Shedding more fat doing the right sort of cardio routine
Many people are unsure of how much cardio they need to perform each week in order to lose weight. I have talked to some people who think they need to run on the treadmill for an hour every day – which, let’s face it, sounds extremely boring. The good news is, in order to meet your fitness goals, you should be performing no less than 30 minutes of cardio exercise three times per week. This can be done on an elliptical, a bike, treadmill, stair stepper or even done by swimming laps. (Ellipticals and bikes are my favorite forms of cardio exercise because they are easy on your joints.)
The MOST important thing however, when performing your cardio exercise is the INTENSITY at which you do it. If you are on the elliptical for example, and could carry on a conversation with someone pretty easily, you are not working hard enough. If you are 15 minutes into your cardio session and you don’t have sweat beads on your forehead, you are not working hard enough. If you are not huffing and puffing during your cardio session, you need to bump up your intensity – because you are still not working hard enough.
Sure – any amount of cardio exercise you do is good for your body and you are still burning calories – even if it is just a 30-minute walk around your neighborhood. But to really shed the pounds and help those beautifully defined muscles start to appear, you need to shock your body during your cardio routines and perform what is called INTERVAL training.
INTERVAL training is defined as exercise that involves a series of “runs” that are performed at a certain speed, followed by a period of recovery or low intensity exercise. So, a basic cardio routine, interval style, would look something like this:
30 minute workout on Elliptical machine:
5 minutes warm up: This is done at a comfortable pace. You are preparing your body to work hard. You are increasing your heart rate and starting to feel energized.
1 minute intensity boost: After you have warmed your body up, you will increase your speed, incline or resistance (depending on which machine you are on) and will push yourself hard for ONE minute.
1 minute intensity peak: After your one minute intensity boost, bump your intensity up another notch. (Faster speed, higher incline or more resistance.) This entire minute should be hard to get through. You should be pushing yourself hard enough that you can’t wait for the minute to be finished. During this one minute peak, think to yourself, “I can do ANYTHING for one minute!” Really, it’s only 60 seconds. You can do it! Don’t cheat yourself of this high intensity peak! Work hard! Push yourself to your outer limits!
3 minute recovery: This is the part of the cardio routine, that you will fall in love with! This is the recovery period. Take your intensity down to a moderate level. Don’t take it down too far. You should still be working and pushing yourself. You should still be working up a sweat, but this stage is much more manageable than the last two stages. You will bring your heart rate down just a little bit, catch your breath and gear it up for another high intensity boost.
1 minute intensity boost: Now it’s time to repeat the one minute intensity boost.
1 minute intensity peak: It’s back! This one minute of pure JOY is back! (hee hee!) This high intensity peak really IS joy, because it shocks your body, does not allow you to plateau and it will shed fat much quicker than just keeping a regular, moderate pace during your cardio routine!
3 minute recovery: Repeat and enjoy this wonderful three minutes of recovery.
Repeat the intensity boost and intensity peak one more time, with a three minute recovery. (Remember – the recovery is NOT taking it easy! It’s simply working hard at a “do-able” pace.) THEN, when the three minute recovery is over for the third time, you can start to slow down your pace for the remaining five minutes. That’s it! You’re done!
As long as your intensity is HIGH and you are working HARD for 30 minutes a day, 3 times a week, you are doing AMAZING and you WILL see results!
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2 Responses to “Shedding more fat doing the right sort of cardio routine”
Holly Hintzman
July 27th, 2008
Hi Holly, I’m so glad you are enjoying the site. I always have so much to say about this stuff, so I’m glad to know that it is being appreciated. 
First of all, you should give yourself a pat on the back for getting back into an exercise routine. That’s awesome! Sometimes it’s hard making a new habit, but exercising is one of those things that will pay big dividends in the way you feel both physically and mentally, so keep going for it! I know you can get to where there is much less dread involved. About the cardio shock I was talking about, if you are just starting out, I would take it a bit easier the first little while. And when I say little while, I only mean a week or so. It’s amazing how fast our bodies can adapt to the pressure that we put on it, so don’t go easy on yourself for too long. Push yourself to limits you know you can handle. Don’t go so overboard that you are painfully sore or worn out the following day. That will just discourage you. You want your cardio routine to energize and invigorate you. As you are out walking or riding your bike, look ahead to the next stop sign or fire hydrant and tell yourself you will pick up the speed or pace just until you get to that point, and then rest for a while. Do that a few times during your routine and you will soon have fun challenging yourself to do better than you did the last time. Again – I love to hear feedback from people who read this blog, so I appreciate your comment. Good luck with your health goals…I know you can do it and that you will feel much better because of it. Take Care! Liz
Liz Rosenbaum
July 27th, 2008
Thank you Liz! I really appreciate this article. I have recently begun a weight loss regimen. The hardest part is pushing myself to exercise. When I do it, I love it, and actually feel good. I don’t know why there is so much dread involved in getting going. I tend to do so much better with a little accountability. It is so helpful to have someone else understanding what you’re going through but also giving you the push you need. Too bad you don’t live in Iowa!! But reading your articles from afar is a blessing. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and encouragement.
With the cardio “shock” exercise that you recommend, is that also recommended for someone just getting started as well? I don’t have access to equipment, so I mainly walk in my neighborhood and ride my bike.