Why do you need cardio training? Cardio training guide: who, why, how much, when. Cardio for weight loss

In the article, I will tell you why to do cardio training (why is it needed, what does it give, what are the benefits).

Who doesn't know cardio- this is any AEROBIC ACTIVITY. For example, tennis, basketball, volleyball, cycling, jumping, training on various machines (, etc.), step aerobics and much, much more.

Most often, in bodybuilding and fitness, CARDIO TRAINING means either walking-running or working on an elliptical trainer (by the way, it’s different for everyone, who likes what).

So, why is all this needed? Why do athletes do cardio? What does it give them?

First of all, let me clarify. CARDIO - done when the goal is to BURN FAT. Those. on DRYING (at the stage of fat burning (weight loss)). And they do it because AEROBIC LOAD (CARDIO) is very energy-intensive and fat is purposefully used as fuel during training (i.e., fat is purposefully burned). Do you understand? That's actually the whole secret)).

Why is cardio training most often done after strength training, in the morning on an empty stomach and before bed?

Because during these time periods the body contains a minimum amount of ENERGY (CARBOHYDRATES). And cardio training should be carried out exactly when there is a minimum of ENERGY in the body (or when it is completely absent) because this is the only way fat will be burned to the maximum.

Is cardio necessary AT ALL?

The question is individual.

P.s. I had experience burning fat (i.e. losing weight) without CARDIO LOADING (aerobics), i.e. I didn’t walk, run, swim, ride a bike, etc.)) I had pure strength training + proper diet, and the drying went with a bang. And there have been cases when you couldn’t do without cardio AT ALL... many people can’t imagine cutting at all - without cardio, in general, the question is individual. But the fact that cardio is an extremely effective tool (in skillful hands, of course) is undeniable.

Cardio training is a set of exercises aimed at strengthening the cardiovascular system and increasing lung capacity. The main methods of such activities are intense walking, running, swimming, cycling, and skiing.

Take care of your health

Cardio training helps strengthen not only the heart and blood vessels, but also all body systems, improves a person’s overall well-being, and relieves stress. They are a good prevention of diabetes and hypertension. Plus, cardio is a great way to lose weight.

Is this right for you?

Before you decide to start exercising, consult your doctor. He will assess your health and help you decide on the choice of exercise method. The most optimal technique for this type of training is walking. You can do it anywhere, at any time of the day, and you don’t need any special equipment. If your place of residence has a cycling track, a swimming pool, or a fitness club, then methods such as swimming and aerobics will be an excellent start to cardio training.

Standards

Cardio and strength training is carried out 2-3 times a week. You should start with a warm-up, gradually increasing the intensity and load. The training session ends with muscle stretching exercises and Gradually increase the time every day so that by the end of the month the workout takes you 30-35 minutes. And after 2 months you can add another day a week for classes. In addition, gradually introduce new exercises into your workout and increase the intensity of their implementation.

Losing weight wisely

As a rule, cardio training includes and But if you want to pay more attention to working out the muscles of the body, then you can alternate these exercises with strength training. If you decide to use cardio training for weight loss, it is recommended to do it in the morning. It is at this time of day that metabolic processes occur most intensively and fat is burned. Cardio training is a very effective way to lose weight if you approach it wisely.

The note

It is important to know that you cannot start training immediately after waking up and on an empty stomach. 15 minutes before the start of class, it is advisable to eat a product rich in carbohydrates, such as grapes, or it is recommended to eat chicken, boiled eggs, or rice porridge.

Everything must be in one place

In pursuit of a slim figure, do not overdo it with training. Properly selected exercises, exercise time, plus a balanced diet are the key to fast and high-quality weight loss. And if you think that in order to lose weight, you need to exercise more and eat less, then you are deeply mistaken. In this case, you will not lose fat mass, but muscle mass. The body will keep calories “in reserve”, and the fat will not go away. Therefore, remember that cardio training for weight loss is a combination of exercise and proper nutrition.

Conclusion

If you want to remain beautiful, blooming, young in body and soul for many years, then cardio training is just what you need. Have fun and be healthy!

