Cardio Training For Busy People

Or For Those Who Want To Get It Over And Done With

Cardio exercise, otherwise known as going to the dentist and getting a tooth pulled without painkillers, is not my favorite. Please give me some dumbbells over a treadmill any time. But I have to balance this with the fact cardiovascular exercise in combination with a balanced diet will reduce your chances of dying from the world’s biggest killer, heart disease.

So, cardio is king if you want to live longer, have a better quality of life, and have a bigger aerobic engine to do more stuff without running out of breath. Here, we’ll discuss two reasons why cardio is so essential and four cardio training for those who lack time or want to get it over and done with.

But Really, Do I Have To Do Cardio?

Well, you can lift weights faster and feel like you’re doing cardio, but there is no substitute for the real thing for two reasons: health and vanity.

Health

Regular cardio helps lower blood pressure and keep your arteries functioning better by raising “good” “high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and lowering “bad” “low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels in your blood, lowering your cardiovascular disease risk. Cardio exercise helps reduce your body’s stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol) and stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that are the body’s natural mood elevators. And let’s face it, you could all do with reducing stress while improving your mood.

Vanity

Although strength training should be your primary method for fat loss, cardio has its place, too. Because every liter of oxygen you breathe burns about five calories. And increasing your O2 requirements (by sucking in air) will assist with your fat loss efforts too. (1) 

When performed regularly, your cardiovascular system works efficiently, increasing capillary growth in the muscles and improving blood circulation within the muscles. It then transports O2 and other nutrients more efficiently and removes waste products (CO2 and lactic acid). An efficient cardiovascular system improves stamina, allowing you to work harder at higher intensities and speeding up your recovery—a win-win for your fat loss and muscle-building efforts.

4 Cardio Training For Busy People

Long-duration cardio on a machine is fantastic for many people, but like the dentist, I’d rather get cardio over and done with. If you feel the same, here are four short-duration, high-intensity cardiovascular training sessions for busy people.  

Outdoor Cardio Sweat Fest

Following each bodyweight strength exercise, there will be a cardio move for reps. You will have one minute to complete each of the five supersets below. If you finish before the minute is up, that is your rest before moving on to the next one. Complete three circuits in 15 minutes for your cardio goodness.

Note: this is a workout I wrote for Muscle And Fitness, and by all means, it can be performed indoors.

Strength 1A. Bodyweight Jump Squats 10-12 reps

Cardio move: High knees, 20 reps per side

Strength 1B. Push Up With 3 second Pause 10 reps

Cardio move: Iceskaters 15 reps per side

Strength 1C. Reverse Lunge With Kick 8 reps per side

Cardio move: High Knees, 20 reps per side

Strength 1D. Bent Over I YT 5 reps of each

Cardio move: Iceskaters 15 reps per side

Strength 1E. Front Plank With Shoulder Tap 8-12 reps per side

Cardio move: High Knees, 20 reps per side

30/30 Cardio

When you don’t have access to cardio machines (or don’t like them, as I do) and have no place to move, 30 seconds of any bodyweight exercise followed by 30 seconds of rest for a 10-minute circuit is perfect. Repeat this once or twice for a total of two to three circuits.

Here is an example.

Jump squats

Rest

High Knees

Rest

Front Plank

Rest

Alternating Side Lunges

Rest

Push Ups

Rest

Prisoner Squats

Rest

Running In place

Rest

Alternating Reverse Lunges

Rest

Bent Over IYT

Rest

Bunny Hops

Done

Cardio 100

Try this for a short, sweet, and effective routine. Do 100 kettlebell swings and 100 slams broken up into 10-20 or 25 rep sets. Alternate between the two exercises until you get to 100 reps. In the Cardio 100 method, you can substitute exercises like bodyweight squats, push-ups, lunges, and high knees. Any rhythmic exercise that increases the heart rate and can be done for 25 reps works.

Battle Ropes-Side Plank Combo

Stuart McGill, Ph.D. professor of Spine Biomechanics at the University of Waterloo, improved the core stability and explosive power of NBA players by holding a front or side plank after completing treadmill sprints. Although there are no treadmill sprints here, the same principle applies.

Do any battle rope variation for 30 seconds and then immediately get into the side plank. Make sure to breathe down into your belly while holding your body in a straight line. Hold it for 30 seconds on one side only. Return to the battle ropes for 30 seconds and do the side plank on the other side. Repeat this sequence for 10 minutes.

Wrapping Up

Although cardio is a necessary evil for many, you must make time during your week to work up a sweat. Lack of time will always be a reason/excuse for not working out, but your health doesn’t need excuses; it requires action.

If you want a copy of the above training, contact me here, and I’ll send it to you.