Cardio Training

It doesn't take 1,000 repetitions and 2-3 hour workouts to reach your fat loss and weight loss goals.


During college football, our trainers were smart and put us on structured, 12-month nutrition and weight training programs. As a consequence, I had incredible muscular growth and fat loss and I improved my athletic skills.

You need a fitness program tailored to your individual needs. And, in any case, you can accomplish your goals with 4-6 training sessions per week (strength, 3 days; cardio, 2-3 days). Over-training will leave you broken down and injured.

Don't underestimate the value of a well-designed, individualized fitness program prepared by a professional fitness trainer! It makes a difference how, when and how much you train.

I see people spending time on useless exercises, spending time on exercises that give very little benefit, wasting time between exercises or not exercising at all. For those willing to listen, I will give some workout tips without "talking down" to them.

Get "the most bang for your bucks" when you workout. Here are some examples:

1. Sitting down on machines to do exercises. A "stand up" exercise will give you more strength benefits. Example: work your hip abductors standing up instead of sitting on that machine. Your core will also get more work when you do an exercise standing up.

2. Don't do cardio on elliptical machines. You won't tone much on your body with this machine. When you have a choice, do your running cardio on the grass or sand outside instead of running on a machine. If you have to do cardio in a gym, do stepmill, jump rope, bodyweight exercise cardio (such as mountain climbers) or treadmill (on incline).

3. Don't take 5 minutes between exercise sets! This is your workout, not social hour. Socialize after your workout.

4. Along the same lines, your 5-10 minute warmup is used to get your body ready for your workout. Talking to your friends for 10 minutes is not a warmup.

5. Cut your workout time down from 2-3 hours to 50 minutes or less. Challenge yourself during your workout. Also, see #3 above.

6. This one is for men: if you only do bench press, that is not a full workout!

7. And this one is for women: you will tone your butt, hips and thighs much better and faster with lunges, step ups and squats (hint: don't do the sitting hip abductor machine and the sitting adductor machine).

8. Sitting in the steam room or sauna for an hour is not a workout. Sweating doesn't burn fat, it cools your body down. Sit in those rooms after your workout.

Here are two tough 20-minute workouts that will help burn fat and shape your body:

Plyometric Workout

Plyometric workouts will burn more fat because they are very intense. Shorten and intensify your workouts with jump training (plyometrics)! Plyometric workouts also burn more fat and calories during and after your workout!

If you're having trouble sculpting your butt, hips and thighs then you need to do more plyometric training.

Plyometric workouts are advanced workouts. You need to perfect jumping and landing techniques or you will injure yourself. And, if you have knee and low back problems, high-speed plyometric training is not for you.

Try this jump training workout (take little or no rest between exercises):

--jump rope, two feet, full speed, 1 minute
--squat jumps, 10, full speed
--lunge jumps, 10, full speed
--tuck jumps, 10, full speed
--jumping jacks, 30 seconds, full speed

Rest 2 minutes between circuits. Repeat the circuit 2 more times--20 minutes total workout time. Take more rest between exercises or circuits if needed. Do this type of workout no more than 2 days in a week.

Cardio/Core Combo Workout:

I have found that combining core and cardio workouts work well....this is a good one:

--mountain climbers, full speed, 30 seconds
--plank, 30 second hold
--squat jumps, 10, full speed
--bridge, 30 second hold
--walking lunges with medicine ball rotation, 10 each leg
--side plank, 30 second hold
--bodyweight Y squat, 15, moderate pace
--rest 2 minutes between circuit. Repeat circuit 2 more times. 20 minutes total workout time.

Take more rest between exercises or circuits if needed. Do this type of workout no more than 2 days in a week.

Train hard and smarter to reach your fat loss and weight loss goals!

Be sure and download your FREE eBooks, "10 Must Know Fat Loss Tips," Free Fat Loss Meals and Free Fat Loss Workouts!

"Exercise is not my life.....exercise makes my life better!"

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!