How To Design A Work Out – Part 4, cardio options.

We’ve been talking about designing a workout this week. We went over weight training and the basics of cardio. Today, let’s talk about your cardio options.

Gym Cardio Options

Most gyms will group all the cardio options into one area. I’m going to review them here and then talk a little bit about some other options that might not be in this area.

Treadmill - The old standard. A treadmill is simple. You choose your speed and off you go. There are a variety of options such as incline, which simulates running up hill, and pattern, which will make the workout easier and harder based on some kind of goal.

• Advantages – Treadmills are great for your overall health and provide an amazing cardio workout. They’re also easy to use and, once you’re on them, they keep you moving at a steady pace without any attention from you. This makes them ideal for people who like to zone out during workouts.
• Disadvantages – The down side to treadmills is the emphasis on your legs. Even though treadmills are shock absorbent, The running motion will still cause quite a bit of impact damage to your feet and lower legs. I first started my cardio workouts by running four times a week. One stress fracture in my right foot later and I toned that down to twice a week.

Stationary Bike – Sit down and start peddling! Like the treadmill, the stationary bike has options that will simulate tougher rides and others that will change settings through your ride to make it easier and harder.

• Advantages – Zero impact. Almost no chance of stress injuries. Very easy to read or even work while on the bike since your upper half is essentially uninvolved in the workout.
• Disadvantages – Since you set your own pace, it’s very easy to find yourself going slower than you intended and not getting a good workout. Also, I find bike cardio to be very hard on the same day that I do my legs weight workout. My leg muscles are tired and pushing those peddles for a long period of time seems impossible.

Elliptical - A relatively recent addition to gyms which has become very popular in the last few years. Elliptical simulate a sort of walking motion but without a treadmill. Ellipticals will usually have levers so you can add arm motion into the workout. Like bikes and treadmills, they will usually have a variety of options to customize your workout.

• Advantages – Amazing workout! The elliptical gets your whole body involved. The elliptical also has almost no impact so stress injuries are very rare. You can do things like listen to music or watch TV while on an elliptical, but it’s not quite as convenient as a stationary bike since your whole body is moving.
• Disadvantages – Like a bike, an elliptical relies on you to set your own pace. That means some people might be tempted or distracted into going slower than they should.

Stairclimber - Sort of like a very short escalator, the stair climber makes you climb stairs. You set the speed and away you go.

• Advantages – Good cardio workout. You’ll be amazed at how difficult it is to climb those stairs, even at a slow pace. Very low impact since you’re not moving as quickly as on a treadmill.
• Disadvantages – Hard to find these in most gyms. Plus the stair climber really only works out your legs. Also, I’ve noticed a lot of people will tend to cheat and hold on to the side of the machine with their arms while doing this. Sorry, but that’s bad form. If you’re hanging by your arms, you’re not really getting a good workout.

Other Cardio Options

These are some other options you have at gyms, which may not be included in the cardio area:

Swimming - If you’re lucky, your gym will have a good lap pool. Jump on in and start swimming.

• Advantages – This is the best cardio workout you can get in my opinion. Swimming gets your entire body involved, even more than an elliptical. There’s zero impact so almost no chance of injury.
• Disadvantages – Need a lot of special equipment and preparation. It’s not quite as easy as stepping onto the treadmill. Also, swimming suffers from the same issue as bikes and ellipticals, you set your own pace so it can be hard to maintain a really good workout. Finally, many people find swimming very boring. You can’t listen to music, you can’t watch TV or read a magazine. All you can do is swim back and forth.

Cardio Classes – These are the various classes offered by gyms. They include things like kickboxing aerobics, spinning jazzercize and so on. First, let’s get one thing straight. These classes are not just for women only. Most men think of these as a weak form of exercise that doesn’t really challenge you. They prefer to sweat alone on the treadmill. However, I would challenge some men in the crowd to join one of these. You’ll find that you can barely keep.

• Advantages – You have an instructor to show you proper form. The class also sets the pace which means you can’t slow down like you can on a bike or while swimming.
• Disadvantages – Now you’re on someone else’s schedule which means it may not be convenient for you. Also, some classes do impact your feet quite a bit.

So What To Pick?

I would recommend trying all of these at least two or three times and then set up a schedule that uses some kind of mix. For example, my old cardio schedule was treadmill twice a week, elliptical once a week and a cardio class once a week. At my new gym, which does not offer cardio classes, my schedule is treadmill twice a week, elliptical once a week and bike once a week.

How To Start?

Start slow and keep your goals low. Then increase with time. For example, when I started on the treadmill I aimed for 15 minutes at 4.5 mph with an incline of 0%. That’s a really easy workout, but it was difficult for me back then. Every two weeks I would improve something. I might add 1 minute or I might add .1mph. These days, my treadmill workout is 40 minutes at 6.5mph with a 1.5% incline. Keep in mind, you’re not going to become a marathon runner overnight. Take your time and improve gradually. And as always, if you have any kind of medical issue, please consult with a doctor before starting any kind of cardio regime.