Swimming could be done as a cardio vascular exercise to increase cardiovascular fitness, the value of which shall be explained later. First you need to know what cardiovascular fitness is and why we need to do cardiovascular exercises in order to improve our cardiovascular health to the maximum.

• Cardiovascular fitness

Cardiovascular fitness is the ability of your body to efficiently transport and use oxygen, these means having healthy organs that function properly for example your heart and lungs. If you are fit and healthy your heart functions properly and pumps blood and oxygen as is needed by your body but if you are not as fit as you should be then your heart is not efficient in doing its functions and health problems to build up. One of the best ways to improve cardiovascular fitness and efficiency is to exercise regularly. There are many cardiovascular exercises but for this article we are only going to focus on the benefits of swimming for maintaining or improving cardiovascular fitness.

• How swimming improves cardiovascular fitness

Swimming can be an excellent form of cardio provided we swim with the intention of getting a proper workout during our time in the pool, if you are swimming for cardiovascular fitness you are not relaxing in the pool, you are hitting those laps hard and going as fast as possible in order to raise your heart rate. If you get used to swimming regularly, you could end up being able to do many laps in the pool which would be more beneficial. You see with swimming you will get out of breath and there is a lot of holding your breath and controlling your breathing rate going on, this trains your lungs and over time your lung capacity increases. That means your lunges can now take in more oxygen which will then be transferred into your bloodstream. Your heart will improve and be able to pump more oxygen and blood per heart beat.

Choosing to swim as your cardiovascular exercise will help you increase your muscular and cardiovascular endurance, this improvement in your fitness levels will in turn make daily activities easier to do because you will have more energy and you will feel like a million bucks. Plus there is an advantage to swimming instead of doing other cardio exercises is that because your body is fully supported by the water there is less negative impact on your body because you do not have to support your body weight and the extra force that is present when you do other cardiovascular exercises such as jogging.

Now when you hear the word “cardio” don’t always assume that it is aerobic cardio. The fact is that you can burn a ton more calories, body fat, and achieve superior cardiovascular fitness by engaging in anaerobic activity. This is where the overhead kettlebell swing comes into play!

By now you may be familiar with the ancient kettlebell. The kettlebell is an ancient strength and conditioning device that has been used by the world’s greatest athletes and strongmen for over three centuries. This device is perfect for you to use to execute an array of cardio exercises right at home. Even though kettlebell training is an extraordinarily versatile form of training I am only going to discuss a single exercise for the sake of this article. The overhead kettlebell swing is a high intensity cardio and muscular endurance exercise that is sure to give you superior cardiovascular fitness and will incinerate your body fat.

The double arm overhead kettlebell swing is performed by you grabbing the bell with both arms and swinging it from between your legs all the way up to above your head. In order to execute this lift you must be very familiar with the proper technique that is involved in the movement. To begin, in order to swing the kettlebell you must learn how to perform a certain movement known as the hip snap. This is done by you constantly and fluently flexing and extending at both your hips and knees to create the necessary momentum to swing the kettlebell. Once you initiate this movement you will want to allow the bell to build up enough velocity in order to take it all the way up to above your head. You need to make sure that you are in total control of the weight and that you have plenty of ceiling clearance when you perform it.

This cardio body fat blasting workout will change your life! This is a cardio exercise that I guarantee will burn fat right off of your body and get you into the best shape of your life. Remember that anyone can train hard, but only the best train smart!

When you go to the gym and look around a little, then you will notice that those people who want to lose fat are on some type of cardio machine, and those people who want to build muscle are lifting weights. The majority of people, who want to get rid of fat, always use cardio exercises to achieve their goal. But is it really necessary to spend hours and hours every week doing boring cardio workouts? Or is there a better way to lose fat?

Using long cardio workouts to burn fat?

The number of people who actually are able to lose a lot of fat and keep it off, are very small indeed. People very often get some “advice” from a fat loss “guru” and then put it into practice without even thinking about it. Even when they do not get the results that they want, they still do the same thing over and over again. But if something does not work like you want to, then take time off and find out what is the problem. Most of the time the problem is that people are using the wrong exercises to burn fat.

