Elite Fitness Zone » Cardio http://elitefitnesszone.com Improving one's lifestyle through the power of fitness. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:11:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Put and End to Hours of Cardio; Kick Up the Intensity, Shorten the Time and See Big Results http://elitefitnesszone.com/put-and-end-to-hours-of-cardio-kick-up-the-intensity-shorten-the-time-and-see-big-results http://elitefitnesszone.com/put-and-end-to-hours-of-cardio-kick-up-the-intensity-shorten-the-time-and-see-big-results#comments Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:57:53 +0000 http://elitefitnesszone.com/put-and-end-to-hours-of-cardio-kick-up-the-intensity-shorten-the-time-and-see-big-results It always drives me crazy when I see people in the gym, day after day, walking or jogging on the treadmill for hours. They do the exact same routine, usually talking on the cell phone, reading a magazine or watching their favorite TV show. I see them every day for months go through the same workout and their bodies never change! Why is this? It’s simple.

When you initially start working out, it seems difficult to do these workouts. But, your body is an amazing machine and therefore, it quickly becomes efficient at doing the same workout and like anything, if you don’t push yourself or change it up, your body adjusts. Each time we repeat a particular workout, our body adapts to meet the demand, becomes more efficient and in turn, burns less fat and calories. So, the bottom line is you need to break out of your “cardio comfort zone” and challenge yourself to see faster fat loss results.

As human nature will have it, most people take the path of least resistance, which results in a less than effective cardio routine. This in turn, impacts the time it takes to see results. When people tell me they need to stay in the “fat burning zone” in order to burn calories, it makes me crazy! FORGET about the fat burning zone! As far as I’m concerned, this is an excuse not to push yourself. Your metabolism will increase only when your body is forced to change. When it comes to cardio and fat loss, INTENSITY is the secret ingredient to see changes, period!

So when people ask me why it’s better to do an intense 20 minute workout, as opposed to a slow, steady 30-45 minute workout when you burn more calories over 45 minutes, my answer is simple. Although you may burn more calories while you’re working out, once you stop that workout, your metabolism also stops burning. However, when you perform your cardio at an intense level (intervals), your body will spend the rest of the day expending energy to recover from the challenge you just put it through. This is called EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) and it means that you consume more oxygen recovering from an intense workout than you would from a slow steady cardio workout, no matter how long that workout is. 



How do you know if you’re not pushing yourself hard enough:

1) If you can hold a conversation with the person on the cardio machine next to you or the person on the other end of the cell phone!

2) If you are getting into the magazine or book you are reading to help pass the time.

3) You are enjoying your favorite TV show.

4) You have not worked up a sweat and feel you could go another 20 minutes!

These are all signs that you are not working hard enough to get the results you want. You need to focus on what you’re doing, work hard and be done! It is only 20 minutes! Surely you don’t need to find some distraction that will take away from your workout.

Here’s how it works:Start with the form of cardio you are comfortable doing and perform as follows:

 This is just an example to show you how it works. Give it a try and I promise you will be shocked at how much more effective, not to mention efficient it is.

To change it up and keep it from getting boring, try shortening the hard intervals to 30-45 seconds while simultaneously increasing the intensity. Keep the easy part to 1-2 minutes. As you shorten the intense intervals, it is important that you increase the intensity from your level in the 1 minute interval and do additional intervals (8-10). Repeat until you’ve completed 15-20 minutes.

An Example of how I do it on a treadmill is as follows:

1 minute intervals:

Note: I keep it on a 7.5 to 10.0 incline throughout these workouts. The levels shown below are the speed.

30-45 second intervals:

 

These are two examples so you are not confused. You need to do these intervals according to your individual fitness levels. The only thing I stress is you need to push yourself! By this I mean a subjective effort of 8-9 on a scale of 10. It must be intense to see results.

*Please note that if you are new to exercise, don’t attempt this without consulting your physician and even then, work yourself up slowly to being able to perform this type of exercise. This is not for everyone.

