Increase Your Conditioning, Increase Your Cardio

Many people think that conditioning is just cardiovascular work. However, to have complete conditioning, one must have not only cardio, but also muscular conditioning, strength conditioning, and power conditioning.

So, how to train these different modes of conditioning?

There are several different ways you could train each of these qualities individually, but there is a good way that you can get a better “bang for your training buck”.

Circuits (also called “complexes”) can do train all three at once. Circuits are pretty simple – just perform several exercises back to back with no rest. Now, when you hear the word “circuits” you might conjure up ideas of somebody doing endless reps on an old chrome universal weight machine, wearing some sort of ’70 jumpsuit. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The types of circuits I’m talking about are done with barbells, dumbbells, medicine balls, and/or bodyweight exercises. These circuits can either be done very high volume with several exercises, lighter weight, and higher reps to tax muscular conditioning. Or, they can be done with a medium number of exercises (say 4-6), heavier weights, and medium reps (say 6-8). This will tax not only muscular conditioning, but will tax strength/power conditioning more. Both will greatly tax cardio conditioning simply because you’re doing so much work without resting.

Another way is to do single, alternating-limb exercises. These are best done with full-body exercises, and, because of the nature of the method, heavier weights can be used, with higher reps. For example, take the Dumbbell (DB) Clean & Press. Grab a heavy DB, and Clean & Press it with your left arm. Set it down, and grab it with your right hand. Clean and Press. Set it down and grab with your left. Keep repeating until you do 20-30 reps per side. This allows you to keep your form tight, use high volume, and use a much heavier weight that if you were doing 20-30 reps consecutively. This method will tax not only strength/power conditioning, but muscular and cardio conditioning as well.

Probably the most beneficial aspect to these types of circuits is that they are such great cardio workouts. You get as much – or more – cardio benefit as you would any sort of “traditional” cardio (jogging, various machines, interval training, etc.), but you never have to do any direct cardio workouts. All the extra cardio you get is simply a by-product of all the work you’re doing.

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard.

Why You Should Use Medicine Balls In Your Cardio Workouts – Part 2

Last time, we looked at how medicine balls could help you build a strong, rugged, and “ripped” midsection, and how they could be used with some basic, simple exercises, to create intense and athletic versions of those same movements to get you into better shape that much quicker. This time, we’ll look at how to turn these into true cardio workouts, and how to create ‘super exercises’ that will accomplish as many as 3 different things at once!

Med balls can also be used to do some pretty intense exercises that just aren’t possible without them. For example, the Woodchopper (as described by Coach John Davies). Start standing upright, holding the med ball at your waist. Bring the med ball out to arms’ length in front of you, squat down, and touch the ball to the ground. Immediately explode up, jumping up into the air, and bringing the med ball to overhead. Land, reset, and repeat. Keep going until doom sounds like a good idea.

For amazing cardio, string together several exercises into complexes (like was mentioned with the abdominal exercises). Pick 3-5 exercises, and perform 5-10 reps of each exercise back to back without resting between exercises. Once you finally complete an entire circuit, rest 1-3 mins, and repeat. A sample complex might be:

-Woodchoppers x 10

-Pushups (both hands on med ball) x 10

-Med Ball Slams x 10

-Squats (holding med ball overhead) x 10

-Situps holding med ball x 10

Another great thing about med balls is how you can add different elements into one exercise, making an almost “super movement”. Let’s look at an example.

First, take the lunge. That is a pretty tough move. Let’s add a dynamic (explosive) – and in turn, cardiovascular – element, by turning them into jumping lunges. Doing these, you get into lunge position, jump into the air, switch feet in mid air, land, and repeat with the other leg. Now, add another element by holding a med ball. The exercise just got harder. But, let’s go a step further, by adding a med ball twist. Every time you land with the left foot forward, twist to the left so that you’re facing left, and the ball is pointed left. Everytime you land with the right foot forward, reverse it.

Try that for 10-12 reps each leg and see if you’re not huffing and puffing.

In the last installment of this series, we’ll look at how med balls can help incorporate the much-needed mental aspect to your training.

Best Workout Routine – The Best Cardio Exercise Equipment Obtainable

What is the greatest cardiovascular exercise equipment offered in the marketplace these days? Answering this query could be exhilarating and disappointing at the same time. It is mainly because there are just too many cardio exercise equipment commercially out in the market. You surely would be overwhelmed and enthusiastic if you would search and check out each of. Every machine is sophisticated, trendy, and fun. There are even a variety of brand names, each supplying the equipment distinct and breakthrough features to outpace and one another. Selecting the best cardio exercise equipment is similar in choosing the best workout routine. All of them seem to be perfect but in reality there are only few that gives the greatest end result. Disappointing but real!

If you would inquire the experts, the best cardio exercise machine would be the one for excess fat loss. Its features and effectiveness would count on your latest form and weight. Usually, folks who want to get rid of more than 30 lbs are recommended to start off by employing the common treadmill. Choose the machine without incline then set a comfortable velocity. You could enhance it as body fat weight is trimmed and cardiovascular effectiveness is improved. You could challenge your technique by growing your pace successfully. Ultimately, as you go on, you could use the incline purpose of the treadmill. Performing so would be very best if you want to consider all those bulges in the hamstring area.

