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conditioning versus cardio. tell me what you think.
mike_littlerock
Posts: 296 Member
i was going to post that i did my super-duper (patent pending) conditioning pyramid.. its tough, wears me out but what a burner and very time efficient. Before I talk about that, i will point you to Alwyn Cosgrove, and his article on the Hierarchy of Fat Loss.
http://alwyncosgrove.com/2010/01/hierarchy-of-fat-loss/
great read, and mentions that conditioning like I am talking about burns several TIMES more fat versus traditional cardio.
that being said, here is the conditioning i did tonight after my leg workout.
start off on Treadmill at a nice walking pace to warmup for 2 minutes. I usually do 2.8-3.0 miles per hour.
at the 2 minute mark.. speed it up. I will give you my speeds, which are based on my top speed. you can adjust the start speed and speed increases based on your ability.
my drill is:
after 2 minute mark i speed up to 6.0 mph. i do 70 seconds at 6.0 then jump off the belt with my feet on the sides of the machine.. i think speed it up to 7.0 mph.. 40 second rest, then
60 seconds at 7mph (rest)
50 seconds at 8mph (rest)
40 seconds at 9mph (rest)
30 seconds at 10mph (rest)
20 seconds at 11 mph (rest)
20 seconds at 12 mph (rest)
20 seconds at 11 (rest)
30 seconds at 10 (rest)
40 seconds at 9 (rest)
50 seconds at 8 (rest)
60 seconds at 7
slow down to 3MPH (which feels VERY slow) and cool down for 2 minutes
about "rest".. depending on your fitness level, you can do the rest interval one of two ways.
a) sliding window for rest.. rest window will increase as the speed does.. you might rest 30 seconds at slower speeds and a 40 or 60 at top speeds.
b) heart rate recovery.. Keep in mind that you do not want to go above your max heart rate.. Many calculators for max heart rate, can be found here. http://www.brianmac.co.uk/maxhr.htm. for me, i like to keep at at a max (ONLY for a short period) at 170-175.
you then can use your heart rate monitor, or the one build on the treadmill, and base your rest period on a 30 beat or 40 beat recovery.. example.. if at a speed my heart rate hits 170, i would recover to 140 if i used 30 beat recovery.
either way for recovery, I like to keep it going, and not wait too long before jumping back in. I think of it like in a sporting event where you do not have the luxury to completely catch your breath.. you have a bit of a break and go for it again.
cautions/caveats.
1) I have been working out hard for over a year. I have had a stress test by my doctor and passed with flying colors. I would not try ANYTHING very stressful unless i was checked out by my doctor.
2) depends on your ability and your coordination.. if you are a bit klutzy, then jumping on and off a moving treadmill might be a challenge. lol. if that is the case, you can easily substitute a stationary bike.. keep the tension high enough for your sprints.
3) the numbers above work for me and i would not suggest that you use those number your first time. I have done this workout for some time and have increased my speeds as my ability progressed. 12 miles an hour is hauling butt on a treadmill, and some people might wonder what the heck you are doing, but that does not bother me. if the peak speed you can comfortable do is 8mph for example. you can start at 4 mph and ramp up.. you can also change the amount of increase for each interval.. you could do an increase of .5mph instead of full mile per hour increases.
4) for your first time.. try 6 rounds instead of 12. if you have not sprinted in a long time. you will notice that it does make you sore.
5) the BEST way to do it is to do this workout outside.. WAY easier, WAY less complex.. dont pick super long stretches for your sprint.. on a track I do 15-20 yards, 25 is about the most i like to do.
6) if uncomfortable.. DONT DO IT. its not easy, its not fun, it IS challenging but its a great workout if you are ready for it. There is no way i could have done this workout a year ago but i love it now.
my 2 cents. works for me and others,but not right for everyone.
http://alwyncosgrove.com/2010/01/hierarchy-of-fat-loss/
great read, and mentions that conditioning like I am talking about burns several TIMES more fat versus traditional cardio.
that being said, here is the conditioning i did tonight after my leg workout.
start off on Treadmill at a nice walking pace to warmup for 2 minutes. I usually do 2.8-3.0 miles per hour.
at the 2 minute mark.. speed it up. I will give you my speeds, which are based on my top speed. you can adjust the start speed and speed increases based on your ability.
my drill is:
after 2 minute mark i speed up to 6.0 mph. i do 70 seconds at 6.0 then jump off the belt with my feet on the sides of the machine.. i think speed it up to 7.0 mph.. 40 second rest, then
60 seconds at 7mph (rest)
50 seconds at 8mph (rest)
40 seconds at 9mph (rest)
30 seconds at 10mph (rest)
20 seconds at 11 mph (rest)
20 seconds at 12 mph (rest)
20 seconds at 11 (rest)
30 seconds at 10 (rest)
40 seconds at 9 (rest)
50 seconds at 8 (rest)
60 seconds at 7
slow down to 3MPH (which feels VERY slow) and cool down for 2 minutes
about "rest".. depending on your fitness level, you can do the rest interval one of two ways.
a) sliding window for rest.. rest window will increase as the speed does.. you might rest 30 seconds at slower speeds and a 40 or 60 at top speeds.
b) heart rate recovery.. Keep in mind that you do not want to go above your max heart rate.. Many calculators for max heart rate, can be found here. http://www.brianmac.co.uk/maxhr.htm. for me, i like to keep at at a max (ONLY for a short period) at 170-175.
you then can use your heart rate monitor, or the one build on the treadmill, and base your rest period on a 30 beat or 40 beat recovery.. example.. if at a speed my heart rate hits 170, i would recover to 140 if i used 30 beat recovery.
either way for recovery, I like to keep it going, and not wait too long before jumping back in. I think of it like in a sporting event where you do not have the luxury to completely catch your breath.. you have a bit of a break and go for it again.
cautions/caveats.
1) I have been working out hard for over a year. I have had a stress test by my doctor and passed with flying colors. I would not try ANYTHING very stressful unless i was checked out by my doctor.
2) depends on your ability and your coordination.. if you are a bit klutzy, then jumping on and off a moving treadmill might be a challenge. lol. if that is the case, you can easily substitute a stationary bike.. keep the tension high enough for your sprints.
3) the numbers above work for me and i would not suggest that you use those number your first time. I have done this workout for some time and have increased my speeds as my ability progressed. 12 miles an hour is hauling butt on a treadmill, and some people might wonder what the heck you are doing, but that does not bother me. if the peak speed you can comfortable do is 8mph for example. you can start at 4 mph and ramp up.. you can also change the amount of increase for each interval.. you could do an increase of .5mph instead of full mile per hour increases.
4) for your first time.. try 6 rounds instead of 12. if you have not sprinted in a long time. you will notice that it does make you sore.
5) the BEST way to do it is to do this workout outside.. WAY easier, WAY less complex.. dont pick super long stretches for your sprint.. on a track I do 15-20 yards, 25 is about the most i like to do.
6) if uncomfortable.. DONT DO IT. its not easy, its not fun, it IS challenging but its a great workout if you are ready for it. There is no way i could have done this workout a year ago but i love it now.
my 2 cents. works for me and others,but not right for everyone.
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Replies
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I am just now starting to exercise and work out, so this would probably kill me LOL0
This discussion has been closed.