Best Cardio?

Blahjaz
Blahjaz Posts: 12 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey there!

Just wondering what everyone personally thinks is the most effective cardio. I have been doing elliptical, and it has been giving me the results I want so far (it's only been a week), but I keep hearing people say things along the lines of "The elliptical is a lot of momentum, you should just run if you want to lose weight, it's not actually helping you much" etc.

Even though this seems to be working, is there something out there that's much better and still enjoyable? I really like doing the elliptical because it makes me very tired/gets my heart rate pretty high without absolutely destroying me (I have no stamina, haha), and doesn't hurt my knees, but I'm wondering if what I'm doing just isn't enough?

What are your personal favorite forms of cardio?
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Replies

  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    "Most effective" is pretty subjective!

    My favourite form of cardio is running, running outside not on a dreadmill followed very closely by cycling and in a very close 3rd place rowing.

    The truth is the best exercise (or most effective) is the one you enjoy and are going to keep at, potentially for the rest of your life. Try a variety of activities and don't forget to include some strength training.The benefits of fitness only increase as we age.
  • rllewell
    rllewell Posts: 234
    The truth is the best exercise (or most effective) is the one you enjoy and are going to keep at, potentially for the rest of your life. Try a variety of activities and don't forget to include some strength training.The benefits of fitness only increase as we age.

    Agree. My cardio comes mostly from elliptical machines and running. I look for a machine that works my legs and arms together and I build up my endurance through increasing the tension and also increasing my own pace. Look at all adjustments of the machines, many allow you to increase your leg stride and tilt. Experiment with increasing the tension or level of the machine, try a HITT routine while on the machine before you move on to something else after only a week.
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
    The most effective cardio for me is HIIT. I like my cardio once a week in a wham-bam-thank-you-maam, kind of way. I will never get on an elliptical because I hate it. Finding something you enjoy and will keep up with is most of the battle. If you like the elliptical, then continue on.

    Just out of curiosity, what results has it given you in a week?
  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
    intercourse, obviously.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    "Best Cardio" is subjective, and it depends on what you want the cardio to do for you. It seems you are asking more in terms of weight loss than cardiovascular health or endurance, in which case the best cardio is the one you are going to do and works for you. I have knee issues as well, so there is some cardio that I just can't do for very long because it hurts, and that's counterproductive if I am trying to burn more calories.

    If the elliptical works for you, use it. You don't just have to go at the same steady pace for the entire workout, you can change it up up by doing changes to the speed and intensity of the workout. HIIT is supposed to have some great fat burning effects, especially post workout, and you could do a HIIT routine on the elliptical for the same amount of time you use the elliptical now, although it will kick your butt. Do a search on the message boards for HIIT, there are a bunch of threads about it, or maybe someone else who is more knowledgeable will jump in and explain it. I'm not the person to do that having no firsthand experience myself.
  • NicoleSchimmel
    NicoleSchimmel Posts: 162 Member
    Any type of cardio is good, but some are easier on the body than others. I even heard that walking (for more than 30 minutes) is "effective" as well.
  • sweetpea03b
    sweetpea03b Posts: 1,123 Member
    I enjoy running... but I think High Intensity Interval Training is probably the most effective. High, Low, High, Low. That's how I complete my runs as well to get the most bang for my buck. I have a few DVD's I do at home including my fav Gold's Gym Sculpt and Burn that has several 10min sections that are based on intervals (high, low). 30 Day Shred is also structured that way.
  • ajaxe432
    ajaxe432 Posts: 608 Member
    Numerous ways of cardio, but there really is no "best way" for cardio. It is mainly your preferance. Some say HIIT is better, some say running is better. There really is no scientific evidence that shows one is superior to the other. Do what you feel is best and like the most:)
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
    What ever your body can tolerate.
    I swim. Love it, in part, because I don't feel myself sweating :)
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    intercourse, obviously.

    This.

    If that's not an option, mountain biking. Very few other cardio activities will give you a full body workout like mountain biking. Very, very few are as fun!
  • jim9097
    jim9097 Posts: 341 Member
    Depends on your intended results. Aerobic, anarobic??? I do some muay thai every now and again and both are important. If you are only slightly active maybe you don't care about creating ATP efficiently enough to operate without O2 for 30-60 seconds. So depends what you are trying to do.
  • ajaxe432
    ajaxe432 Posts: 608 Member
    intercourse, obviously.

    This.

    If that's not an option, mountain biking. Very few other cardio activities will give you a full body workout like mountain biking. Very, very few are as fun!
    Mountain climbing, swimming, surfing to name a few! Although I do love mountain biking:)
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
    The best cardio is the one you enjoy.
  • markpmc
    markpmc Posts: 240 Member
    The most effective cardio for me is HIIT. I like my cardio once a week in a wham-bam-thank-you-maam, kind of way. I will never get on an elliptical because I hate it. Finding something you enjoy and will keep up with is most of the battle. If you like the elliptical, then continue on.

    Just out of curiosity, what results has it given you in a week?


    +1. HIIT twice a week
  • joe_d
    joe_d Posts: 73 Member
    Agree with the folks who have suggested HIIT (high intensity interval training). This is a technique you can use with any form of cardio, and if you start working intervals into your routines and work to make them longer and/or more intense, you'll really see a difference in your stamina and maybe even strength, body composition, and weight.

