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Do You Really Need Cardio?
By Tom Bonanti
Do you ever get the feeling that
you’re spinning your wheels and getting nowhere doing your
cardio? It’s bad enough that life can seem like the proverbial
treadmill, you don’t need to be frustrated and bored when you go
to the gym too! This week let Mark’s List give you some tips
that will put the mojo back into your cardio and help you to go
from feeling sluggish and bored to super charged and rearing to
go.
Cardio workouts burn fat. Weight
training builds muscle. Any fitness regime must include both to
be effective and successful. A bout of cardio will use up more
calories than lifting weights over a prolonged period of time.
Yet the more quality lean muscle you build, the more calories
your body will burn all the time, even in a resting state.
Bigger muscles make you stronger, but cardio fitness gives you
endurance. Although cardio training programs can
vary from individual to individual, here are some pointers that
can benefit everyone. -Drink water before, during and after
any cardio workout. Stay away from sports drinks that are loaded
with sugar and caffeine. -You can perform cardio on an empty
stomach, preferably early in the morning if you need to jump
start fat loss. But remember that early in the morning your body
is already in a catabolic state, so you may need to eat an hour
and a half or so before you hit the treadmill so that you won’t
pass out from hunger or lapse into a hypoglycemic episode. -Always include a five to 10 minute
warm-up and cool down, consisting of a brisk walk, slow jog and
some stretching with each lifting session. -Many cardio machines have heart-rate
monitors that are built in to the equipment. Use these to
monitor your heart rate. Or, consider investing in a heart-rate
monitor. Purchase a model with a timing device, especially
helpful for interval training sessions. -Learn to calculate your target heart
rate range in order to maximize the benefits of your workout.
Ask a certified trainer about the Karvonen Method, which is the
most effective, but more complicated way of determining target
heart rate range. In general, anyone can approximate maximum
heart rate or MaxHR by subtracting your age from 220. For
example, 220 – 40 = 180. This is the starting point for all your
calculations. Depending upon your age and fitness level,
determine a safe, but challenging range to work with. For
example, a beginner may try a range between 55-65 percent of his
maximum heart rate range for best cardio and fat burning
results. -Remember to consult your physician or
health care provider before beginning any new exercise,
nutrition or supplementation program, especially if you are on
medication or being treated for a medical condition. Need a few
more tips on cardio effectiveness? Contact TrainerTomB@aol.com!  TOM BONANTI IS A CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER AND OWNER OF PUMP’N INC GYM AT 1271 NE 9TH AVENUE FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33304, www.pumpnincgym.com. |
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First,
let’s answer the above question with a decisive YES!
Cardio workouts are indispensable to any effective training
program. They can be any activity – power-walking, biking,
swimming, wrestling, martial arts, elliptical machine – that
raises and maintains your heart rate over a predetermined amount
of time. By doing this you strengthen your cardiovascular system
and lower your resting heart rate. Doing regular and monitored
cardio will help you live longer PERIOD!