Although cardio workouts to burn fat are important, but you also have to do them right, or else you will do more harm than good for yourself. The danger of doing very long cardio workouts, is that you lose muscle mass along with fat. The less muscle you have, the slower your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is, and the less calories you burn.

Another reason why cardio workouts are not that effective as people think, is because your body as it gets into better shape, gets more efficient at burning calories. So it takes a lot less calories or energy to do the exercise. So you have to constantly make your workouts longer to burn the same amount of calories, as you did before, and this means muscle loss. Long and boring cardio workouts also have no effect on your BMR, but building muscle with weight training does. Weight training really is even more important, when it comes to fat loss, than long cardio workouts actually.

For the last three years, I’ve mostly been working out at home. For a while, I continued going to a commercial gym as well but, eventually, I made the commitment to stop paying for a gym membership that I didn’t need and started working out exclusively at home.

To start with, I found the lack of equipment and machines difficult to do without. After a few months, though, it got easier. And before the first year was out I was enjoying exercising at home far more than I ever did in a commercial gym.

I soon found that there were in fact lots of different options for exercising at home, even if you’re concentrating on cardio, or aerobic training. Most people think that they have to invest in the same piece of equipment that they’ve always used in the gym but that’s not the case. I used to be chained to the Concept 2 rowing machine but I soon learned that there were other options to give me the cardio buzz that I needed.

Barbell complexes

One of the best ways to do cardio is to use barbells to create complexes. Some strength coaches refer to this as weighted cardio, or strength cardio.

Barbell complexes only really work if you are already comfortable using barbells as part of a resistance training programme. If you start grabbing a barbell and tearing through complexes before you’ve mastered the basic lifts, you’re going to suffer horribly because your form will deteriorate. First, get mastery over the basic lifts and only then think about complexes.

Here are a couple of key pointers, if you decide to use complexes as your cardio option:

• Make sure that your complexes programme fits in with your resistance training goals. Don’t start ripping it up with complexes if your resistance training programme already has tonnes of volume in it or they will make you unhappy.
• A good example complex might have 5 to 8 exercises of 5 to 8 repetitions each but everyone has their own sweet spot.
• Choose exercises that you’re familiar with. I learned the hard way that complexes aren’t the time or the place to learn the good morning!
• Put the harder exercises first. This makes it easier to use the same weight all the way through. E.g. you would want to place a deadlift or squat variation earlier than a press or a row.
• Don’t put exercises that require lots of co-ordination too late in the complex. E.g. even if you can Olympic lift safely I wouldn’t include snatch or snatch variations too late in the complex as your form may get sloppy owing to fatigue. Doing them as a first exercise is great, however, if you are comfortable doing them safely.
• Choose big, compound movements. You’re looking for whole-body recruitment here to burn calories and get the heart pumping. We’re not isolating muscles.
• Emphasis the posterior chain. Think deadlifts, cleans and squats. This will make you a better athlete, a more upright human being and a stronger person. Birds will sing around you as you walk and flowers will grow at your feet. (OK, I made the last bit up).
• Plan the transitions in your complex. You don’t want to be finishing a deadlift and transitioning to a squat, because this means you would first have to do a clean and jerk to get the weight over your head before you can then drop it onto your upper back. Deadlifts and rows transition well into cleans (or high pulls). Cleans (and high pulls) transition well into push presses or front squats. Presses transition well into back squats or good mornings.

My favourite complex is: Romanian deadlift, high pull, front squat, push press and good morning. This comprises purely compound movements, puts the harder movements earlier and transitions nicely all the way through.

Lots of options

I hope this short article has gone a little way towards showing you how barbell circuits can be used to do cardio or aerobic training at home.

In most gyms across the country, you will find an everlasting choice of cardio equipment. They have everything from ellipticals to stair climbers and stationary bikes to treadmills, from treadmills to stationary bikes to stairclimbers to ellipticals.

