Cardio time. When is the best time to do cardio? Benefits of Cardio After Strength Training

10.10.2019

Cardio training is a set of exercises that increases your heart rate and increases blood circulation throughout the body (from the English cardiovascular - cardiovascular) .

You can do cardio training like in the gym using exercise machines ( treadmill, bicycle, ellipsoid) and at home without additional equipment. We offer you a unique selection of cardio exercises and ready plan cardio workouts at home for losing weight and burning calories.

General information about cardio training at home

For some trainees, cardio is an unloved activity, for others, on the contrary, it is a real passion and pleasure. But no matter how you feel about cardio training, it is one of the key components of fitness. Be sure to include cardio exercise in your workout plan, even if you have low endurance or you are a beginner. If you choose an adequate, feasible load, then cardio training will be accessible to everyone.

Why do you need cardio training?

Before we move on to cardio exercises at home, let's remember again: why do you need aerobic exercise:

Improving the functioning of the cardiovascular system by training the heart muscle
Burn calories and improve muscle tone
Endurance development
Release of negative emotions, reduced risk of depression
Acceleration of metabolic processes
Reducing the risk of diabetes by reducing sensitivity to changes in blood sugar
Improving the functioning of the respiratory system
Increased bone density

Plus, a moderate cardio workout gives you energy throughout the day and you'll feel cheerful and full of energy. Of course, unless it is an ultra-intense activity that is performed to the limit of your capabilities. In this case, on the contrary, loss of strength and fatigue are possible.

Rules and features of home cardio training:

Always do cardio exercises at home while wearing running shoes. Not barefoot, not in socks, not in sneakers, and in sneakers. Training without sneakers is dangerous for joint problems and injuries.

To accurately measure calorie consumption during cardio training, it is better to use a monitor heart rate(heart rate monitor). Average 30-minute cardio workout high intensity burns 300-400 kcal. Medium intensity 250-350 kcal. Low intensity 200-250 kcal.

During cardio workouts, try to keep your heart rate between 130-150 beats per minute. These are the optimal boundaries for quality and safe workout hearts and efficient combustion calories. If you don't have a heart rate monitor, you can pause for 15 seconds and take your heart rate (or in between sets).

If you have a problem with varicose veins, then you can use compression stockings or knee socks, which protect the veins from overload and injury. But it is better to avoid jumping.

It is much more effective to do cardio training in interval mode. For example, 30 seconds of intense work - 15 seconds of rest (or the popular Tabata training option: 20 sec/10 sec – more on that below) . This will help you burn more calories, reduce muscle loss, speed up the fat burning process, and allow you to get the most out of your workout in less time.

Cardio exercises for women and men are the same, and the approach to aerobic training has no fundamental differences. Except that men usually have higher endurance.

Always start your cardio workout at home with a warm-up and end with a cool-down. Check out our pre-workout warm-up and our post-workout stretch.

Well, now let's move on to the main part of our article: cardio exercises for different levels preparation. Read more about How many times a week to do cardio training, read below.

Cardio exercises are presented in GIF animation, which will help you visually understand how the movements are performed. After the pictures there is a version of the lesson plan for 25-30 minutes. You can do it yourself change duration and intensity cardio training at home, reducing or increasing the number of circles.

Low-impact cardio exercises for beginners without jumping

This selection of cardio exercises at home is suitable for beginners, as well as for those who avoid jumping, for example, due to joint problems or varicose veins. Even without jumping, these cardio exercises will help you get your heart rate up and get an effective cardio workout.

Thanks to the YouTube channel for the gifs MFit!

2. Walking with shin overlapping

10. Kick forward and backward with opposite legs

25 Minute Home Cardio Workout Plan for Beginners

All exercises are listed in the table:

		Round 3 (repeat in 2 circles)
1. Walking with shin overlapping
		2. Kick forward and backward


Rest 1 minute	Rest 1 minute	Rest 1 minute

Exercises Sprinter, Knee Pull, Side Kick And Kick forward and back

You can start doing 15 minutes a day (choosing only 2 rounds), gradually increasing the duration of your cardio workout.

Intermediate Cardio Exercises

These cardio exercises are suitable for more experienced exercisers or those who can easily tolerate cardio exercise and jumping.

1. Running with shin overlapping

5. Jumping to the side

9. Jump Squats

11. Plank jumps with legs raised

12. Touching your feet in a reverse plank

Intermediate 25 Minute Home Cardio Workout Plan

All exercises are listed in the table below. Some exercises are taken from the beginner level so that you have the opportunity to take a breath and endure the lesson from beginning to end.

We repeat each exercise for 30 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds. We repeat each round in 2 circles. Rest 1 minute between circles. If you want to change your workout time, you can adjust the number of laps and exercise time.

Exercises and Kick forward and back in the first circle they are performed on one leg, in the second circle – on the other.

