Archive | Cardio

The 3 Most Popular Exercise Machines for In-Home Use

There are many different exercise machines that people can buy in order to improve their weight loss efforts and enjoy the other benefits of adopting a more rigorous cardiovascular routine. The three most popular types of machines are outlined below, along with some key points that purchases need to consider when investigating buying any of these machines:

1. Treadmills. Arguably one of the most realistic machines in terms of imitating the actual activity of walking, jogging or running, treadmills can come with cushioned decks to minimize the hard physical impact that users experience with outdoor running. Downfalls with treadmills are specific to each user in that motorized units occupy a considerable amount of space, they can be loud and they are expensive. Manual treadmills are most often very compact, but lack the convenience features that many motorized units offer.

2. Cross Trainers. As far as comprehensive and all-inclusive workouts go, cross trainers come to task. With an upper body workout combined with lower body motion, cross trainers also offer good resistance training to help burn more calories as well as good cardio training when resistance levels are lower, meaning users can enjoy both endurance and weight loss programs all with a single machine. Like treadmills, the higher end units take up considerable space and this is one of the biggest downfalls with cross trainers. As well, the cross training motion is not a natural one like running on a treadmill or cycle in on an upright exercise bike. As such, cross trainers are best suited for generalist type of fitness fanatics who are not training for a specific activity.

3. Exercise Bikes. Considered the most popular exercise machine in terms of numbers sold to in-home users, exercise bikes provide a fairly laid back workout. Regardless of how hard one works out on an exercise bike, the calories burned for the same time spent will always be lower than a treadmill and a cross trainer. However, exercise bikes can often be very compact and quiet, meaning you can use your exercise bike while people sleep in the next (maybe even the same) room. As well, exercise bikes make it easy to workout while reading (next to impossible on a treadmill and cross trainer), watching television or even talking on the telephone, giving people little excuses for not spending half an hour working out at home.

There are other “niche” exercise machines (stair climbers come to mind) that have not been discussed here. These niche machines can offer good workout experiences as well and depending on cost can be similarly priced as some of the machines already noted here. But because of their niche approach, they are definitely less popular than those outlined above and their results will vary greatly from one machine to another.

Posted in Cardio0 Comments

Lose Belly Fat With These Cardio Workouts

Losing belly fat isn’t always easy or fast but it can be done with cardio workouts. However, you may have seen cardio-addicts at your local gym who do endless amounts of cardio and still have that stubborn layer of belly fat. This is because they don’t really know how to do cardio and are simply wasting their time. By the time you finish reading this article, you will not make the same mistakes as they are.

Cardio tricks

The way to do cardio in order to burn belly fat and body fat is to make it intensive. There’s very little point to do workouts which don’t push your body to exertion. What’s the benefit of being on a treadmill for an hour if you hardly break a sweat? It is much better to do an intensive 20 minute workout as long as you feel that you’ve really pushed yourself.

That’s the first rule: intensive cardio is more important than long duration cardio. The quality is more important than the quantity.

Cardio workouts

The second rule to know is that not all cardio is created equal. You can burn twice as many calories by doing one cardio workout than you would by doing another workout for the same length of time. If you don’t want to spend hours at the gym, you better do fat burning cardio workouts and not waste time on easy to do exercises.

Belly fat burning cardio workouts include:

  • Running – make sure to alternate speed to really push yourself
  • Rowing – Good for upper body strength too
  • Swimming – Develops the upper body
  • Jumping rope – A great home cardio workout
  • Hiking – A great way to spend time with your loved ones and burn some stomach fat in the process
  • Kickboxing and aerobic classes – These depends on the level of the class but can be quite intensive

Also, cardio workouts which involve strength elements like rock climbing, martial arts, certain ball game sports, can help you burn more abdominal fat for each minute you do them.

If you spend your time doing intensive cardio workouts and make sure to really push yourself, you will see massive results.

Posted in Cardio0 Comments

The Best Cardio for Fat Loss

The Best Cardio Intervals for Fat Loss: Part 1

Is there really a best interval training system for fat loss?

Do intervals really work as well as regular cardio for fat loss?

I’m going to cover these, and many more questions in Part 1 of your lessons on interval training.

But this is not just interval training 101. Today, you’re going to

leave this email with a graduate degree in interval training for

fat loss.

I’ll answer both questions upfront before the lesson begins, and

I’ll give more details on each as we go along:

1) Conservatively, intervals are at least as effective as regular

aerobic training for fat loss. Personally, I believe intervals are

far superior. And there is no denying that intervals allow you to

get your workouts done a lot faster than slow, boring cardio

workouts.

