What is a cardio workout and how to do it properly?
Content:
What is a cardio workout and how to do it properly?
Why do you need cardio training?
Walking (burns 300-400 calories per hour)
Running (burns about 600 calories per hour)
Bicycle (burns about 600 calories per hour)
Rowing (burns about 840 calories per hour)
Swimming (burns about 600 calories per hour)
Jumping rope (burns about 1000 calories per hour)
What is cardio workout and how to do it properly?
In this article, we'll learn more about what proper cardio training is, what it includes, and what each exercise is for. If you want to get rid of body fat while maintaining muscle mass, aerobic exercises are for you. Strength involves the production of energy anaerobically, while aerobics help you lose weight through completely different processes. In aerobics, a person simultaneously trains muscles and the cardiovascular system, increasing its efficiency, endurance, and improving the body as a whole.
Cardio training - what it is
Cardio (from the Greek "cardio", heart) is physical exercise that increases the heart rate. In cardio, the body is in an aerobic state and consumes more oxygen. Types of cardio include running, brisk walking, jumping rope, cycling, and even swimming.
The benefits of cardio lie in the fact that physical training against the background of increased oxygen consumption leads to active working of the cardiovascular system. This, in turn, increases blood flow to the body tissues, and also has a positive effect on metabolism.
Among other things, cardio training can help you lose weight - both through the calories burned and by optimizing the metabolic processes. In particular, cardio training has a positive effect on blood glucose levels, and also helps to normalize the production of a number of hormones.
Why do you need cardio training?
The main goal of cardio training is to increase endurance. This explains the huge range of different physical activities: running, swimming, skiing, snowboarding, jumping ropes, and so on. During cardio classes, the work of the heart improves, the metabolic process is activated, and the heart rate increases.
Cardio helps:
lower cholesterol levels;
calm the nerves;
train breathing, increasing a person's endurance;
get rid of excess weight;
to strengthen the heart system, the pulse will return to normal, the condition of all organs will become better.
Cardio loads are great for athletes, they serve as preparation for heavy training. Cardio is often used for weight loss, and is especially popular with women. If you go to a gym, then surely you have used an exercise bike or a treadmill.
If practiced regularly and on a pre-programmed program, aerobic exercise can help burn body fat. During intense exercise, lipids begin to actively oxidize, gradually turning into energy, which allows the body to withstand prolonged aerobics.
The popularity of cardio exercise is due to the huge number of its varieties. Most people do not know what cardio training includes and how to do it correctly, and are limited to one type of workout. But cardio involves many types of movements, each of which has its own characteristics and is aimed at solving a specific problem.
Walking (burns 300-400 calories per hour).
It is the best exercise for fat loss and overall health, but in cardio, walking is the least effective exercise. It's still great for beginners, injured people, and overweight people, but walking isn't great for losing fat or achieving fitness goals.
The lower the intensity of the exercise, the less calories are burned (15 minutes of cycling will burn more calories than 45 minutes of walking at an average pace).
In addition, the metabolism after a walk will only increase for 1 to 2 hours, whereas cardio with a higher intensity will improve the metabolism by 24 hours or more.
Walking can be used for the following purposes:
Weight loss aid for overweight people (people who cannot use other methods);
As post-traumatic activity;
As a way of recovery (more high-intensity exercise will lead to overtraining);
As a foundation on the path to higher intensity cardio.
For a beginner, the following walking program is suitable:
Frequency: three times a week
Intensity: 50-70%
Duration: 20-45 minutes.
Running (burns about 600 calories per hour)
Running is very effective compared to walking (we don't mean sprint now, it's anaerobic activity). It is a good way to lose fat and improve your own heart health.
The main benefit of running for fat loss is more calories lost, boosting metabolism over a long period of time.
For fat burning, jogging is most suitable, since doing so does not cause a person to cross the anaerobic threshold and does not begin to burn carbohydrates as a primary resource. Running, like walking, involves the entire lower body, only to a greater extent.
