Need help with Cardio

MuirinArcher

I hate that I can't run because my knees are *kitten*.
And I hate my immediate boredom with using the elliptical. When I do push myself on the elliptical, my heart rate goes way too high and I know it's not helping in the way I need it to.
How do I get past the boredom? How do I fix the heartrate nonsense?
Help.

IronSmasher

Why is the heartrate an issue?
Medical reason?

Heartrate will improve with fitness improvements.

keithw2013

Any place that you work out do they have a rowing machine or an Air-Dyne?

Another option which people hate because - well, it works - is the burpee. Burpees are likely the single best exercise ever devised. Ride the elliptical for 5 minutes, get off and do 10 burpees. Then ride the elliptical for another 5 minutes - get off and do 25 jumping jacks.

Thoughts?

MuirinArcher

Well, I know that you have to have your heartrate at a certain range to maximize efficiency, and I'm much over that.

@keithw2013‌ What's a burpee? I don't ever remember that name from when I was a gym nut back in school. And jumping jacks are way out of the question due to my knees.

IronSmasher

No, you don't and no you're not.

All the cool kids are doing high intensity stuff nowadays. I'm not really that much of a fan, I like stuff that people are more likely to enjoy and come back to.

Anyway, you sound like you might be talking about the dreaded heartrate zone myths.

For avoiding bordom, you could try circuits or classes but knee impact may be an issue.
You might enjoy weights circuits or kettlebells.

LazyNightOwl

burpee's are just above bamboo under the nails on the torture scale lol
(not helpful Jen...bad!)
I walk on a treadmill but jack up the incline and keep an eye on my heart rate, I don't let the fact that I'm going way slower than others because I'm at the heart rate that I need to be at. You may want to try it, unless the treadmill is too hard on your knees. Some of the people at my gym go backwards on the elliptical. I don't like them, it makes the muscles on the front of my calves super bulgy.

ThePoeToaster

Actually, you can pop on a treadmill and just walk. Increase the intensity by raising the incline. Are you wearing a hr monitor?

By the way, a "burpee" used to be called a "squat thrust."

MuirinArcher

Oooh I remember squat thrusts. Why did they change the name to something dumb like Burpee? Ew.

And the heart rate zone thing isn't real?

Ugh I hate being so dumb about this stuff.

obscuremusicreference

Don't feel bad, everyone has some area where they're dumb. It's good that you're asking rather than sabotaging yourself by not going as hard as you could or worse, getting hurt.