Cardio is needed in every workout, in some form. Even if you are a body builder and all you care about is throwing around as much weight as possible, you need cardio. It exercises the heart muscle that keeps you alive, helps your lungs work efficiently, and burns lots of calories. Find out other benefits of cardio in The Secret To Successful Cardio Training. This style of training isn’t as easy as jumping on a treadmill everyday and walking at the pace of a tortoise. It also isn’t as complicated or torturous as many people make it out to be. A good start is to simply avoid 4 of the biggest cardio mistakes that you can make.
1 – Not Focused
I personally witness numerous people in the gym every day talking on the phone, reading the paper, talking to someone walking by, etc. If you can stay focused while doing other activities like that then you must be extremely talented.
Some people may argue that reading a book or paper is similar to listening to music while doing cardio, but I would have to humbly disagree. Music pumps you up and motivates you to move faster and harder. If you can run, walk stairs, bike, or most other cardio activities while reading, or holding a full blown conversation then you’re probably not going hard enough.
If you know you violate this mistake, just try focusing on yourself for a whole cardio session. Listen to your breathing pattern, be mindful of your pace, and listen to motivating music if you want. I can almost guarantee that you will be sweating much more than you usually are.
2 – Switch It Up
Every day in every gym across the world people hop on the same cardio machines that they use every single time they visit the gym. The reason is most likely because of a high comfort level and convenience. The problem is that your body gets used to the stresses that are placed upon it. If you run 5 miles on the treadmill every single day at the same pace, your body will get used to it. It will become easy, and you will start to see less results from doing that same exercise.
The phenomenon that I just mentioned is called reaching a plateau. A plateau is when you hit a wall in regards to gaining results. You basically just maintain, but don’t progress any farther for an extended period of time. This can be really frustrating, because you can experience plateaus in training even if you are doing the right things.
To decrease the plateau effect you have to switch up your routine. Cross training is a good way to switch things up. Play different sports that require sprinting around (ie. soccer, basketball, tennis) or intense outdoor activities like rock climbing. Doing the same things over and over again is one of the worst things you can do if you’re looking for results.
3 – Intense Cardio On An Empty Stomach
I have friends that wake up right away and the first thing they do is lace up their shoes and go for a bout of cardio exercise. The problem with doing this is that you’re body is going to be forced to use more protein as an energy source. Ya, that means your muscles are going to be broken down to supply enough protein for your body to function during your cardio session.
If you are going to do cardio on an empty stomach make sure it is a moderate intensity at most. Even then you will still be burning proteins for energy. At the very least you should have a bight of a granola bar or an amino acid supplement.
4 – Find Something Fun
There are so many cardio activities, there’s no excuse for not finding something that you like. You can basically play any sport as a cardio activity. Even hobbies and household work like gardening can be considered cardio if you are active enough. You shouldn’t have to get on a treadmill every single day and hate every minute of it. There are too many other aspects of cardio for you to search. Find Something that you like! It will keep you going even when your tired.
Cardio is an extremely important aspect to training. Without it, meeting fitness goals may be hard to come by. You don’t have to dread doing cardio or wonder why it’s not working for you. Simply avoid 4 of the biggest cardio mistakes that you can make. If you have specific questions about your cardio routine, please ask me. I don’t bite, I promise. Also, please share this article with your friends on facebook if you liked these tips and want to share with friends.
About Adam Pegg
