Cardio workout at home

Posted: 26. 02. 2023 | Author: Ola Thomas | Category: Fitness

All about cardio

Cardio training is understood as a physical load exerted on the entire CCC (cardiovascular system) by methodically performing the same exercise for some time.

If you want to increase endurance and improve well-being, stay in great shape, then this type of physical activity is a great way to achieve such goals. After all, a healthy heart is a direct path to longevity and a high quality of life.

Many use cardio to acquire beautiful muscle relief or for weight loss. Yes, the excess layer of subcutaneous fat is burned, and the muscle mass acquires a pleasant tone. The productivity of loads directly depends on the incoming oxygen from the lungs into the blood. If we are talking about the loss of fat mass, then the main component in achieving success is the presence of a sufficient amount of oxygen.

Important! Not enough oxygen – do not expect the desired effect!

Varieties of cardio training

• Run;
• Treadmill;
• Intensive walking;
• Interval training;
• Exercise bike or bicycle;
• Active games;
• stepper;
• Rollers.

Of course, running is the most accessible – no special conditions are needed for the exercise, only desire. To obtain a visible result, you should take into account the degree of intensity, which is calculated using your own pulse using the formula.

Ideal heart rate formula : 220 – your age = your optimal heart rate

Suppose a person is 35 years old, by a simple calculation we get 220-35 \u003d 185 – the maximum heart rate during training.

The degree of intensity is:

• Low – 65% or less of the allowable heart rate;
• Average – varies within 65% -70% of the allowable heart rate;
• High – fluctuates between 70% -85% of the allowable heart rate.

In other words, if you’re starting to exercise at a low intensity, then your beats per minute should be below the numbers given. Above, we calculated the optimal heart rate, which was 185 beats per minute for a 35-year-old person.

Intensity formula #2: 185x factor (0.60-.0.65) = approximately 111 beats per minute.

According to the same scheme, we calculate for a medium and high degree of load:

• 185×0.70 \u003d 130 – average degree;
• 185×0.85 = 158 – a high degree.

If you are going to start cardio exercises, we advise you to opt for a low intensity and gradually increase it every week, depending on the fitness of the body. It is best to start with a treadmill or jogging in the area nearby the house. On the simulator, you can control your own heart rate, in the case of running on the street, it is advisable to purchase a heart rate monitor or install an appropriate application on your smartphone. When you can understand your body, determine the degree of the desired load, feel free to move on to running on the street and without special equipment that measures the heartbeat. First, you should carefully monitor the intensity of classes and your own pulse.

The frequency of cardio exercises

The frequency of the exercises depends on what goal you have set for yourself, what you want to achieve. Recommendations for beginners:

• 1-2 approaches during the mass gain period;
• 1-2 sets per week – in order to strengthen the immune system and the body as a whole, train the heart, maintain tone.

I would like to note that these are approximate figures, for each person the indicators are individual, since a lot of factors influence each person. The main thing is not the quantity, but the quality of execution. There are also many opinions about the duration of cardio sessions. There is no exact time for doing cardio exercises. Some say that 15-20 minutes is enough, while others, on the contrary, believe that at least an hour is needed. The time taken will depend on:

• Type of exercise;
• Degrees of intensity;
• Time of day.

With a classic load and average intensity, the ideal range would be 30-60 minutes for trained runners and 15-20 minutes for beginners. The most productive options for conducting classes are:

• In the evening after a warm-up;
• Immediately before strength exercises;
• In the morning. First, you should have a small portion of oatmeal and warm up a little.

How is cardio involved in fat loss ?

Cardio helps speed up the metabolic process, that is, metabolism. So, the more active the metabolic rate, the faster fat is burned. Regular exercises help not only to speed up the process of splitting substances in the body on the day of physical activity, but also “accelerates” the metabolism in the future. Subcutaneous fat will accumulate more slowly, and each workout will increase the rate of weight loss. To achieve the goal of obtaining a clear and quick result, a competent and balanced diet is needed. You’ve probably seen TV commercials for ab machines. Of course, people who beautifully presented information to the audience about the effectiveness of simulators were filmed in such advertisements. But it is worth paying attention to

The success of classes is formed from 3 components that should be taken into account:

• Balanced diet;
• Cardio training;
• Power training.

MOVEMENT is considered the basis of such efforts! You need to constantly be on the move so that the muscles work, the pulse rises and the lungs are filled with oxygen for the subsequent burning of the fat layer. As a result, you get:

• Strengthened cardiovascular system;
• Strengthened muscles;
• Burning a large number of calories;
• Decreased body fat.

It should be noted that not all cardio are productive – this applies to the fight against excess weight. Most experts in this field assure that classes should be varied. The desired effect will not come if you just run or exercise on a treadmill. Combine varieties of cardio, invent, vary the load on your body and enjoy the success.