As you might guess, the word has completely non-Russian roots. In English this can be translated as heart training. But since English-language names have become fashionable in our country, more or less knowledgeable people have become accustomed to the name cardio training.

Cardio training is primarily aimed at STRENGTHENING the human cardiovascular system, which is easy to guess from the name. Also Cardio training increases the body's endurance and helps burn fat due to energy consumption during physical activity of this nature.

Cardio training involves many muscles of the body and has a long period of load, and can consist of a combination of movements of a repetitive nature, for example: running, jumping rope, swimming. Such training is accompanied by an increase in heart rate (pulse). As a result, metabolism accelerates, blood circulation increases, due to this all body functions are activated, all organs and cells of our body receive increased doses of oxygen.

Cardio training is the most popular and recommended way to maintain health and tone of the body. It is recommended for almost EVERY person to do cardio training, especially in the absence of any other physical activity, unless, of course, there are contraindications associated with any disease.

Why do you need cardio training?

As mentioned above, cardio training has several directions and all of them go well with bodybuilding and other strength sports:

❂ Increased endurance

Endurance is the body's ability to withstand long-term stress. These types of loads are most often found in EVERYDAY LIFE, for example, climbing a mountain or running over a long distance.

The better our endurance, the more our body can work under constant load. I think such benefits from cardio training will not be superfluous, although they are not directly related to our goals in building the body.

❂ Strengthening the cardiovascular system of the body

With the active growth of muscle mass and increasing strength loads, the heart has to work MORE INTENSIVELY and drive MUCH MORE BLOOD through our body. This is why athletes often have an enlarged heart.

In order to prepare the cardiovascular system for excessive stress and subsequently maintain it in full “combat readiness,” it is recommended to use cardio training in conjunction with strength training.

This allows us to minimize the growth of the heart in volume, due to the fact that the heart muscle does not hypertrophy, but becomes denser and stronger, capable of pumping large volumes of blood in situations where it is necessary, in our case, power loads.

❂ Fat burning

A healthy and beautiful body means elastic muscles and a small amount of fat under the skin; as for professional bodybuilding, burning subcutaneous fat is an integral part of an athlete's training to competitions.

Cardio training is ideal for these purposes, because this type of exercise intensively consumes energy and burns accumulated energy reserves. Thus, cardio training along with a proper diet is the most powerful and MOST EFFECTIVE way to get rid of excess fat. The use of this simple scheme by professionals in building an ideal body has repeatedly confirmed the effectiveness of this approach.

How to Do Cardio Workout

The beauty and simplicity of cardio training lies in its diversity and large number of variations. The first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word cardio is running. However, almost any intense long-term activity can be called cardio training.

Be it cycling, active games like tennis, running, aerobics. In general, everything that INCREASES THE FREQUENCY OF CONTRACTIONS OF THE HEART MUSCLE over a certain period of time is cardio training. However, for cardio training to be truly effective there are a number of rules that must be taken into account:

❂ Cardio training intensity

The intensity of the training load is very easy to determine; it directly depends on the heart rate. That is, the higher the pulse, the stronger and more intense the load on the heart, it’s simple.

In order for the training to be as useful and effective as possible, there is a certain heart rate range that MUST BE MAINTAINED throughout the entire training session. Most often it is 120-140 beats per minute. In this rep range, the body is best supplied with oxygen without overexertion, while burning fat perfectly.

220 – our age = MHR

(220-Our age)* 0.6 = lower limit
(220-Our age)* 0.8 = upper limit

Using my example, we calculate the lower and upper limits using the formula:

(220-26)*0.6= 116.4
(220-26)*0.8= 155.2

So I need to keep my heart rate up while doing cardio. not lower than 116.4 and not higher than 155.2 beats per minute. This is the range where I will get the MAXIMUM return from my workout.

Naturally, to monitor the pulse we will need a device to measure it; it is sold in any sports store, and many modern exercise machines are already equipped with heart rate monitors, which are located on the handles of the machine.

