Cardio

Cardio

Where to begin when there is so much to say?

I know when I walk into a gym to meet a client the amount of people I see on the treadmills that spend an entire hour on it never cease to amaze me! ...and I don't mean that in a good way.

I'm not saying that cardio is dead. After all I am a Certified Zumba Instructor and have taught Zumba classes back to back. I think a warm up on the treadmill before your work out is great.

...but those of you who use it as your only form of working out 5 days a week are really wasting your time and money on your gym membership.

If you are doing it and not losing weight or just maintaining there is a reason for that.

Your body can quickly adapt to what you do on a daily basis on a treadmill and plateau if you don't challenge yourself. Too much cardio can also cause overuse and injury to joints. Plus there is so many better ways to maximize your time in the gym! That hour you spend on the treadmill in a nice slow pace, telling yourself that you are losing so much  fat and building beautiful leg muscles as you have your iPod playing in your ears or are watching TV is a myth.

That much cardio on a treadmill is a waste of time and you could be reaping so many more rewards in that hour doing other things in the gym like lifting weights. 

Cardio is not necessary for losing weight but certainly can help you to. It also is good for your heart. Yet what I am talking about is the craziness I often see at the gym. Girls chit-chatting with each other comparing manicures as they 'work-out' on the treadmill. The ones who are furiously texting away as they go for their slow 'run' on the treadmill. Then get off wiping away the invisible sweat into their towels and then I am sure head off to Starbucks before they go shopping too.

If you want to continue burning even when you leave the gym then start a weight training program! Don't be intimidated by the weights or those using them. In just the first few weeks of strength training you can increase your muscular strength 50%! You won't get that on a treadmill!

Muscles burn more fat! So even after you leave the gym you are still burning body fat even at rest.So what am I saying? That lifting weights gives you a metabolic spike for approximately an hour after a workout because your body is trying hard to help your muscles recover. That means you can burn an additional 25% of the calories you just did at the gym at home!  The more muscle you have the more calories you'll burn without a change to your diet!

The physical results are better when you lift weights, but if you still want your cardio then do it smart.

Workout within your target heart rate (220 - your age= Max heart rate. Then stay within 60-85% keeping your heart rate in mind).

Know the right amount to do. Too much can cause joint damage or cause you to lose muscle.

I always say, you can't flex cardio!

;-)