Better Workouts 10: Cardio
- Use cardio more effectively
- How to train better when working full time…
Gym workouts can be boring and that’s when it becomes completely counterproductive. On the other hand, knowing what to do and how to tinker with your routine will get you great results.
In this edition: Cardio
Cardio is very much love it or hate it there is little in between for most people.
It’s not difficult to see why. People who do cardio generally have an event in mind. This usually is an endurance event which create an unsustainable relationship. Doing more and more eventually leads to either boredom, injury or fatigue.
With resistance training there is far more variety within the structure and more ways to keep getting fit interesting. This is normally even the case in absence of events to train for. As a consequence, managing your cardio workouts is important.
Cardio is vital to overall health as it boosts energy, releases more endorphins, clears your lungs and is much easier to get up and go (well, theoretically).
Cardio is technically any exercise or activity that gets your heart rate up for a prolonged period of time. Using this logic, sports are probably the most popular for this.
Structured exercise is not for everyone so you need to find what works.
I don’t believe in the overly compulsive heart rate monitoring systems but understanding how your body works is the most effectively way.
If it’s detracting from the quality of your workout then it’s counter productive. After all, the human body has managed without it.
At the end of the day, cardio is about intensity. If you know what 50% or 70% of your maximum is then you’re on the road to success!
My suggestion for cardio training (if you’re looking at a better physique or even building lean muscle) is high intensity interval training. Achieving more in less time is a win-win situation. Most of my runs these days consist predominantly of sprints and hill work rather than long, slow duration training.
High intensity interval training is more effective because it increases your heart rate, improves muscle function and lung capacity. The best bit is that you can freestyle your training and there is no set solution.
As long as part of the training is time or distance based (at a higher intensity) then a recovery for either the same distance or less, then you’re succeeding. This can apply to a whole range of cardio exercises.
There are of course hundreds of variations and differing intensities…
For a structured training plan visit the website for the RYPT 24 part running guide.
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Ross Yeoman
RYPT Owner
