All about cardio things…

All about cardio

I asked some lovely ladies that follow my page questions they had about their fitness goals. Cardio seemed to be a topic that was recurring so I wanted to feature an article on the following:

What is cardio?

What forms of cardio are there?

How often/when should cardio be done?

Let’s be honest, there are very few people in this world that love cardio. Those that do, I’m convinced are secretly an alien species from a galaxy far, far away. I absolutely abhor cardio, but it is a necessary evil to maintain optimal health and attain the physique you want. I’ve discovered that there are multiple ways to reach your goal when it comes to cardio. For those of you who hate running, there is hope!

What is Cardio?

Cardio is short for “cardiovascular.” The term is used to describe the circulatory system comprised of the heart and blood vessels in the body. When people “do cardio” they’re performing endurance exercises that strengthen and boost this network.

What forms of Cardio are there?

Cardio takes on many different forms. Most people conjure up images of running when they think of cardio, but that is only one modality. I prefer to take the approach of “train smart, not long,” but I’ll list a couple different options for you.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): HIIT is, and has been one of my favorite forms of cardio. I like to do the least amount of cardio as possible and HIIT is right up my alley. HIIT can be performed effectively on the following modalities in order of effectiveness: Stair Stepper, Treadmill, Elliptical, Bicycle. Your modality will depend on your fitness level and if you suffer from any injuries or hindrances, i.e. knee issues.

HIIT is performed by  alternating short periods of intense anaerobic exercise with less-intense recovery periods. It can last anywhere from 10-40 minutes. Your work round needs to be difficult enough that you are pleading for your rest round, but not so difficult that you can’t complete at least 10-20 minutes. Beginners typically use a split of 1:2- 1.2.5 and intermediate to advanced typically perform HIIT at a 1:1.5- 1:1 split.

An example of beginner hit would be:

Sprint on treadmill at 7MPH for 30 seconds

Walk on Treadmill for 4MPH for 1-1 1/2 minutes. for 7 rounds

An intermediate to advanced level example would be:

Sprint at 12.5MPH for 30 seconds

Jog at 6MPH for 30-45s. for 12-15 rounds (This is the split I typically use).

You perform HIIT on the Elliptical/Bicycle/Stair master but increasing speed/resistance opposed to MPH.

PROs of HIIT:

• Ideal for those with time restrictions
• Excellent for increasing cardiovascular endurance
• Efficient and effective for burning fat if used correctly
• Can be performed multiple times per week without fatiguing
• Your metabolism spikes for several hours after you finish performing HIIT and you continue burning calories. This is called the After Burn effect.

CONs of HIIT:

• You need to hold yourself accountable
• It is easy to perform incorrectly

LSD – Long Slow Distance Cardio

Long slow distance cardio is typically what you see people performing when you are at the gym. Or “cardio bunnies” as we like to call them. This is essentially doing cardio over the course of 40 minutes to an hour. It is common to try to keep your heart rate around 140-150 during this hour though these numbers differ from person to person. The best modalities in order for LSD cardio are: Stair Master/Stepper, Elliptical, Treadmill, Bike.

My recommendation is to start with 40 minutes on your chosen modality and increase over the course of two weeks. That will look like so:

Day 1: 40 minutes,

Day 2: 40 minutes

Day 3: 40 minutes (increase resistance/speed)

Day 4: 45 minutes

Day 5: 45 minutes

Day 6: 45 minutes (increase resistance/speed)

Day 7: 45 minutes

Day 8: 50 minutes

Day 9: 50  minutes

Day 10: 55 minutes

Day 11: 55 minutes (increase resistance/speed)

Day 12: 55 minutes

Day 13: 55 minutes

Day 14: 1 hour (increase resistance/speed)

I do not recommend running long distance unless it is something you enjoy or you are specifically training for 5ks 10ks etc. For most people when they lift/want an athletic physique I ask them to compare a marathon runner’s body to a sprinter’s body. The difference is significant.

PROs of LSD:

• Excellent for improving cardiovascular
• Burns significantly more immediate calories compared to HIIT if done for extended periods of time.
• One of the oldest strategies to burn stubborn fat and break plateaus.

CONs of LSD

• Extremely time consuming.
• Takes extreme motivation to continue pushing yourself
• Can increase DOMs (Delayed onset muscle soreness)

Circuit Training:

Circuit training is a form of resistance training that combines cardiovascular exercise with weight training. There are typically multiple exercises in a circuit performed in succession with one another with interval bursts of cardio in between. An example of circuit training would be:

Dumbbell Curl

Dumbbell Row

Tricep Kickback

Dumbbell Press

Battleropes 20s work/10s rest for 8 rounds

Push ups (Max)

Row Machine 500m

10 Burpees

Complete the circuit 3-5 times.

PROs of Circuit Training

• Efficient for those who are short on time looking for weight loss. I employ circuit training with all of my clients in addition to their cardio.
• Excellent weight loss strategy
• Functional training that improves all areas of fitness
• Increases strength, endurance, power, and physical fitness.
• Ideal for maintenance goals.