It improves the shape of the hip flexor muscles, hamstrings, quads, and calves. Running also uses your arms, which burns even more calories.
Running is used for the following purposes:
To train at a higher intensity and burn more fat in the end;
To strengthen the muscles of the legs, which improves their shape;
As a special way to improve your overall fitness level;
To increase metabolism for up to 24 hours;
Helps prevent osteoporosis.
Beginner program:
Frequency: three times a week
Intensity: 65-85%
Duration: 20-30 minutes
For effective fat burning, you need to spend 50-60 minutes running. If you have never been physically active before or have taken a long break from training, then run first at a distance of 1-2 km, and after adaptation - 3-4 kilometers. Regularity is important, otherwise it will take a very long time to see impressive results.
Do not forget to breathe correctly: 3 steps inhale, 4 - exhale.
Bicycle (burns about 600 calories per hour).
Cycling includes the same muscles as running, but has the added benefit of less muscle stress, so it is suitable for almost everyone (except for people with injuries).
The bike is good for HIIT as the resistance level changes easily from high to low. For bodybuilders, the bike is good, as it forms the frontal muscles of the quadriceps and they are better separated.
It can be done both on a simulator and on a real bike.
Bicycling in the fresh air is far more beneficial than exercising in a gym. You will not only strengthen your cardiovascular system, but you will also have incredible pleasure while cycling along familiar streets or exploring new places. Just do not cycle too many kilometers, otherwise the next day you will have severe muscle pain. In this way, you will only harm the body.
It's worth starting with 15 minutes. After the first two weeks, gradually increase the time. Give this activity a maximum of 2-3 hours. We recommend doing a little, but regularly, then the effect will be much better. Start at 3 times a week, gradually increasing the amount.
Cycling has undeniable advantages:
all muscle groups are involved at once, heart function improves, joints are activated;
coordination of movements becomes better, endurance increases accordingly;
it allows you to lose extra pounds, form a beautiful figure;
outdoor exercise allows you to use your lungs, which further contributes to weight loss.
The bike is used for the following purposes:
As high-intensity cardio for fat burning;
As a sport to improve overall health;
As a way to improve the shape of your quads.
Beginner program:
Frequency: three times a week
Intensity: 65-85%
Duration: 30-45 minutes.
Do not try to set a new record, it is important to keep your cycling speed low. Stop immediately if you notice joint pain.
Avoid eating an hour before exercising. The body during cardio exercises uses energy from body fat, which will allow you to lose weight. After training, refrain from eating for 30-60 minutes, during - periodically drink water.
Rowing (burns about 840 calories per hour).
Rowing on the machine is a great exercise for the whole body and a good way to burn fat. It is ideal for all major muscle groups and is more intense than walking. It's safer than running and burns more calories than any other cardio.
The benefits of rowing are as follows:
Burn more calories than any other cardio;
This is a full body exercise;
It is safe and helps burn fat;
Improves overall health.
Swimming (burns about 600 calories per hour).
Like rowing, swimming is a great exercise for the whole body: it burns a lot of calories. It is also safe since the body is in a special environment (water) and the risk of injury is low.
Freestyle swimming will be fine for most people, but if you want to target specific muscles, use different styles.
Swimming is ideal aerobic exercise for:
reducing the risk of injury;
working on all major muscle groups;
improving overall health;
burning more calories.
Jumping rope (burns about 1000 calories per hour).
It's also a very good cardio exercise. It is very beneficial for the calves and shoulders as it empowers them a lot. This is perhaps the most difficult form of cardio, as it requires skill, strength, concentration, and focus when done correctly.
It's not often used for cardio, but it burns even more calories than rowing and is very good for short sessions. On the other hand, the rope can injure your legs.
The advantages of the rope:
burns a lot of calories;
helps prevent osteoporosis;
uses a huge number of skills and abilities, including explosive strength, endurance and speed (the rope is an obligatory part of boxing training).