❂ Duration of cardio training

For fat burning, the duration of the workout should be AT LEAST 30 MINUTES, the minimum is 40 minutes. The fact is that in the first half hour, energy is consumed, primarily obtained today from food, i.e. we get rid of accumulated glycogen reserves, and only then our “reserves” in the form of fat deposits reluctantly begin to burn. The best solution would be to perform cardio training for 40-60 minutes.

❂ Cardio time

The BEST TIME to do cardio is in the morning on an empty stomach and after intense strength training. At this time, the body no longer has any glycogen reserves and the fat burning process begins faster. But this does not mean that at other times of cardio training, fat will not burn; it will just take longer to start the fat burning process.

❂ Frequency of cardio training

The frequency of training depends on the level of preparedness and goals of a particular person. For the prevention of the cardiovascular system, 3 times a week will be quite enough. For serious athletes who want to quickly lose excess fat, the frequency of training can increase to daily exercise, while other athletes are excellent at losing fat with a minimum amount of cardio training.

I think this topic will be relevant for those who do not know the general principles of losing weight, but are moving in this direction. I recommend reading the article "". No matter what anyone says, everyone enjoys showing off the fruits of their labors on the beach.)))

Created 10/31/2011

Cardio exercises are exercises aimed at improving the functioning of the cardiovascular system and promoting weight loss.

What is cardio? This includes running, walking, swimming, cycling, skiing, skating, rowing and the like.

What are the benefits of cardio training?

effective for weight loss
strengthens the cardiovascular system
increase lung capacity
Reduce high cholesterol, high blood pressure, risk of heart attack and diabetes
improve overall well-being, improve sleep, reduce stress

How to start doing cardio

What to choose: running, walking or intense sports such as swimming or football - it's up to you. Whatever you like, whatever you can do, do it. The first step, of course, is to consult with your doctor, especially if you are not young and have never done any physical exercise before.

Walking is a great place to start because it doesn't require any special equipment and you can do it anywhere. Cycling, running, swimming, aerobics and so on are also a good start.

Watch the video - cardio aerobics and try to start exercising:

Any classes you choose should be done 2-3 days a week. Start with a 5-10 minute warm-up. Then gradually increase the intensity of your workout. Finish by stretching the muscles you worked to relax and keep the muscles flexible.

Each week, increase your workout time by a few minutes until you are exercising for 30 minutes continuously.

After 4-6 weeks, add another day, increase the pace, intensity, add new exercises to your workouts or increase the time for performing old ones.

Adviсe:

Choose comfortable shoes so that they do not sting or chafe your feet during exercise.
Don't overdo the load. This may cause injury and will not be beneficial.
Try something new. Monotony is boring and can get boring quickly.
If you feel muscle pain or general fatigue, take a break for a few days.

Cardio training for weight loss

Cardio helps burn fat by speeding up your metabolism.

It is believed that the most effective for burning fat will be morning workouts. Fat begins to be burned almost immediately, and 20 minutes of training is enough. However, morning cardio workouts are not for everyone. To benefit and not harm, it is important to know the following:

“Larks” are cheerful and full of energy in the morning. But if you are a night owl, then it will be difficult for you to get ready for morning physical activity. A cup of strong coffee will help you cheer up. Caffeine stimulates the nervous system, increasing performance, which in turn increases the impact of training.
Since the body's reserves of glucose and glycogen are depleted overnight, fat burning will be accompanied by muscle breakdown (catabism). Taking amino acids (best in liquid form) 15 minutes before training will help avoid this.
Due to the lack of glucose in the body, morning cardio workouts may not reach the desired intensity and are sluggish. You may feel weak and dizzy, which will discourage you from exercising. Taking simple carbohydrates 15 minutes before exercise, such as a banana or grape juice, may help.

