Now I am an avid gym-goer and have lost about 80lbs before so I know a bit about losing weight. Excuse me, losing fat not just weight. But I was wondering if there are any personal trainers with conclusive evidence as to which type of cardio is best.

From what I understand from research its all about your heart rate, NOT just burning up the most amount of calories in the shortest amount of time. So I ask anyone who's an expert, which type is best and why?

1.) HIIT
2.) Walking on an incline
3.) light jog (5mph) heart rate at about 150-160

I would think 150-160 is too high for a 21 year old, as I want to preserve as much muscle as possible. I will be doing the cardio in the morning before breakfast, or just with a protein shake but mostly without eating anything.

 

Swimming is a great cardio workout. Make sure to only breath every 5 to 7 strokes and you'll have lungs better than a marathon runner. When I was swimming competitively, I could hold my breath for almost 3 minutes.

 

Werd....by far the best cardio is swimming. Running (outside, not treadmill) is a close second.

 

For cardio it's how long you can keep at 70-80 percent of your MHR (maximal heart rate) which can be calculated at roughly 220-age for MHR then 70-80% of that. Regardless of exercise.

Swimming is one of the best exercises because it's low impact on your joints and does help strengthen your lungs.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by s2000raj
For cardio it's how long you can keep at 70-80 percent of your MHR (maximal heart rate) which can be calculated at roughly 220-age for MHR then 70-80% of that.

 

rough sex is the best type of cardio workout...

 

High Intensity Interval Training is actually the best way to lose fat and become cardiovascularly fit.

Jogging, walking, and hours spent on the bike, treadmill and other low-intensity exercises is not as productive for fat loss or cardiovascular fitness. There have been numerous studies on this that show that HIIT is much more effective.

Think about it. Who looks better, a marathon runner or a sprinter? Obviously, the sprinter. Well guess what? The sprinter also has a better cardiovascular system than a marathon runner as well. Yep. This is true. Sprinters that run the 400m have the highest cardiovascular system of all runners (and most other athletes) because the intensity is high enough to work your cardiovascular system and it is also muscle sparing.

You don't want to lose muscle, and low-intensity aerobic training is well-known for breaking down muscle tissue. In fact, you don't need aerobic exercise to build your cardiovascular system. You can become cardiovascularly fit with weight training only. Believe it, or not. Read up on www.alwyncosgrove.com for more info about why cardio is not necessary.

Here are some good alternatives to low-intensity cardio:

Sprints (interval training - sprint for 15-30 seconds, jog for 30-60 seconds, repeat)

Sprints (run 50-100 or 400m sprints)

Rope Jumping (1-3 minute rounds of rope work)

Sprints done on a bike (or interval training)

Weight training done with little rest and in a "circuit training" format. It's better to use free weights or bodyweight exercises rather than machines or those "cookie-cutter" workouts that typical gyms put you on.

If you need to know more, let me know. I have a wealth of training and nutrition knowledge from many years of study and practice.

Other good sites to check out:

www.mikemahler.com

www.t-nation.com

www.ruggedmag.com

 

There are lots and lots of soureces for learning how cardio impacts your metabolism.

The bottom line is low hart rate (at cardio level or below) for long periods of time trains you for endurance which in return trains your body to burn mostly fatas opposed to carbs. that's good b/c over long time you will turn your muscles into slow twitch muscles which will prefer to burn fat or energy all day long while you are not working out. Butning fat this way take A LOOOOOOOOOT longer b/c fat cells are very energy efficient and a pound stores enough energy for you to run for a week like our friend Forrest Gump (I'm egagerating, but you get the idea).

So low heart rate takes time, but if you prefer endurance exercises, I favor that method.

Hight heart rate and short intense work outs burn a higher % of carbs than muscle which means htat you note really burning fat. What you ARE doing however is training your heart which will eventually become stronger and will give you a lower resting heart rate, stronger muscles which will burn more every hour of the day etc. etc.

I bought a heart rate montiro which has helped a lot and also a book on how ot train with a heart rate monitor which explained a lot about how your body uses it resouses of energy so that you can maximize your training time for whichever goal you want.

 

I am a very serious road cyclist. Naturally the more you train, the lower your heart rate will become. In my peak fitness, I slept with my heart rate monitor on, and noted a resting heart rate of 32 beats per minute, and in a full sprint, my maximum heart rate is 207. During an average group ride, my average heart rate is about 130. I'm 25.
Also, the older you are the lower your max HR is going to be.
Hope this helps!