Aerobics Cardio TNT

There are many reasons for cardiovascular exercise, some scientifically valid – some not. The more common ones I hear are: for weight loss, for fat loss, to burn calories, to exercise and train my heart, to prevent heart disease, to alleviate stress, for the sheer enjoyment of it and because my doctor or a trainer at the gym told me I had to!

Current scientific studies indicate that all those jogging fanatics and leg-warmer-wearing aerobics junkies of the 80’s may have led us astray! Cardio training is not the be-all solution we once thought it was.

These out-of-date training theories are still being perpetuated today by the media, many trainers, even doctors. Believe it or not, all those hours of repetitive, low to moderate intensity cardio training sessions are clearly not the best way to lose body fat, burn calories or train your heart. (Hold on now – don’t list your treadmill on eBay just yet!)

We’ve gotten carried away with the notion of “calories burned”, thinking this equates fat loss and weight loss. In fact, working longer and racking up more calories during your cardio training session burned will not necessarily help you lose fat in the long run – it can make you store even more fat!

If this is your main exercise focus, you are at risk for loss of muscle. This is the exact opposite of what you want, since muscle is your body’s built-in fat burning, calorie-burning engine. When you lose muscle you lose your natural fat burning potential.

Our focus needs to shift from “how many calories am I burning during this exercise?” to “how many calories am I burning 24/7?” This is known as your Resting Metabolic Rate. It’s a nice thought, isn’t it? Your body burning fat and working hard… while you’re sleeping! I like it!

Long duration, steady pace, low intensity cardio – the typical cardio routines you see the majority of folks at a gym doing, or the long walks many people take as their exercise – may increase your metabolism for up to an hour or two following your workout. If your purpose for cardio training is to burn fat, burn calories or lose weight, then this ‘old-school’ cardio is pretty much useless.(I’ll get back to that comment later.)

The same can be said for doing cardio for the purpose of training your heart. Steady state endurance training only trains the heart at one specific heart rate range and doesn’t train it to respond to various everyday stressors.

On the other hand, high intensity training with high variability teaches your heart to respond to and recover from a wide variety of demands, making it less likely to fail when you need it.

Essentially, there are two vitally important keys to creating a successful exercise routine.

Intensity is the first critical key to getting the most bang for your cardio buck! A higher intensity, shorter duration, strenuous training session (especially once you start incorporating proper resistance training in your exercise regime) can increase your Resting Metabolic Rate for up to 1-2 DAYS! You become a lean, mean, fat-burning machine!

The second critical key to maximizing your cardio workouts is to add variety. Change things up regularly. Do you cardio at different speeds, different inclines, in a different setting, a different type of cardio exercise all together, and so on. The possibilities are virtually endless!

You can trade in those steady state, low intensity, 30-60 minute walks, jogs and treadmill or elliptical routines 5 times per week for 20 minutes of energizing short burst intervals 3 times per week… and achieve superior fat loss and weight loss results.

Now, I said I’d get back to the comment about ‘old school’ cardio being somewhat useless to meet the physical goals many folks are seeking. Let me be perfectly clear. Essentially ALL the current scientific research is showing that traditional aerobic-type cardio training is far less effective than the more anaerobic-type, high intensity cardio training when it comes to fat loss, weight loss, burning calories for longer periods of time, helping you drop sizes, building lean, sleek muscle, and effectively training your heart.

That being said, IF the reason you’re doing your steady state, low to moderate intensity cardio exercise is for the sheer enjoyment of it and to help you reduce stress, then I say, “Go for it!”

What the hardcore exercise physiologists and researchers sometimes fail to consider is that our mental, emotional and spiritual balance is critically important to our overall physical health as well. Some of us really need a day or two each week of a longer duration cardio workout in order to chill out!

Even so, I recommend that you don’t make this type of cardio your exclusive choice. That could sabotage your efforts. Instead, mix it up. Personally, I like to do one or two long duration cardio workouts each week because I really, truly enjoy them.

I just love my long runs and bike rides. It’s my dedicated time for ME… time to think, and an important way for me to release any stress. I’m not giving those up – I’ll burn fat in my other workouts!

