What Is the Best Cardio?

Cardio can be used as a great way to help anyone get into better shape. It is a good way to burn calories, and it improves your cardiovascular health. Many people out there are wondering what the best form of cardio is that will help to get them ripped. Some people might think that sprinting is the best form of cardio, while others may think that it is walking.

I am here to tell you that there is no "best" form of cardio. It is really just a personal preference on what it is that you like to do. If you like to go out for nice walks around your neighborhood, then that is your best cardio. This is because you will stick to it and not quit, you will be consistent with it so to speak. If sprinting is not enjoyable to you and you hate it, then you will likely end up quitting and not doing any cardio at all.

Some of you still might be thinking that sprinting is better than walking or jogging because it burn more calories. This is actually not true. If you walk, jog, or sprint 100 yards, you will burn the same amount of calories. The only difference is the time factor. You will spend a lot less time if you sprint or jog the 100 yards as opposed to walking it. This is why some people out there like to do high intensity interval training (HIIT) because it can burn a lot of calories in a short period of time. Doing HIIT is absolutely fine as long as you stick to it. On the other hand, if HIIT is too intense for you and you have the extra time, then you can walk and burn just as many calories.

It is also true that HIIT releases free fatty acids into the bloodstream. If you then followed the HIIT with a slow steady state cardio like jogging or walking, you would then burn off those free fatty acids released into the bloodstream. This is a great way to do cardio, but it will only work to burn fat if you are in a caloric deficit at the end of the day. This is why it does not matter if sprinting stimulates more fat burning hormones. If you are not in a caloric deficit, then any form of cardio will not do you any good. This is why I like to think of cardio as a tool that you can use to get in shape. Cardio is not a crutch that you have to rely on at all times. If you have a solid diet plan, then you can get in shape without cardio. At the end of the day, the best form of cardio is the cardio that you like and will continue to do.

Thomas Rohmer specializes in teaching people how to easily get in the best shapes of their lives using the power of FREE resources!

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Best Cardio to Burn Belly Fat

By Craig Ballantyne

Everyone knows spot reduction is impossible, right? Well, guess again! One of Australia's top fat loss researchers published a study showing that interval training burns belly fat specifically. So if you are looking to lose inches from your waist, you have to add interval training to your workout program.
Fortunately, you can drop the slow cardio, add intervals, and still save time from your workouts. Here's why.
The Australian study compared a 20-minute interval training workout (done 3x's per week) against a 40-minute slow cardio workout (also done 3x's per week). Women did the workout for 15 weeks, and only the interval group lost belly fat. The cardio group got practically no results at all.

So spot reduction is possible, as long as you don't expect slow cardio or endless crunches to do the trick. Instead, you need to use interval training. According to Professor Steve Boucher, the Australian co-author of the latest interval training study to show intervals work better than slow cardio, "high intensity intermittent exercise may result in greater fat loss in the abdomen".

Basically, interval training burns stomach fat first, over all other sources of fat on the body.
Now we all have heard that spot reduction doesn't work. If you haven't, here is the story. For some reason, many people think that by doing tons of crunches, they will burn stomach fat. Unfortunately, that just isn't true.

In fact, Boucher quotes the following example...
"...researchers have examined the fat content of elite tennis players' racket arm. The logic here is that if a tennis player uses his racket arm much more than his other arm then the fat content should be less. Racket arms of tennis players usually possess greater muscle and bone mass but similar fat levels."
So here's the odd thing about Boucher's theory...Notice that he's not claiming sprint interval training done on a bike will burn more fat around your legs. Instead, he's claiming that interval work done by your legs will lead to a spot reduction of fat from around the belly. Completely backwards to what the beginner exerciser thinks. Boucher also says this interval program will work really well in men with lots of abdominal fat - so its not just for women.

So why do the intervals work so well?
Boucher believes it has something to do with the increase in hormones called "catecholamines" (adrenaline is a catecholamine hormone). These increase after intervals, but not after slow cardio.
Catecholamines are a fat burning hormone and there are a lot of catecholamine receptors in belly fat...so he seems to think the elevated fat burning hormones from intervals ends up leading to targeted belly fat burning.
Interesting theory...we'll see if they do more research and are able to confirm that belly fat burning hypothesis. Regardless, its great to see studies showing intervals to be more effective for losing stomach fat than slow cardio workouts.