Advanced Cardio Exercises

If you're doing the intermediate-level version of the cardio workout seamlessly, you can make your program even more challenging. Attention: the cardio exercises presented below are suitable only for experienced exercisers without health problems.

Advanced 30 Minute Home Cardio Workout Plan

All exercises are listed in the table below. Some exercises are taken from the intermediate level to give you the opportunity to catch your breath and endure the lesson from start to finish.

Round 1 (repeat in 2 circles)	Round 2 (repeat in 2 circles)




5. Jumping to the side

Rest 1 minute	Rest 1 minute

We repeat each exercise for 40 seconds, then rest for 20 seconds. We repeat each round in 2 circles. Rest 1 minute between circles. If you want to change your workout time, you can adjust the number of laps and exercise time.

Cardio training at home using the Tabata method

Tabata training is a variation of cardio training that alternates bursts of intense intervals with short rest intervals. Cardio training using the Tabata method involves the following scheme: We train for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, perform 8 sets of each exercise, 1 minute rest between exercises. 1 Tabata round lasts 4 minutes.

We offer you 2 options for Tabata training at home: for intermediate and advanced levels of training. Typically, one Tabata workout includes 8 exercises, in this case the lesson lasts ~40 minutes, but there may be other options at your discretion. For beginners, it is better not to practice Tabata training, but to choose a training plan from those proposed above.

Scheme for performing cardio training at home using the Tabata protocol:

Tabata training includes 8 exercises
Each exercise is performed 8 approaches
Each approach involves 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest.
One exercise is performed for 4 minutes
Rest 1-1.5 minutes between exercises
The total duration of a cardio workout using the Tabata protocol for 8 rounds is 40-45 minutes.

Ready-made timers for Tabata can be downloaded for mobile absolutely free of charge, look in the application market of your device (Tabata Timer). Or turn on a ready-made video with a timer and musical accompaniment, For example:

Running with shin splints
Jump Squats
Jumping in plank with legs raised
Reverse plank foot touch
Jumping to the side

Exercises and perform 4 approaches, first on one side, then on the other.

Execution scheme:

For example, first we do "Running with shin sprain" "Jump Squats"

Exercises included in the program:

Execution scheme:

We perform each exercise according to the following scheme: 20 seconds work and 10 seconds rest (this is one approach)
We perform each exercise in 8 approaches, then move on to the next exercise.
Between exercises rest 1-1.5 minutes
Total workout duration: 40-45 minutes

For example, first we do in 8 approaches according to the 20/10 sec scheme, rest for a minute and move on to “I run with high knees”, which we also repeat in 8 approaches, etc.

What else is important to know about cardio exercises at home?

How many times a week should you do cardio training?

1. First situation: you want to lose weight

30-45 minutes 3 times a week.
15-30 minutes 4-5 times a week.

2. Second situation: you just want to keep fit or are working on muscle mass

If you plan to alternate strength and cardio training in different days then do cardio 40-50 minutes 1 time per week.
If you plan to do strength training and cardio on the same day, then do cardio 20-30 minutes 2 times a week.

When to do cardio training: after or before strength training?

If you do intense strength training with heavy weights for muscle growth, then do cardio after strength training.

If you do strength training with small weights for muscle tone, then there is no fundamental importance when to perform cardio exercises. Focus on your well-being. If after cardio exercise it is difficult for you to fully train, then start your session with strength exercises. If, on the contrary, you do not have enough strength for cardio after strength training, then start your session with cardio exercises.

How else can you do cardio at home?

But if regular cardio exercises at home seem boring or simply inappropriate to you, then you can choose another type of activity to develop your cardiovascular system:

1. Exercise equipment. You can buy a treadmill for home, and then the question of choosing cardio training will disappear by itself.

2. Step aerobics. With this type of cardio such as step aerobics, you will never be bored, and the load on your knees during step aerobics is significantly lower than during jumping. More about this:

Cardio training strengthens the cardiovascular system and makes the body more resilient. These include running, cycling, swimming, etc. These sports are not very popular for those who are trying to make their torso sculpted or quickly get rid of extra pounds, considering them not effective enough. But in fact, cardio training makes a significant contribution to the development of the muscular system and burning calories - more about them later in the article.

The effect of cardio training on muscle growth

Let's look at why you need cardio when gaining muscle mass. The fact is that such training forces a large group of muscles to work that are not used during strength exercises. Due to this, they accelerate various processes In the body, in particular, metabolism improves, which means that decay products are eliminated faster.
This in turn affects the intensity of muscle fiber recovery, so muscles will grow faster. In addition, the body's endurance increases due to the strengthening of the heart, which will make it possible to increase the duration and load of strength training.

For those who dream of saving muscle mass, the ideal option would be the so-called interval cardio training. It alternates pace and load when performing exercises: as a result, fat is burned faster without losing muscle mass.