If only 45 minutes of treadmill is planned for the day, divide this time as follows:

• 15 minutes – treadmill;
• 15 minutes – exercise bike;
• 15 minutes – elliptical trainer.

This approach not only diversifies physical activities, but also allows you to increase their duration up to an hour a day. Many people starting to monitor their health quickly lose their fuse due to the monotony of the exercises performed, and with a variable approach, 60 minutes will fly by unnoticed. If you learn to break physical activities into 3-4 equal periods of time and use different simulators, you will feel relief both physically and psychologically.

There is a huge variety of schemes for intensive training on simulators, on the basis of which cardio programs lasting 45-60 minutes are independently compiled.

The best cardio workouts

1. The running scheme is a fairly simple and acceptable type of cardio load for everyone.

If you haven’t been jogging before, don’t get upset at the first significant stress, it will be hard only at the beginning, but after a while the body will adapt and will easily endure a new type of load for it. A little time will pass, and you will begin to get satisfaction from the running process, since during physical exercises certain hormones are produced in the human brain, causing a surge of strength, increasing life motivation and giving a feeling of happiness and joy.

Adviсe:

• Start with small loads, let it be normal walking for a start;
• Start your first workouts with walking for half an hour first every other day;
• After 1-2 weeks, increase the number of walks up to 5-6 times a week.
• Increase the length of your walks each time.

Do not think that simple walks do not give any effect. I want to assure you that it is not. Naturally, to get the effect, you need to spend much more time walking than running. However, hiking entails the following pleasant consequences:

• Provide heart training;
• Help burn subcutaneous fat;
• Promotes weight loss.

Did you feel that walking is easy even for an hour throughout the week? It’s time to move on to the next level. The next stage begins with the combination of walking and running. Add jogging for short distances to the main load.

How would this happen:

• We went out into the street, walked for 3 minutes at a leisurely pace;
• For one minute, run at a pace that is most comfortable for you. If you are not trained, then take a run for 30 seconds;
• Return to the first point again and start walking.

Literally after 7 days you are already running according to the following schedule:

• We went out into the street, walked for 2 minutes at a leisurely pace;
• For two minutes, run at a rhythm that is most comfortable;
• Return to the first point, start walking at a measured pace.

In just a couple of weeks, you are already training according to this plan:

• We went out into the street, walked for one minute;
• For three minutes, run at a slow pace;
• Come back from the first point.

Each time, the strength in the body increases, and the time allotted for walking decreases. Once you are able to fully switch to an active mode, you no longer need to run daily. It is enough to run 3-4 times a week. For many, the option of running every other day is suitable. Start with 15-20 minutes at an easy pace and add 5 minutes of running time per week. After some time period (each one is different), you will easily overcome significant distances without stopping for 45-60 minutes.

I would like to note that many people do not fully understand what they are capable of, since there was no experience in conducting cardio loads in the past. I am absolutely sure that 95% of people who are in good health can cover a distance of 3 to 5 km at a time. This is exactly the distance for which the human body will have enough energy reserves (carbohydrate gasoline) located in the liver. If you do not have serious deviations with excess weight, you can definitely run a distance of 5 km in a calm rhythm.

Ideal running speed – what is it ?

There is a concept as running in a “conversational” rhythm. You run exactly at the speed at which you are able to conduct a smooth dialogue:

• During the period of “conversational” running there is no shortness of breath;
• You are able to calmly express your thoughts to an interlocutor or a fictional character.

If you don’t really want to talk to anyone, but you don’t really want to talk to yourself, the pulse rate will help you determine the time to stop. In the age of colossal development of technology, you can buy a heart rate monitor at any hardware store and inexpensively.

If, for a number of reasons, you cannot run more than three times a week, know that this is quite enough to get a really positive result. The bar to be reached is the interval of running time from 20 to 45-60 minutes. With such a load, not only you, but also those around you will be delighted with the result.

Recommendations

1. Before the start of the race, you should refresh yourself with carbohydrate food, a small portion of porridge is enough, and you should also drink about a glass of plain water 15-20 minutes before the start of the workout. At the end, once again use 1-2 glasses of water without gases.
2. Try to run smoothly. If we talk about running technique, it is not recommended to touch the foot completely with the road surface, a smooth “roll” is needed here, that is, first on the heel and then on the toe.
3. Give preference to running on a non-hard surface – grass, earth. In this way, you will avoid a lot of pressure on the joints of the knees and feet. If there is a running stadium nearby, do not neglect it, a professional surface plays an important role, as well as good sports shoes.

Water is an integral part of our body, also speeding up metabolic processes, washing cells, rejuvenating and helping to cope with stress. Be sure to drink water, as a sufficient amount of fluid is lost during training. Still water acts as one of the methods of replenishing the body with energy, so it is advisable to consume it up to 2 liters per day (regardless of training). Especially useful in the period of weight loss. Regular and plentiful drinking contributes to:

• Accelerates metabolism;
• Increases the rate of fat burning;
• Eliminates the accumulation of excess fat.

