Fuck I hate cardio... how do you do it?

[the.gladiator1987]

Barbell complexes are a great way to jack heart rate as well. One reason I didnt mention them is a lot of gyms dont have bumper or oly plates and frown on your dropping their metal
plates

Another cool thing to do with barbells is string half a dozen movements together and perform them every minute on the minute for 8 to 10 minutes. The series of movements should take 20 seconds or so leaving you a built in 30-40 seconds of rest before repeating.

Try deadlift->powerclean->hang power clean->front squat->thruster back to floor.

You could also do something like......

every minute on the minute for 10 minutes
1 power clean - 10 burpees
2 power cleans - 9 burpees
3 power cleans - 8 burpees
4 power cleans - 7 burpees
5 power cleans - 6 burpees
6 power cleans - 5 burpees
7 power cleans - 4 burpees
8 power cleans - 3 burpees
9 power cleans - 2 burpees
10 power cleans - 1 burpees

Obviously the key is to find a weight you can use for 10 reps when tired with minimal rest between reps to keep things moving.

nice post bro. I was really surprised at how low the weight had to be (95lbs for me the first time i started and im pretty strong) and it was really hard! Definitely pushed me to the limit.

Questions kind of off topic - since cardio is good for heart health, do bb complexes and things like it count? Or is it the straight running cardio thats good for it? Thats the only reason Id do bb complexes in the first place, its healthy for the heart and its fast and fun

 

[Zyglamail]

nice post bro. I was really surprised at how low the weight had to be (95lbs for me the first time i started and im pretty strong) and it was really hard! Definitely pushed me to the limit.

Questions kind of off topic - since cardio is good for heart health, do bb complexes and things like it count? Or is it the straight running cardio thats good for it? Thats the only reason Id do bb complexes in the first place, its healthy for the heart and its fast and fun

Just like for hypertrophy or for strength, you have to push the muscle to improve, the same goes for your heart. Long slow cardio builds endurance by increasing cell size to hold more sarcoplasm, this is directly opposed to hypertrophy. Long slow cardio also works different metabolic pathways than actual high heart rate muscle work does. You will find in just a few weeks that this high intensity style cardio using muscles will greatly improve your ability to consume and use oxygen and will have a much more positive impact on your ability to to hypertrophy training than regular cardio will.

So to answer you question as to whether barbell complexes count as cardio, the answer will be in the weight you chose. They key is to use weight that you can use for the complex that taxes you but doesnt make you stop due to muscle failure. You want your lunge capacity to be what slows you down not muscle failure.

If you use a weight where the weak link is your lungs then yes its cardio BUT I would not just do barbell complexes. Id mix it up with other stuff like I listed off a above for the best results.

 

[sony190]

i actually love doing cardio feels great i jog for 60 min 4 miles straight and to be honest it gives me an edge on my physique i find the ppl i know that refuse to do cardio cannot compete with my physique and conditioning i just find it to be being lazy truthfully its part of training, unless your a powerlifter or something lol....

 

[Zyglamail]

i actually love doing cardio feels great i jog for 60 min 4 miles straight and to be honest it gives me an edge on my physique i find the ppl i know that refuse to do cardio cannot compete with my physique and conditioning i just find it to be being lazy truthfully its part of training, unless your a powerlifter or something lol....

The whole point is you dont need to waste 60 minutes doing cardio when you can burn more cals AND improve your vo2max in much less time. Varied HIIT style cardio gives you all the benefits of traditional cardio and many more all in less time. However if your one who like to spend 60 minutes pounding your joints jogging more power to ya.

 

[sony190]

The whole point is you dont need to waste 60 minutes doing cardio when you can burn more cals AND improve your vo2max in much less time. Varied HIIT style cardio gives you all the benefits of traditional cardio and many more all in less time. However if your one who like to spend 60 minutes pounding your joints jogging more power to ya.

i agree zyg with varied styles and less time i just feel it needs to be done either way and i know ppl that dont do any and i disagree with that i am also just stating that i enjoy it and it has taken my physique to a different level also there is proper form when it comes to jogging on a good treadmill that wont really affect your joints boxers and mma fighter jog ed

 

[Zyglamail]

i agree zyg with varied styles and less time i just feel it needs to be done either way and i know ppl that dont do any and i disagree with that i am also just stating that i enjoy it and it has taken my physique to a different level also there is proper form when it comes to jogging on a good treadmill that wont really affect your joints boxers and mma fighter jog ed

Im familiar with pose style running etc but I think we can agree that the majority of folks who dislike jogging wont spend the time to learn it or strengthen the muscles needed avoid impact running.

For me I like to get the best bang for the buck. Time is short and for me to consistently get in my "cardio" I use what works the best, which just so happens to also take the least amount of time.

When I am looking for fun ill go trail riding but wont count that as my cardio and certainly cant do it every day.

I agree that it will take your body to new levels and that its often overlooked but the reason I think its often overlooked is because people think it has to be boring long distance trudging.

However as can be seen by some of the ideas above you can get amazing results by just 3x 10-15 minute sessions a week if done right. Most people however still buy into the old cardio thing that it has to be slow and long to get results but that myth has been busted for a long time. Old habits just die hard I guess.

 

[bgbay]

A. ) Your profile picture is fuckin ince haha
b.) I hate cardio too, I train MMA and thats pretty good cardio, BUT I need cardio to compliment my MMA cardio, confusing I know. I find HIIT to be well. not as boring. What I do is war up with a 3 minute walk, then I step to the sides of the treadmil, turn it up to about 10mph, and spring for about 30 seconds then jump off to the sides, drop it back to 3.5mph and walk for a minute and a half, then repeat.

 

[gymjunkie09]

I look for the chick with the nicest ass in the gym and get on the machine behind her. Works every time! LMAO

 

[black koala]

I try to not spend alot of time or energy thinking myself out of doing it.

 

[Deltoid_87]

Running and bodybuilding just don't go together imo. Before I started weight training I used to be able to run miles no problem, but now I really struggle. Still I suck it up and go a little jog once a week. In summer I do 100 meter sprints. Short intense cardio (power) is what u need, not endurance. Just look at sprinters compared to long distance runners.

I can't believe some of u do no cardio what so ever. Cardio is so important for bodybuilding, and general health. A strong and healthy cardiovascular system will allow u to lift harder and longer in the gym, ur much less fatigued u can power through ur sets harder with less of a break in between sets.
You especially need to do cardio while on steroids. All AAS can reduce HDL (good cholesterol) values and increase LDL which can have a serious damaging effect on ur CV ever wondered why cardio is harder while on? You MUST maintain an active cardio routine while on. Doesn't matter what type of cardio as long as it's all lungs and heart.