Do you spend hours at the gym sweating and pushing yourself to exhaustion and not see the results for your hard work? This may be because you are not focussing on the right type of cardio.
At Vision we deal in two types of Cardio Intensities. Low-Moderate and Hard Cardio. When considering which one is best suited for your session first consider your Goal & the amount of time you have to train on any given day. A Low-Moderate cardio session generally will burn a higher percentage of FAT than a Hard Cardio session however, a Hard Cardio session will burn Fat for longer post workout.
To achieve weight loss results you may need to stop sweating and panting and focus on your low to moderate cardio, which is training at a lower intensity and in most cases is as easy as introducing more walks, which burn a higher percentage of fat. But not power walks, you need to keep your heart rate at a lower intensity (around 110-140) to ensure your body taps in to its fat stores. To get the maximum fat burning from your walks, you want to aim for a 45-90-minute session. Try doing a 90-minute walk on the weekend and keep the rest a bit shorter during the week when time is more of a constraint.
There is of course, a place for your harder, sweater sessions. You want to focus 25% of our weekly cardio routine around this kind of training. This may be a group training class, a boxing session or your own interval training. The hard cardio sessions will burn a higher percentage of carbohydrates throughout however your body needs to 'pay back 'oxygen when the session is finished meaning you'll continue to burn calories long after you have finished at the gym. This type of training is great to increase endorphins, fitness and also hunger which is why we focus more on the low to moderate cardio. As your body burns through its carbohydrate stores, you'll naturally be hungrier and generally for foods higher in carbohydrates and for fat loss we want to be conscious of this.
So for optimal results include a few more walks into your week and don't overdo it with your hard cardio sessions. Be sure to take some time to rest during the week as this will not only help with recovery but your body makes its changes when it's able to rest. This will ensure you're feeling your best and are able to enjoy your training without feeling exhausted.
*Disclaimer: Individual results vary based on agreed goals. Click here for details.