Combining cardio and strength training

You can do exercises to strengthen the cardiovascular system before or after strength training, as well as alternating between them. Each option has its own characteristics.

Cardio after strength training

Combining training in this order is beneficial for those who want to quickly get rid of excess weight. Strength training forces the body to intensively burn carbohydrates, in particular glycogen.
By the end of the workout, there is a minimum of it in the muscles, and when it comes time for exercises to develop endurance, the body is forced to spend reserve fat reserves located in the fatty layers in order to get the required amount of energy.

It should be remembered that if the load is distributed incorrectly, muscle mass may also be lost along with fat. Therefore, it is advisable to combine light and medium weights when doing strength training with a low load on cardio training.

Important! It is better to avoid running as a cardio exercise, since during it there is a large load on the knee joints, which is not very good if you have large quantity extra pounds.

In this situation, exercise on exercise bikes or intense walking are ideal. The load needs to be increased gradually: first 15 minutes (or as long as you can, but no less is better), then 20, etc., ascending - it is advisable to reach 60 minutes or more. Don't do too long a cardio session on the first day.

Before strength training

Not everyone can do cardio exercises first and then move on to strength training, because a full-fledged cardio workout is not a 10-15 minute warm-up on a treadmill or exercise bike. It should last at least half an hour to bring the desired result.
After 30–60 minutes of exercise, an unprepared body will hardly be able to find the strength for a full-fledged weight program. Therefore, if you do not have basic general physical fitness or have problems with overweight, then it is undesirable to put strength training as the final one.

Separate strength and cardio loads

As you can see, performing both types of exercises on the same day is not suitable for everyone, so it is best to alternate. As an option, do them every other day: one day, another day. Bodybuilders usually do this. With this training schedule, it is possible to perform a full range of both types of exercises, and there will be time for muscle recovery.
In addition, if you devote more time to exercises to maintain a high heart rate, the body's endurance develops more intensively, which means you can quickly increase the weight of barbells and dumbbells. If you are a beginner and you cannot do daily exercise, even when alternating types of exercise, then you can perform exercises to strengthen the cardiovascular system once or twice a week.

Cardio training is a multifunctional “tool”. They improve health, improve oxygen metabolism in the body, help recover after strength training, and also burn excess fat.

In this article we will tell you more about the last benefit of cardio, i.e. about the possibility of getting rid of excess fat. Let's try to consider different kinds cardio workouts and when and how to use them to burn maximum fat and maintain muscle mass.

Calories

Cardio exercise burns calories (preferably from excess fat). In combination with proper diet such training creates negative balance calories in the body and help burn fat while preserving muscle.

No matter what the “couch” theorists say, you cannot achieve a beautiful figure by simply starving yourself! And is it simple?

Of course, by correcting your diet you can get rid of some amount of fat, but if you want to have a truly beautiful body and your metabolism is not as fast as that of a hummingbird, you will still have to work hard!

Types of cardio

You need to understand that cardio does not necessarily mean running or walking. You can choose a workout to suit your taste: treadmill, swimming, rollers, stepper, exercise bike, etc. The main thing is to understand what distinguishes one type of cardio from another – the intensity of the load.

Important!

Running is contraindicated for people who are extremely overweight (more than 20 kg), because... wears out quickly due to impact loads cartilage tissue in the joints of the legs
Running to get rid of fat is pointless, because... The fat burning process starts with moderate intensity exercise, which is walking at a brisk pace.

There are 3 intensity levels: low, medium and high. They are most often divided by pulse (the number of heartbeats per minute).

The most simple formula: 220 - “your age in years” = “your maximum heart rate” .

For example, if you are 25, then your maximum heart rate will be 195 (220-25=195).

Medium intensity loads are in the area 65-70% from maximum heart rate. We multiply the maximum (195) by 0.65 and get approximately 127 heart beats per minute. For 70% pulse intensity should be around 137 (195x0.70). So, to achieve medium intensity, regardless of the type of activity (treadmill, bike, elliptical trainer), you need your pulse to reach 127-137 beats per minute. Don't forget that this is an example for 25 years. For most people, this would be the equivalent of a leisurely run where you're already sweating but can still carry on a conversation with someone running next to you.

Moderate-intensity cardio allows the body to use stored fat as a source of calories, but only when glycogen stores are depleted. If you've eaten well throughout the day and don't feel hungry before your workout, your glycogen stores will last you through the first 20 minutes of cardio. During these 20 minutes, fat will not be burned under any circumstances.

Low intensity – these are loads below 65% from maximum. For example, for 25 years old this is a load below 127 beats per minute (195x0.65=127). Low intensity is suitable for people with health limitations, as well as for many beginners in the first 2-3 weeks of training.