 

Schedule of the starting lesson for running

Below I will give an example circuit suitable for beginners.

First week : Tuesday – run 10 minutes at an easy pace; Thursday – we pass 60 seconds, run 1 minute, bringing the time of classes to a 15-minute interval; Saturday – run 12 minutes.

Second week : Tuesday – run 12 minutes; Thursday – we pass two minutes, we run for 2 minutes, bringing the time of classes to a 15-minute interval; Saturday – run 15 minutes.

Third : Tuesday – run 15 minutes; Thursday – we pass 60 seconds, we run for three minutes, bringing the class time to an 18-minute interval;

Saturday – run 18 minutes.

Fourth :

Tuesday – run 20 minutes; Thursday – we pass one minute, we run for three minutes, bringing the time of classes to a 22-minute interval; Saturday – run 22 minutes.

Fifth :

Tuesday – run 22 minutes; Thursday – one minute not at a fast pace, three minutes we run, bringing the time of classes to a 25-minute interval; Saturday – jogging 25 minutes;

3-5 minutes of running per week are gradually added to the schedule. As a result, the run should be equal to one hour of time.

IMPORTANT ! You should n’t run for more than 60 minutes !

If the load seems small, you can add one day of running training to your personal schedule. I would like to note that if you reach the three-time regimen of 1 hour per week, this is more than enough. You will get rid of fat, gain strong muscles, your heart will become much stronger and healthier. You can add two strength exercises to three times a day, which you can do in our fitness club . This approach is considered the most productive and useful.

The indicated scheme is an exemplary way of training. In order for the training to be as effective as possible and not cause harm, you should consult with doctors, nutritionists and a trainer. If this is not possible, make adjustments yourself. For example, you run for 5 minutes and walk for 2 minutes at a calm pace. You can replace a two-minute walk with a one-minute run at a fast pace.

Time to run

There are three effective methods to burn excess fat quickly:

1. Cardio load directly in the morning on an empty stomach. During this time period, the amount of glycogen is at a low level, so fats are burned instantly.
2. Classes before strength exercises using additional weight. Physical education of such a plan helps to reduce the amount of glycogen in the muscles and the process of fat burning takes place instantly.
3. Evening hours. This option is considered more difficult, since by the evening a small amount of glycogen obtained from food accumulates in the body. The process of fat burning begins only after 15-20 minutes of exercise.

I would like to talk separately about an integrated approach to training. Such activities are very useful for most people. For physical activities, you will need to allocate a couple of hours three times a week. For example:

• Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday you go to the fitness center – warm up on an exercise bike for about 10 minutes
• You start strength efforts – it can be a barbell, simulators, etc., but not more than 50 minutes.

During training, gradually increase their intensity, you should increase the working mass in the exercises. Even women are not recommended to consistently perform exercises with light weights on an ongoing basis. Efforts should be made to the maximum with a gradual build-up. No need to be afraid that you are “pumped over” – for this you will need more than one year in the gym .

Why is it necessary to increase the degree of load ?

Muscles quickly get used to a stable tension, and if you do not increase the weight, the training will not bring results. The load should be increased gradually. It is enough to throw on 5 kg per week for women, and 10 kg for men. At the end of classes, you switch to a treadmill at low speed for 20-30 minutes. Increase your treadmill time to 3-5 minutes a week.

After the workout is over, you need to rest for at least 10 minutes: drink water and do not forget to take BCAA amino acids. Amino acids are required to prevent the process of catabolism that occurs in the muscles during cardio training. And only after taking AMK-BCAA, start running.

So, after each power load, you increase your running time until you get to the hour mark. It is not recommended to run more than this time, but less is possible. It also takes 40 minutes, since the content of glycogen in the muscles is quite small, so the start of fat burning is faster. Men do not need to run much – in addition to fat mass, muscle mass is discarded.

Remember to add variety to your workouts, use an elliptical trainer or exercise bike, and more. Bottom line: You visit the gym three times over 7 days, first you warm up, work out on a treadmill for 10-15 minutes, then devote 50 minutes of strength training, then move on to 20-60 minute cardio. This combination will help “alarm” the metabolism and get a visible effect.

You should not repeat the common mistake of many novice athletes seeking to lose weight, excluding strength training. Just running and doing abs is not enough. Of course, you will lose extra pounds, but the body will not be as sculpted as you would like, and the fat burning process will noticeably slow down compared to using complex exercises.

Here it is important to release fat from the cells, and as soon as there is an energy deficit, the body will begin to release special hormones and enzymes into the blood. These chemical compounds are able to move through the blood to fat cells and release it from the cell itself. Creating an energy shortage is not difficult – exercise regularly, prolong your youth, and you will not have to resort to more drastic methods, such as surgery.