Whether you want to get shredded or just want to stay in shape, you should pay more attention to the treadmill and stationary bike.
Effects of cardiovascular training
- Reduces body fat percentage;
- Improves heart function;
- Improves circulation which leads to better muscle performance;
- Reduces stress;
- Increases stamina and improves body condition.
When is the best time to do cardio?
- Morning, on an empty stomach - the most effective time to do cardio is in the morning on an empty stomach.This is due to the low amounts of glucose in the blood and glycogen in the muscles. At night muscles use almost exclusively fat for energy to preserve glucose for the brain. Insulin levels are very low and levels of glycogen are high.All of those things lead to an enhanced fat burning effect. When you eat your breakfast after a workout, less fat will be deposed.The increased fat burning continues on later in the day.In the morning our body temperature and pulse are reduced.By doing cardio in the morning, on an empty stomach you're increasing your metabolism for the rest of the day. Or in other words doing cardio in the morning will help you burn more fat through the whole day.
- During the day - later in the day could also achieve a similar effect with proper diet. If you eat foods high in protein before doing cardio, you will prevent your body from going catabolic.However eating foods containing high amounts of fats and carbohydrates before an aerobic workout will make that workout less effective.
- Pre workout - light aerobic activity before weight training is always a good choice. But the intensity and duration necessary for burning fat would interfere and lessen your performance in the weight room.So keep the pre-workout cardio short duration and low intensity.
- Post workout - cardio after weight training is not detrimental for your muscles and strength. During weight training the glycogen in the muscles is used for energy which leads to a more effective cardiovascular workout afterwards .
- Rest day - doing cardio on rest days will increase the workout days in your week thus speeding up metabolism.However too many workouts in one day can lead to an increased level of the catabolic hormone cortisol.
How often?
Cardio should be done 3-5 times a week, with no more than 48 hour breaks inbetween cardio sessions, because it takes 48 hours at most for ones metabolism to go back to normal after a cardio workout.
Intensity
The cardio intensity is calculated as a percentage of the maximum heart rate(maximum heart rate=220 minus age of the athlete). Proper intensity is the most important factor in a cardio workout.Beginners should start with about 55 % of their maximum heart rate.
For more advanced athletes a 65-75 % is suggested.
If your pulse is too low, you're not working hard enough.
If it's too high you risk putting too much strain on your cardiovascular system
|
Age
|
Max.Heart rate
|
55,00%
|
65,00%
|
75,00%
|
85,00%
|
|
20
|
200
|
110
|
130
|
150
|
170
|
|
25
|
195
|
107
|
127
|
146
|
165
|
|
30
|
190
|
105
|
124
|
143
|
160
|
|
35
|
185
|
102
|
120
|
139
|
155
|
|
40
|
180
|
99
|
117
|
135
|
150
|
|
45
|
175
|
96
|
114
|
131
|
145
|
|
50
|
170
|
94
|
111
|
128
|
140
|
Duration
It varies between 15 and 60 minutes, depending on the experience and goals of the trainee.Beginners can start with two sets of 10-12 minutes and strive for a set of 25 minutes.
Keep in mind that if your workout is too short it won't be effective and if its too long you risk losing muscle mass.
The optimal duration is usually about 30-40 minutes.
Warm-Up
Before you crank up the treadmill to 10, have a 2-3 minute walk to warm-up.Always stretch a bit and warm-up before your workouts, starting with low intensity is always a good warm-up and it will help you prevent many injuries.
In my opinion the warm-up is the most important part of a workout.As it will prevent injuries, and injuries can force us out of the gym for weeks, so it's better to be safe than sorry.
After you're finished with your workout gradually reduce the pace to give your body and heart rate some time to normalize.
Types of cardio workouts
SwimmingSwimming is a great cardio workout. The whole body is involved and it is most suitable for obese and injured people. It may be implemented as a long duration - low intensity and/or high intensity and short duration .
However for swimming to be an effective workout one must know how to do it properly. Another disadvantage is that when the body is in contact with water it loses heat, so the body tries to maintain a barrier between the itself and the water(fat is that barrier)
Therefore, swimming is not suitable for achieving very low body fat percentages, but it is an effective weight loss tool. It also increases muscle strength.
Jogging
The most widespread type of cardio activity. Very efficient and can be used to reach very low body fat %.
Since it's very high impact, jogging is not suitable for obese people (cardio like swimming, cycling and fast pace walking is recommended here).The disadvantages are that there's an increased risk of injury and proper technique is required.
Stationary bike
Suitable for obese people and people with injuries. Requires no special equipment and is not dynamic. Doesn't put stress on any joints. Cycling works the hamstrings and glutes.
Rope Jumping
Jumping rope is a very good choice. Quite high caloric expenditure, however there is a heavy load on the calves and proper technique is needed to avoid injuries.
Here is a sample table that shows how many calories are burned in an hour of training.
|
Activity/Body
weight
|
55kg/121lbs
|
80kg/176lbs
|
100kg/225lbs
|
|
Stationary bike 10km/h
|
333
|
460
|
600
|
|
Stationary bike 20km/h
|
460
|
666
|
850
|
|
Jumping rope
|
460
|
666
|
850
|
|
Jogging 10km/h
|
545
|
750
|
1000
|
|
Walking 5km/h
|
190
|
260
|
333
|
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