High intensity - this is the pulse in the area 70-85% from the maximum. High intensity is often used in interval training, which is recommended for experienced fitness athletes. During intervals, periods of high intensity are followed by periods of low intensity (even at this moment, you will probably still feel as if your heart is ready to jump out of your chest).
We recommend trying the following. First, warm up with a moderate intensity run for 3 minutes. Then short sprints: running as hard as you can for 15 seconds, then 45 seconds of running as slowly as possible. Do 10-20 repetitions without breaks.

There are the most various options interval cardio Watch the video to understand clearly:

Notice how as you improve physical fitness It will become increasingly difficult to achieve the desired training intensity. If you haven't exercised much in recent months, even walking at a slight incline will get your heart racing. However, after a couple of months of proper nutrition and training, you will have to increase the speed or incline to give the same stress to your heart. That's how it should be!

Which load should I choose?

It's simple: the intensity of cardio should correspond to the amount of carbohydrates consumed. If you have a lot of carbohydrates, the best option would be high-intensity exercise up to 3-4 times a week. Working out more frequently will not give your body enough time to recover.

If you want to exercise more often, simply reduce the intensity to medium or low. This could be 2-3 days a week at high intensity and 1-2 days at medium intensity.

In the case of a low-carb diet, high-intensity cardio training is contraindicated. Therefore, you should train at medium to low intensity.

Glycogen is the main source of energy for muscles. We can't get enough of it on a low-carb diet. If there is a lack of this substance, the body will begin to synthesize its own glycogen from muscle tissue. In other words, with high-intensity training, you will “burn” your own muscles!

When to do cardio?

Here opinions differ. There are two camps: those who support morning cardio on an empty stomach, and those who argue that the time of exercise does not matter.

Some people worry about losing muscle mass due to fasted cardio. If the human body were so fragile that it had to digest its own muscle just because exercise was done on an empty stomach, we would never survive as a species.

Benefits of morning cardio:
Immediately after sleep, glycogen and insulin levels are low, so the body's main source of energy will remain only fat (at least this is true for low- and moderate-intensity exercise). At other times you will need approx. 20 minutes to burn all the glycogen and only then will fat be used as fuel.
Cardio is a great way to perk up. During exercise, endorphins will be produced, which improve both physical and mental well-being.
Well, as they say: “If you’ve done the job, go for a walk!”

If your biorhythms or work schedule do not allow you to exercise in the morning, in any case, cardio done at a different time will give you a huge boost of energy. The main condition is just don’t be lazy, no matter what part of the day you choose to train.

Another one good idea- do cardio after strength training. Your muscles will burn not glycogen, which will no longer be left after strength training, but fat! The intensity is again average.

It may be that after evening cardio you will have difficulty falling asleep. In this case, it is better to reschedule the training to another time.

How long to train?

Do not overdo it! It is always worth starting in moderation, say 3 times a week for 30-40 minutes. Record your weight and measurements every week. If progress slows down, you should either reconsider your diet or slightly increase the duration of your cardio. By “a little” we mean increasing training to 4-5 times a week for 30 minutes, rather than 2 hours 7 times a week. If you immediately load yourself with hours of cardio, then you will not have any “aces up your sleeve” when stagnation sets in.

Once you reach 30 minutes of daily workouts, start increasing the duration of your cardio by 5 minutes. You should aim for 60-90 minutes of cardio per day. If in this case the fat does not want to go away, it means that you are slacking on your nutrition. Diet is 70% of success. You can run until you're blue in the face and not achieve results.

Bottom line

Like diet, cardio training is not a panacea. They should be tailored to the individual and his situation, and progress should be strictly monitored and regulated through nutrition. By following the simple principles that we have described in this article, you will definitely achieve high results on the path to perfection.

We wish you good luck!

We have already discussed it, now we will discuss the burning question “when should you do cardio?” There are many options: on an empty stomach in the morning, in the evening, before or after strength training, on the same day as strength training, and so on.

By the way, let’s clarify right away: cardio means continuous training for 30-60 minutes or more. A 10-minute run before or after strength training is a warm-up and cool-down, respectively, and not full-fledged cardio. So the answer to such a common question from women, “is it harmful to run for 10 minutes at the beginning and end of a workout?” the answer is “if you want and there are no problems of varicose veins, articular or other nature, then yes, it’s good for your health.”

Let's agree that we are discussing long-term cardio training and how to properly combine it with strength training.

Before strength training for fat burning

Theory:

Many trainers advise doing cardio AT THE BEGINNING of your workout in order to use up glycogen and use fat as the main source of energy during subsequent strength training. In theory, everything is very complicated.