Types of Interval Training:

I also want to mention that interval training is not limited to a single cardio machine. It can be performed in a number of different ways as seen below:

1) Change machines every 3-5 minutes (i.e. start on treadmill, then move to elliptical and then stationary bike).

2) Hill sprints. Find a hill outside and after warming up, sprint up the hill. Walk down. Do this 5-10 times, depending on your fitness level.

3) My favorite type of interval training is doing different cardio intensive exercises. I get bored doing the same thing every workout. I love to change it up and here is an example of what I may do when I need a change:

 

 So these are just a few examples, but a place to start if you are interested in kicking up your workouts. In order to see big changes, it is also important to do resistance training, as well as maintain a proper diet. Nutrition is imperative to any weight loss plan. Just remember, you can not “work off” a bad diet, no matter how hard you try.

In short, remember that with each workout you perform-whether it be interval training or resistance training- it is important that you find a way to change it up and keep yourself challenged. Training in your comfort zone is useless. Good luck and let me know how it goes!

]]> http://elitefitnesszone.com/put-and-end-to-hours-of-cardio-kick-up-the-intensity-shorten-the-time-and-see-big-results/feed 0 How to Shred the Fat Off Your Belly With Cardio http://elitefitnesszone.com/how-to-shred-the-fat-off-your-belly-with-cardio http://elitefitnesszone.com/how-to-shred-the-fat-off-your-belly-with-cardio#comments Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:57:52 +0000 http://elitefitnesszone.com/how-to-shred-the-fat-off-your-belly-with-cardio Cardio exercise is one of the most effective and efficient ways to burn fat. Nothing burns off calories like intense cardio exercise. The challenge is most people think of cardio as boring or tedious.That’s why we’ve designed ways to get the most out of your cardio workout, and get it done as fast as possible.So how do we get the most out of out cardio?1. Make it Fun- Instead of doing the spend an hour-on-a-treadmill workout, go play some sports instead. perhaps you have a basketball court near your house? Even if you’re not any good, just dribbling and running down the court can burn many calories, while practicing your shooting skills. Be a kid again!2. Make it Intense- On whatever cardio piece of equipment you use, if you’re used to going at a moderate pace, take it up a few paces and put forth more effort. Go faster, use a tougher resistance, and just bust your butt until you can’t go anymore (within healthy limits of course). This will boost your calorie burn like nobody’s business.3. Throw your body for a loop- If you’re a creature of habit and always use a machine for cardio, try using some body weight exercises. Body weight exercises are great- they can be done anywhere, build lean muscle, make you stronger, and get your heart going for a powerful cardio, fat burning workout.These are some simple ways to get the most out of your cardio workout. There are many more you can find as well.

