7 Day Fitness Blog

Cardiovascular home workout ("cardio" for short) is simply the home workout that elevates the heart rate for an extended period of time and its most important to your overall health weightlifting. The best part is that cardio helps you lose fat, feel better and look better! The quickest way to look like you have packed on 10 pounds of muscle is to lose 10 pounds of fat, a bodybuilder really cool illusion. It may take a year to add muscle, but in a month can be seen only by the more muscular fat loss, body fat is because the body rotates and formless, hiding the muscles.

Many people mistakenly think cardio will make them avoid losing muscle mass or interfere with their ability to add muscle - this is a myth! Cardio does not burn muscle and, in fact, can help you gain muscle!

Cardio is a big issue and we will cover in detail here. Discuss how much cardio to do, when to do cardio, how to know what is good cardio, and what type of cardio is the best. It also covers how to buy cardio equipment you need advice on what to buy for home use. You can also watch my videos cardio if you prefer not to read this information.



The Importance of Cardio

Here are some good reasons to do cardio:

To lose fat and look better! - Do you want six-pack abs? Only way to lose fat is through cardio and proper nutrition.
Cardio can improve mood and reduce depression significantly. It has been demonstrated by several studies, cardio can make it happy!
A better performance at school or work! Cardio daily reduces mental fatigue and gives you more energy. A recent study by the U of G showed that cardio daily reduces fatigue by 65%
To live a long and healthy life.
To help gain muscle.

Cardiovascular home workout should not be boring, if it is then you are doing something wrong! There are many types of cardio, running not only the traditional! You can do interval training if you are bored running. You can find a team sport you like and do it with a friend or spouse and the time will fly. If you are stuck inside a machine, and then find a good book, listen to the radio or watching TV - find a way to make it interesting and I have little time enjoyable. If then run to the gym, walking children to school, walking the dog, or start using the bike for transportation.



How much cardio?

If you are happy with your body fat percentage and just want to keep your heart healthy and follow the American Heart Association guidelines and do 30 minutes of light home workout (walking, gardening, etc.) per day. If you want to lose body fat and then try to do 30-60 minutes of vigorous cardiovascular home workout (swimming, running, fast cycling) every day. Remember, cardio will not burn muscle!

What if I just do not have time for cardio? There are other types of cardiovascular home workouts that require less time, but they carry a higher risk. It's much better if you can find a part of your week you can go cycling or walking for transportation instead of driving. Time sitting in traffic is not only expensive, but it is a waste of time, try to find a way to ride a bike or walking instead of driving the car.



When should you do your cardio?

There is great confusion about when to do cardio, I get this question all the time! As many of you have heard, do cardio before eating in the morning burns more calories than it is the best time? Many believe that the best time to do cardio is before weight training to provide a warm up, but like many believe that the right time is later. Who is right? None of them! All of them!

The right time to do cardio is when it is most likely to do! Cardio is very important and it is 100x more important than you actually do your cardio when to do it! Let's look at some of the pros and cons of doing cardio several times.

Do cardio and weight training separately

Its ideal to make your cardio and weight training completely separately, ie with four or more hours of rest in between. In this way, or training interferes with the other and that every effort can give 110%. For those of us who work out at home, this is easy to do. Those who go to gyms, and its so easy, if you depend on fixed equipment for cardio, because then you need to make a second trip to the gym. Now let's look at the commitments that are not optimal.

Doing cardio before breakfast

Yes, studies have shown that burn more calories when you do cardio before breakfast, but it's a lousy time to do cardio, in my opinion, because you do your cardio for almost all the time. Who can concentrate on cardio and stomach growling and feel weak from lack of food? I do not! Also, doing cardio before breakfast is the most convenient time for most people.

Doing cardio before weight training

Fans of doing cardio before a weight training about their ability to help warm the muscles to prevent injury, it is true that it does. For those fitness novices or are very overweight, walking or jogging cardio light is recommended. For these people make their light walking or jogging before weight training is perfect, which is heated and does not interfere with your weight training. On the other hand, athletes from intermediate to advanced level need to strive much harder on their cardio workouts - get your heart rate higher and keep it elevated for longer. This intensity cardio to escape the body to the point where weight training is mediocre at best reduce the potential strength and mass gains. If you are an intermediate or advanced athlete, whose time is scarce and not feel it is important to add more muscle mass by doing cardio after weight training is acceptable, if not find a better time to do cardio.

Doing cardio after weight training

Doing cardio after weight training is my personal favorite, is not optimal but it is a very good use of time, if you are doing your cardio at the gym, because it eliminates the need for a second trip to the gym. I always find that even after an intense weight training, cardio can still give the intensity you need. One thing I always do, but it is sure to eat a small meal after lifting weights before cardio. Mealtimes are important and it is important to get a meal after weight lifting and to wait until after 45 minutes of cardio, shower, and get home too late. If you do your cardio after weight training, you need to find some alternative way to warm up muscles before weight training, not a big deal.