Reality:

1) Will you really have time to use up glycogen? For some reason, this postulate is not questioned by anyone, although the method of its dissemination is the famous “one old lady said”, there is no scientific evidence for this (and there cannot be).
In the article we will answer all your questions about him, so that you no longer believe in the myth that “Glycogen depletion occurs within 20 minutes of running, and then fat burning begins”. Intrigued? For the lazy, we’ll write right away: this is nonsense and you won’t use up anything, so during your cardio session you will achieve only one result.. (see point 2)

2) in fact, you spend a lot of energy on cardio (and it must be quite intense, otherwise there is little use for it) and there is no longer any left for effective strength training. As a result, you crawl around the gym like a sweaty fly and you simply don’t have the strength to train with the required weight.

Even if you deplete all the glycogen in the body (which we highly doubt), the body will mainly get energy from protein (which comes from your muscles), and fat will be used as long as (we remember that). Because burning fat requires a lot of oxygen, so your heart rate must be at 60-70% (in some sources up to 85%) of maximum heart rate. Can you imagine how exhausting and long a workout must be for you to burn fat? In reality, it usually turns out that the muscles are not worked out, the protein from them is mostly used up, and the fat is minimal.

In addition, you are killing your joints (knees, hips, etc.) Imagine: they are stretched out, warmed up by cardio and already tired (remember, we are talking about long cardio, nothing will happen to you in 10 minutes), and you on top of this fatigue you add strength exercises. DO NOT do heavy weights after cardio, i.e. there is no talk of progress in strength training. In addition, almost everyone runs incorrectly, which sooner or later injures your joints. Articles especially for you and. We recommend you study it.

The essence: time is practically wasted.

You can combine cardio and strength training in one day different ways, but only interval training is correct, which is NOT suitable for beginners. I don’t argue, there are cases when after a 30-minute run a person engages in high-quality strength training without problems, but these are exceptions! If you immediately grab the barbell after intense cardio exercise, there is real chance lose consciousness. Therefore, the option “First cardio - then strength training” can only be tried after 2-3 years of regular training in gym.

3) For fat people strictly contraindicated Impact loads on the spine and major joints, including running and jumping. Since the body weight is more than the musculoskeletal system is designed for, high-intensity impact exercises - step aerobics, interval training, running, etc. - will lead to injury!

Overweight women perfect fit walking, cycling, swimming, yoga, Pilates, various programs to strengthen the muscle corset, and also necessarily individual sessions with a personal trainer. No group groups - this is complete nonsense even for thin people (this was discussed in the article).

4) Many people just don't know how to run., so there is no benefit from cardio for them at all. By the way, doctors, especially cardiologists, advise people to strengthen their cardiovascular system not by running, but by fast walking, cycling or swimming. Orthopedists constantly talk about the harmful effects of running (especially inappropriate running) on joints. They note that running is dangerous for those who already have pathologies of the musculoskeletal system.

Whatever it was, Not recommended start running without having a heart examination or visiting an orthopedist. First you need to undergo so-called functional tests, when the capabilities of the cardiovascular system are determined under a certain load. It is also necessary to undergo a knee ultrasound and other procedures that will determine the condition of your joints. Who does this? Yes, only a few around the world. And then: “oh, my heart hurts,” “my knee is falling out,” “my bones are aching,” and all that. Draw your own conclusions.

After strength training

Theory:

Also, many people advise doing cardio AFTER training, because... it supposedly comes easily, because you used up glycogen during strength training, which means that during cardio the body will turn to fat reserves. And again, as in that proverb: “they drew on paper, but forgot about the ravines and walked along them.”

Reality:

1) Indeed, only glycogen is used as an energy source for strength training (anaerobic exercise), and fats are not consumed during exercise. However there is one interesting fact, about which no one knows: oxygen debt.

The body normally contains approximately 2 liters of stored oxygen, which can be used for aerobic metabolism even without inhaling new oxygen. This supply of oxygen includes: 0.5 liters in the air of the lungs; 0.25 l, dissolved in body fluids; 1 l associated with blood hemoglobin; 0.3 liters, which are stored in the muscle fibers themselves. During heavy physical work, almost the entire oxygen supply is used for aerobic metabolism within about 1 minute. Then after finishing physical activity this supply must be replaced by inhaling additional oxygen compared to resting requirements. In addition, about 9 liters of oxygen must be spent to restore the phosphagen system and lactic acid. Extra oxygen that must be replaced is called oxygen debt(about 11.5 l).

During the first 4 minutes a person performs heavy physical work, and the rate of oxygen consumption increases more than 15 times. Then, after the end of physical work, oxygen consumption still remains above normal, and at first it is much higher, while the phosphagen system is restored and the oxygen supply is replaced as part of the oxygen debt, and over the next 40 minutes lactic acid is more slowly removed. Oxygen debt is used to obtain the energy necessary for, including the restoration of energy reserves expended during work and the elimination of lactic acid.