For individuals who target losing less than thirty pounds, experts usually propose the cross trainer elliptical machine. This cardio exercise machine is the one that allows motion of the arms. This is also encouraged to the advanced body building workout routines utilized by most bodybuilders. Cross trainer elliptical machine stimulates the bodys operating movement. However, as it does so, the effect on the ankles and knees are lessened, if not absolutely eradicated. Final results brought about by this distinct machine are normally fast since the calories are promptly and successfully burned through the duration of the whole activity. Making use of the machine could burn off more stored calories than what the standard treadmill could do.

The recumbent bike should never be ignored. The equipment could facilitate a quite successful cardio workout particularly when stress is set to affect the knees. In comparison, the recumbent bike could melt away more calories than everyones preferred, the treadmill. Nevertheless, it could burn much less calories compared to the elliptical machine. This machine is not the kind that professionals commonly advocate to individuals who require to shed off more than thirty pounds of excessive pounds. Some people attest that working with this one is so much fun. It helps make the body energetic and hyper.

Lastly, you may take into account the stair stepper. It is a center-of-the-street decision for individuals who want to drop less than 30 lbs. However, like most end users, you may possibly not fully like the movement involved. This is the type of cardio exercise equipment that you would only favor to use if there is no other option available. You may recognize that not many people use it in the fitness center. But regardless of its likability, the stair stepper is effective in trimming excess body pounds.

You need to use it at a continual tempo within just about 20 minutes to 45 minutes on a daily basis for best results. There is no additional need to set superior resistance.

Interval Cardio Workouts To Burn Fat

First of all what is “interval cardio” and why should you use interval cardio workouts to burn fat? What most people look on as a workout is an hour on a treadmill, bike or rowing machine, going at the same pace and becoming utterly bored. Worse still they may lose just a couple of hundred calories, worth little more than a plate of breakfast cereal. This will not burn appreciable amounts of fat and the minute you stop exercising you stop losing calories.

What your body really needs are a few surprises in terms of speed throughout your workout. Short bursts of speed interspersed with short periods of rest means that your body continues to burn calories when your workout is finished, in fact for up to forty eight hours, and that’s why you should use interval cardio workouts to burn fat.

Believe it or not, the more oxygen your body needs, the more your metabolic rate increases and the higher your metabolic rate, the more calories you’ll burn and the more fat will melt away.

Don’t panic though, that expensive gym membership won’t be wasted as you’ll still use the bike, the treadmill and the cross trainer but in short sharp bursts, not at the same pace for a long time.

Here is one of the best interval cardio workouts to burn fat:

It’s essential to warm up for 5 minutes at a level where you can still carry on a conversation without puffing and panting.

Next increase your speed for 1 minute to a point where you can hardly breathe. Recover for 1.5 minutes at a speed a little above warm up. Do this three times; this is three intervals.

Cool down at the same rate as warm up for a further 5 minutes.

When you start doing interval cardio workouts to burn fat, this 17.5 minute workout will be sufficient but after time, you can do six intervals instead of three. Even so, your workout will only last twenty five minutes and as your metabolic rate stays up for at least two days, you only need to do this about three times a week to burn fat at an incredible rate.

Gone are the days of slogging away at the gym for at least an hour every day to see any resulting fat loss. Using interval cardio workouts to burn fat will only take you twenty five minutes three times a week and the fat will fall off.

Investigating Cardio Exercises For Joint Disease

Cardiovascular exercises is simply the physical activity which is performed to maintain your heart’s and blood vessels’ regular functions. The word “cardiovascular” refers to the heart and blood vessels which are responsible for facilitating the blood circulation to all our body parts.

Why cardio exercise is vital?

The answer is simple. From an arthritis perspective, cardio workouts are important for minimizing pain and prevent rheumatoid and osteo arthritis from debilitating the patient.

Apart from the realm of arthritis, to keep living, to renew our blood, humans must inhale oxygen. Aerobic capacity determines how much oxygen we consume in a certain time period. Youngsters generally have a higher aerobic capacity than the elderly.

The aerobic capacity of an old person can be improved with aerobic exercises Our fitness level can be determined by our aerobic capacity. A fitter person will have a higher capacity than one who does not exercise.

Examples of advantageous cardiovascular workouts in arthritis

Proposed cardio exercises should include low-impact exercise, like swimming. Moreover, aerobic exercise with marginal impact on weight-bearing joints, such as brisk walking and bicycling, reduces arthritis discomfort and improves joint functionality. Doing cardio exercises and taking supplements like Provailen, will help to fortify your joints and reduce the chance of injury.

There is absolutely no recommended frequency for doing cardio exercises for arthritis. It really depends on the seriousness of condition, your age and state of health. However, in most cases, while doing any form of cardio exercise, you can shock your body by altering the workout time, intensity and equipment used. This can be very dangerous to your joint health. Instead, you should split your cardio workout into 2 separate sessions in the same day. As a result, you don’t have to to increase the duration of your workout, but simply how many times you want executing it. Scheduling 2 workouts at different time intervals of a day will reduce burden on your body and joints.

Lastly, other than the above-mentioned benefits, if you carry out cardiovascular exercise regularly, it will increase the volume of protective cartilage found in your weight-bearing joints. Consequently, your joints are able to endure more pressure. Additionally, you must realize that more solid cartilages reduce your risks of osteoarthritis.