2) I have to admit, there is no best interval training program for

fat loss. But that is a good thing, because there are so many waysv that you can change your interval training to keep your fat loss results coming week in and week out.

By changing your training program every three to four weeks, you are using one of the key principles of Turbulence Training – variety. It is essential to change your workouts this frequently, otherwise you might suffer from a dreaded fat loss plateau.

And if that is the case for you now, I’ll show you dozens of

alternative interval training workouts you can use to kick-start

your metabolism and fat loss.

Now what many people don’t know, or perhaps just fail to recognize, is that interval training is not just for advanced fitness superstars. No way. In fact, intervals are an effective and perhaps even the most effective method for beginners to get fit and lose fat.

First you have to understand that interval training is based on

relative performance. While my intervals would be much too hard for a beginner, my intervals would be a joke for Lance Armstrong.

So even for those men and women that are just dipping their toe

into the fitness waters for the first time in months, years, or

dare I say, decades, they too can do interval training.

If you are a beginner and you can walk at 3.3mph for 20 minutes, then your intervals will start at a walk at 3.6mph for 30 seconds to a minute. That is interval training.

It doesn’t have to be high-intensity, sprint-to-the-death activity.

Instead, just increase the intensity slightly more than you can

normally handle, and do so for a short time, and intersperse that

with periods of easier exercise for twice the duration.

So if you did 1 minute at 3.6mph, drop down to 3.0mph for 2

minutes. Do that up to 6 times, and you’ve had yourself an interval session.

Now for those of you that have been doing only slow, traditional

cardio, switching over to interval training 2-3 times per week is

going to be the fat loss equivalent of throwing a lit, gasoline

soaked rag on a pile of dry kindling.

Here’s why…research has given us a lot of evidence that intervals are superior to traditional cardio. First, a study from Laval University in 1994 compared interval training to aerobic training – straight up – over a 12 week training period. Subjects that used interval training had better results. They lost more fat. You can’t argue with that.

And second, interval training causes metabolic turbulence – also

known as boost in your metabolism. Due to the high-intensity nature of intervals, there is more “turbulence” applied to the muscle. That means more muscle breakdown and more adaptations in the muscle.

Now I know that sounds very technical, but all you need to

understand is that when all this extra activity goes on at the

muscle level, it requires a lot more energy to return your muscle back to normal (i.e. to get out of turbulence and back to a normal resting state).

And when your body uses more energy, it means, in laymen’s terms, that you are burning more calories.

So it’s important for men and women not too get hung up on the

calorie counters in the gym. First, because the calorie count of

the workout is not the only factor in determining fat loss

(intervals burn far more calories after the workout – more on that later).

And second, a report on CBS showed that the calorie counters on some machines are often significantly inaccurate.

Doesn’t that boil your blood when you think back to all those times you did slow, boring cardio and patiently watched the calorie counter creep up to your goal of 250, 300, or even 400 calories? And who knows if that was even accurate?

With intervals, you can forget about the calories on the machine.

Just work hard, do the intervals, then leave the gym and let your muscles continue burning calories on its own while it recovers from exercise.

OK, time is up, so I’m going to leave off here for Part 1.

I apologize, you don’t have your Master’s of Science Degree in

Interval Training yet, but you will after Part 2.

So your homework between now and next week’s class is to start incorporating interval training into your fat loss program. For beginners, see the outline above. Make sure to include a 5-minute specific warm-up and cool-down.

And if you truly did just peel yourself off the couch last week and you have not exercised in years, I insist that you see a doctor before you take up any exercise program. Believe me, you’ll thank yourself for it.

For more advanced fitness levels, let’s start with 60 second

intervals.

Do a 5-minute specific warm-up, then exercise for 60 seconds at a slightly harder than normal cardio pace.

Follow that with 90 seconds of exercise at a very easy pace. (Don’t exercise too hard in the recovery period – that is one of the biggest mistakes people make with interval training!). Repeat this sequence for 3 more intervals (let’s just do 4 intervals for your first session).

Through trial and error, find an intensity that allows you to work to near fatigue – but not complete fatigue, there should still be some “gas” left in the tank – by the end of the 60 second interval.

In the next newsletter, I’ll discuss at least 6 different interval

durations and when you should use them, as well as the best

interval training methods – and don’t miss when I expose the most ineffective machine in the gym.

Hint – It is also the most common machine these days, yet I’ve yet to see a single person change their body by using this machine for their cardio and intervals.

Posted in Cardio0 Comments

Cardio Twister Reviews

Users have also said it’s a great way to workout because it’s actually fun to do, in that instead of simply being a stepper, they Cardio Twister adds an upper body workout by having the handles swivel so that you are doing upper body toning in the key core area at the same time as you are working out your lower body on its stepper mechanism.