Jumping rope - very good cardio exercise
High Intensity Interval Training
HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is the newest and most effective way to burn fat.
As the name suggests, HIIT includes both high-intensity aerobic exercise for maximum fat burning benefits and an increased metabolic rate that persists for 24 hours after exercise.
Regular cardio is addictive to the body. This means that the body adjusts to speed and tries to conserve wasted calories. But with HIIT this is simply not possible, as the intensity changes almost every minute.
Sample HIIT Workout:
Using a bike, work at a medium to high intensity (75-80%) for 2 minutes. Change the intensity quickly to a more severe intensity (over 90%) for 30 seconds or 1 minute. Repeat all this for 30 minutes. You can also run, row, or swim using the same system.
What are the benefits of HIIT?
The HIIT System boosts the fat-burning hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine.
Reduces insulin levels.
Raises metabolic rate higher than any other form of cardio.
The OrbiTrek
The OrbiTrek is a very popular and amazing device. This is a kind of hybrid between an exercise bike and classic running. It is ideal for people with joint or spine problems. If you have a diagnosis related to the cardiovascular system or asthma, this sport is contraindicated for you.
If you don’t know what cardio training is, it seems that the machine is very simple. Difficulties arise as soon as a person enters orbit. The main task is to learn how to use all muscle groups. During the adaptation period (7 to 30 days), work for about 30 minutes in one set. After that, you can gradually increase the time up to an hour. Just do not try to train to exhaustion in pursuit of the perfect figure. This not only will not help you lose weight, but will also lead to problems with various organs.
With correct and regular exercises, you will see how the abs will begin to tighten, the condition of the body will improve, and fatigue will go away. Regular use of Orbitrek improves blood circulation. The advantage of the simulator is the ability to independently set the parameters. The shell allows you to lose from 3 to 5 kilograms per month.
These are the main types of cardio training. It is important to choose an option that not only tones up and helps to lose extra pounds, but also gives pleasure.
How much to train?
The age-old question is how long a cardio workout should take. It should be at least 30 minutes long. Most often, only after 20 minutes of training, the effect is felt. This is especially important when losing weight. If you are just a beginner, it is best to gradually build up the time, starting at 10-15 minutes. The body must get used to the stress, and an abrupt start will only worsen the condition of the whole organism.
You don't need to overdo it either. More than 60 minutes - muscles are burned, since there is no more glycogen in the body. In 2 hours, you can lose up to 90% of the amino acid responsible for muscle growth - leucine.
How to determine the optimal heart rate?
You need to constantly check your heart rate. It is imperative to be guided by this indicator. Beginners try to practice as long as possible, regardless of the condition. This is the wrong approach that can only worsen your health.
Professional athletes have a low heart rate. If there are no other serious symptoms, such as tiredness, weakness, or dizziness, this is normal. In adults, the average resting pace should be 60 to 100 beats per minute. Professionals have 40-60.
To calculate the extreme limit of the heart rate, it is worth using the general formula: 220 minus your age. This will be the maximum frequency that cannot be exceeded. Much depends on the specific zone during classes:
Warm up. You are just starting to wake up, so your heart rate should be in the 50% zone.
Burning fat. In this zone, the indicator is 70% of the line. When exercising, 85% of calories are considered fat.
Aerobic. At this stage, the lungs are actively working. Oxygen consumption increases gradually. The parameter is 80% of the limit. The respiratory system is actively developing in this zone, which contributes to an increase in strength.
Anaerobic. 90% of the maximum. The condition improves, muscles develop.
The border is considered to be 100%.
You have learned how to do cardio properly. It is important to remember the basic tips:
When doing cardio, be sure to monitor your health.
Don't try to break records, control the intensity.
Increase the load and exercise time gradually.
If you follow all the rules, you can bring the body into a state of vitality, recharge with energy, and lose weight.