Then, I also incorporate a couple of shorter, high intensity cardio workouts each week as well. I love the feel of my fat burning engine being fired up for hours afterward! There are also many times when I’ll combine the two – a moderate length cardio workout with bursts of intensity mixed throughout. Fun!

Here are some simple action steps for your cardio exercise success:

For optimal fat loss and weight loss, take whatever cardio you’re currently doing and FIRE IT UP! Add intensity and variety.

– If you’re a walker, break it up every few minutes and do some ‘bursts’ of activity. You could jog or run for a bit. You could do jumping jacks or squats or vertical leaps or push-ups… anything that obviously makes you work harder so that you start increasing your Resting Metabolic Rate. You could even skip! That would make the world a happier place!

– If you’re a jogger or a runner, take it up to the next level – add bursts of running, wind sprints or hill sprints. You can also do the aforementioned jumping jacks, squats, vertical leaps, push-ups and anything else to rev up your jog.

– If you do your cardio training on a machine, you can increase your intensity by changing speeds throughout your workouts, increasing incline and changing up your routine each time.

– Jumping rope, running stairs or doing chair step-ups are great high intensity exercises as well. Also, if you enjoy it, play sports that naturally incorporate bursts of power and speed: tennis, racquetball, squash, basketball, soccer, boxing, football, and so on.

Until next time, Be Happy, Be Well and Smile!

Most workout programs, in my opinion, are examples of cardio body building and are wrongly based on bodybuilder isolation movement exercises and marathoner extended aerobic training.

This is NOT the path to optimum fitness excellence!

The cardio body building combination is actually the biggest training mistake you can make.

Now before you get angry…

There is absolutely nothing wrong with training like a Bodybuilder or Marathoner… especially if you are a Bodybuilder or Marathoner.

I am just proposing that the training philosophies of Bodybuilders and Marathoners are not the path to an optimum level of fitness where all of the physical skills of cardiorespiratory endurance, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, accuracy and toughness are improved… Whether you adhere to the philosophy of each group alone or in combination.

I know this goes against most physical training protocols used in commercial gyms around the world that adhere to the cardio body building combination as the training methods of choice.

It is easy to see how these training protocols came to be combined…

In an attempt to improve fitness on a more general level for the non-professional fitness enthusiast, gyms and health clubs throughout the world have prescribed the typical cardio body building program of isolated movement strength training and extended aerobic training sessions.

The belief was that if isolated movement weight training is effective for Bodybuilders, and extended aerobic sessions are effective for Marathoners, that a combination of the two training methods would give the general fitness enthusiast the best of both worlds.

The fact is, Bodybuilding training methods are more concerned with muscle growth than muscular strength, power and endurance… and both of these training methods almost completely ignore the other physical abilities like coordination, agility, balance, accuracy and flexibility.

It is no wonder why millions of people participating in cardio body building inspired fitness programs fail to meet their over-all fitness goals… They are making a big training mistake.

On a personal Note…

I am guilty of training in the cardio body building fashion in my younger years in preparation for wrestling season.

I would lift weights using isolation exercises and run long distances to increase aerobic capacity.

I quickly learned in the first week of practice that the inflated muscles and aerobic capacity that I gained through cardio body building training did little or nothing to provide the fitness level needed for my chosen sport.

Oh well, there is nothing I can do about that now… but there is something that YOU can do to improve your physical training in preparation for sport, work, life.

Reflect on your current workout program…

If your current workout program looks like the cardio body building protocol described above… don’t despair.

Any exercise is better than none, so you have not completely wasted your time.

In fact… the isolated movement strength training has given you some degree of strength, and the aerobic exercise is an essential base of fitness.

However, to improve your physical training and optimize your performance you must be prepared to radically change the methods you use in pursuit of strength, conditioning and fitness excellence.

Be honest with yourself… are you getting the most out of your current cardio body building physical training program?

Are the exercises and methods you are using best suited to improve over-all fitness… or do they only focus on muscular size and cardiorespiratory endurance?

