Cardio is so hardio.......

Morning!
 
I am very vocal about my hatred of cardio... the 60minutes on a treadmill, sitting on a bike in the gym and watching Corrie on the TV at the same time slowly moving your legs around for 45mins.... I HATE IT!!
 
But... cardio IS essential to any fitness or fat loss journey. It is great to improve your overall fitness levels and can assist that fat burning process.
 
I have been through quite the relationship with Cardio...
 
1. Initially when I was losing weight I did ALL cardio. Running was my thing, I signed up to 5k and 10k races to keep me focussed and motivated. I attended spinning classes regularly. The weight did come off
 
2. I then went to weight training, no cardio! After doing so much cardio my skin just hadn't "Toned up" if you like with my fatloss. I had a PT who never mentioned cardio, our sessions were solely weight training and that was "great for fat burning and tightening the skin and is good for your overall fitness too" So... about 4 months  I trained with NO cardio whatsoever, just a cheeky 5 min warm up on the cross training pre each session.
 
Both experiences in my opinion were wrong. It isn't 100% in or out when it comes to cardio. The past 6 months I have been increasing my cardio & trying to determine what level is required for the results I want. I read numerous articles recommending HIIT (High intensity interval training), then other says LISS (low intensity steady state) is the way forward. I think all I can say is... it depends on you. What do you enjoy?? I HATE LISS training I find it so boring, I hate all cardio really but I think HIIT Training makes it a little easier as even though it is intense it is over with before you know it.

My new focus in Feb is to ensure I do cardio EVERY training day (I feel myself squirming as I write that).

I thought I would share some of my fave & most effective cardio sessions... give them a try!!


Download "Interval App" to set these up on your phone.


1. Step Machine

This is a killer in my opinion. I never have seemed to be good at walking up stairs!!

2 mins warm up at a steady pace to get your heart rate up.

30 seconds on - I do this at level 13 which is quite quick for my little legs!
30 seconds - Rest! I literally hit the stop button and stand there panting. I am quite the fan of an active rest however I think this one definitely requires a stand still moment.

Do this for 10 sets!

That's 12 MINUTES in total..... I usually spend the next 5 minutes lay down contemplating life and if I will survive!!


2. Rower

Set the rower to level 5 and warm up for approx. 5 minutes (do 1,000m as your warm up)

30 seconds on.... this is rowing at full speed, fastest that you can go!! You should be able to monitor how fast you're going (I think it is rows per minute on the screen). Make sure you determine your fastest level, then keep hitting it.

1 Minute active rest. You're still rowing but not overly exerting yourself. You should still be rowing at a decent pace though!


Do this for 10 sets. When I initially started I got to 8 sets then ended the session as it was tough, now I do 10.

That's 18 MINUTES in total with 5 of that being your warm up!!

I try to do this after I have trained back!


3. Body Weight Circuits

I HATE these, however, these are by far for me the most effective HIIT training I can do.

Here are some of the combinations:

Combination 1:

1. Step ups
2. Mountain Climbers
3. Burpees


Combination 2:

1. Squat Jumps
2. Toe Taps
3. Rope Swings (Use the massive ropes and move your arms out/in, not up and down)


For each combination try:

30 seconds for each exercise
30 second rest
Repeat the circuit 4 times.

Try and count how many of each you do and beat it each time.

In total that is 12 MINUTES but is an absolute killer!


Give them a try and see what you think! Enjoy :-)