A healthy and beautiful body without cardio training. Is it possible?
A week ago, we asked our subscribers on social networks what kind of cardio training they prefer in the summer. After all, if there are almost no alternatives to the gym in the cold winter and rainy autumn,
then in the summer you can arrange jogging in the fresh air. It turned out that most of the respondents prefer to combine the hall with jogging. And it is right! Especially if you have a stadium or park near your home where you can run without breathing exhaust fumes from the main streets of the city.
In the survey, we did not offer the option “I don’t do cardio at all, and for this, we received a message from the subscriber in PM with criticism about the uselessness of cardio. I admit, I was not surprised by such a message, because as a trainer I heard many times similar objections from newcomers to fitness clubs.
What is wrong with cardio?
Cardio loading is a popular topic of contention. Cardio opponents are even among athletes, not to mention amateurs.
Few decide to say that cardio is harmful. But they call instead of cardio to devote time to power loads since they are supposedly more effective. Two arguments are usually given:
- Cardio will not give relief, will not allow you to work out specific muscle groups. You go to the gym, work there, but the result is not visible
- Even if the goal is not relief, but weight loss, then quickly “pumping up” large groups (back muscles, thigh muscles, and buttocks), you will thus increase calorie consumption even in the framework of natural metabolism. Indeed, the muscle will consume more calories
In general, both arguments are correct. But they make sense only with strictly limited periods. For example, if you want to make a maximum result for a month. But further, on the same tactics, you cannot continue. And you risk losing the result in two counts.
Now consider the benefits of cardio training
- The effectiveness of the cardiovascular system. You probably know that hardy trained people have a lower heart rate than other trained people. Giving the heart the correct cario load, you teach it to contract less often, but at the same time throw out more blood with every stroke
- Cardio exercise improves sleep and reduces stress. And this is not a psychological effect, but quite a physiological effect (through an increase in endorphins)
- Cardio improves recovery. One of the best ways to relieve the syndrome of abandoned muscle soreness is to perform exercises that use the aerobic energy system, providing more oxygen and nutrients to the muscles to accelerate recovery
- The ability to burn fat for energy is improved. After all, cardio workouts increase glucose tolerance and sensitivity to catecholamines
- Regular exercise lowers blood pressure.
The main thing in cardio training is not to harm
However, you should not overdo it in cardio workouts, if your heart is not in perfect shape. A simple way to exercise sparingly is to monitor your heart rate. It should remain in the region of 70-80% of the maximum heart rate (MES). She, in turn, is calculated by the formulas:
- MES for men = 214 – 0.8 x age
- EMERCOM for women = 209 – 0.9 x age
But these are “crude” formulas that do not take into account the individual characteristics of a person. For example, if a novice athlete already has hypertension (and with prolonged obesity, this is often observed), then the aerobic zone of the pulse must be adjusted. A good coach will definitely discuss such nuances with you. And cardio simulators are very good at coping with optimal load issues – they accurately monitor not only your current heart rate by sensors, but also take into account its dynamics and the readings of your previous workouts. And modern simulators with the help of gamification make the training process exciting for you. For example, on the console of the DISCOVER SE3 HD treadmill (these are exactly the ones we will have in VanderFit), you can enable the video route Lifescape and run along a mountain trail or through the summer emerald forest. Or watch your favorite series with Netflix, or business training on YouTube, or play your favorite team on IPTV:
Do you think all this is useless nonsense? Well, maybe for an experienced athlete, favorite music with headphones is enough, but beginners who still do not know how to hear and control their body correctly show the best results in cardio when they are distracted from sensations and busy with the screen of the media system.
Cardio Summary
The exhausting cardio load can lead to the fact that you will start eating more than spending – the body, frightened by unexpected tests, will begin to demand and stockpile. Even if you have steel willpower and you manage to eat a little, the body will go into an energy-saving mode, slowing down metabolic processes. Involuntarily becomes lazy, inactive. In general, you will not be able to continue training.
Just don’t think that cardio training is some kind of magic tool. There is no magic in fitness at all. But there is you, your trainer, modern research, technological simulators. Add a little patience to this and get the result.
Having worked with many athletes and amateurs, I try not to give universal advice. Strengthening and developing the body, and even more so professional sports – require an individual approach. But in the case of cardio, perhaps, an exception can be made: I recommend combining strength and cardio training. Together they give maximum results in long stretches. If you are not going to leave the fitness club after going there for a month, then discuss with your trainer exactly the long-term program.