    I do a lot of elliptical--I don't think there's any shame in that vs. running--and mix in a fair amount of HIIT. I also row (again with HIIT), and for strength do kettlebell training--which also has some segments of intervals that provide cardio work as well.

    As others have advised, do what you most enjoy since that'll help you to keep working out, but don't just log x number of minutes at the same resistance for weeks on end. Push yourself to work harder each week. Good luck!
  • ajaxe432
    ajaxe432 Posts: 608 Member
    Depends on your intended results. Aerobic, anarobic??? I do some muay thai every now and again and both are important. If you are only slightly active maybe you don't care about creating ATP efficiently enough to operate without O2 for 30-60 seconds. So depends what you are trying to do.
    ::huh:
  • Marcia315
    Marcia315 Posts: 460 Member
    The best cardio is the one that you are going to do.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Cycling....no question......for me :)
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
    Depends on your intended results. Aerobic, anarobic??? I do some muay thai every now and again and both are important. If you are only slightly active maybe you don't care about creating ATP efficiently enough to operate without O2 for 30-60 seconds. So depends what you are trying to do.
    ::huh:

    I would consider myself pretty active and even then I don't care about creating ATP efficiently enough to operate without O2 for 30-60 secs. Even worse, I don't even know what the heck ATP is!
  • ScottH_200
    ScottH_200 Posts: 377 Member
    intercourse, obviously.

    Does the HIIT method work with intercourse?
  • happysherri
    happysherri Posts: 1,360 Member
    My favorite is Volleyball. I also like Plyometrics
  • Shreddingit84
    Shreddingit84 Posts: 330
    Dancing!! Latin and house get that body shaping up..
  • BenjaminMFP88
    BenjaminMFP88 Posts: 660 Member
    Well HIIT has been proposed to increase net caloric expendature of aproximately 15%, so if you're really want the best, then I'm guessing the various forms of HIIT cardio would be the best. However, as another previously said, the best form is the one you are willing to actually do.
  • jim9097
    jim9097 Posts: 341 Member
    Depends on your intended results. Aerobic, anarobic??? I do some muay thai every now and again and both are important. If you are only slightly active maybe you don't care about creating ATP efficiently enough to operate without O2 for 30-60 seconds. So depends what you are trying to do.
    ::huh:

    I would consider myself pretty active and even then I don't care about creating ATP efficiently enough to operate without O2 for 30-60 secs. Even worse, I don't even know what the heck ATP is!

    All has to do with cellular respiration. I don't feel like playing science nerd today. So google it if you are interested.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I enjoy riding my bike and swimming....other than that...meh...whatever you feel like doing and enjoy. If you're worried about "burn" and just losing weight then you need to understand that creating a calorie deficit is most efficiently accomplished through diet. Exercise is for fitness and overall health and well being....diet is for weight control.
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
    Depends on your intended results. Aerobic, anarobic??? I do some muay thai every now and again and both are important. If you are only slightly active maybe you don't care about creating ATP efficiently enough to operate without O2 for 30-60 seconds. So depends what you are trying to do.
    ::huh:

    I would consider myself pretty active and even then I don't care about creating ATP efficiently enough to operate without O2 for 30-60 secs. Even worse, I don't even know what the heck ATP is!

    All has to do with cellular respiration. I don't feel like playing science nerd today. So google it if you are interested.

    I probably need the picture version with bright colors and shiny objects to understand it since I am not a science nerd.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Agreed, the best cardio is the one you enjoy and will stick with (and not necessarily just one type of cardio, there could be 2 or 3 that you like). I personally can't do the same thing every day because I get bored really quickly. I love to walk outside but that's getting tough this time of year so I do hills or running intervals on the treadmill or use the stairmill or elliptical or stationary bike. I get my best calorie burns on the elliptical at high resistance (they're all different but on our Precor, that's level 12-15) or on the stairmill (level 7 or 8).

    Here's the bottom line, as long as you're enjoying it and getting results, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.
  • Blahjaz
    Blahjaz Posts: 12 Member
    I forgot to add that I follow an interval program during my elliptical workout! I used to try doing one long steady workout, but I found a nice variety filled one on pinterest so that's what I do now. Looks like I will be sticking with it!
  • Blahjaz
    Blahjaz Posts: 12 Member
    3 pounds lost! Before, when I was just doing one long steady workout on it, I wasn't really seeing anything, but now that I'v been doing intervals for the last week (when I started using MFP) I've seen better results. I was aiming for just 2 pounds, and that's what I've always been told is healthy, but after browsing the forum for a while I'm not worried about losing more than that per week.
  • Blahjaz
    Blahjaz Posts: 12 Member
    That's another thing that surprised me. I only started tracking my calories a week ago, but I haven't really changed my diet much, its pretty much the same it has been for the past 3 months. I always assumed I was way overeating, but according to mfp I'm doing pretty good in regards to my diet. Only with the interval exercise on the elliptical has there come any results! I stayed the same weight while exercising moderately before MFP, now I'm starting to get lighter.

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