Global Fitness Leominster Owner's Notes

I was speaking to a long time member and couldn't help noticing what great results she had gotten recently so I asked her what she'd been doing so right. Her answer made me very happy for two reasons. First, she had stopped committing a very common mistake that holds a lot of people back. Second, she had gotten the advice from a Global Fitness Personal Trainer.

I'll get to what her specific change was a little later. First, I want to share a few tips that can help anyone keep the results coming.

There are actually hundreds of effective tips for doing cardiovascular exercise that can really accelerate your results. I have tried to narrow it down to the Top Five Cardio Tips. If you didn't get a chance to read my last article, which covered Five Simple Changes to Your Strength Training Program to Break Through Plateaus, please check it out when you're done reading this one.

Tip #1 Frequency Varying how often you do your cardio workouts can shock your body into results. If you do cardio three times per week, try increasing that to four times per week for a few weeks even if you have to temporarily sacrifice a strength workout. On the other hand, if you're doing cardio six days per week, try cutting down the number of sessions. If you have time, try doing double sessions for one week, once in the morning and once in the evening.

Tip #2 Intensity Varying the intensity of your workout is very, very important. In cardio training, rating your intensity is usually done using your perceived exertion. Basically, you rate how you feel on a scale of 1 to 20 with one being very easy to 20 being so difficult you must stop. By bumping up the intensity a couple of notches, your body will be forced to respond to the new stimulus.

I am a huge fan of interval training, which is when you alternate your cardio intensity between low and high for short periods of time. Doing cardio at the same level/speed for the entire session is not as effective as varying the intensity. Plus, going at a steady pace is just plain boring. If your workouts are boring, your results will be boring.

Tip #3 Time Too many people do the same session length or the same distance every time they do cardio training. For example, a person might just robotically do cardio either for 30 minutes or for 3 miles EVERY time he or she works out. The duration or distance of your cardio sessions should change all the time. This principle is directly related to Tip #2 since changing your intensity level might limit the time you can do a session. If you do your cardio at a high level of intensity, your session might be shorter. That's o.k. If you are in a recovery session where you're going easy, you might do a longer session. The point is not to get locked into the same session length.

Tip #4 Type I feel this tip is the most important one for many reasons. If you only use an elliptical trainer every time you do cardio, your body will get very good at that movement. You might think you are in great cardiovascular shape but then you go take a Kick or Ride class and you find yourself challenged. This is known as specificity.

Changing how you do your cardio will really shock your body. If you only use a treadmill, try switching to a bike or taking a Group Step class, which will cause your body to work differently and thereby encourage continued results. You will also reduce the risk of an overuse injury, as you will work your body differently.

These four principles are called F.I.T.T. As you are driving to the club or getting changed in the locker room, think back to your last cardio session and think about changing something. Try to develop a long-term plan where you change your cardio sessions on a regular basis.

Tip #5 Order Trainers have debated this tip for years and I am going to take a different approach. Some trainers will tell you to always do your weight training first. The thought process is by expending stored carbohydrates while lifting weights; you will use stored body fat for energy during your subsequent cardio session. That's great but you mustn't get locked into just one way of doing things.

Remember the member I mentioned earlier? The difference for her was that she changed the order of her cardio and weight training. Within 2 weeks, she had lost 5 pounds! The key was she CHANGED what she was doing and got new results. As long as you're excercising safely, then one workout is not always going to be better than another. You've got to CHANGE. I think there's a theme developing here.

Another key component of continued results is incorporating resistance and cardiovascular training into your program. I see too many people who think weight loss comes only from lots of cardio and a low calorie diet. This creates more frustration than anything else.

Body fat reduction is achieved with a three-pronged approach: strength training, cardio training and healthy eating. Think of a stool with three legs. If you only have two legs under a stool, it will tip over. All three components must be put together to get great results.

Make sure you are doing some strength training AND cardio and that you vary the order in which you work out on a regular basis. For three weeks, try doing your strength workout before cardio. Then in the next three weeks, reverse it!

That is a lot of information. I hope you find it useful. Remember that our Global Fitness trainers are always here to help you out. Summer is coming. Put a plan together so you don't skip workouts or meals. With a little planning, you can get that "beach body" you've been thinking about all winter long.