There is no doubt that a well-planned cardio regimen plays a major part in any fat burning workout program. However, it is hard to know which machines are the best and what criteria should one use to decide which ones are the most suitable and which machines should you focus on? Hopefully, you will find the answers to these questions in the weight loss exercise tips below:

Weight Loss Exercise Tips: What to Look for When Deciding on a Machine

1) Look for a cardio machine that does not require very many skills to use.

What this means is that you should look for cardio machines that are easy and mechanical to use. Do not overdo your cardio workouts by using the machines for an hour (or more); short and extremely intense workouts should be your goal.

For this reason, balancing on the machine and sustaining specific form during your cardio sessions must not be your main concern.

A better idea is to pick an easy and straightforward cardio exercise so that you can almost entirely focus on generating high intensity levels. This is hands-down one of the best weight loss exercise tips you will ever hear.

2) Operating the machine should be safe, with low risk of injury.

One of the most significant goals with regard to cardiovascular exercises and weight training is to always keep your joints and connective tissues healthy and strong. Injuries will bring even the most well-structured and effective sessions to an immediate halt.

Therefore, it is best to stay with a cardio machine that has less impact on joints and does not make more severe any injury you might already have.

Try experimenting with different machines and see how they work for you. A machine that produces any discomfort at all is one you want to avoid.

Weight Loss Exercise Tips: What Brand of Machine Should You Use?

Stairclimber

Almost anyone, both beginners and seasoned users, can use a stair climber. Another low impact exercise option, the stairclimber allows you to stay focused on increasing the intensity of your workout. You want to avoid leaning on the handlebars, as this will lower the intensity of the exercise.

Treadmill

If you are going to carry out an interval-style program, treadmills are highly recommended. Treadmills are a great alternative to running outdoors; this is because their platforms are designed to produce less pressure on the joints. To increase the rigor of your workout, simply raise the platform up on an incline.

Upright Stationary Bike

One of the most straightforward machines, the upright stationary bike lets you put all your focus on reaching a high intensity level, without having to concern yourself with form. This is also a very low impact exercise, and it does not put pressure on your joints. Interval-style training is commonly recommended, and for this, stationary bikes are great choices as they are easily programmable.

Recumbent Bike

This allows for the same exercise choices as a stationary bike, but in a seated position. Sitting eases the pressure off your lower back. For anyone with lower back problems, this is a nice plus.

So, which cardio machines are the safest, most impressive fat burners? Hopefully, you have received your answer from the weight loss exercise tips you have been given here.

Cardio exercise, or aerobic exercise, is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your body. It is known to strengthen the heart muscles, improve respiration, provide muscle tone, reduce the risk of heart disease, and increase bodily energy and endurance. And there are many different ways to get cardio exercise, such as through aerobics, running, basketball, tennis, boxing, rope skipping, and dancing. So it’s not surprising that a lot of people are into cardio exercise. What is surprising is how even fitness buffs still believe in certain myths about cardiovascular exercise. In this article, I will examine some common myths about cardio exercise.

Myth #1: “You can burn off more fat if you don’t eat breakfast before doing your morning cardio exercise.” In fact, it is a bad idea to forego eating before doing cardio exercise, especially in the morning. That is because your body temperature is at its lowest during the morning hours, and so it will take you longer than usual to warm up and get your muscles working. And your body will not burn off more fat if you do your cardio exercise before eating breakfast. Your body actually works at burning off fat when you are sleeping. There are no significant benefits to going without your breakfast before doing your cardio exercise in the morning.

Myth #2: “You should do cardio exercise before doing weight training.” This is a very common myth, and even some of my past gym instructors tended to structure my fitness program so that cardio exercise would come before strength training. However, it is actually better to do the cardio exercise after a session of lifting weights! This is because doing your cardio exercise can draw on the glycogen stored in your muscles. And so your cardio session will leave your muscles with less glycogen to use during strength training, which can make muscle building a lot less effective. However, it is all right to do a short amount–about 5 to 10 minutes–of moderately intense cardio exercise before doing your weight training.

