The perfect circuit training routine is one that includes both core strength work and cardiovascular exercise. Many people find it difficult to find the time for cardiovascular exercise, as it generally takes longer to do that weight lifting or callisthenics.
Running, swimming and cycling are popular forms of cardio exercise, but these all take up a lot of time, which many people struggle to find. It is possible however to do a cardio exercise workout in just 20 minutes, which should solve the time problem that many people have.
It is important to understand purpose and importance of increasing your cardiovascular exercise as well as your strength training. The benefits of strength training are easy to see – improved muscle tone and bone density, increase metabolism and more explosive power. But many people fail to see the real importance of improved cardio fitness. Why is cardio fitness so important, and what are the main benefits of cardiovascular fitness?
There are many health benefits of improved cardiovascular fitness, including:
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- Lowering stress levels and aiding relaxation
- Maintenance of a healthy weight by burning calories
- Improved heart and lung health
- Reduces the risks of developing various diseases, such as heart disease, bowel cancer and stroke
- Reduction in depression, and improved self esteem and confidence
- Long term improvements in energy and aid peaceful sleep
- Improved cardiovascular fitness can also help to reduce belly fat by increasing your work rate when exercising and weight training, and by increasing your metabolism.
Therefore, adding cardio to your exercise routine improves your health and well-being leading to overall improvements to general health and wellbeing. If some strength training is also done, then the health benefits are improved more, by increasing bone density and metabolism to stay fit and healthy into old age.
Interval Training is the key to improving cardio fitness in just 20 minutes each session. It can be applied to many different forms of cardio training, including boxing, running and cycling.
The concept is simply shorter but more intensive workouts. This is accomplished by periods of increased work rate for short intervals, usually between 60 seconds and a few minutes, followed by easier exercise for a few minutes. The aim is to train in this fashion for a period of 20 minutes, so this could be five two minute intensive intervals partnered with five two minute breathers.
Interval training is perfect for running. If you’re working out on a treadmill or running outdoors, it’s the same routine.
Start out with a warm up jog followed by two minutes of a challenging pace. This won’t be your all out because you have to maintain it for two minutes, but a pace that will be very hard for you. You then follow this with two minutes of either a walk or a very slow jog. Repeat four more times and you’ve got yourself an effective cardio workout in only 20 minutes.
This concept can be applied to just about any type of exercise, from sparring, running, swimming or cycling: two minutes hard, two minutes easy, repeat four more times. Or one minute hard, one minute easy, repeat nine more times.
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Following a simple interval routine such as this will get your heart rate up and your blood flowing, and you will quickly improve your fitness and be rewarded with superior health.
Of course, interval training and circuit training are not only excellent for your cardio system, but they also are an excellent way for people to reduce weight, and trim down belly fat.
For many people the goal of an exercise regime is to lose some weight and look fitter and healthier, and interval training combined with basic weight training is one of the best ways to lose that belly and tone up muscles.
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I have recently started in the gym again after a 3 month lay off and gaining about 10 lb in weight, I’m doing weights spin body pump and body attack along with running and interval running, I have lost about half stone in 5 weeks which im happy about however I have now started to suffer shin splints, running is the best form of gaining fitness and endurance and I enjoy it, the trouble is my inner shins have become quite painful, any assistance would be appreciated
The general advice for shin splints is ice and rest unfortunately. Maybe try cycling and elliptical workouts for a while to see if they improve. Over-pronation can be a cause – have you ever had your running gait examined by a qualified shoe fitter? It may be possible to clear up the problem with better shoes, although that it no guarantee.