Cardio Machines, Losing Fat, and Thinking Your Way to a Better Body

In some circles within the fitness industry (especially with more "hardcore" fitness fanatics), most cardio machines are thought to be like hamster wheels. You know what a hamster wheel is - the little wheel in your hamster's cage that the little guy gets on and runs and runs and runs and runs and runs... but never gets anywhere. A lot of people think of cardio machines in the same way. People get on these machines, and just go and go and go... but never get anywhere. One of the biggest reasons that many oppose the use of cardio machines is that there is no real "thinking" involved. All you have to do is climb into the machine and move. You don't move anywhere, you don't have to think about your movements, or anything.

Why Dumbbells Should Be in Your Cardio Workout

Most folks think that dumbbells (DBs) should just be used for strength training, and don't really have a place in a cardio workout. This really just isn't true. Now, it is true that DBs are usually used for strength training. And that's fine. You should be doing strength training in conjuction with your cardio workouts, anyway. Strength training builds muscle (something cardio alone won't do). In addition to being stronger, the extra muscle you'll build will burn more calories at rest. (Or, in other words, it takes more calories to maintain muscle than it does fat. So, if two people weigh the same, are the same height, and have roughly the same bone structure, if one is muscular, while the other is fat, the muscular one will actually burn more calories just maintain his body.

Dumbbells - The 'El-Cheapo' Cardio Workout

Fitness gadgets are freakin' everywhere. TV, stores, informercials, the interet... jeez. And most are really expensive. And most also really suck. Instead of spending hundreds (or even thousands! ) of dollars, spend a few bucks, get a pair of decent dumbbells, and get your cardio workout with those! You can get super-intense cardio workouts with dumbbells (DBs) by simply doing a few sets of clean & press, snatches, squats, rows, or the like. Do them with one arm at a time, and you'll effectively double the work you have to do (especially with full-body exercises like the clean & press and snatch). Or, you can really ramp up the workload by doing complexes - series of multiple exercises done back to back without rest.

How to Make Your Own Dumbbells and Do Cardio at Home

Dumbbells (DBs) are a great way to get a cardio workout at home (or anyplace else you want to take them, for that matter). A few sets of mult-joint movements like squats, rows, or the like not only will help you build muscle, but also get you huffing and puffing better than any cardio workout. Do some full-body exercises like clean & press, snatch, or swing, and you've upped the ante just that much more. And by looking around classifieds, Craigslist, eBay, garage sales, or even buying them new, you can get plates for adjustable DB handles for super cheap. It's the best of two worlds - great benefits at a great price! However, the "spin-lock" handles you often often (the kind that have threaded ends with a star-like collar that spin onto the end like a giant nut on a bolt) can be kind of "iffy".

How to Set Up a Bodyweight Cardio Workout

Bodyweight Cardio is a new buzzword which basically means replacing your cardio workouts with bodyweight workouts. There are multiple ways to set up a Bodyweight Cardio workout. However, most bodyweight cardio workouts are meant to be more cardio-type workouts rather than muscular endurance or strength workouts (obviously). So, you want to choose exercises that do not stress your muscles as hard aspushups or pullups (unless pushups and pullups are easy for you). The best way to set up a bodyweight cardio workout is to use Calisthenics Movements, such as jumping jacks and running in place. Here is a sample Bodyweight Cardio I've created: Perform 8 rounds of: Steam Engine, 20 seconds 10 Seconds Rest Bear Crawls, 20 seconds 10 Seconds Rest Inch Work, 20 seconds 10 Seconds Rest Ice Skater Hops, 20 seconds 10 seconds Rest As you can see, the movement I used in this workout do require some muscular endurance, but are not as tough as a pushup or pullup.