Actually, we need oxygen literally for everything, and more specifically, to ensure the body’s restoration reactions, which require energy to carry out. Where will the energy come from? What burns well in oxygen, releasing a large amount of energy, and what do we usually have in abundance? Surely - fats are the main source of energy during the body's recovery after exercise. For example, lactate oxygen debt will be replenished from 30 minutes to 1.5-2(in some sources 3) hours after completion of work (depending on the intensity of the load). Isn't that good?

Oxygen influx, oxygen deficiency and oxygen debt during long-term operation at different powers. A - for light work, B - for heavy work, and C - for exhausting work; I—production period; II - stable (A, B) and false stable (C) state during operation; III - recovery period after performing the exercise; 1 - alactic, 2 - glycolytic components of oxygen debt (according to Volkov N.I., 1986).

So it turns out that if under aerobic exercise and appropriate conditions fats predominantly burn during training, then with intensive In anaerobic strength training, fats begin to burn after training. Moreover, their consumption may turn out to be much greater, of course, provided that the activity was quite difficult, and not in the style of “two swats - three swats.” During aerobic exercise, an oxygen debt is also formed, but it is much smaller due to the lower intensity and power of the training.

2) Think logically, if you do strength training with high quality and with full dedication, will you be able to spend half an hour or more on a treadmill or ellipse? If you can, it means you cheated. If you can’t, then there’s no need to play out the suffering of the young fit girl, there will be zero benefit. Cardio can be done after strength training with light and medium weights, but in general it’s not very clear why you need such strength training, which is light for you :)

In addition, take pity on your legs, and in particular the joints and blood vessels, with such a prolonged and intense load, the capillary network and the beginning are guaranteed to you.

The essence: There is NO big benefit from cardio after strength training.

Best time

The wisest thing is divide cardio and strength. The muscles will at least have time to recover a little after strength training. On rest days you can give the body small aerobic exercise: exercise bike/ellipse/stepper. Cardio exercise the day after the gym is acceptable and beneficial.

By the way, cardio is good for muscle growth. The main thing is without fanaticism! Cardio in in this case should take place in the middle pulse zone and not lead to fatigue and overwork. Training is carried out 1-2 times a week (not instead of strength training, but in addition to them), this will best cardio which will give the desired effect.
This amount of cardio will be quite enough, since such a training regime will already exhaust you greatly. Remember also that it is likely that by cardio day your muscles may not have time to recover, then chronic fatigue and lack of progress are guaranteed.

It’s better to avoid running. It overloads the knees and lower legs and requires enormous energy expenditure. This is especially true for overweight people who dream of losing weight by jogging. As a result, they only get problems with knee joints, and the excess weight remains in place.

It’s better to lose weight slowly than quickly and end up with a bunch of health problems.

And most importantly, remember that cardio is not the most important thing. Your body will not experience any significant changes as a result of cardio alone. Sure, you can burn some fat, but what's left underneath when you get rid of it? Not much, as you'll discover. You will continue to feel fat and flabby.

It is strength training that helps a woman gain toned arms, tight buttocks, sculpted calf muscles and an overall attractive appearance. You'll even improve your bone density and make it easier to fight osteoporosis! Go ahead, madams, and may you be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Fasting hungry

Oh, but because of this question, whole battles are unfolding. Some shout that this is the only way to do cardio, others doubt and argue. So, let's analyze.

Let's talk first FOR WHAT introduce a similar type of training:

The classic goal is fat burning.
Plateau – stagnation/lack of progress in training when other types of cardio do not help reduce fat percentage.
For muscle hypertrophy, for example, if you need to reduce their volume.
And again a classic - for " ".

So, why did we figure it out, now let’s list who CAN do cardio in the morning:

People with experience of regular exercise at least a year.
To people no problems with the cardiovascular system.
People who are overweight NOT amounts to tens of kg, otherwise you can say goodbye to your knees.

Accordingly, cardio can be FAT BURNING And MUSCLE BURNING.

During the night, as it is considered when it does not enter the body nutrients, glycogen depletion occurs. Consequently, if we give a load in the morning without refueling with breakfast, then our body will have nothing left but to use its own resources to obtain energy. This is a theory. But let's connect simple math and let's check this assumption.

As we know, in total the human body stores from 200 to 400 - 500 grams of glycogen (be sure to read, otherwise the conversation will pass you by). Not bad. Moreover, the more trained you are, the more it is. In addition, it is stored in a water-bound state (1 to 4), so glycogen is, so to speak, a “syrup” with a calorie content of 1-1.3 kcal/g (1 carbohydrate = 4 kcal per g). So the mass of fuel with fully charged glycogen depots can reach from 1-2 kg in small and untrained people and up to 3-4 kg in big people or people with well trained.