If there is no opportunity to study in the morning, the evening remains. But also evening workouts have their own characteristics:

By the end of the day, you feel emotionally and physically tired. If you haven’t eaten normally during the day, then after just a few minutes of training, weakness may occur and fat burning will be accompanied by catabolism. To prevent this from happening, eat something protein and complex carbohydrates (for example, chicken breast with brown rice) 2 hours before training. Protein will protect muscles from destruction, and complex carbohydrates will provide the body with energy. To ensure that your body also receives glucose and insulin, take simple carbohydrates 15 minutes before class. This will allow you to train longer and with greater intensity, which in turn will burn more calories while shedding more fat.
Immediately after your workout, eat something light with protein and simple carbohydrates. After 1-1.5 hours - a full but light dinner, which will consist of protein and complex carbohydrate foods.
When setting a goal to lose weight, do not forget about maintaining muscle. To do this, it is important to eat the right food at the right time, as described above. Those who eat poorly, do not eat 3 hours before and 2 hours after training, lose more muscle mass than fat mass. Calories are burned in the muscles, and if there are no muscles, then the extra calories will be stored as reserves.

Combining cardio with strength training

Usually they combine evening cardio training with strength exercises. This allows you to lose extra pounds and make your body sculpted and toned - with beautiful muscles. You should start with 10-15 minutes of cardio as a warm-up, then 40-60 minutes of strength training, and finish again with 15-20 minutes of cardio.

You can also alternate days when you do cardio and strength training.

Cardio intensity

The higher your fitness level, the more exercise you need to burn the same amount of calories as before. The body gets used to it and if you constantly train at the same level, then the weight stops decreasing.

For the greatest effect from training, it is necessary to calculate heart rate interval:

Determination of resting heart rate (RHR)- Place your index and middle fingers directly under your ear, and then move your fingers down so that they are directly under your jaw, pressing lightly. Count the number of beats in 10 seconds. Multiply this number by 6. Or just count for 1 minute. It is better to do this in the morning, when you have just woken up and are still lying in bed.

Let's say PVS=60.

Determination of estimated maximum heart rate (EPHR)- 220 minus your age.

For a person who is 25 years old: PHC=220-25=195

Determination of cardiac reserve (HR)- PHC minus PVS

% of maximum heart rate:

60-70% - low intensity

70-80% - moderate intensity

80-90% - high intensity

Multiply your SP by your desired intensity.

For example, the intensity range for moderate exercise:

Add PVA to the intensity range:

So, heart rate interval for training - 154,5-168

If you train without special devices that measure your pulse, you will have to count it yourself and more often during training. Of course it's inconvenient. Moreover, it is advisable not to interrupt the workout while measuring your pulse.

During exercise, the heart rate interval is gradually brought to the desired level, which is maintained throughout the entire workout. It also decreases gradually, over 5-10 minutes.

Low Intensity Cardio Exercise

This level of intensity is not very difficult. This includes walking, slow cycling, and climbing stairs.

Low level is usually used as a warm-up.

Moderate intensity cardio training

This includes fast walking, aerobics, jogging, and cycling at an average pace. Even if you, say, vigorously shovel snow or rake leaves, this can also be classified as moderate intensity cardio.

High intensity cardio workout

These are workouts at a fast pace - fast running, fast cycling, and so on. This intensity allows you to burn more calories. But it is important not to overdo it, otherwise you may overtrain or get injured. If you have any illnesses or injuries, it is better not to use high-intensity cardio training. The same applies to people with low physical fitness.

A great way to incorporate high intensity into your workout is through interval training, which is alternating between low, moderate and high intensity. For example, running at a fast pace for 30-60 seconds, then walking for 1-2 minutes.

Probably everyone has heard about cardio training. This type of physical training is used by almost all athletes to improve their own results.

According to its content cardio training is similar to aerobics, since the exercises involve muscle movement using the energy generated by the oxidation of glucose molecules with oxygen. This is the main difference between cardio training and strength exercises, where energy is produced by the body in an oxygen-free manner. Cardio training is always aimed not only at pumping the muscles of the body, but also the heart. As a result, the overall endurance of the entire vascular system significantly increases.

The most popular and at the same time effective types of exercises from the cardio training complex are long distance running, team games, swimming, cycling . To achieve the desired results, the duration of cardio training should be between 30 and 60 minutes. All this time, the training should take place at a fairly dynamic pace.

