Regular exercise has been shown to help boost energy levels and enhance your mood. It may also be associated with many other health benefits, including a reduced risk of chronic disease.
Exercise is defined as any movement that makes your muscles work and requires your body to burn calories.
Being active has been shown to have many health benefits, both physically and mentally. It may even help you live longerTrusted Source.
Today we’re going to talk about 10 cardio exercises you can do at the gym.
Basic knowledge of aerobic exercise: high intensity and low intensity
Cardiovascular exercise and aerobic exercise are generally divided into two categories: high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or low-intensity steady-state (LISS) aerobic exercise. Your fitness goals will determine which cardio exercises to use in your fitness program.
High Intensity Interval Training（HIIT）
- HIIT consist of short periods of maximum intensity training followed by lower intensity training. HIIT workouts are short, usually between 10 and 30 minutes, and include a warm-up period and a relaxation period. 85-95% of maximum heart rate, followed by 65-75% of maximum heart rate.
- Benefits burn calories/fat, improve cardiovascular health, and increase metabolic rate.
- If you eat enough protein/calories, you can retain and even build muscle. In general, fat-burning is preferred over LISS, although it remains controversial in the fitness community due to conflicting studies.
- Usually for more advanced exercisers, but beginners can also benefit
Low-intensity steady-state(LISS)
- LISS is a type of aerobic exercise that involves 30 to 60 minutes of low-intensity exercise at a steady, low intensity. These are usually done on cardio machines.
- 65-75% of maximum heart rate
- It is beneficial for improving endurance, recovery/rehabilitation after injury, and long-term calorie burning.
- Perfect for beginners or those with joint problems.
- Bodybuilders often use LISS exercises (such as walking) to burn calories through low-intensity workouts, thereby preventing elevated cortisol.
One study compared the caloric expenditure of strength training, high-intensity interval training, and low-intensity aerobic training on a treadmill and cycling for the same duration. The results showed that HIIT workouts burned significantly more calories than strength training, running, and cycling. High-intensity exercise and rest seem to be the most effective way to burn calories quickly.
Top 10 Aerobic exercises: from light to vigorous
An effective cardio workout should include a warm-up, a main workout, and a relaxation section.
1.Brisk walking or light cycling (low intensity)
Perhaps the easiest cardio exercise is walking! You can replace light cycling, leisurely swimming, or other low-impact exercise with brisk walking. For a person weighing 150 pounds, brisk walking, which is about 3.5 miles per hour, burns about 260 calories per hour.
- Walk briskly (or bike lightly) outside or on a treadmill (or bike) at a steady pace.
- Focus on staying at the same speed all the time.
- 30-60 minutes
- Add a ramp (or other resistance) to the treadmill, or choose a more challenging walking route with hills/slopes for advanced or more difficult options.
2.Self-resetting loop
There are some more advanced loops below, but this self-weight cardio for beginners is simple and effective. The great thing about self-weight exercises is that you can do them anywhere, not just in the gym. After warming up, complete one set of each exercise, then repeat twice for a total of three rounds. To make the plan more challenging, try adding weights to your exercises, adding extra exercises, or adding rounds to your cycle.
- Warm up by walking briskly on the treadmill for 5 minutes (2-3 MPH)
- Exercise (3 rounds) : Jumping jacks: 10-15 reps; Indian squats: 10-15 times; Mountaineers: 10-15 times; Burpees: 5 times
- Relaxation: 5 minutes of static stretching (whole body)
3.Treadmill interval
Basic treadmill interval training is a great introduction to HIIT. This is a direct form of HIIT exercise that alternates light walking with full power sprints.
For a regular treadmill, the following speeds should be used:
- 2-3 MPH = Preheating and cooling speed
- 4-6 MPH = Moderate jogging
- 6-8 MPH = Moderate/fast jogging, about 8-10 minutes miles
- 8-10 MPH = HIIT target speed
- 10-12 MPH = Extremely fast, suitable for advanced runners
- Warm up: Jog gently on the treadmill for 5 minutes (2-3 MPH); 2 minutes of dynamic stretching (kicking, toe touching while walking, holding knees, torso rotation, etc.)