]]> http://elitefitnesszone.com/how-to-shred-the-fat-off-your-belly-with-cardio/feed 0 The Benefits of Interval Training http://elitefitnesszone.com/the-benefits-of-interval-training http://elitefitnesszone.com/the-benefits-of-interval-training#comments Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:51:30 +0000 http://elitefitnesszone.com/the-benefits-of-interval-training Copyright (c) 2008 Dan Thompson
In a long-term study of the health of the people of in the United States, the U.S. Public Health Service documented the chances of developing heart disease among various groups in the population. Long before the any symptoms appeared, epidemiological research could identify high-risk groups.
Among the highest risk factors are male sex, age over 35, cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, high levels of certain blood fats, and a family history of cardiovascular disorders.
Other researchers have added to this list another risk factor: the compulsive, hard-driving, highly anxious personality. The greater the number of severity, the greater the person?overall risk.
These threats to the heart can be divided into two main categories: those beyond individual control, such as age, sex, and heredity, and those that can be controlled, avoided, or even eliminated. Among those in the second category are what cardiologists call it the triple threat. These are the high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, and high cholesterol levels in the blood.
If you smoke a pack of cigarettes a day, your risk of having a heart attack is twice that of a nonsmoker. If you smoke, have hypertension, and eat a diet high in fats without any exercise at all, your risk is five times greater than normal.
The Healthy Heart
If these risk factors endanger the heart is health, what enhances its well-being and improves its odds of working long and well?
Obviously, quitting cigarettes and eating a low-fat diet will help. The next best thing you can do for your heart is to give it what it needs: regular exercise or a complete cardio interval training.
The heart is a muscle, or, more accurately, a group or package of muscles, similar in many ways to the muscles of the arms and legs. And just as exercise strengthens and improves limb muscles, it enhances the health of the heart muscles as well.
Since World War II, several large-scale statistical studies have evaluated the relationship between physical activity and cardiovascular disease. One well-known survey compared 31,000 drivers and conductors of some bus companies. The more sedentary drivers had a significantly higher rate of heart disease than the conductors, who walked around the buses and climbed stairs to the upper level.
The why and how behind these statistics were not explained by classic experiments with dogs whose coronary arteries were surgically narrowed to resemble those of humans with arteriosclerosis. Dogs who were exercised had much better blood flow than those kept inactive.
The exercise seemed to stimulate the development of new connections between the impaired and the nearly normal blood vessels, so exercised dogs had a better blood supply to all the muscle tissue of the heart. The human heart reacts in the same way to provide blood to the portion that was damaged by the heart attack.
To enable the damaged heart muscle to heal, the heart relies on new small blood vessels for what is called collateral circulation. These new branches on the arterial tress can develop long before a heart attack ?d can prevent a heart attack if the new network takes on enough of the function of the narrowed vessels.
With all these facts, it is now boiled down to a single question: What should be done in order to prevent such dilemmas?
Some studies showed that moderate exercise several times a week is more effective in building up these auxiliary pathways than extremely vigorous exercise done twice often.
The general rule is that exercise helps reduce the risk of harm to the heart. Some researches further attested the link between exercise and healthy heart based from the findings that the non-exercisers had a 49% greater risk of heart attack than the other people included in the study. The study attributed a third of that risk to sedentary lifestyle alone.
Hence, with employing the cardio interval training, you can absolutely expect positive results not only on areas that concerns your cardiovascular system but on the overall status of your health as well.
This particular activity that is definitely good for the heart is a cycle of ?peated segments?hat is of intense nature. In this process, there is an interchange periods of recuperation. It can both be comprehensive activity and moderate motion.
Consequently, the benefits of merely engaging into this kind of activity can bring you more results that you have ever expected. These are:
1. The threats of heart attack are lessened, if not eliminated
2. Enhanced heart task
3. Increase metabolism, increase the chance of burning calories, therefore, assist you in losing weight
4. Improves lung capacity
5. Helps lessen or eliminate the cases of stress
Indeed, cardio interval training is the modern way of creating a healthy, happy heart and body.

]]> http://elitefitnesszone.com/the-benefits-of-interval-training/feed 0 The Truth About Interval Training http://elitefitnesszone.com/the-truth-about-interval-training http://elitefitnesszone.com/the-truth-about-interval-training#comments Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:49:40 +0000 http://elitefitnesszone.com/the-truth-about-interval-training It seems like every day I run across another article or study talking about interval training. Why? Because interval training works. There is no better way to achieve your health and fitness goals than by alternating short bursts of high intensity with periods of low intensity exercise.

And, if you’re like me, you’ve seen the laundry list of these benefits. Benefits you can’t get from traditional long, slow cardio. To recap:

]]> http://elitefitnesszone.com/the-truth-about-interval-training/feed 0 Interval Training – The Best Weight Loss Exercise http://elitefitnesszone.com/interval-training-the-best-weight-loss-exercise http://elitefitnesszone.com/interval-training-the-best-weight-loss-exercise#comments Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:48:34 +0000 http://elitefitnesszone.com/interval-training-the-best-weight-loss-exercise Weight Loss Exercise Principles

If you have read the article called Exercise: Essential, then
you can skip down to the next section, called How to do Interval
Training. Read on if you need a reminder of the basic principles
of exercise for weight loss.

