Think you’re going to achieve your physique goals without including the proper cardio training? Think again. The heart is without a doubt one of the most important organs in the human body. Not only does it provide vital nutrients, the heart also helps to rid your body of waste products and recover for the next workout. In order to strengthen the heart and prepare for intense workouts, cardio is an essential component of any man’s plan. The problem – many guys are going about it all wrong.

Cardio Training: The Basics

Although it may not provide the same feeling as an intense lifting workout, cardio training can be just as intense and actually amplify the results of weight training. Proper cardio not only eliminates excess fat and burns off calories; it exercises the heart as well. Guys can reap tremendous benefits from implementing cardio into their workout routine such as: lower blood pressure, cardiac strength, better heart health, and an increase in endurance. Neglecting cardio training, however, can greatly increase the risk of heart disease.

Many guys think of cardio as simply just running on a treadmill or on an elliptical. Let’s face it, nobody wants to walk or run in a straight line for a half an hour. Running on the treadmill or on an elliptical can burn off some calories and fat, but there is a more fun approach and a faster way to burn off calories involving the total body. Interval training, a combination of low or high intensity workouts with short rest in between each workout, can improve your cardiovascular system while also decreasing fat and increasing in metabolism. By using interval training, you can target fast-twitch muscle fibers – those with the most room for increases in size and strength.

Cardio Training: The Workouts

Although a cardio workout can be broken down into almost any form of high-intensity moves performed with a short rest in-between, some workouts are more effective than others. Implement the following cardio examples into your routine. To compliment your training, align each workout with your current workouts (i.e. Workout C on a lower body day).

Perform these workouts at the end of your lifting routine so you’ll still be fresh for the form-intensive exercises in the gym.

Workout A

  1. 40 yard sprint
  2. Back pedal or jog to starting position
  3. Rest 1 min and repeat for a total of 6-8 sprints
Workout B
  1. Run for 1 minute at a hard pace
  2. Rest for 60 seconds
  3. Repeat for 6-8 intervals

Workout C

  1. Alternating lunge jumps (20 jumps- 10 jumps each leg)
  2. Jumping jacks (20 reps)
  3. Squat Jumps (20 jumps)
  4. Rest 30 seconds then repeat for a total of 5 rounds

Workout D

  1. Close-grip push-ups (as many as possible)
  2. Mountain climbers (20 reps)
  3. Standard push-ups (as many as possible)
  4. Mountain climbers (20 reps)
  5. Wide fly push-ups (as many as possible)
  6. Mountain climbers (20 reps)
  7. Rest 1 min and repeat for a total of 5 rounds

This was a guest post from Brenden Ostaszewski. Follow him on Twitter for more helpful fitness tips @BrendenOst. If you are looking to contribute to ConFITdent, please check here.

By Daniel

0 thoughts on “Cardio Training: Get the Most Out of Your Workouts”
  1. I do 20 of HIIT post workout 5 minutes warming up 10 minutes of intervals and then 5 minutes of cool down thats Ok?

      1. I am not stretching, how important it is? i do HIIT after Weights, i feel tired and great at the same time and i feel like i am loosing body fat.After the weights and HIIT i also drink my postworkout protein shake

        1. It’s quite important actually. Stretching “cools” down your muscles. It also gives relaxation to them. Stretching doesn’t have to take too long for you– you can do 5-10 minutes of it after your proper workouts.

        2. By the way, I’m referring to the static stretching, where you hold a stretch for a few seconds. The stretching you must do before a workout is dynamic stretching, where you do stretching while moving. Swinging arms, twisting your body while doing lunge are examples of these.

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