What’s up! John here and I hope you’re kickin butt with your fitness goals lately!

I’m back with another fitness post for you and wanted to talk today about Cardio programs.  Sometimes I feel like people are in the dark about cardio activity and what to do.  Plus I can’t tell you how many times I see the same clients performing the exact same cardio routine, over and over and over again.  The same machine, the same heart rate intensity and the exact same number of minutes.

I understand how important it is to develop good exercise habits but I want you to go crazy for me sometimes!  Be a loose cannon, live life on the edge and get off that damn elliptical trainer .

Cardiovascular exercise is best for your body and your muscles when you change it up…just like we do with your resistance training exercises in F.A.T. sessions.  Plus there are always some types of cardio that we’re just plain, not good at.  I’m challenging you to do these types of cardio and break out of the box.

Sure the body might be a little achy here and there but see how it goes.  I hate running and now I’m training for a half marathon, have gotten through the initial aches and pains and I’m going to kick some serious ass!

Just think of all the different kinds of cardio activity you can get into:

Swimming, running, hiking, cycling, kayaking, mountain biking, spinning, indoor rowers, basketball, volleyball and yes even some of your other machines like a stairclimber (a great one to prepare for big hikes), elliptical trainer, stationary bike, and even some crazy ones like Zumba and other hardcore dancing.

The sky is the limit so get out there and change it up!  As for duration….here’s a good rule of thumb.  The harder the exercise is, the shorter the duration.  For example, if I do sprints (or Interval training and great for fat burn) I may only sprint for 30 seconds and walk/recover for 1-2 minutes.  I may repeat this about 4-8 times and then cool down.  Nice and quick but very intense.

On the other hand if you’re going for a leisurely stroll or not too strenuous hike, you can easily maintain a decent heart rate for up to an hour or more.  And then there is something in the middle like cycling, spinning, or the stairclimber for 30-40 minutes where you are upwards of 75-85% of your max heart rate and getting a pretty darn good workout.

And although many of these exercises include the same muscle groups, you will get a whole new sensation and most likely an increased caloric burn.  Because the way the muscles are used will differ with types of cardio and your body may not be used to the specific movements, it will force your body to react and work harder….and that is a good thing.

Good luck my fellow fitness friends and go kick some cardio butt!

And I’d love if you share a comment below or perhaps what type of cardio you enjoy doing!

Till next time!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer