You May Want To Limit Your Cardio Workout

Cardio is something that often times we begin especially on the machines and we get almost obsessed with it. I am talking to those of you, that do cardio, cardio, cardio, and then more cardio. There is absolutely no reason for that much cardio for one person. You only need 30 to maybe 45 minutes of cardio a work out. Anything more is overkill and can cause over exercise. If you are doing cardio outside, you can use a pedometer to keep track of your steps to be sure that you do not over do it.

You are so much better off doing 30 minutes of cardio and then use the remaining time with strength training with free weights, machines, etc. You will burn more fat. You open the door to too much wear and tear on your muscles which can cause multiple injuries that you can not recover.

When you do the same thing over and over again, not only are you going to become bored, but your body will become bored. This will cause you to plateau and you will not lose any more weight.

I am not writing this article to stop you from doing cardio. We all need to do some cardio. What I am trying to get you to do is to rethink your cardio routine if you are doing cardio like there is no end. Mix your routine up so that you incorporate cardio into your strength training and then you don't have to run or step for miles upon miles at a time.

I Want To Gain Weight

I know that for many of you, it is a huge stretch to imagine that someone wants to gain weight, when as a nation all you seem to hear about is losing weight. However, there are some that need to gain weight for various reasons ranging from health to vanity. Strange...I know, but in all seriousness it is also a reality.

If you fall into this category here are a few tips that you should follow so that you do it in a way that is healthy and that you are gaining muscle and not fat.

Increase your protein intake.

Muscles are developed through how your body metabolizes proteins. Therefore, eat more high protein foods to increase your muscle development.

Increase your weight or resistance during your workout.

During your exercise routine, increase the amount of weight that you normally use by 5 to 10 pounds in everything that you do. When you do this, decrease your repetitions.

Decrease your cardiovascular routine.

Continuous cardio work outs can still be done on a treadmill or elliptical machine, but less than before. For example, if you were previously doing 45 minutes drop it to 30 minutes and then add the 15 minutes to the rest of your exercise program.

These are just a few ideas on how you can gain weight in a manner which is healthy. Also remember, that muscle weighs more than fat. This means that as you are gaining muscle, you will gain weight. Please remember that just you want to lose weight slowly, you also want to gain weight slowly. Do not try to do it too fast. The purpose is to increase muscle not fat.

Can I Spot Train?

Often times I hear people that just want to what I call spot train. That is simply train one spot or one body part. This is the I don't care about my legs, I just want nice arms person.

This is a tricky topic for a couple of reasons the answer is yes and no. The answer is yes if you are well experienced and already have a certain amount of muscle that you are building and are not really concerned with actually losing weight or trying to gain weight in the form of muscle. You possibly add a little extra time or do what is known as doubles. That is two workouts a day. Don't freak out many people do this that are serious about exercise. However, it needs to be done with care and a schedule or journal still needs to be maintained to give proper rest.

However, if you are trying to lose weight and add some muscle then the answer is no. When you are doing cardio, your body knows the language of raise your heart rate and your metabolism. People often store fat in different places in their body and will lose in a certain place in their body first. However, you have no control over this process. Only God has the power to decide when and where your body will react according to the exercise and food that you eat.

So you have to decide where you fit between these two scenarios and determine whether or not it is possible for you to spot train.

I Want to Gain Definition

I think this is where the vast majority of people are that don't necessarily need to lose weight, but want to be able to see some definition in their body. It really is quite simple. The biggest thing about this is to remember that if you try to spot train, you will not succeed. It is important to workout your entire body.

I want you to keep your weight at a level that is light to medium for the majority of your workouts. Choose a weight where you can do 12-15 reps a set.Then on the other days choose weight that you can only do 6-8reps per set. You should pick two body parts for each routine. If it is a heavier day, do that portion first.If your total workout is 90 minutes, follow a workout plan similiar to this example. Day 1 heavier chest 45 minutes, light to medium shoulders 30 minutes, 15 minutes of cardio. Day 2 heavier legs 45 minutes, light to medium back for 30 minutes, 15 minutes of cardio. Just keep alternating workouts for each body part.

Do some cardio to lose the extra water weight to help see the definition. When on this plan I suggest doing cardio after the workout. It is what I do and seems to work better for me. Exactly why, God only knows.

All I Want to Do Is Lose The Fat

I fully understand that there are a lot of that simply don't care about muscle and just want to lose the fat. I don't fault you, if you don't want muscle. I will however tell you that building muscle is the fastest way to lose fat. I will also tell you that unless you want a lot of sagging skin afterwards, you will want to do some weight training. Dr. Bob Greene wrote a very informative book Total Body Makeover

You need to make some sort of cardiovascular exercise your best friend. I don't care if it is a machine, a class, a track, around the block, but whatever it is needs to elevate your heart rate for at least 30-40 minutes straight. This is not play time, you are trying to keep your heart rate up for some time. I do not pretend to know what your particular heart rate is for you. When I do cardio, I do it for 45 minutes. They say you should be able to talk, not carry on a full conversation. You should be breathing hard, not like your going to hyperventilate. Listen to some music and I promise it will take your mind off the time. I personally recommend a cardio machine, but it is up to you. You can also use your towel to cover up the time.

Then do about 20-30 minutes of weight training after your cardio workout. It is imperative that you watch your food intake and that you exercise 4 preferably 5 days a week. If you are just starting you won't be able to do the 30-40 minutes right away so start with less and then increase as you improve.