Ask yourself this question…

Is your current physical fitness training program based on the acceptable and deliberate compromise of competence and ability to perform in ALL the areas of cardiorespiratory endurance, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, accuracy and toughness to produce optimum performance results under the greatest amount of circumstances?

If not, it is probably based on the cardio body building fallacy… and your physical training can be greatly improved.

If your goal of physical training is to inflate your muscles and perform monotonous, single intensity aerobic exercise for extended periods of time… do nothing.

If your goal of physical training is to become a better human being suited to successfully overcome the random challenges of sport, work and life… It is time to change your physical fitness training program to one not based on the cardio body building fallacy.

If you’ve considered taking up a more active lifestyle, you’ve most definitely heard of “cardio activities”. Cardio plays an important role in many fitness routines, and performing cardio exercise is a great way to keep your heart and body healthy. The best thing about cardio activities is that people at all fitness levels can perform them.

Aerobic or cardiovascular exercise is defined as any type of physical exercise, performed at moderate but increasing levels of intensity, over extended periods of time. The word “aerobic” means “with oxygen”; therefore, aerobic exercise refers to the body’s use of oxygen throughout the activity. Cardio exercises are aimed at increasing your heart rate, and can help you to effectively burn calories.

Most people immediately think of weight loss when considering cardio activities. While it is true that cardio and aerobic exercise will increase metabolism, and result in a loss of fat mass, there are other very important health benefits to consider. Taking part in cardio activities goes way beyond the average weight loss program.

Cardio activities and aerobic exercise can help to:

1. Tone muscles throughout the body, resulting in improved blood circulation and reduced blood pressure

2. Strengthen cardiovascular muscles to increase the pumping efficiency of the heart

3. Strengthen respiratory muscles to promote smoother, unlabored breathing

4. Increase the number of red blood cells, resulting in improved transport of oxygen throughout the body

Regular and disciplined aerobic exercise can help to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Taking part in an active cardio exercise program also helps lower the risk of other health problems including respiratory disease and osteoporosis.

Cardio activities are not limited to members of expensive fitness clubs. Some of the most common cardio exercises are:

1. Walking: This is one cardio activity that you’re already doing, everyday! Walking is a very beneficial, low-impact exercise that can be done virtually everywhere. It is one of a few aerobics exercises that can be incorporated into any type of lifestyle, and best of all it’s free! A 15-30 minute walk around the mall will allow your body to lose as many calories as you would on a treadmill. You can increase your caloric and fat loss by increasing the pace and rhythm of your walks.

2. Running and Jogging: Like walking, jogging and running can be done in many places. Plan a route through your neighbourhood, run around the park, jog along the boardwalk at the beach, or take to a track. Running and jogging are accessible, easy and free cardio activities. Before you begin, make sure that you’re body is ready. Beginners should begin with speed walking, and then gradually work up to a jogging or running routine. Running is a very natural activity for your body and you can easily work it into your regular exercise routine.

3. Aerobic Dancing: In the 1970’s there was an explosion in aerobic activity through the Jazzercise program. The 1980s brought exercise gurus like Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons into the spotlight, and even brought exercise attire like headbands and legwarmers to the fashion runways. In the 1990s, aerobics lessons were led by supermodels and sold everywhere on video. The new millennium brought cardio activities like pilates and yoga. Over the past thirty decades aerobics dance exercises may have changed, but the excitement has not faded. People still love to work out to a hot beat, and aerobic dance moves are fun and effective ways to keep weight off and maintain a trim, toned body.

Contrary to what many people believe, aerobic exercise is not limited to the uber-healthy. There are a variety of aerobic dance lesson styles to appeal to people of all fitness levels:

* Low-impact: In low-impact aerobics, the dancer always keeps one foot on the ground. There are no bouncing or jumping movements that can cause joint pain. Low-impact aerobic exercise is ideal for people just starting out, for older people, and for those who cannot or should not move or jump around excessively.

* High-impact: There is a great deal of jumping and complicated body movements in high-impact aerobics. For this reason, those with a little experience and a certain amount of agility and rhythm best perform these cardio activities.

* Water aerobics: Cardio exercises done in the water are known as water aerobics. These are low-impact activities that are usually performed in waist-deep water, so some swimming ability is required.