All athletes starting regular cardio training strive to obtain the following results from their efforts:

greater endurance and strength of the body;
strengthening immunity;
high stress resistance;
burning fat and slimming your figure;
improving the functioning of the cardiac system.

Of course, today we can distinguish several types of cardio training aimed at achieving different results. For example, there are complexes with an emphasis on strength exercises, as well as special programs for women trying to lose weight. In any case, all cardio training is of great benefit, especially for beginners in the world of sports, since it provides an opportunity to qualitatively prepare the heart for the upcoming serious loads.

Cardio for weight loss

Cardio training is very popular for burning fat. This is confirmed by the presence of treadmills in almost all gyms. Experience shows that independent cardio training without the advice of a professional not only does not bring the expected results, but can also cause harm to human health in the form of various injuries.

A competent approach to organizing and conducting such classes, on the contrary, will help effectively fight fat deposits. The high effectiveness of this method of fighting fat deposits is explained by the fact that during intense exercise, lipids are oxidized very quickly and converted into energy, which gives a lot of strength. In many ways, it is this effectiveness that predetermined the great popularity of cardio training among bodybuilders and strength athletes.

It should also be noted that with proper cardio training, you can avoid the manifestations of heart and vascular diseases, which often affects middle-aged and older people.

Frequency of cardio training

During cardio training, a significant part of the physical load falls on the internal organs and various muscles. In addition, when performing exercises, the heart works much more actively. The athlete inhales large volumes of oxygen, which actively participates in the combustion of fats and carbohydrates, which results in weight loss .

Regular cardio training lead to normalization of blood pressure, improvement of digestion, and overall health . In addition, as a result of cardio training, a person’s moral state significantly improves, and a good mood is observed much more often. But all these results are possible only with proper cardio training.

One of the main factors of competent cardio training should be considered its frequency and duration. Under normal conditions, the total duration of one cardio workout should be 30 minutes. After the body gets used to the load, the duration of the workout can be increased to 1 hour. One way or another, not everyone has the opportunity to choose 1 hour of free time every day. The way out of this situation is to perform exercises during everyday activities.

For example, instead of commuting to work, you can get to your destination by bicycle. Regarding the issue of the frequency of cardio training, it should be noted that the most optimal option should be considered 4-5 sessions per week. For beginners, 3 lessons per week will be enough. The best time for cardio training is considered to be in the evening - from about 5 to 7. This is due to the fact that fat burning and metabolism are most effective during these time periods.

If the goal of cardio training is, first of all, to increase endurance, and not to get rid of extra pounds, then you can perform the exercises during the daytime. Just don’t forget that in the morning the metabolism is less active, so you don’t need to overdo it.

Optimal heart rate for cardio training

Heart rate is rightly considered the most important indicator of human activity. Often people who start playing sports do not take into account the actual state of the body and receive excessive loads in order to quickly achieve the desired results.

Of course, this approach is wrong and ineffective. Competent cardio training necessarily involves constant monitoring of the heart rate. It is with an eye on the pulse that it is necessary to dose the loads received. In addition, before training, it is recommended to find out the threshold heart rate indicators - upper and lower values. Specialized equipment will help with this. The same procedure will accurately show the permissible loads for a particular organism.

Rules for conducting cardio training

There are certain rules that must be followed when conducting cardio training. Such standards should include:

the need to perform exclusively those exercises that a person will like, since a good attitude plays an important role in achieving the desired results;
heart rate indicators should not exceed 70% of the limit values;
it is necessary to change equipment and exercises to work different muscle groups;
comfortable clothes;
It is advisable to do exercises in the fresh air.

Experts do not recommend eating two hours before starting cardio training. Directly during exercise, it is advisable to drink as much water as possible to eliminate possible fluid imbalances. The most optimal time to eat can be considered an hour after completing a workout.

Examples of Cardio Exercises

The most popular and at the same time effective cardio exercises are:

push-ups. At the same time, in the lower position it is recommended to push off a little stronger;
bouncing. In the lower position, it is also recommended to make the strongest possible jump up;
jumping up from a lying position .