Aerobic exercise is fat burning exercise. As you do some
activity using large muscles (legs, especially) that raises your
heart rate but still allows you to breathe normally, your body
will burn fat with the oxygen you’re breathing. However, your
body will only burn blood-sugar at first, because it’s easily
available. So, to get to the fat-burning stage, you have to
exercise for at least 20 minutes, preferably 30 minutes or more.
Walking and bicycling at a gentle pace are aerobic activities.

Anaerobic exercises are high-intensity exercises that get your
muscles working hard, and you will have trouble breathing. The
word “anaerobic” means “without air”, meaning that you will be
breathing fast, but still not getting enough oxygen to properly
fuel your muscles. This leads to muscle strengthening, but it
also means that you’re burning blood-sugar only, not fat, and
you end up with lactic acid that will make your muscles feel
like they’re burning. Weight training and sprinting are
anaerobic activities.

You can keep doing aerobic exercise longer than anaerobic
exercise, and you’ll burn about equal amounts of calories
overall doing either. Aerobic exercise burns those calories from
fat during the exercise. Anaerobic exercise only burns
blood-sugar, but burns a lot of fat later (the rest of the day)
to replace the energy. Is it possible to combine the two, so
that you can burn fat while exercising, and keep burning the
rest of the day? Yes, with Interval Training.

Exercise for weight loss works best with a proper diet: consult
the Weight Loss Diet for Men.

How to do Interval Training

The “intervals” in Interval Training are alternating periods of
high-intensity exercise with low-intensity rest periods. This
allows a person to keep exercising for at least 30 minutes to
kick in the effects of aerobic activity, but it is also intense
enough to strengthen the heart and provide the long-term fat
burning of high-intensity exercise. The idea is simple, but
ingenious, and amazingly effective.

You can do interval training using a time-measure or a
distance-measure. If you prefer to run indoors in a gym’s track,
then there is probably a clock to watch while running, so time
would be more convenient to keep track. If you prefer to train
outdoors, it may be inconvenient to look at your watch every few
seconds, so going by distance will probably be easier. If you
use time, you should run as fast as you can for one full minute,
then walk for two minutes. After that, run again for one more
minute and rest by walking for two minutes. Keep repeating this
three-minute cycle until 30 minutes have elapsed overall. If you
prefer to chart distance, you will want to run about a
half-mile, then walk for one-quarter mile, and keep alternating
that.

Benefits of Interval Training

World-class athletes already know that Interval Training is the
best way to improve almost every aspect of running performance.
The fist effect is that high-intensity leg exercise, like
running, will make your legs stronger. That means more muscle
mass, and each gram of new muscle will burn that much more fat
every minute of every day. The second effect of high-intensity
training is what people call “cardio”. That’s short for
cardio-vascular training, meaning that your heart as a muscle
will grow stronger. This will prevent many forms of heart
disease, as well as improving circulation, which has benefits
for many aspects of life.

The most important benefit of Interval Training is that it is
the single best way to improve your VO2-Max. That is the volume
(V) of oxygen (O2) that you take with your deepest breath (max).
VO2-max is the best measure of fitness and endurance. Increasing
your VO2-max with interval training will give you greater
endurance for everything you do, and the higher your VO2-max,
the less you will feel that heat or pressure on your lungs when
you exercise. Believe me, after interval training for a week,
you will know without a fancy test that your VO2-max is
improving, and soon you’ll feel the improvement with every
training session. It’s a great feeling.

Improving Intervals

Using the time method is better than distance to keep yourself
honest, because as you get faster, your half-mile will turn out
to take less and less time. So, to keep improving your
performance, and keep losing weight, you should either get a
stopwatch, or else keep making your running intervals farther
and farther (to make sure they still last a whole minute).

As your VO2-max increases, you may be tempted to make your
workouts last longer overall, or to make the high-intensity
periods last longer. You should do neither of these things. Your
goal should be to keep intervals of 1-minute of running
separated by 2-minutes of walking, and keep increasing the
intensity of each running interval. If you make every interval a
sprint for one full minute, and keep that up for 40 minutes, you
are already a superhero. Longer workouts risk breakdown of
tissues and a high burden on your kidneys and other organs. And
if you make each interval longer, you may not be pushing your
speed the most you can, which is where the benefits are.