Does the Cardio Twister really work?

One of the most important things about any piece of exercise equipment is that it actually works. Cardio Twister does not disappoint, and Cardio Twister reviews show this. The caveat, of course, is that you actually have to use the machine to make it work, and you have to follow other directions as well, such as the diet plan that’s included if you really want to lose weight.

One great thing about this machine and plan is that it includes both the basic workout and advanced workout, so that you can change things out and keep from getting bored. It comes with a CD that shows you what to do.

Any complaints?

Some users have said that once you get relatively fit, there aren’t enough levels of resistance to keep this machine at a challenging level of resistance, although it will still give you a good cardiovascular workout regardless. Even though that’s true, though, this is still a very good piece of equivalent for beginner exercisers. Once you become more fit such that the Cardio Twister isn’t challenging anymore, you may want to add other exercises into your workout program anyway, and keep the Cardio Twister as a great way to maintain cardiovascular fitness and a basic level of overall fitness. That would probably be true of any piece of “all-in-one” exercise equipment, whereby you get a whole body workout.

The consensus

What’s the consensus? Cardio Twister reviews show that people really do like this machine and it’s not that expensive, so when you buy, you are not going to be spending hundreds of dollars on something that may or may not work. It’s relatively sturdy as well, and supports a weight of 250 pounds, comparable to many other pieces of exercise equipment.

There is one complaint about this machine, and that is that many have said it’s difficult to assemble. In addition, the bolts that are included tend to be somewhat loose, so that the machine itself may not be as sturdy as they should be.

Posted in Cardio0 Comments

Cardio Workouts That Burn Belly Fat

It is well known that cardio is an excellent way to burn fat and get trim. Yes some people do hours of cardio every week and seem to get very little results to show for it. The reason is that there are cardio workouts that burn belly fat very effectively and there are others that are not so good.

If you want to make the most of your time and be sure that your workouts are indeed effective in shrinking your belly fat, then you should choose the right workouts and combinations. You may find that you’re saving a whole bunch of time and getting faster results as well.

So, which are the best cardio workouts to burn stomach fat?

Naturally, running is a favorite of many people (including me) and it is certainly a very effective fat burning workout, especially if you include a little up hill running and sprinting.

Another recommended workout is rowing which I love as it’s like killing two birds with one stone: you get to work your lower body and your upper body together at the same time. This leads to a greater calorie burn rate and increase fat melting.

I can also speak about swimming, walking, and cycling, all of which can be used to burn a lot of fat, though less quickly then running and rowing.

However, for those who feel bored by traditional cardio, you can also create your own, super effective workouts that burn belly fat. Often, these will only take a few minutes and can prove to be a valuable addition to any workout.

Here is one example: begin this workout combination with some jumping jacks for 1 minute. Then, proceed with some squats. Do them until you can anymore. Continue with knees-to-chest jumps. End the workout with some pushups. Trust me, by the time you finish this little combo, you’ll be sweating, huffing, puffing, and your heart-rate will have jumped way up. This is the way to burn a lot of fat.

Here’s another combo you can do: jump rope for a minute to get the blood flowing a bit faster. Continue with some lunges. Do mountain climbers quickly for 30-60 seconds, and end the set with some reverse crunches and bridges. You’ve worked various muscle groups together and this combo is so intensive that you’re getting a cardio stimulation as well.

You can pretty much do this with any exercises you want as long as you do them one after the other with little rest. Combine different muscle groups and include jumps in the routine for a little extra cardio stimulation. This is the way to create cardio workouts that burn belly fat.

Posted in Cardio0 Comments

What’s The Difference Between Cardio And Aerobic Exercise?

Do you know the difference between cardio and aerobic exercise? I have had people asking me this question, so I know that are a few people out there who may be confused with these terms.

The Meaning Of Cardio And Aerobic Exercise

In general, cardio exercise refers to any exercise that can help improve the strength our our cardiovascular system. On the other hand, aerobic exercise usually refers to exercise that helps improve our oxygen system. The word aerobic literally means with presence of oxygen.

The Terms Can Be Used Interchangeably

However, both aerobic and cardio exercise satisfy both functions. Meaning, doing a cardio exercise can not only help strengthen the cardiovascular system but also improve our oxygen. And when one performs an aerobic exercise, one can improve their cardiovascular system as well. Hence, these terms can be used interchangeably.

Both cardio and aerobic exercise usually uses our large muscles like the legs and normally in a rhythmic fashion. For instance, walking, running, cycling, stair climbing, jumping, rowing and swimming can all be referred to as aerobic or cardio exercise. 

