Cardio: Do It For Your Heart

Run. Bike. Swim. Jog. Hike. Walk. Jump. It's all cardio and it all works.  Don't get trapped in a boring monotonous routine that lacks excitement and makes you dread exercise.  Get yourself a jump rope, a new bike, some new running shoes - anything to get you pumped to try out these different cardio intervals.  

Before starting any of these routines, find your all out rate ('max out') on whatever machine/exercise that you're working with.  This means if you're on a stationary bike, pedal all out for a minute and take note of the highest RPM you can hit.  If you're on a treadmill, take note of the highest speed you can run one minute at.  At max out you should be breathing hard, breaking a sweat, feeling the burn in your muscles, and unable to talk.

The Climb (20 min Total): A steady interval increase that can be done on all machines.  Below is an example of a treadmill climb with a max out speed of 9.0.  It consists of a 3 minute warm-up followed by a 0.1 increase in speed each minute for 15 minutes - at which point you will reach your max out.  Cool down for 2 minutes. 

• 3 min. Warm Up (Light Jog)
• 1 min. 7.5
• 1 min. 7.6
• 1 min. 7.7
• Continue until 9.0 is reached
• 2 min. Cool Down (Light Jog) 

*The Climb can also be done on a bike by increasing resistance.  Maintain a certain RPM (i.e. 80) and each minute increase the resistance for 15 minutes - at this point you will reach your max out resistance (where you can barely pedal).  Follow with a cool down, as instructed above.

Jump Intervals (20 min Total):  Determine your max out with a jump rope by jumping as many times as you can in one minute.  Use this count to perform the following intervals with a jump rope (all at max out pace) with a 30 second high knee march/rest in between each.

• 2 min. Warm Up (Light Jog)
• 1 min. Max Out Jump Rope
• 2 min. Max Out Jump Rope
• 3 min. Max Out Jump Rope
• 1 min. Max Out Jump Rope
• 3 min. Max Out Jump Rope
• 2 min. Max Out Jump Rope
• 1 min. Max Out Jump Rope
• 2 min. Cool Down (Light Jog)

*For the longer intervals (2-3 minutes) - aim for a max out pace the entire time, but don't be discouraged if you're unable to reach it.  Something to work up to!

Cardiovascular activity is a very important and crucial piece of overall health.  Even if you're not looking to lose weight, you should still be doing some sort of cardio everyday of the week!

Am I the Only One - Dierks Bentley