Surprisingly, Boucher recommends stationary cycling as one of the best ways to burn fat with intervals. Seems like another fat loss expert has been saying that for years now...oh yeah, it was me! I know, and research shows that using both resistance training and interval burns more fat than slow cardio workouts.
Boucher also recommends a Mediterranean diet (lots of fruits and vegetables)...another commonality with Turbulence Training (that is, the emphasis on fruits and vegetables).

So there you go...Turbulence Training years ahead of this study, but supported by the latest scientific research and the expert's hypothesis. And don't forget, Boucher and his group didn't even throw in the Turbulence Training resistance training exercises...that probably would have resulted in even more belly fat burning and loss of stomach fat.

So forget about hour-long stationary cycling workouts when you can get the same or more fat-burning benefits in 20 minutes. Exercise intensity is the most important factor determining post-exercise energy expenditure and fat loss success!

After a 5-minute warm-up, follow this sample beginner's protocol:
* Start at 15 seconds of intense effort (90% of your maximal pace).
* Follow that with "active rest" (~30% of your maximal pace) for 2 min.
* Perform 3-6 intervals.
* Finish with 5 minutes (or longer) of moderate intensity exercise.
As you become more advanced and accustomed to intervals, progress to:
* Increase your intensity to 95-98% of maximal pace (always hold a little back).
* 30- to 60-second intervals with only 30- to 60-seconds active rest.
* Try to keep your active rest the same length or longer than your work interval.
* Perform 6-12 intervals per session.
* Finish with 5 minutes (or longer) of moderate intensity exercise.
Interval training is the best cardio to burn belly fat and help with spot reduction of stomach fat over your ab muscles.

The Top 5 Best Cardio Exercises

When it comes to your body it is very important that you do some cardio, whether you want to lose weight, improve your health or build on your muscle. And you won't get bored because, there are plenty of different types of cardio exercise. Anything that gets your heart rate pumping will pretty much do the trick. The thing that's confusing is there are so many different cardio exercises out there... which one will benefit me most? There's no right or wrong cardio exercise for men and woman. The correct choice is the cardio exercise you enjoy and the one you'll stick with, but there are some that work best if your goal is to get in great shape and burn calories.

1. Running
Running is a good one for many different reasons. You don't need any special equipment apart from some decent running shoes. You can do it just about anywhere and anytime. It's high impact, which helps build connective tissue and strong bones. It gets your heart rate up a lot quicker than low or no impact exercises. It's good for burning serious calories, especially if you add sprints, hills or try interval training. The same person would burn around 50% as much with just a brisk walk. The only downfall is that it takes time to build the stamina and strength to run continuously and, because it's high impact, it may not benefit every person. This bodyweight exercise is probably the best cardio workouts.

2. Bicycling
Whether you're outdoors or indoors, cycling is an excellent cardio workout. By using the power of your legs, you increase endurance while burning lots of calories, anywhere from 250-500 in 30 minutes, depending on how fast you go and how high your resistance is. What makes cycling even better than other activities is that you can incorporate it into your daily life. You can ride to and from work or use your bike to run errands around town. It's also low impact, which is great for your joints and perfect cross-training for high impact activities like running or aerobics.

3. Swimming
Swimming is another great choice because, like cross-country, it's a full body exercise. The more body parts your workout requires, the more calories you'll burn. Best of all, you dent have to worry about any high impact injuries because your joints are fully supported. It's also great cross-training for other cardio activities.

4. Step Aerobics
Step aerobics is another good choice, especially for people who like choreographed workouts, but don't enjoy the jackhammer feel of high impact aerobics. This gives you the intensity without the pounding and it's easy to up the energy used by adding risers.

5. Kickboxing
Kickboxing is another great choice for exercisers who are looking for more of a challenge with more choreographed workouts. Combining punches and kicks not only, involves both the upper and lower body, but it enhances your combination making this an excellent all round workout.

Joshua "Coach" Kozak has been a fixture in the world of health and fitness for over 10 years. Burn calories with HASfit's greatest cardio workout and the best bodyweight exercises.

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