CONs of Circuit Training

• Not ideal for those in a hypertrophy/strength building phase in weight lifting unless they are already in excellent physical condition.
• Can be difficult to build up endurance.
• Limited rest periods
• Additional cardio may still need to be done if weight loss is the goal.

Miscellaneous Cardio Modalities:

Some of my favorite cardio modalities that were briefly or not mentioned above:

Medicine Ball Slams/Throws/Tosses/Targets

Row Machine (Excellent for burning a high amount of calories)

Battle Ropes

Burpees

How often/when should cardio be done?

Opinions vary from Trainer to Trainer, but I prefer to do my cardio after I finish lifting weights. A popular theory is that you burn down your glycogen (stored carbohydrates) stores after you lift weights for 45 min- 1 hour and cardio is “more effective” for cutting fat  afterwards.

For Weight loss/Cutting: If your primary goal is weight loss, for best results 5-7 times per week is optimal. If you can do cardio each day, that is going to garner the best results. Combine Circuit Training with LSD or HIIT for best results. You can alternate between LSD and HIIT training. I tend to do HIIT on my leg days and LSD on the stair stepper on my upper body/core days.

For Maintenance: Circuit training and your choice of cardio 2-3x per week as long as you are eating appropriately.

For Controlling a Bulk: For those out there attempting to control  a bulk, it’s a bit of a delicate balance. I find that maintaining cardio 5+ times per week after increasing my calories allows me to bulk without losing too much of the cut look. Keeping maintained also allows me to cut down quickly while remaining in a surplus.

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me

-Tai Rae

10 Tips to cleaning up your diet!

My cheat day meal. Healthy and delicious!

There are tons of fad diets out there that could leave you wondering, which one is the right one for me? Paleo, Atkins, Ketogenic, Weight Watchers- it can all be overwhelming. The issue with diets is they tend to have a yo-yo effect. An individual will go on a diet, lose a number of pounds, come off of the diet and gain it right back. Sustainability of weight loss isn’t found in a diet, it’s found in a change of lifestyle.

 

Below are ten simple rules that will take out the guess work, and get you on the path to a healthier lifestyle and help you clean up your diet!

Drink more water

Staying hydrated is one of the most important aspects of optimal health. Your body needs water to function and nearly 60% of your body weight consists of water. Water assists in digestion, energy levels, metabolism, flushes toxins from your system and carries nutrients to cells. Dehydration can lead to fatigue and loss of energy, so it’s important to stay hydrated. Drinking water can also assist in weight loss, aim for about two cups of water 10-20 minutes before a meal and it’ll leave you feeling satiated quicker. The 8 x 8 rule isn’t necessarily valid, it’s just easy to remember and couldn’t hurt you. A good gauge on proper hydration is the color of your urine. Light yellow to mostly clear is a good indication of proper hydration.

Watch your refined sugars

Refined sugars are difficult for the body to process, and they are a quick way to add an abundance of excess calories with no nutritional value. Try a natural sweetener like stevia or agave syrup, even then use sparingly.

Watch your salt

Too much salt or sodium in your diet can cause bloating, weight gain (water retention) and issues with indigestion. You don’t need to eliminate salt completely, sodium is necessary especially with intense exercise (think those sugar-sodium loaded sports drinks that aid in hydration), but when you’re cooking be conscientious. A good way to reduce up to 75% less salt in your cooking is to only use salt for your individual plate but not during the cooking process.

Fat free = Chemical shitstorm

Foods that boast a fat free content have gone through an extensive chemical process in order to remove the fat. These processes generally strip the foods of nutritional value where the manufacturers can add in sugars or sweeteners. The more processed it is, the worse it is for you. You’d be surprised at how little the FDA actually regulates the chemicals used in processes for human consumption. If you’re feeling adventurous, look up aspartame and the negative effects it has on the body- then look up how many products it’s in.

Cut back on your alcohol

Alcohol is 7 calories per gram, that can add up very quickly. Alcohol also dehydrates the body, causing a halt in muscle development and requires immediate rehydration. Alcohol metabolizes quickly and stores the calories as fat.

Protein…How much do you need?

Unless your goal is hypertrophy (muscle gain) the actual need for protein is overstated. What is more important is the quality of protein you are consuming. There are nine essential amino acids (meaning the body does not produce them naturally). Food combining to get these combinations is popular, or looking for foods that are a complete protein i.e. Quinoa, Soy, Meats and Poultry, eggs and dairy. 46-60 grams a day for non athletes is generally recommended with varying factors on age, gender and activity level. However, if you’re looking to maintain the muscle you’ve built a good ratio is 1gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. Pretty easy right? 160lbs = 160g of protein a day. Seems like a lot, but it’s easy to get there ;]

Don’t avoid fats!

Healthy fats are essential for a balanced diet. There are a couple different kinds of fats. Polyunsaturated fats: These actually help lower your cholesterol levels and contain essential fatty acids (meaning the body does not make them, so you need to consume them), Omega3’s and Omega6’s. You can find them in nuts and seeds. Unsaturated fats: a good way to identify an unsaturated fat is remembering they tend to be liquid at room temperature while trans and unsaturated fats are solid. Try replacing your solid fats (butter) with coconut oil, or switch out your red meats for vegetarian or seafood options.

