Why do we need cardio?
Good Day everyone. It’s your Trainer. I’m not going to watch you do cardio. We both have better things to do. Cardio is between you and the jump rope, you and the road, or you and the bike.
Not coincidentally those are arguably the three highest calorie burns.
- Jump rope- 300-500 calories per 30 minutes
- Running- 200-450 calories per 30 minutes (depending on your weight, pace, surface etc)
- Bicycling- 200-420 calories per 30 minutes (depending on your weight, pace, surface etc)
You have Questions:
1- Why the huge gap in the calorie estimates? Answer– You’re burning 200 if you’re jogging, but 500 if you’re getting chased. I.e. Effort matters; Terrain matters; Weighted jump ropes matter.
2- What is, all things considered, the best form of cardio? Answer– Objectively it’s those three, but if you hate all three and love to swim, or hike, or dance…
The best cardio, all in all, is the one you enjoy. It doesn’t matter which workout you choose You can’t out-cardio a bad diet, despite prevailing sentiments.
Think differently
Your cardio isn’t burning off last night’s pizza, or earning tomorrow’s beers. The purpose/benefits of your cardio workouts are:
- gets your blood pumping
- lowers your blood pressure
- strengthens your immune system
- improves your sleep
- supports your mental health
- regulates your blood sugar
- contributes to a healthy weight
- gives your brain a boost
- Increases V02 max (which can predict lifespan).
Weight loss/maintenance is on the list, but not foremost.
Now some people may throw up their arms and say ‘Why bother?’ I get it. I thought more cardio equalled increased weight loss too.
Cardio does burn fat if you take the long view (250 calories a day by five days a week= 1250 calories a week= 65,000 calories a year= 18.5 lbs burned annually). It’s better than nothing.
Think differently
One purpose of your life is to feel Vital. That list up there, as can be seen, is a recipe for vitality. Lucky you! The cost of vitality ain’t too high.
The Department of Health suggests we get 150 minutes of cardio every week. 2.5 hours. That’s .015% of your week that will sharpen you up to kick ass and take names. Let’s carve up that 150 minutes into the three kinds of cardio workouts that will truly vitalize. You can do these every week.
Workout #1: Long effort
What: A cardio workout that is roughly 25% of the weeks total. If you’re doing the recommended 150 minutes then we’re looking at 37.5 minutes.
Heart Rate: This is, above all, easy cardio. Keep your heart rate below 60-65% of your max heart rate. Back when I was an athlete we called this conversational pace. If you couldn’t hold a conversation you were moving too fast.
Example: 40 minutes easy on the treadmill, a long hike, an easy 40 minute ellipse session. Do this workout once a week.
Workout #2: Speed work
What: Here you’re going to warm up with about 5-10 minutes of easy running (below 60-65% of Max HR).
Heart Rate: Go all out (90% Max HR) for short periods of time. There’s any number of ways you can do this.
Here are 2 of my faves: Ladder workouts- Run/bike/swim/jump hard for :30, then take a :30 rest. Go hard for :45, easy for :45, Hard for :60, easy for :60. Climb the ladder up (:30-:45-:60 and then go back down (:45, :30). Back in the day I’d do this on the track. 200M, 400, 800, mile, and then back down.
Intervals– Go hard for a minute, then recover for a minute. Repeat for 10 intervals. I did this with a weighted jump rope this morning after a 2 mile jog. If a minute is too hard start with :30 seconds, then build up. Finish with 5-10 minute cool down (walk or jog).
You’ll burn 25-30% more calories during speed work, but the effort is much higher. Do this kind of workout no more than twice a week.
Workout #3: Easy, steady state cardio
What: You’re working a little harder than your long effort, but you’re not red lining it. You’re going longer than a speed workout, but you’re not pushing to those long workout distances. You’re doing your thing at a comfortably uncomfortable pace.
Heart Rate: Keep the heart rate at 60-70% of your max. You can hold a conversation, just not a robust one.
Do this workout 2-3 times a week.
If you want to increase your cardio…
Past 150 minutes follow these two rules:
1- Increase by no more than 10% every other week. This is all things considered, the safest way to up the ante.
2- Schedule in one down week per month. This goes for all workouts. If you’re pushing hard you’re strategically overloading and breaking your body down. You’ve got to schedule in time to refurbish/rebuild. So throw in an easy week here and there. You’ll see and feel the results.
Lets finish with a little story. Remember ‘The Biggest Loser’? Bob? Gilian? The ranch? There was one season where they added in a 3rd trainer to shake things up. She was working out her crew and one guy revolted. He wanted to work out with Bob or Gillian. He thought the new Trainer’s workout wasn’t hard enough. That he wasn’t burning enough calories. Here’s what I wanted her to say.
‘Listen up you little piece of sh…’
Whoops. We’re on ABC. Take 2.
The Real Reason we lose weight (not cardio)
‘Listen here, Tough guy, You lost 10 lbs last week. That’s 35,000 calories. Do you understand why you’re losing weight? Is it because of the 200 calories you burned lifting weights yesterday? Is it the 250 calories you burned jogging for 20 minutes? It doesn’t matter what you do, you’re gonna burn a max of around 500 calories in an hour. Why 500? Because you’re not fit enough to burn more than that, and you’re definitely not fit enough to work out for more than an hour without getting injured. Burning 500 calories a day while exercising is phenomenal; but it only adds up to one lb over a week. The other 9 lbs come from sleeping 8-10 hours a day; not working; not stressing; not stuffing your face with Oreos; restricting calories; not touching processed food.’
She didn’t say that. Didn’t flex her fitness knowledge. She acted hurt; he switched teams and they hugged it out on a later episode.
Did she not lay it out because she didn’t know (most trainers haven’t had to lose significant weight) or because the producers of that show can’t make a Rocky-esque montage of the real reasons he was losing weight: sleep, stress reduction, breathing, saying no to Oreos?
And oh, I almost forgot… cardio.
Keep it vital my friends.