* Step aerobics: In step aerobics, a raised platform is used with a combination of body movements. “Stepping” movements are often used in both low and high-impact aerobics routines.

Cardio activities are good for maintaining a healthy weight, and essential in keeping a healthy heart. Consider making regular cardio exercise part of your daily routine.

Whether you want to lose weight, build muscle or improve your health, you need to follow a regular exercise regime and a healthy diet plan. Without the balance of a healthy diet and a high intensity workout, your weight loss schedule will take time to reach desired goals. And, when it comes to ensuring and maintaining good health, one of the best things to follow regularly are the cardio workouts.

Any activity that requires the large muscle groups in the body to work out in a consistent manner and reach a specific heart rate is a cardio activity. It is great that there are plenty of choices for cardio exercises. Some of the usual ones are running, walking, cycling, aerobics, dancing, swimming and martial arts. Fitness experts often ask people not to limit themselves to just one type of activity. They should try to keep changing the exercises to add fun in the usually monotonous and boring cardio workouts. For optimum fitness, it is recommended doing at least thirty to forty five minutes of workout session for about three to four times in a week. People should be careful that they do not overdo them. There are some important tips to be followed before doing these exercises for a healthy and energizing workout session.

First tip is to choose your workout carefully. It is recommended to choose a more intensive and challenging regime like running, cycling, rowing or aerobics for quick results. Less effective workouts will burn fewer calories. It is always good to do cardio exercises after your weight training session since lifting weights require more energy and stamina. You will not feel fresh and face difficulty in focusing, if you lift weights after your cardio session.

Another important thing is to wear comfortable and light weight shoes. It will reduce the chances of getting any fitness activity related injury. Invest in branded pair of shoes as they will ensure you are comfortable and feel convenient while doing different exercises. It is also important to stretch before starting with the cardio exercises. This way, you can avoid sore muscles and reduce risk of injury. Individual should ideally take intervals in the training. Exercising in intervals will help in burning more body fat and save a lot of workout time. This is one of the time efficient ways of doing workouts.

However, it is advised to avoid doing same cardio workout over and over. Do a variety of cardiovascular activities to keep your body in good shape and improve current fitness levels. Step out of the gym and try outdoor workouts, which make exercise a lot more fun.

CARDIO KICKBOXING

What is cardio kickboxing?

All the rage at the gym and fitness centers around the country, this workout and training borrows moves from the thai sport of kick boxing to make participants work up a serious sweat. The moves are worked into the swiftly executed combinations (for example: jab, cross, hook, uppercut, thrust kick) of a kickboxer. Some teachers mix in a few minutes of jumping rope (often as a warm-up) and conditioning drills in the beginning of the classes just to get the blood pumping. The students also get to learn all the techniques of the martial art and practice them on various types of equipment provided by the gym.

What are the benefits?

Although it may seem as if every new exercise trend is hailed as “a full-body workout,” these classes are the best for a cardio workout or aerobics. If you do the punches with precision and power, you’ll strengthen your upper body and eventually see more muscle definition. The kicks will strengthen your legs, especially the hamstrings (the muscles that run down the backs of your thighs). And the kneeing move (a strike in which you thrust your bent knee upward and outward) will firm your abdominal muscles; in fact, all of the moves, when done correctly, will make your torso into a solid base that lets you do everyday tasks more easily – whether you’re hoisting a heavy box into your attic crawl space or shoving open a window that always sticks.

Your cardiovascular system will benefit too. Our instructors will keep you bobbing, weaving, and jumping amidst the punches and kicks, so that your heart rate stays elevated for most of the session. Drive also spends some of the class focusing on proper form and technique. Either way, our class will leave you drenched in sweat and energized.

What’s more, a lot of people find kickboxing a great way to release stress. Civilized as we’ve all been not to hit each other (which is, of course, a good thing), we’re still animals with some natural aggression. You may find that if you learn how to plant your heel in the torso of a phantom foe 10 or 20 times leaves you feeling wonderfully tranquil.

Eric Mentrup

www.drivemixedmartialarts.com