But don’t overindulge in fats

Everything in moderation, don’t go spreading 5 avocados a day on your sandwich…even though its delicious. Saturated fats- these are the ones we hiss and claw at…but taste so darned good that you know they’ve got to be bad for you. Found in butter,sweets and other dairy products.

Avoid the Three P’s: Packaged, Plastic, Processed.

A good rule of thumb for grocery shopping is to avoid the aisles if possible. The exterior shelving of the grocery store tends to have the most natural whole foods such as produce, grains, etc. If the ingredients have a bunch of stuff you can barely pronounce, it’s probably not good for you. If it comes pre-made in a can, box, plastic, or is packaged, it is more than likely not good for you. If the food naturally does not have a long expiration date (canned fruits for instance) and you buy canned fruit, it is generally loaded with additional sugar and syrup as well as preservatives (Think about it, a peach rots in about a week, but can be shelved for much longer) This doesn’t apply to traditional canning methods, as most are canned with natural preservatives, if any, without the chemical additions . There are obvious exceptions to this rule, but as a general guideline it is a good, conscientious way to shop for your food.

Balance.

The key to success is balance and moderation. So you ate a cookie? Congratulations, you’re human. Just remember not to let a cheat meal turn into a cheat day…or even worse a couple of cheat days where you fall off of the wagon and go on an eating rampage.

Follow these tips and you’re sure to clean up your diet and move on towards a healthier lifestyle.

New Year Resolutioners: Staying accountable during the Holidays

 

Good Morning,

We’ve reached that time of year when we are surrounded by temptation. Pancakes, pastries, sweets and sugar. I’ve always been an advocate of living a realistic lifestyle, particularly when it comes to weight loss, but we’ve reached that time of year where people have a tendency to stray far off the proverbial wagon and adopt this attitude of “well, I’ll start January 1st.”

 

I’ll tell you a bit about January 1st. I see it each year. An influx of people rush to join gyms, determined to finally shed the weight, finally get the body they want by summer, work off the holiday horrors they’ve consumed and finally get their lives back. It’s no secret in the fitness industry that January is our busy season. January- March is where trainers, gyms, bootcamps and etc. make a huge portion of their money for the year. The sad reality is that this same rush of people that join on January 1st, typically disappear without a trace by February with nothing left to remember them by except an unused gym membership that is slowly decaying their bank account each month.

 

So I’ve wondered to myself over the years why this occurs. What has people so motivated at the beginning of the year, and what causes that motivation to fade into non-existence? I paid my dues as a resolutioner. There were plenty of times I had started, stopped, quit, started again, swore I was going to “really do it this time” spend twenty minutes on a treadmill and think that I got a great workout then reward myself with a pizza or a donut.

Motivation is definitely a key factor here. I call this the “Monday Mentality.” We all know those people and have probably been these people at some point in our lives. “I’ll start again on Monday.” New Year’s is just a Monday that only comes once a year. We place a lot of emphasis on New Years. New Year…New Me. I touched on this in an earlier blog, but you have to eliminate the Monday Mindset. It will always hold you back. New year’s is no different.

So you had some cupcakes or candy. Cool- move on and get right back on track. So you missed a workout? Figure out how to ensure that you won’t miss it again tomorrow and move on. Oh, Monday is chest day? Does the bench press get up and walk away on Tuesday? Days of the week are myths we tell ourselves to talk ourselves out of working hard and holding ourselves accountable.

The second thing I noticed with resolutioners and something I remembered from my own resolution days…lack of knowledge. Most people that join in January just don’t realize how much work it is to get the body they dream up. People seem to think running on a treadmill is the key to six pack abs and an hourglass figure. Or that by repeatedly curling dumbbells is the way to get massive biceps.

People go to the gym for three weeks; maybe, without any kind of plan. They don’t see any results or changes. They give up, they quit, they accept the inevitability that “working out just isn’t for them” and they try to get out of their year contract they signed at the gym.

 

The reality is, it probably took years to put on the weight and that it is going to take time and discipline to get the weight off. Weightloss is a science, building muscle is a science, getting stronger is a science- if you don’t know the formula, you’re not going to be successful. It’s like trying to cook without heat- you won’t get far. If this is something you want you have to be willing to put in the time, the effort, the study it takes to learn how your body works. What you need to eat, when you need to eat, how frequently you need to do your workouts, what your range is for your goals, the list goes on and on. It can be daunting, but you don’t have to go it alone. There are entire communities and free resources at your disposal.

 

http://www.bodybuilding.com

http://www.simplyshredded.com

http://www.nowloss.com

http://www.liftheavyathletics.com

Are some sites that provide knowledge, gear, and tools to help you achieve your goals. And as always if you ever have any questions about your goals you can feel free to reach out to me. I’m here to help.

Don’t give up.

 

-Tai Rae