What are the benefits of cardio?
Cardio is arguably one of the scariest words to hear when entering a gym or discussing working out for the first time.
It doesn’t matter who you are.
Even I am guilty of associating cardio with ‘work’ and considering it an unfun ‘chore’.
My goal is to educate you to the point that you recognize cardio isn’t so bad and that it can actually prove to be quite fun and effective. Cardio is an integral part of the process of working out. It does not matter if your goal is to get fit, lose weight, or just have a healthier feeling overall.
The most important thing to mention before going any further is that cardio can be accomplished in many different forms. It can be 5 minutes long, or 3 hours long. You can go slow, or fast, or swim, or even walk on your hands if you have the balance. The notable thing to take away here though is that you can get an effective workout and feel good with practically any amount of effort.
It doesn’t always have to be a drag!
The definition of cardio is loosely quoted by the dictionary to be any type of exercise that causes the heart to beat faster and harder for a period of time. This can essentially be broken up into two broad categories: HIIT and LISS.
HIIT cardio
High intensity interval training or HIIT refers to the more intense form of training. You typically see this variation with high level athletes or in exercises that involve short, explosive type movements. For instance, you will see short distance runners, bike sprinters, and sport athletes perform this kind of movement. It usually only lasts a very short duration, and involves several rounds.
HIIT cardio can be defined by your heart rate when performing a given exercise. A range of 85-95% of your target heart rate when performing intense aerobic intervals is optimal. The heart rate must be maintained for several short intervals, depending on the intensity of the session.
For example, a HIIT cardio session might look like the following:
- 15 minutes total – 3x intervals
- 5 minutes per interval aiming for 85-95% of heart rate.
- 2-3 minutes of rest between intervals
Your choice of instrument can be practically anything when performing HIIT cardio. You can use a stationary exercise bike, air bike, elliptical, treadmill, even sprints in the street outside of your house. You can perform mountain climbers, or perform body weight exercises at a rapid pace.
With HIIT exercises and training you are the master of your own results and can choose your pace. When I want to test my own strength and capabilities I perform some form of HIIT training. This style of cardio is my favorite tool for determining my level of fitness.
Want to increase your aerobic exercise abilities, but don’t enjoy HIIT? Well lucky for you, I would recommend LISS cardio to 99% of people every single time. With that being said, I won’t even mention high intensity training to some.
LISS cardio
The most notable piece from the study is that “the results suggest that although HIIT protocols are time efficient, they are not superior to conventional exercise training in sedentary young adults.”
This means that even though the more intense HIIT cardio proved to be more effective as far as improving fitness and performance – most volunteers simply could not sustain it because it is just not fun to do. Even though the workout was harder and yielded better results in the study, they determined that LISS is better in the long run because it is something you can reasonably stick to.
The optimal heart rate levels when performing LISS should be anywhere from 50-65%. Steady state cardio is meant to be sustained for at least 20 minutes up to several hours. (I do not recommend exceeding 2 hours of steady state cardio per day).
How to calculate your maximum heart rate:
According to the official CDC website you can estimate your maximum heart rate using a formula. It is based on your age by subtracting your age from 220. For example, for a 30-year-old person, the estimated maximum heart rate would be calculated as 220 – 30 = 190 beats per minute. That means that during a HIIT movement with a 85% target rate you would not exceed 190 x .85 = 161.5 beats per minute.
What is my favorite cardio?
Low intensity steady state cardio is my all time favorite way to achieve optimal cardiovascular performance. Why you ask? Simply because it is sustainable. Every time I perform HIIT I don’t even want to go back to the gym the next day to complete a regular workout because I am so exhausted. That is a counterproductive way to train if you ask me.
When is the best time to do cardio?
The best time to do cardio is actually very simple. Even more so if you are supplementing a workout routine where you are lifting weights: DO IT WHEN YOU ARE DEPLETED.
There are really only two main scenarios where you are depleted:
- In the morning pre-breakfast
- After a workout
It does not matter the time of day when you perform your cardio, but the last thing you want to do is perform your cardio before you workout or plan to do anything really to avoid wasting any potential stored carbohydrate energy sources aka glycogen.
How to choose between HIIT and LISS?
Making the choice between these two powerful forms of cardio comes down to personal preference and goals. For power athletes, and those performing actively in sports – you may want to perform a lot more HIIT exercises to improve your endurance under those conditions. For those of us who just want to look healthier, and feel healthier, it may be in our best interest to take the more gentle approach of LISS and enjoy the process. Both forms of cardio can be swapped interchangeably at any time, even during the same workout. If you want to do both in one workout, go for it – if you want to switch back and forth each day then that is fine too!
Ultimately, what matters is that your choice of cardio leads to sustainability and keeps you coming back. Most positive effects of cardio come from long-term usage and commitment, so it is imperative that you just do some form, any form of cardio – whatever it is.
If you enjoyed reading this article please check out some of the other informational posts available on my website.
