5 tips on Cardio
Cardio gets such a bad rap. It’s always been the least favorite part of my training regimen and even when I hear the word now, I flinch. I’ve grown to love it though and you can too with these simple tips.
Start with LISS (low intensity steady state cardio)
Maybe you can go out and do a 10k no problem. Maybe you have fresh knees like a baby spring chicken. Maybe you are already in great shape. Well, good for you. Most people, including myself aren’t one of those people. So let’s start with LISS. And it’s important to remember that people who are in great shape with great knees can also benefit from this as well. LISS stands for low intensity steady state. An example of LISS cardio is WALKING.
Walking is great because it does NOT hinder your recovery from the more important parts of your training. Like sprinting, lifting and of course grappling. It also can burn a ton of calories WITHOUT triggering a hunger response. Ive done the hard runs. They are hard. But the hardest part about Running all the time is not overeating when the running makes me ravenous. And if you resist the hunger response and are in the caloric deficit from hard running, theres a good chance your body starts breaking down muscle for fuel. This leads to the skinny fat phenomenon. We don’t want that.
Some walking math that is applicable to my body.
1 mile is approximately 2000 steps and burns 100 calories.
My general pace is 3mph or 6000 steps/hr
A little tip: You don’t have to get your steps in all at once. For those quarantined in apartments, you can always pace around your apt and drive your downstairs neighbors crazy.
2. Throw some sprints in there (my preference is uphill)
Sprinting is important. A measure of a great athlete in many sports is their ability to stop and go and to EXPLODE into positions. This is done with the activation of your Fast twitch fibers. You can train this by doing sprints. Or what they call HIIT (high intensity interval training). Sprinting can increase your metabolism through out the day and boost HGH. There are lots of benefits to this type of training. It is important to keep the cons in mind too though so as not to over do it.
Cons of sprinting
Sprinting is taxing on the body and risk of injury is high. It also triggers a hunger response unlike Walking so I would use it sparingly like 1-3 times per week, depending on my goals. One of my favorite types of sprints is uphill sprints. I prefer these guys because it is easier on the knees and the risk of injury is greatly reduced. It also helps build more on the legs since there is more resistance.
3. Do it with purpose
I walk my dog everyday because my dog loves it and I love my dog.
I walk because its a great chance for me to read (listen to audible), fantasize about my dreams while listening to music and or laugh while i listen to the Billl Burr podcast.
I sprint so i can Refeed guilt free and eat my maintenance calories.
I sprint uphill to reduce risk of injury
I do everything with sustainability in mind so I can keep on doing these without hating it.
4. GET THE RIGHT SHOES
You’re going to have to experiment here. My favorite is Hoka because I am pretty heavy at 200+lbs and I need a lot of cushion. I also have wide feet so some of the brands out there with a narrow fit hurts my feet. Do some exploring. Get some sneakers that are right for you!
5. Make it fun
When I go for my walks, I either listen to a Spotify playlist (which I pick the day before), listen to an audiobook (audible) and or listen to a podcast. Leave in comments what your favorites are.
Having a dog helps too. Now my 8 year old puppy expects the walk and it makes it fun.
I play little games with myself using the step counter on my iPhone. I try to get 10,000 steps a day but sometimes I try to Blow that number away. One time, I was able to do 25,000. Which by itself, isn’t really a big deal. People run that in one shot. But it was nice to see my weekly step count jump so high.
I like the flexibility of sprinting more when I feel good and walking more when I don’t. Being able to control these little things in my cardio plan help me feel really good during this crazy time of uncertainty. But yes, definitely make it fun.
Music, podcast, audiobook.
Find me on social and ask me for my personal favorites!