Cardio is a necessary part of fitness and training. Not only will you burn body fat and strengthen your body, but you'll work your heart, lungs, and brain. Moving fast over long periods of time isn't easy, and it challenges us in more than one way. If you want to get lean and strong, making cardio a part of your regime will be critical. It is a valuable tool for aerobic training. If you want to burn fat and lose weight, you need to be doing cardio every day. Low Intensity, Long Duration. As often as possible. If you are trying to acquire mass, this is also good for carving out the fat from between your muscles. For this to work, you need to find your target heart rate.

​

Low Intensity, Long Duration

​

40 to 60% of Max Heart Rate.

Slow, Continuous, 45-65 minutes.

Walking, Cycling, Jogging, Running, Skating, Playing Outdoors, Swimming, etc.

​

This type of training is good for people just getting started with cardio work. It is reasonably good for fat loss, especially in very obese people. It is also the least demanding form of aerobic training. For this to work, you need to find your target heart rate. Then calculate intensity. Use the suggestion above. Then you can find your suggested heart rate on your cardio machine, or you can take a heart rate measurement to get an idea of how you feel concerning how much work you're doing. Get with your trainer to figure this out if you need help.

​

Medium Intensity, Medium Duration

​

60 to 75% of Max Heart Rate.

Paced, Continuous, 25-45 minutes.

Walking, Cycling, Jogging, Running, Skating, Playing Outdoors, Swimming, etc.

​

This type of training can be used for fat loss and for increasing aerobic capacity. It is characterized by the beginning of heavy breathing but not so much that you are soon out of breath and must stop.

​

High Intensity, Short Duration

​

80 to 90% of Max Heart Rate.

Fast, Continuous, 15-20 minutes

Sprinting, Cycling, Running, Playing Sports, Swimming, etc.

 

This version of aerobic work is done at around 80 to 85% of HR max. You should reach your aerobic threshold training in this way. This is a very demanding form of training. It is done for between 15 to 20 minutes and can be modified based on your fitness level. This is mostly for advanced people.

​