For almost complete depletion of glycogen in the liver, it takes about 40-60 hours of complete fasting, and for half-depletion from about 16 hours of fasting. So this is clearly not the standard 7-8 hour sleep, although many sleep even shorter! By the way, keep in mind that during sleep, glycogen is consumed more slowly than during wakefulness. In addition, glycogen stores are not completely depleted unless we are talking about long-term complete fasting. The body simply cannot allow this; without energy storehouses it is very vulnerable.

But even if we somehow miraculously used up all the glycogen (aliens arrived and stole it), then the body will first begin to muscles, not fat. Usually in a state of complete rest average person burns approximately 60% fat, 35% carbohydrates and 5% protein. As soon as a person begins to be physically active, the metabolic process in the body changes, fat metabolism slows down, and carbohydrate metabolism increases. We took the fat/carbohydrate scheme as a basis because protein is usually not a source of energy, with rare exceptions, for example, during hunger. Therefore, if your goal is not to reduce muscle volume, you should be prepared for the muscles to begin to “burn” (not super intensely, but still). In addition, if the body is in a state of stress after such training, it begins to stock up heavily fast food for the future. And this is the same fat.

So, if your goal is to burn muscle volume:
then after cardio you should take a light carbohydrate breakfast. This way we will deceive the body, preventing its stress from developing into a hunger phobia. He worked and received nutrition; there is no need to store reserves as fat.
If your goal is classical, and you strive lose weight by burning fat And while maintaining muscle, That:
Before cardio in the morning you should take it. Having depleted energy, the body will turn to them instead of extracting protein from the muscles. And, of course, after morning cardio, it is advisable, as in the first case, to take a light carbohydrate breakfast.

To convince you completely, I’ll give you an example. In 2014 in the Journal of International Society sports nutrition(JISSN) published one of the most valuable studies that compared training on an empty stomach and after a meal. Scientists examined the resulting changes in body composition. The purpose of the experiment was to study changes in fat and fat-free mass in exercisers either on an empty stomach or after a meal. Over the course of 1 month, 20 subjects completed 1 hour of moderate-intensity cardio training 3 times a week.

In this case, the participants were divided into 2 groups:

Group A trained in the morning on an empty stomach.
Group B – after meals.

It is also important to note that both groups followed a researcher-controlled eating plan with the same energy deficit of 500 kcal and ratio of macro- and micronutrients.

The result of the study showed that the changes in body composition that were observed due to the combination of diet and aerobic training were the same regardless of whether the subjects trained on an empty stomach or after a meal.

That’s it, you shouldn’t torture yourself and train “on holy water.”

But most importantly, remember that fasted cardio in the morning- a temporary type of training, not designed for a period of more than three months, because This is a huge burden on the heart, joints, blood vessels and your psyche.

Therefore, listen carefully to your inner feelings. If after such activities you cannot come to your senses all day, then quit them, don’t be a fanatic. In general, it is worth noting that fasted cardio has more disadvantages in my opinion. You and I are ADEQUATE people who do not live by losing weight alone. Will you be able to spend a normal day after such a fasted training, and also get up before dark? Provided that you need to work or study, i.e. your head must be clear, you need to go to the gym and do housework, communicate with your family, etc. Are you ready to spend energy on morning cardio with dubious benefit instead of taking a calm evening stroll in the park with the children, not tired or irritated?
The answer is yours.

Just don't act like healthy image life is something outstanding and inaccessible. You must not forget about ordinary life and suffer, constantly playing sports. Quick results are not success.

Cardio training for weight loss: how to do it correctly?

We got ready to run to part with extra pounds? Be sure to read this article so that cardio training for weight loss does not become a disappointment.

No, running, of course, like other types of cardio training, plays an important role in losing weight, for example, burning calories. And if you follow the rules rational nutrition the result (in the form of lost kilograms) can be seen quite quickly.

However, the effect of them will not last long and the treasured figure on the scales or measuring tape may not appear if you do not follow simple rule: For effective weight loss You need a combination of varied physical activity and proper nutrition.

What is cardio training

Cardio training is a type of physical dynamic activity lasting 20–60 minutes with a relatively low intensity, aimed at strengthening the cardiovascular system and increasing endurance. This type of training is necessary to maintain physical fitness.

Conditionally everything physical exercise can be divided into aerobic (cardio) and anaerobic (strength) exercises. It must be emphasized that this division is very conditional. It is impossible to call any type of exercise aerobic or anaerobic in its pure form.

As with any other type of physical activity, before training you need to do a warm-up that will warm up your muscles, and after it - a cool-down, several stretching exercises to relax them.

Cardio exercises include brisk walking, climbing stairs, running, dancing, swimming, various types of games, aerobics, fitness, skiing, rowing, exercise equipment, etc.

An important condition when performing cardio exercises is to maintain a given heart rate throughout the entire workout.

The benefits of cardio training

During exercise, blood circulation increases and the heart pumps more blood per contraction, resulting in improved functioning of the cardiovascular system.