Myth #3: “You have to sweat to get the most out of cardio exercise.” Sweating is nothing more than the mechanism by which your body cools itself. By itself, sweating is not an indicator of how effective your workout is, and even light exercise such as walking that does not make you sweat can help you get rid of a substantial number of calories.

Ladies, real cardio consists of utilizing your own body weight and implementing short burst of intense work! That’s right, cardio goes beyond just bouncing on a treadmill or simulating a skiing motion on an elliptical trainer for hours on end. If you want to engage in real cardio then you have to step up the intensity of your cardio by engaging in whole body calisthenics. Its time to take it old school!

Best Cardio Workout At Home!

Effective cardio exercises for you to do at home must consist of whole body calisthenics. A calisthenic is defined as exercises done in a rhythmic systematic way using nothing more than your own body weight. This is what makes this style of training great for two reasons. The first reason it is great is because it eliminates the need for big bulky equipment. This automatically saves you money and forces you to get creative with your in home cardio workout design.

The second reason that calisthenics are great is because you are able to perform these exercises anywhere and at anytime. In addition to this you can achieve a superior level of both muscular and cardiovascular development with calisthenics. Anytime you are able to utilize the resistance of your own body weight you stand to get a much better workout and burn a ton more calories. Rhythmic exercises such as squats, push ups, jumping jacks, and any combination of these will quickly elevate your level of perceived exertion, therefore giving you a much more impactful workout with the results to match. These are benefits you stand to gain from calisthenic training. As a strength and conditioning professional I can tell you that every smart trainer understands the importance of calisthenics within the scope of their training program.

Ladies, if you haven’t already started to implement the use of calisthenics within the structure of your in home cardio plan then you are missing out. Take the time to learn more about this style of workout by accessing more of my articles on the subject for free. If you are going to do cardio then get it done with intense cardio consisting of short burst of high exertion. This is the most effective way you can expect to see any speedy results within your workouts. Remember that most anyone can train hard, but only the best train smart my friend! Give it a try and you won’t regret it!

Want to get rid of sagging stomach? Dreaming about a flat stomach with less time investment? Is your aim to show off your flat stomach and walk without shirt? Do you have the confidence to do it now? Is your drooping stomach the reason for not doing so? If the answer is yes, then there is nothing to worry. You can very soon walk briskly with a flat stomach by working out some exercises for abs. There are many programs that can help to get a better look and can help you walk with a toned ab. It will definitely be dream come true for you.

Loosing Stomach fat with Ab exercises

Very important for you to stick on is to start right away. If you do nothing, then you can never loose your stomach fat. Avoid postponing any such exercise for abs. There should not be a second thought when it comes to losing fat. Make it a habit to exercise on regular basis if you really want a flat stomach. Be assured that you will have a flat stomach; however, this will not happen over a weeks time. This will take a longer period to burn out excess fat from the stomach. Exercises for abs are nothing but giving some kind of training to your stomach muscles. For a flat stomach, there must be regular activities given to the stomach without any break. Only this will help you to attain your goal.

Add Cardio Exercises Along With Your Ab Workout

The latest way of reducing abdominal fat is by adding cardio exercises along with regular exercises. It just not the usual crunches, sit ups and other stomach exercises that are enough or will yield results. Cardio exercises are the simplest exercises and can help you reduce your fat. The most interesting part of cardio exercise is that it reduces fat all over the body thus also reducing excess fat from the ab region. Exercises for Abs reduces fat; no doubt in that. However, cardio exercises burn more calories than the usual exercises. With the help of cardio exercises, you can loose excess fat from your body which was earlier accumulated.

Your stomach muscles are normally covered with a layer of fat. This contributes to your bulging stomach. So, start working to burn the extra fat that is covering your flat stomach. With continuous effort put on your stomach, you can easily burn the excess fat and stay healthy. By talking about exercises for abs, do not assume that this is only regarding good body shape. By burning excess fat, you can stay fit and healthy. The real intention of exercises for abs is mainly to help people stay healthy and eat healthy. You can check the websites for detailed information.