At the other end of the scale, if you’re just starting interval
training, go easy. Too many men start off too fast and burn
themselves out within 10 minutes. That will not benefit you.
Warm up with a fast walk or a gentle jog for 10 minutes or so.
Then, try your first interval. It should be for one full minute,
but just try for a pace a little faster than a jog. Then walk
for two minutes. For your next interval, just try to maintain
that fast jog pace for another full minute. Then walk again for
two minutes. Don’t sit down or stop if you can avoid it, keep
walking to recover. On your third interval, try just a little
faster. If you can’t make it for the full minute, you have just
found out where your zone is. The key isn’t to try to sprint
right away and only be able to go for 20 seconds. You have to do
the full minute at a constant pace, as fast as you can sustain
for one whole minute. I guarantee that it will be pretty slow
your first time. But try it again the next day, and you will be
better. By the end of two weeks, you’ll be amazed how much more
fit you’ve become. I promise.

If you don’t think you’re up for Interval Training yet, read my
article on Exercise: Essential.

Exercise is an important part of your weight-loss equation. But
the most important part you can’t find in a gym, it’s the Best Diet Plan for Men

]]> http://elitefitnesszone.com/interval-training-the-best-weight-loss-exercise/feed 0 How to Use Interval Training to Get Six Pack Abs http://elitefitnesszone.com/how-to-use-interval-training-to-get-six-pack-abs http://elitefitnesszone.com/how-to-use-interval-training-to-get-six-pack-abs#comments Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:01:44 +0000 http://elitefitnesszone.com/how-to-use-interval-training-to-get-six-pack-abs If you’ve been reading up on how to get six pack abs fast, there’s a good chance you’ve stumbled upon information regarding interval training. Interval training is a form of cardio that tends to get far superior results compared to regular cardio workouts and saves you time! Who doesn’t want to burn fat at an accelerated pace while having to spend less time in the gym – it’s almost a dream come true.

But don’t kid yourself – interval training is intense, but if you’re up for the challenge, the results you get will impress.

Here’s how to use interval training to get six pack abs.

Determine Your Weight Lifting Schedule

The first step to using interval training to help you get six pack abs quickly is to first look at how many and what days of the week you’ll be lifting. Since weight lifting and interval training will put a high amount of stress on the body, it’s vital that you find a good balance between the two. If you attempt to do too much, your body is going to fight you and eventually grow extremely exhausted.

As time passes you’ll eventually have to stop – so this is a fast way to kill all your training.

Once you know what days of the week you are lifting, then look at where you can put the interval training. Avoid doing intervals the day after a leg workout (as you’ll be exhausted and likely sore) – any other day is fair game.

Select Your Interval Length

Next, you should select how long you’ll do your interval training. Do you want to go all out for 20 seconds or would you prefer to extend your intervals to sixty seconds in length and take the intensity down a notch?

Both offer great benefits and this will be a personal choice. With the very short, very intense intervals you’ll really challenge the anaerobic system and get in the best physical shape possible, but with the slightly longer intervals you’ll work on developing a bit more endurance at a high intensity while cranking up the fat burning hormones to a slightly higher degree.

Performing one day of short intervals followed by one day of long intervals may be your best bet, but do keep in mind that your corresponding rest periods should adapt as well. Typically for very short intervals you want a rest period three times as long as the work period and for longer intervals twice as long will be fine.

Plan For A Warm-Up

Finally, make sure you also include a warm-up and cool-down before and after the interval training. You don’t want to get up and start sprinting immediately, so take five to ten minutes and do some light cardio to get the blood flowing. The point here is not to wear yourself out – you need to save energy for what’s to come, but rather just to get yourself moving in the full range of motion and ready to work hard.

After the workout the cool-down will serve to bring down your heart rate and prevent blood pooling from stopping suddenly. Some people may also wish to perform their six pack ab exercises on this day after the session, but that will depend on your overall program set-up.

Interval training is one of the best bets to help you get six pack abs, so make the decision to start doing it TODAY. You won’t regret it!