If such training is carried out regularly with the same intensity, the body gets used to it, endurance increases when doing exercises. If it’s hard for a beginner to train for 20 minutes, then for a trained person, fatigue from the load will come later.

During exercise, the body requires more oxygen, so lung volume increases, which also has a positive effect on endurance. Consequently, breathing will become deeper and more correct, which will help burn more calories.

Reduced anxiety and stress levels: During training, the amount of endorphin, the hormone of joy, increases. And if you’re in a good mood and there’s no stress, then you don’t need to binge on anything.

Losing excess weight, by burning subcutaneous fat, and muscle strengthening.

Rules for performing cardio training

Before starting exercise, you should consult your doctor, especially if you have health problems or are overweight.
The duration and intensity of the load must be increased gradually, then the body will not have time to get used to it and the weight loss process will not stop (plateau phase).
Before training, be sure to warm up and stretch after. This will prepare you for the load and speed up recovery after it.
During exercise, you need to monitor your heart rate using a heart rate monitor, for example. This is important, since a low heart rate will not bring results, and a high one can harm your health.
Training should be fun. Feeling bad? Stop exercising.

How to exercise to lose weight

Cardio exercises for weight loss are good because they can be done in the gym, on the street or at home, and they are suitable for both beginners and professional athletes.

The benefit of cardio training for many girls is achieving an ideal figure.

To lose weight, you need to do cardio 3-4 times a week for 30-45 minutes. Subcutaneous fat begins to burn only 20 minutes after the start of training, provided that the heart rate is maintained in the range of 60–80% of the maximum permissible heart rate.

subtract your age from 220 beats per minute;
multiply the resulting number by 0.6 - the lower norm;
multiply the resulting number by 0.8 - the upper normal heart rate.

For example: 220-37=183; 183*0.6=109.8, rounded to 110 - this is the lower heart rate;
183 * 0.8 = 146.4, rounded according to the laws of mathematics and we get 146 - this is the upper norm.
It turns out that a person aged 37 years without any special health problems needs to train within these limits - 110–146 beats per minute.

The average heart rate during training is within 120–130 beats per minute.

The intensity of the exercises and the training time must be gradually increased, as the body gets used to the load and stops burning fat - a plateau effect. To speed up metabolism, it is very advisable to add anaerobic (strength) exercises to aerobic training, then the process of burning calories will continue after the workout.

Cardio exercises can be done at any time of the day: morning, afternoon or evening. It depends on your daily routine and personal preferences.

Cardio training is carried out in a well-ventilated room or outdoors, since oxygen is actively used during exercise.

Types of Cardio Training

The best type of cardio training for beginners and overweight people. To start losing weight, you need to walk quite quickly and for a long time, since the intensity of this exercise is low. Beginners should start by walking at a normal pace and gradually increase their speed. Or alternate walking at a fast pace with a normal step - interval loads.

You can exercise outdoors and in the gym. Probably the most popular look training. This can be running on a machine, on the spot, interval running or jogging - it depends on your capabilities and preferences. There are restrictions: not suitable for overweight people, as this can result in serious injury. When running, it is important to monitor your pulse, breathing and well-being.

Dancing- good because they are suitable for any person. Dance classes are a great option for girls who have recently given birth. You can do such cardio training in a group or individually, in the gym or at home.

Zumba is very popular - a fun and energetic workout that includes elements different dances. During the lesson, the maximum number of muscles is worked out, including the abdominal and pelvic muscles.

Tested for myself: the training is quite intense, at first it is difficult to remember the movements. But the result is worth it - your mood improves immediately, your heart rate is suitable for burning fat. There are no restrictions for classes. You can dance in the hall or at home, fortunately it’s not difficult to find a video course. I’ve been training for two weeks, and there’s no result in the form of lost kilograms yet.

(treadmill, exercise bike, rowing machine, ellipse)- It’s better to practice them with a trainer. It is easy to get injured when working on your own. In addition, the instructor will give recommendations and ensure that the workout is performed correctly.

Suitable for almost everyone. All muscles of the body are developed. Minimal load on the spine. To achieve your goal, you need to exercise 3-4 times a week for an hour.

Bike helps strengthen the heart, leg muscles, and develop endurance. You can also exercise on the gym. At the same time, the load on the knees is less than when running.

What do cardio workouts give you?

The main thing that cardio training is for is that it is a great way to get in shape, improve your health, increase endurance, gain good mood and self-confidence.

For exercise to bring results, choose a type of load that will make you enjoy the exercise. If running is too boring and monotonous for you, choose group classes in dancing, fitness, step aerobics and others. The good news is that aerobic exercise includes many types of exercise.

Don't forget about proper nutrition even when playing sports.

Monitor your health beautiful figure- that's good, but health is more important.