Improving Your Fitness Level With Cardio And Aerobic Exercise

Normally, people who are ‘fit’, or in other words, people who have a better cardio-respiratory fitness have fewer problems with their heart than people who are less fit.

With that you should improve your cardio or aerobic fitness by challenging yourself instead of doing the very same workout every time. Increase the level of your exercise machines and try to work hard for 2 to 3 minutes straight and then recover slowly for the time.

Do this a couple of times for every of your workout sessions or at least twice a week and you can be sure that your aerobic/cardio fitness will improve significantly.

Posted in Cardio0 Comments

Types of Cardiovascular Exercises and Workouts

Cardio exercises are known to have many health benefits. They keep the heart healthy by improving the activity of the heart. Cardio exercises increases heart beat by sixty to seventy percent compared the normal rate. Cardio exercises also increases the fitness level and reduces stress. If you are overweight then you can lose fat through cardio exercises.

Cardiovascular activity increases blood circulation in the body and sends oxygenated blood to different parts of the body. This oxygenated blood is beneficial to all the organs in the body. So through cardio exercise you can increase the level of oxygen supply to your body. With cardio workouts you will not only keeping your heart healthy but will also keep your lungs healthy by breathing in more oxygen. Cardio exercise also boosts the immune system and helps to protect the body from infectious disease and common cold. The different types of cardio exercises and workouts which you can follow are discussed below.

Aerobics

Engaging in aerobics dance is a good way of staying fit. You can groove to the music to the music while you perform the aerobic movements. But choose an aerobic program according to your stamina. Begin the workouts at your normal pace and gradually with time increase your pace.

Swimming

Swimming offers a great workout for the entire body and includes movements which activate the major muscles. Swimming is also a fun activity and doesn’t feel like a typical workout routine. The different swimming stroke like breast stroke and freestyle targets many muscles of the body. You should swim for at least thirty minutes regularly for effective results.

Skiing

You can take part in this kind of activity during winters. Skiing is a great outdoor activity which provides a great exercise for the body. You can also opt for indoor skiing if there are ski tunnels in your country.

Walking/Jogging

When you are brisk walking or jogging you breathe faster and take in more air. Simultaneously your heart will beat faster to pump more oxygenated blood and as a result blood circulation will increase sending oxygenated blood to different parts of the body. This oxygenated blood is beneficial to all the organs in the body. So through cardio exercise you can increase the level of oxygen supply to your body. You should walk or jog for at least thirty minutes daily.

Bicycling

Cycling will you to increase your body’s immunity and enable you to burn excess at from your body. If you are out cycling in a beautiful scenic place, you won’t feel that you are actually working out but it will seem like a recreation to you. Cycling offers a great workout for the upper body and will keep your legs toned.

Whichever cardio exercise you choose to follow you should consult a fitness trainer before get down to work. A fitness trainer will test your level of stamina and accordingly suggest you appropriate set of exercises. You can also keep a personal trainer who will motivate and supervise your moves and keep a track of progress made by you. Physical activity like skiing, aerobic dancing should be performed under the guidance of a trainer otherwise you run the risk of seriously injuring yourself.

Posted in Cardio0 Comments

The Importance of Cardiovascular Exercise

The importance of cardiovascular exercise should never be taken for granted since it is very essential for a better health. A cardiovascular exercise is also popularly known as a cardio workout and aerobic training. Nevertheless, no matter how you may call it, the most important thing is that you know its significance to one’s health.

In general, cardiovascular exercises can stimulate the cardiovascular system (which includes you heart and blood vessels) as well as the respiratory system. Cardio workouts are also proven to be very effective in losing weight and relieving hypertension and other heart-related diseases. Aside from these, it is also known to cover full body workout: a large number of muscle groups are covered by these types of exercises and so it can be very effective for weight loss.

The most obvious importance of cardiovascular exercise is that it helps with the increase of the body’s metabolism rate. Metabolism is the basic process by which organs function. And the metabolism rate refers to the speed by which your body’s system works. Cardio workouts can help the body in burning more calories more efficiently; thus, making the burning of fats faster. Cardio workouts help in increasing the metabolism rate so that the body can produce more energy that it needs to maintain such activities.

The importance of cardiovascular exercise with the body’s metabolism rate is very useful in the burning of calories. Aerobic exercises burn calories while it is being performed and so it is very effective in controlling body weight and excess body fat. The energy that the body needs is provided for by different cardiovascular exercises. It enables the body to adapt to different levels of activities; increase the level of energy used up by the muscles, and increase the utilization of intake. This can help the body to have better mental focus and more efficient physical productivity.