So, what is cardiovascular exercise, you ask? It is a term we often hear, but not everyone knows just what it means. Cardiovascular exercise is any type of exercise that increases the workload of the heart and lungs. The most common forms of cardio are walking, jogging and running. Another term for cardiovascular exercise is aerobic exercise.

So, why is it so important? There are many physical benefits to cardiovascular exercise. They include reduced risk of heart disease, improved heart function, improved cholesterol levels and reduced risk of osteoporosis. Those are some pretty impressive benefits if you ask me. To get the benefits previously mentioned from your cardio workout, it is important for you to sustain your workout for at least 20 minutes with 30 being ideal and do 3 to 4 sessions a week.

Obviously, it is also important for you to challenge yourself. A good cardiovascular workout should definitely elevate your heart rate. One easy way to test if you are working hard enough is the talk test. Simply say a sentence in the middle of your workout; if you are too winded then you are overdoing it. Likewise, if it is easy to talk than kick it up a notch!

If your looking to loose some unwanted pounds, cardiovascular exercise is the way to go as it burns calories and fat.

A very effective way to improve your cardiovascular system and burn fat and calories is to interval train. The theory behind interval training is to alter the level of intensity during the workout. A great example of cardiovascular interval training is the run/walk workout. Start by walking at a pace that challenges you, than go into a jog or run, then back to walking, than back to jogging or running and so on for 30 minutes (or more depending on your fitness level). Beginners should start out with walking segments being 5 minutes and jogging segments being 1 minute. As your fitness level improves, shorten the walking segments and increase the jogging segments. This way you are always working towards the goal of improving your cardiovascular fitness level. Interval training can also be taken into the gym and done on a treadmill, bike, elliptical or cross-trainer. Simply vary the resistance and or speed on your machine of choice to increase and then decrease the workload.

Walking and jogging are by far the most popular types of cardiovascular exercise. A reason may be because it is so accessible. It is a simple as walking out your front door. Proper footwear is very important. Spend as much as you can afford on a good pair of shoes, as support and cushioning are very important to keep you from getting sidelined with an injury. Beginners, remember to start out slowly. Runners are not born overnight and doing too much too soon is another leading cause of injury. Give your body time to adapt to the new demands of a walking or jogging routine.

Another great way to get your cardio in is to take a group fitness class. Group fitness is very popular at many gyms. I think there are several reasons for this. First of all, group fitness classes are very motivating! The music, the people, the energy, the fun! Secondly, because you are being led through your workout, there is no need for you to plan what you’re going to do that day. Thirdly, as long as you are taking a professional group fitness class, you know you are exercising correctly and getting a safe, effective, and thorough workout. What could be better than that?

We all know that doing cardio can help to lose weight, but not all workouts were created equal. What are the best cardio workouts to lose weight?

1. Jumping rope – This is something which most adults overlook or consider a children’s game. In fact, it’s one of the quickest and easiest ways to get the heart pumping and the fat melting. The great thing about jumping rope is that it can be done at home, improves coordination, and works on many muscle groups. It also works very fast and can burn a lot of calories. I love it. You will love it too.

2. Running – My favorite cardio workout and something everyone (without knee problems) should do. Running is a high intensity workout, meaning that it burns more fat in a shorter period of time than other workouts. Running also brings into play practically every muscle group in your body meaning that you’re also strengthening your muscles and not just having a good workout. If you’re interested in getting a firm stomach do some sprinting as well. You’d be amazed at what will happen.

3. Kickboxing classes – I know that a lot of people (especially guys) don’t understand what’s the point of going to a class with fighting moves when there’s no actual fighting involved. However, kickboxing classes can make even a fit person pant like mad and sweat like crazy. I know. I’ve gone to one, and it didn’t help me one bit that I run 10 mile tracks regularly. I still found it hard, because it’s another intensive way to workout the body. It’s an excellent cardio workout to lose weight with.

4. Dancing – If you’re still like to go to night clubs and dance ’till dawn, then do it more often. Dancing burns a lot of calories and it doesn’t even feel like a workout. Dancing is one of the best ways for people who get bored with cardio to still enjoy a great workout and burn fat.