 

]]> http://elitefitnesszone.com/how-to-use-interval-training-to-get-six-pack-abs/feed 0 Cardio Training 101 http://elitefitnesszone.com/cardio-training-101 http://elitefitnesszone.com/cardio-training-101#comments Sun, 25 Jul 2010 20:59:08 +0000 http://elitefitnesszone.com/cardio-training-101 If you’re new to the world of fitness, first and foremost never over do it, and always get cleared by a medical doctor if you think you may have health considerations
Cardio short for cardiovascular training by design is different from resistance training. The main focal point of cardio training is to increase the fat burning process. This is accomplished by burning fat as the main fuel source. Weight resistance training builds bigger muscles and uses glucose (usable carbohydrates) as the main fuel source. Although if cardio training is intense (not able to talk and exercise simultaneously) glucose instead of fat will be used as the energy substrate. This is due to the fact that fat doesn’t burn fast enough to keep up with the rapid movement.
Like I mentioned before if you’re a newbie to exercise take it slow by walking in your neighbor 3 days a week for 20 min, for the first 2 weeks and progress up to 4-5 days a week for 45-60 min, at the end of the 3rd and 4th week. After that, you can try more intense versions of cardio including: treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes, jogging and cross trainers. Choose a level where talking with your exercise partner is still possible for 15 minutes, 3x week for 2 weeks. You can progress up to 45-60 min 3x week.
A rudimentary way of determining intensity level for these cardio modalities is 55% to 65% of your maximum heart rate. You can estimate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220, then multiple that by either .55 or .65. This is a good range that will keep you in the fat burning mode and not burning glucose that you will need for your resistance training(glucose is the preferred fuel source during weight training).
Although the age predicted max heart rate is the most common method under use today it has one major flaw. Some 60 yr olds are in better shape that some 30 yr olds, but this method would fail to recognize such an important factor. I actually prefer using something called the Borg Scale to determine intensity which I outline a little later in this article.
Advantages of cardio training: When your muscles need oxygen and nutrients it’s your heart-lung complex (cardiovascular) that does the job. When your body has waste products that need to be expelled like carbon dioxide and metabolic wastes, your cardio system better be in tip top shape, or illness and disease might soon follow. The better shape you’re in the more proficient your heart will be to pump blood to all the various organs. This translates into more energy for you throughout the day and a more rewarding and productive life.
An out of shape person has his or her heart working overtime just to accomplish the minimal about of work required to maintain life. Now take that person and try to make them do something active beyond sitting on the couch. The heart will have a stressful time keeping up because it’s all ready working hard. Shortness of breath, rapid heart beat, wheezing, loss of balance and fatigue are signs of a weak cardio system.
The more cardio trained you are, the less your heart has to work. Who do you think has more energy a person with a resting heart rate of 80(how many times the heart beats in one minute) or a person with resting heart rate of 110 beats per minute? The person with the resting heart rate of 80 is more proficient in pumping blood throughout the body compared to the person who needs an extra 30 beats per minute to get the same amount of blood pumped throughout the body.
A good method of determining of how hard you’re working is something called the Borg Scale and my own preference of intensity feedback:
6, 7, 8 = very, very light
9, 10 = very light
11, 12 = fairly light
13, 14 = somewhat hard (correlates 55-65% age predicted max HR)
15, 16 = hard
17, 18 = very hard
19, 20 = very, very hard
You’re your own master here, which is why I like using this scale. Begin with light sessions according to how you perceive your own exertion and work your way up until you can maintain 2 somewhat hard workouts for about 45-60 min, 2 x week along with another 2 light workout sessions alternating between the 2 for a total of 4 sessions a week.
Again, cardio training along with resistance training is essential to good health. It is also the cheapest and easiest way to exercise, just grab some running shoes and you’re all set!

]]> http://elitefitnesszone.com/cardio-training-101/feed 0 The Cardio Body Building Fallacy http://elitefitnesszone.com/the-cardio-body-building-fallacy http://elitefitnesszone.com/the-cardio-body-building-fallacy#comments Wed, 21 Jul 2010 20:58:17 +0000 http://elitefitnesszone.com/the-cardio-body-building-fallacy Most workout programs, in my opinion, are examples of cardio body building and are wrongly based on bodybuilder isolation movement exercises and marathoner extended aerobic training.