If you are not familiar with the different cardio workouts you can start by walking for at least 30 minutes everyday; but you can also do running, cycling, or swimming. Do this is in a regular basis and in varying manner.

The importance of cardiovascular exercise cannot be denied but it requires a certain level of intensity so that it can be effective and efficient. However, you should also be careful not to overdo it as it can also damage your heart. The best way to do it is to determine your body’s threshold with the help of your physician. Your heart rate should always be monitored to get the most out of the exercises.

Knowing the importance of cardiovascular exercise, one should engage himself with cardio workout that is suitable for his health to live life to the fullest.

Posted in Cardio0 Comments

The Role of Cardio With Over 40 Strength Training

Cardio and strength training work in conjunction with each other to create a fool proof physical workout program leading to success in overall men’s fitness. Fitness for men over 40 is even more critical since as we age, we tend to lose muscle mass without intervening to slow or reverse that trend. While strength training refers to exercises that help build muscles, cardio can be referred to as any exercise or activity that can increase your heart rate and keep your heart rate up for a minimum period of time, but usually at least 20 minutes several times per week.

Strength training can be considered a good method for losing fat – to a point, but cannot act alone to lose fat; that’s where cardio comes into play. Now, with strength training, you’re not only building your muscles but you’re also increasing your metabolism and helping your body burn more calories. There are many options available when it comes to over 40 strength training. If you are a beginner and do not have equipment or cannot get to a gym, you can start with bodyweight exercises which are clearly a great option when it comes to weight loss and building some muscle. Using your own body weight is also free, which I think is great and a perfect way for a beginner or anyone who’s been away from exercising for awhile to get back into a routine.

When training, you must keep in mind that it is necessary to stretch out and warm up before you exercise. Actually, doing some light cardio such as getting on a treadmill or walking or simply doing some jumping jacks or other light physical activity will get your heart going and blood circulating, which is exactly what you need to do before doing any lifting. You must start with lifting the weights slowly and make steady movements with good form in order to prevent injury to your muscles. You must not forget breathing while exercising and drink a lot of water.

Cardio exercises are an important part of over 40 workouts. Cardio can be done after you have finished the heavy training exercises or can be done as an independent training on days you skip your strength training. These exercises help to maintain a healthy heart while at the same time acting as a great fat burner. The more intense the cardio, the more fat you’ll burn so don’t be afraid to kick it up a notch on days where you decide to only do cardio.

When you decide to do both cardio and strength training in the same workout, it is important that you do strength training first. Doing a lot of cardio before the heavier training could make you run out of steam early and make you too tired and possibly unable to get the most from your workouts. However, small cardio sessions can be used as a warm up for strength training sessions.

In order to achieve maximum results from your workout routine, you have to incorporate both strength training and cardio exercises together. For those working on an over 40 training program, it’s even more critical to be serious about your workout and consistently give your routine its due diligence. For more information on men’s over 40 strength training, feel free to visit fitnessfor40plus.com.

Posted in Cardio0 Comments

Why Cardio Training is the Best Way to Burn Fat

Cardio training is probably the best method of burning excess fat from your body because the exercise is aerobic and requires a lot of oxygen during the workout. When burning fat is your main goal, you need to use up a lot of oxygen. This is the reason that you need to do cardio training.

You also need to keep up the activity for a long period of time in order to gain maximum benefit from it, so performing cardio in sessions of 30 minutes is a good idea. This will give you maximum results in terms of endurance, stamina and fat burning.

Some of the best pieces of equipment for maximum fat burning improvement are the treadmill, rowing machine, stair climber and stationary bicycle. Long cardio is good because your body will burn fat in the presence of oxygen. This is exactly what cardio training gives you. If you are looking to get ripped and lean then you should use this method.

If your main fitness goal is to burn fat and get into the best shape of your life, you need to burn the fat from your body. To reach this goal, you should start to exercise for longer periods of time by raising your heart rate into the fat burning zone.

You need to keep your heart rate up for a sustained period of time. When you first get started you can run or jog for about ten or fitness minutes, but you need to quickly increase that number to thirty to forty five minutes. This is known as the optimum time to remain active if you want to drop the fat from your body.

The amount of cardio training you do will depend on your goals and commitment. It is always a good idea to exercise a little each day, but when you are committed to a fitness goal then you need to do a little more than usual.

Another great tip is that doing your cardio training in the morning can increase the fat burning effects of the exercise. This is something that fitness models and bodybuilders do to get in shape.

Posted in Cardio0 Comments

/html