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Category Archives: Cardio and Aerobics
What is HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)?
HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training is a form of cardio. The explanation is really in the title: it involves intervals of varying intensities, with some of those intensities quite high.A typical HIIT routine will involve some bursts of “all-out” training followed by periods of lower intensity that allow for active recovery (this means your
Seriously, isn’t it bad to do cardio after weights?
You should be fine doing cardio after lifting. Not a problem. I’ve done it. As far as eating, I would get a meal in as soon as you are comfortable. You will lose more fat based on your total calories for the day, rather than how long you wait after weight training and cardio. In
If I do cardio right before weight-training, will tons of muscle magically melt away from my frame?
Cardio before a workout is fine. People get excited about “theory” and make it suddenly the new law. I.e. you lose glycogen during weight training and therefore cardio is forced into fat-burning mode is a common one. It’s taking part theory part science and trying to establish a hard and fast rule. Of course, then
What Exactly is Cardio?
Cardio is really a modern term that has grown to replace aerobic exercise. To avoid the stigma of the aerobic craze of the 70s people switched to cardio when discussing it relative to fitness and strength-training programs to disassociate with the aerobics-only phenomenon. Cardio is short for cardiovascular exercise which means really any exercise that
So what is the purpose of the intervals in HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)?
Most people cannot sustain 90% of max HR for a prolonged period of time … and if you target this, what happens is that your body adapts and the heart becomes more efficient so it becomes harder to raise the rate. The intervals do several things. They allow short bearts of near maximal effort, which
My goal is fat loss, so should I just do cardio and skip weight training?
Doing just cardio can be a recipe for disaster, simply due to the stress it places on your joints. You need muscle to support those joints, and muscle will not come unless you strength train your legs. 9 out of 10 women are concerned about the size of their legs and feel they put on
If I’m maintaining at my current calories, can’t I just add exercise to burn off the fat I want to lose?
Sounds good, but the research suggests otherwise. There are two main types of fat. Visceral surrounds your organs, and subcutaneous is beneath the skin. You need to lose both types. While exercise is excellent for burning subcutaneous fat, it is nutrition management that seems to have the greatest impact on visceral fat. Therefore, the combination
Is swimming the best exercise to burn fat?
No, you always hear that swimming is the best for you! I don’t hear that. I’m saying that only to illustrate a point. For example, if someone is about to buy a BMW, suddenly they notice BMWs all over the place. Why? Because the thought is in their mind. If you like swimming, I wouldn’t
Morning Cardio Controversy
Does cardio in the morning on an empty stomach really burn more fat? Dear Tom, I’ve read a few of your articles on About.com. Of particular interest is the one about doing cardio in a fasted state in the morning. I enjoy doing that, as I am a morning person anyway. However, I’ve run across
