Cardio

[Baseballer8]

Main purpose of this thread is to discuss different varieties of Cardio

Focus on what you like about each aspect and what you find lacking.

[Baseballer8]

Been rowing like a mother this week and must say that this a greatly under utilized form of cardio. My back is screaming and surprisingly its a full body workout from the leg push to the back extension to the row.

Today I did 7km in about 40:00 min and must say damn I am humbled right now. I know the time sucks but you have to start somewhere.

Personally I hate running for miles because I ran cross country in high school so every time I start something I feel like I have to be working towards breaking a PR. Rowing is something that I can get into a rythm and relax and go brain dead for a while and just enjoy the time. Biking is much the same way for me but I don't normally have three hours or more to hope on and hit the road like I want.

I also believe that the best cardio is grappling :wink:

[PepeLePew]

Nice work on the rowing. I got to say gym equipment wise that the rowing
machine is the best cardio machine you can use.

HIIT training is great and only takes at max 25-30 minutes when you get
real good at it. Also just doing sports, like you said grappling. For me a
playing intense basketball has me sweating if you go hard the whole time.
Lots of different body movement/manuevers there.

[Baseballer8]

Yeah I agree Pepe HIIT is the way to go.

I started doing the rowing getting ready for my summer job as a whitewater guide so mine is more sport specific. Ideally I would be rolling on the mat hard for two hours a day or more.

[The_Scientist]

I run, do interval training, also parkour but that's not really cardio yet because I'm just working on individual techniques, my favorite though outside of something competitive like sports or BJJ is dropset burpees from like 20 or so.

I like to do my burpees fast but a bit segmented making sure that I do a full pushup and full squat in each one. It's a solid overall exercise especially for muscular endurance. I need to start doing those again.

[The_Scientist]

Also, jump-roping, how could I forget about jumping rope. :shrugs:

[Shane_Bos]

I cant stand cardio machines in the gym. I just get bored. At least with weights you can lift them a few times and your done with that exercise :lol:

[Torpedo]

Well, the best form of cardio for you really depends on what your goals are.

My favorite all-around form of cardio is running. Don't worry about heartrate monitors, timing yourself, and all that bs. I'm a huge fan of the old zen running techniques. :wink: BB8, you may have run this way in high school. Your long runs where you're building your cardio base should last for a set amount of time - ie., you just go out and run for x minutes. Don't even worry about the distance. Use your perceived exertion to help find the appropriate speed. You should be able to hold a conversation, but barely. You should be working a little.

When you get more advanced, and you want to make it a more intense cardio workout, try mixing some calesthenics in with it. Run a pretty fast mile - maybe at the pace you'd use for a hard 3-mile run. Then drop down and do 50 pushups. Run another fast mile. Drop down and do 100 4-count flutterkicks. You get the general idea. Repeat until you die. NEVER stop to rest AT ALL.

Also, a GREAT low-impact way to build your cardio abilities fast is swimming, especially if your stroke sucks as much as mine does. :wink: When you get to where you can swim laps fairly easily, start limiting your number of breaths per lap. You KNOW you're getting in great cardio shape when you can start only breathing once per lap. (I usually pause for a second at the edge and take a breath.) I don't usually swim very far at one time when I'm doing this kind of training. I go for as long as I can, rest until my heartrate has come down enough to feel comfortable, and then hit it again.

Once again, "perceived exertion" is the way I like to guages rest times, target heart rates, etc. If you're not already in pretty good shape, a heartrate monitor can actually cause you to push yourself too hard and overtrain. (Ask me how i know.) Perceived exertion is, in my opinion, a much safer and more affective alternative. When you get a good cardio base and you want to use a scientific training approach, THEN you could get a heartrate monitor.

[Torpedo]

I also believe that the best cardio is grappling :wink:
Run faster. :lol: