Cardio Training – Element Three

Some people love cardio, and some people hate it. Regardless, cardio is a necessity for weight loss and general good health, and should be thought of as a life-long element of fitness. Cardio respiratory conditioning is the first link towards being healthy and physically fit. Building endurance promotes higher energy levels, burns calories to keep weight under control, and lowers the risk of death from heart attacks, strokes, and pulmonary disease. Four principles to consider for your cardiac program are: 1) the type of activity, 2) the intensity of the activity, 3) the duration of the activity, and 4) the frequency of the activity.  The following advice can aid in developing your cardio-respiratory program.

Type of Activity:  The activity must involve large muscle groups such as the quads. Example: More calories will be burned walking on a treadmill or climbing on stairs versus sitting on a stationary bike because more weight has to be supported. To keep your cardio routine from becoming mundane, try to vary your routine after several weeks. There are a great variety of cardio machines available.

Intensity of Activity:  General conditioning and weight loss usually occurs at 65-75% of maximum heart rate (MHR) for healthy adults. Monitor your heart rate either manually or with a monitor to make sure that you are working in your target heart rate (THR) fat burning zone. It is recommended that this low intensity aerobic work be used along with weight training for optimal fat loss.

 There is a common misconception that cardio activity alone is enough for weight loss. Exclusive cardio, without weight training can lead to lean muscle loss, fat accumulation, poor muscle tone, and static long term metabolism.

 The fact is that while using cardio alone, especially while dieting, your muscle will be cannibalized. The muscle is used for energy, instead of fat, since the body holds on to fat for survival during low caloric dieting. Un-worked muscles are considered expendable by the body. As you see, it is true in this case, “if you don’t use them you will lose them.”

Now you will learn to calculate your heart rate zone. Keep in mind that for fat burning, you want to keep your heart rate between 65-75% of your maximum heart rate. For our purposes, the age based method of calculation best suits our needs. To begin subtract your age from the number 220. Once you have that number, multiply by 65% or 0.65 to determine the lowest heart rate for the fat burning zone. To calculate the highest rate zone, multiply by 75% or 0.75.

Now that you have determined your target heart rate zone, there are fairly simple ways to evaluate your pulse while exercising. With your eye on a timing device that has a second hand, place the second and third fingers of either hand over the radial pulse, located at your wrist, and count the beats. Another method is to place your fingers over the carotid pulse on the side of your neck.  Choose whichever site is easier for you to use, and count the number of beats for six seconds. Multiply by ten for your heart rate over one minute. The heart rate per minute should fall within your low and high target heart rates calculated on the previous page. Also, you can invest in a heart rate monitor. The most accurate monitors include a strap that is worn around the chest. Polar is a brand that works with most gym cardio equipment.

Once you become conditioned, you may have to increase your intensity of exercise to achieve your desired heart rate zone. Interval training is one way to achieve total cardio-respiratory conditioning.  Interval training is performed the following way.  Pick a type of activity, and alternate high and low intensity over equal duration. For example, jog at a fast pace on the treadmill for 5-10 minutes, then alternate walking for 5-10 minutes. Always remember to monitor your heart rate during this type of activity.

Frequency of Activity. Aerobic activity should be performed three to six (3–6) times per week. Duration of Activity.

Duration will depend on your current conditioning, as well as your own personal goals.  Those who are in very poor fitness conditioning  may have to start out doing as little as 10 minutes per day, while those already in condition may be able to do up to 60 minutes per day. Some may choose to do single 60-minute sessions, while others may prefer to do two 30-minute sessions per day instead.  For long term success, choose the method that you will enjoy, and do most consistently.  Consistency is the key to fat loss.  See the following chart for how much cardio is suggested for various fitness levels.

What is Right for You?

Now that you are armed with critical information, you can decide.  You have read how important your nutritional program is for you to succeed in obtaining your health goals. The previous sections explained to you the importance of maintaining a sound cardio-respiratory program. The key is moderation. Just because you discovered a “treasure trove” of fat burning tools, does not mean that your body will respond to the “more is better” credo. Work into it slowly, and keep progressing gradually. The key is to get up and get moving consistently. Your life and health depend on it.