCH! Again, because you're doing the same motion over and over, cramps are common. Do dynamic stretches (lunges, jumping jack, anything to warm up your muscles and get your heart rate up) before, and do static stretching after. You don't want loose muscles before you workout.
• STAY HYDRATED!
• Contrary to what people say, cardio does not cannibalize muscle. Your body adapts to make it the most efficient at what you're doing. If all you do is run, your muscles will adapt to make you the most efficient at running, where as if all you do is strength training, your muscles will adapt to make you the most efficient at lifting.
• No matter what kind of workout routine you do, mild strength training is important for overall health and injury prevention.

Cardio at Workout Anytime

Here at Workout Anytime, we have state of the art equipment and rows of cardio machines, ranging from treadmills and ellipticals, to stair climbers and stationary bikes for you to use 24/7. Call us today to see what kind of cardio group classes we offer and to book your time!