- (2-3 MPH)Exercise: Run for 2 minutes at a pace you can easily run for 5 minutes; Walk easily for 1 minute, keep your abs tight, and breathe deeply to lower your heart rate; Repeat five rounds, increasing your speed by 2-3 degrees (2-3 MPH) per round.
- Relaxation: 5 minutes easy walk
4.10-20-30
The 10-20-30 workout is a common cardio template that can be adjusted for different levels of difficulty. It consists of 30 seconds of low-intensity exercise, 20 seconds of moderate-intensity exercise, and 10 seconds of maximum intensity exercise, hence the “10-20-30″.
5.Resistance Training X cardio cycle
Combining self-weight exercises with aerobic exercise can achieve good exercise results. The research we cited above shows that combining resistance training with aerobic exercise is the best way to burn calories. You can make this beginner level workout more challenging by adding more exercises, using weights, or doing more rounds. Perform each exercise for 30 to 60 seconds, with as little rest between exercises as possible. Repeat multiple rounds. The 30-30 option is the advanced HIIT version of this workout.
The 30-30 program consists of 30 seconds of maximum effort per workout, followed by 30 seconds of active rest, such as jogging in place or sitting against a wall. Repeat several rounds.
6. Rowing machines 1500 meters apart
The rowing machine is one of the best cardio machines because it combines cardio and resistance training. The user grabs a bar from a sitting position (such as cable rowing) and pulls the body toward the chest in a rowing motion. This works the entire body, including the arms, back, core, and legs. Be sure to keep your chest out, feet hip-width apart, and engage your entire body throughout the exercise. The biggest mistake people make is trying to use only their arms.
7. Bicycle Poppy ladder
This exercise follows a ladder form where you climb or drop weights/reps/sets up or down. For this exercise, you start at the top of the ladder and move the distance, then decrease (drop) each round. In the meantime, you start on the floor doing burpees, then climb up the ladder by doing more reps.
8.Tabata （HIIT）
Tabata is arguably the most famous HIIT workout, but it's not for the faint of heart. It involves a full-body workout, divided into four-minute blocks that combine maximum intensity cardio and strength training with rest periods. After completing the four-minute cycle, rest for a few minutes and then you can do another Tabata cycle. The average Tabata workout burns about 14.5 calories per minute, or about 280 calories for a 20-minute workout.
9.STAIRMASTER HIIT
The Pyramid stair climber is one of the best machines in the gym, as few can match the full-body sweat it produces. The stair climber is also great for building muscle by working the calves, quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and buttocks. This is a very advanced exercise method, I have used it for cutting, and the results are very good. Fair warning - water drips through every pore of your body, including your knuckles.
10.“Crazy”EMOM
"The craziest cardio workout," which involves an intense cycle that contains almost all the best cardio workouts. Each exercise in the cycle targets a different muscle, resulting in a full-body workout. For exercises involving weights (or kettlebells), use large weights that are difficult to complete. This routine uses a common technique called EMOM (per minute per minute). This is when you start a new exercise at the beginning of each minute and use the rest of the time to rest and then repeat for multiple rounds.
Other aerobic exercises
Dancing: Dancing is one of the most fun ways to increase your heart rate and blood flow. Most gyms offer a variety of fun dance classes as a way to incorporate cardio into your fitness routine.
Elliptical machine: The elliptical machine is one of the most popular machines in the gym and is a low-impact alternative to running. It is designed to be an effective overall workout that does not put strain on the knees, hips and ankles. The average 180-pound man can lose about 500-600 calories per hour on the elliptical.
Taekwondo: Taekwondo and other forms of boxing or martial arts are a great way to burn calories. These exercises are fun and beneficial because they teach self-defense while losing weight!
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Post time: Jan-15-2025
