Cardio Workouts - Considerations & Options

Hi all,

As highlighted on the Gym Professor website, there are many cardio options out there - both cardio equipment and cardio workouts - and it can be a bit of a minefield choosing the right path. The right option for you is one that suits your ability, goals, likability and current period of training. I (GP) have listed sample gym workouts and fitness workouts on www.gymprofessor.com to provide you with some ideas.

To help further, below I've categorized several cardio equipment options and program types to easily identify their typical associated level of difficulty when used in a cardio workout program (NOTE: They're not always the case though!). The chart covers equipment choice and workout intensity (sort of). You should also consider training and rest days & workout duration when designing a workout regime.

Basic
Cardio Equipment Options:	Cardio Program Type
Stationary Exercise Bike Treadmill Walking Arm Ergometer	Steady State

Progressive
Cardio Equipment Options:	Cardio Program Type
Cross Trainer/ Elliptical Trainer Treadmill Running Rowing Machine Stepper	Interval Training (Difficulty rising respectively from High Rest:Little Work to Little Rest:High Work + Fartleks)

Advanced
Cardio Equipment Options:	Cardio Program Type
Stairclimber Versa Climber The Wall (Climbing Wall)	Interval Training  (Little Rest:High Work) Fartlek (Random Intervals)

If you're new to training, it's advised that you seek relevant professional advice prior to undertaking a new exercise regime.

Happy training!

GP

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Cardio Combination Workouts

Hi all,

I love weight training (& I mean love it!), so regular visits to the gym for weight training workouts is by no mean a chore for me, however, with bad weather setting in, my bike's been hung up and my off-road trainers are put away, which has meant more cardio time in the gym :(.

Generally, if there's something good on TV (like a documentary on Route 66 yesterday), then I can tune out and happily finish a workout before I know it. Other days though, it's a real chore. On such days, I'm drawn to mix things up a bit (not too dissimilar to what I'd do with a weights workout) in order to alleviate the monotony and share stress around the body. One such method is cardio combination workouts. In essence, having shorter cardio workouts on various machines. I'm sure many of you reading this have done similar before. Below are some recent examples that I've either performed myself or with clients. You can make these harder or easier as you see fit simply by using the manual controls on your selected piece of cardio gym equipment.

Remember, your only limitation with workout thinking is yourself, but, with both cardio workouts and weight training workouts, be mindful of your ability amongst other factors. The following article will help in this respect: Cardio Workout Considerations and Options

So, here are some sample cardio workouts for you...

Cardio Combination Gym Workouts:
Workout 1: Treadmill - Cross Trainer - Bike
Workout 2: Cross Trainer - Treadmill
Workout 3: Rower - Bike - Cross Trainer

Enjoy your training!

GP

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Author of the bestseller Gym Workouts - Maps to Success