This is NOT the path to optimum fitness excellence!

The cardio body building combination is actually the biggest training mistake you can make.

Now before you get angry…

There is absolutely nothing wrong with training like a Bodybuilder or Marathoner… especially if you are a Bodybuilder or Marathoner.

I am just proposing that the training philosophies of Bodybuilders and Marathoners are not the path to an optimum level of fitness where all of the physical skills of cardiorespiratory endurance, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, accuracy and toughness are improved… Whether you adhere to the philosophy of each group alone or in combination.

I know this goes against most physical training protocols used in commercial gyms around the world that adhere to the cardio body building combination as the training methods of choice.

It is easy to see how these training protocols came to be combined…

In an attempt to improve fitness on a more general level for the non-professional fitness enthusiast, gyms and health clubs throughout the world have prescribed the typical cardio body building program of isolated movement strength training and extended aerobic training sessions.

The belief was that if isolated movement weight training is effective for Bodybuilders, and extended aerobic sessions are effective for Marathoners, that a combination of the two training methods would give the general fitness enthusiast the best of both worlds.

The fact is, Bodybuilding training methods are more concerned with muscle growth than muscular strength, power and endurance… and both of these training methods almost completely ignore the other physical abilities like coordination, agility, balance, accuracy and flexibility.

It is no wonder why millions of people participating in cardio body building inspired fitness programs fail to meet their over-all fitness goals… They are making a big training mistake.

On a personal Note…

I am guilty of training in the cardio body building fashion in my younger years in preparation for wrestling season.

I would lift weights using isolation exercises and run long distances to increase aerobic capacity.

I quickly learned in the first week of practice that the inflated muscles and aerobic capacity that I gained through cardio body building training did little or nothing to provide the fitness level needed for my chosen sport.

Oh well, there is nothing I can do about that now… but there is something that YOU can do to improve your physical training in preparation for sport, work, life.

Reflect on your current workout program…

If your current workout program looks like the cardio body building protocol described above… don’t despair.

Any exercise is better than none, so you have not completely wasted your time.

In fact… the isolated movement strength training has given you some degree of strength, and the aerobic exercise is an essential base of fitness.

However, to improve your physical training and optimize your performance you must be prepared to radically change the methods you use in pursuit of strength, conditioning and fitness excellence.

Be honest with yourself… are you getting the most out of your current cardio body building physical training program?

Are the exercises and methods you are using best suited to improve over-all fitness… or do they only focus on muscular size and cardiorespiratory endurance?

Ask yourself this question…

Is your current physical fitness training program based on the acceptable and deliberate compromise of competence and ability to perform in ALL the areas of cardiorespiratory endurance, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, accuracy and toughness to produce optimum performance results under the greatest amount of circumstances?

If not, it is probably based on the cardio body building fallacy… and your physical training can be greatly improved.

If your goal of physical training is to inflate your muscles and perform monotonous, single intensity aerobic exercise for extended periods of time… do nothing.

If your goal of physical training is to become a better human being suited to successfully overcome the random challenges of sport, work and life… It is time to change your physical fitness training program to one not based on the cardio body building fallacy.

]]> http://elitefitnesszone.com/the-cardio-body-building-fallacy/feed 0 Interval Training – Why Intervals are the Best Method for Fat Loss http://elitefitnesszone.com/interval-training-why-intervals-are-the-best-method-for-fat-loss http://elitefitnesszone.com/interval-training-why-intervals-are-the-best-method-for-fat-loss#comments Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:03:10 +0000 http://elitefitnesszone.com/interval-training-why-intervals-are-the-best-method-for-fat-loss Interval training is the most effective exercise in maximizing your metabolism, burning body fat and giving you a lean shape.

An interval is a brief period of exercise performed at a given intensity for a specific length of time. There is a short rest or lighter activity in between intervals. Although there are no rigid rules on the length and intensity of the interval, varying these two variables can change the way your body works and reacts to exercise.

Do not sacrifice the quality of rest between intervals as this will only reduce the benefits. You must give up the mindset of conventional cardio training in order to succeed with interval training.

Irrespective of what level you begin with interval training, be aware that the high intensity nature of the workout can cause muscle soreness and your legs may feel like jelly.

Nevertheless, interval training is the best cardio workout for losing body fat. Most people emphasize on working out for long hours, when shorter and more intense intervals are more efficient and effective.

Another benefit of intervals is that the body continues to burn calories and fat even after the training session. You won’t get this benefit from long and steady cardio workout.

Canadian researchers discovered that interval training was more effective for fat loss when they compared interval training and long, slow cardio training.

Here are some examples of interval training programs which can be used 3 to 5 times per week to lose body fat.

Begin with this beginner program:

Warm-up for 5-minutes. Exercise for 30 seconds at a hard pace (8/10 level of effort – this should be slightly harder than the normal cardio pace). Follow that with “active rest” for 90 seconds by exercising at a slow pace (3/10 level of effort). Repeat for a total of 3-8 intervals. Finish with 15 minutes of very low intensity (3/10) exercise for cool-down.

As you become familiar with intervals, move on to the advanced program:

Warm-up for 5 minutes. Exercise for 30 seconds at a 9/10 level of effort. Follow that with “active rest” for 60 seconds by exercising at a 3/10 level of effort. Repeat for a total of 4-10 intervals. Finish with 5 minutes of very low intensity exercise (3/10) for a cool-down.

]]> http://elitefitnesszone.com/interval-training-why-intervals-are-the-best-method-for-fat-loss/feed 0 Effective Cardio Workouts In Only 20 Minutes http://elitefitnesszone.com/effective-cardio-workouts-in-only-20-minutes http://elitefitnesszone.com/effective-cardio-workouts-in-only-20-minutes#comments Sat, 17 Jul 2010 20:58:51 +0000 http://elitefitnesszone.com/effective-cardio-workouts-in-only-20-minutes The perfect workout routine is one that combines strength training and some form of cardio. The problem is, most people hate doing cardio and will make up any excuse not to do it. A popular excuse is not having enough time. This article, however, will show you how you can spend only 20 minutes on a cardio workout and still reap the benefits.
So first of all, why is it necessary that you add cardio to your workouts? Most people understand the benefits of strength training because it adds muscle and muscle makes you healthier, more lean and stronger overall.
But what are the benefits of cardio? Here is a short list that names just a few:
- it helps reduce stress
- it burns calories which leads to weight loss
- it makes your heart and lungs stronger
- it reduces your risk of certain diseases
- it reduces depression and increases confidence
- it gives you more energy and helps you sleep better
To sum it up, adding cardio to your workout improves your health and well-being which leads to a better quality of life. Combine this with strength training and you’re on your way to feeling great, fast.
So how can you reap the benefits of cardio in only 20 minutes per workout? It’s called Interval Training and it can be applied to many different forms of cardio including boxing, running and biking.
The concept in a nutshell is shorter workouts, but higher intensity. This is accomplished by pushing hard for say two minutes and then slowing down for two minutes. If you repeat this cycle four more times then you have your 20 minutes. You could also do one minute hard, one minute easy and then repeat this nine more times.
Here is an example:
Interval training is perfect for running. If you’re working out on a treadmill or running outdoors, it’s the same routine. Start out with a warm up jog followed by two minutes of a challenging pace. This won’t be your all out because you have to maintain it for two minutes, but a pace that will be very hard for you. You then follow this with two minutes of either a walk or a very slow jog. Repeat four more times and you’ve got yourself an effective cardio workout in only 20 minutes.
This concept can be applied to many different forms of cardio: two minutes hard, two minutes easy, repeat four more times. Or one minute hard, one minute easy, repeat nine more times.
You’ll get your blood flowing, your heart pumping and reap all the benefits cardio has to offer…all in only 20 minutes.

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