This week Dr. Dan and I are discussing the topic of cardio.
Benefits of cardio?
Cardiovascular Exercise (Cardio) can refer to either training to strengthen your heart and cardiovascular system, or training to burn calories and lose fat.
In terms of burning fat, there are two types of cardio that are considered optimal to use.
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): Interval training in which you alternate short, very high intensity periods with less intense recovery periods. Though some HIIT workouts can last 30 minutes or a little longer, a typical HIIT session should last anywhere between 4-15 minutes.
Steady State Cardio is simply a cardio workout that is continuous, steady effort, performed at a low-moderate intensity for an extended period of time. Steady state cardio over the course of the activity burns more calories, but HIIT has a higher post-exercise oxygen consumption, or burns more calories after exercise.
Both steady state cardio and HIIT are beneficial for overall cardiovascular health and burning calories. However either type of cardio has it’s advantages depending on your fitness goals. and training regime.
Bodybuilding Athletes should include some type of cardio in addition to their resistance training in order to maintain cardiovascular health.
