Some people get bored easily with cardio exercise. But if it can help you break through a plateau, it’s worth doing.
Even among diehard workout fanatics, there is a faction of cardio-haters. Some hate the monotony of walking or biking to nowhere on stationary cardio equipment. On the other hand, taking their aerobic workout outside to jog or bike doesn’t appeal to them, either. However, personal trainers and other experts say cardio is an excellent way to eliminate boredom when your workouts get stale. If you’re among the haters of cardio, keep an open mind. Aerobic exercise is necessary for health and fitness. Plus, if it can get you over a fitness hump, why not give it a try?
Benefits of Cardio Exercise
Less colds and flu and overall improved health are other benefits of aerobic exercise.
Bodies are built to be active. That’s why aerobic activity is good for everyone of every age and fitness level. According to the Mayo Clinic, cardio activates the immune system, so you’re less likely to come down with common, communicable illnesses including the flu or a cold. Furthermore, it even goes beyond that. Because aerobic exercise helps you lose weight and keep it off, you’ll have less risk of more serious diseases that are linked with obesity such as high blood pressure, some forms of cancer, stroke, and heart disease, to name a few. In fact, cardio exercise helps you manage conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes if you already have them. Also, aerobic activity can sharpen your mind, chase away depression, and help you live longer, too.
How Aerobic Activity Can Overcome a Plateau
Everyone hits plateaus at some point, whether their goals are specific and aggressive or general and basic. Bodybuilding.com says that a plateau occurs when your body adapts to the stress of your workout. Essentially, positive changes happen when your body is struggling to keep up with the demands you put on it. However, once your workout is no longer a challenge, the changes get less noticeable and sometime becomes nonexistent.
Doing the Opposite Can Change Everything!
You can only break through a plateau by entirely changing up your workout–doing the opposite of what your body is used to. If your normal workout includes little or no cardio, toss in some aerobic exercise. That will wake your body back up and get it building muscle and burning fat again. You don’t have to permanently switch to all-cardio, all the time. That’s actually the good news about breaking plateaus. The key is to keep your body guessing. So,after a few weeks of cardio-focused workouts, feel free to go back to more resistance training. Just don’t go back to the exact workout, in the exact same order. Freshen your routine with new exercises. Then, shake it up even more by avoiding working the same muscles on the same days each week.
Cardio Equipment Workouts
Many trainers tout treadmill workouts for breaking plateaus with cardio. However, you can do them on stationary bikes or elliptical trainers, too. If you bite the bullet and give aerobic exercise a try, pick the equipment you like most. That will help you stick with your plateau-breaking workout long enough to make a difference. Notably, high-Intensity Intervals are effective for motivating your body off of a plateau. What’s more, they can take as little as 10 to 20 minutes to do.
Incorporate resistance exercises like triceps kickbacks with stints on cardio machines to double the benefits of a plateau-busting cardio workout.
We like cardio equipment workouts that incorporate some resistance into the mix to satisfy the need to exercise muscles along with the cardiovascular system. WebMD recommends a routine that starts out on the treadmill for 5 minutes, moves to the floor for some resistance exercises, takes you back to the treadmill for 5 more minutes and finishes up on the floor with more resistance. You can customize it to fit your preferences and goals by doing the cardio portions on an elliptical or bike if the treadmill isn’t your thing. First, set up your TargitFit Trainer nearby. That will allow you to do more than just body-weight exercises when it comes time for the resistance exercises. The perceived exertion (PE) is on a scale of 1 to 10. It’s relative and based on your perception of the exertion you’re putting forth.
Sample Workout
5 1/2 minutes on the cardio equipment:
Time Speed PE
60 seconds 3.5 mph 4 percent
60 seconds 4.5 mph 6 percent
60 seconds 3.5 mph 4 percent
60 seconds 4.5 mph 6 percent
60 seconds 3.5 mph 4 percent
30 seconds for gradual slowdown before completely stopping.
Resistance segment on TargitFit Trainer or using dumbbells (move from one exercise to the next with no rest):
- 15 triceps kick-backs
- 30 “dumbbell” bench presses
- 15 overhead triceps presses
Back to the cardio equipment for another 5 1/2 minutes:
Time Speed PE
60 seconds 3.5 mph 4 percent
60 seconds 4.5 mph 6 percent
60 seconds 3.5 mph 4 percent
60 seconds 4.5 mph 6 percent
60 seconds 3.5 mph 4 percent
30 seconds for gradual slowdown before completely stopping.
Finish up on the TargitFit Trainer or just the floor:
- 25 ab crunches
- 50 bicycle crunches, alternating to the right and left
- 2 sets of incline planks, placing your forearms on the TargitFit Trainer or a bench and holding for 1 minute for each “set”
Remember to stretch afterward!
Additionally, keep in mind that High-Intensity Training can be accomplished even without cardio equipment. You just have to maintain a pace that keeps your hear rate up. Choose 10 to 12 resistance exercises and do as many reps of each as you can in 30 seconds. Also, keep proper form and take a 15 second break between each exercise. Doing three sets of each exercise will give you an intense, plateau-breaking workout that will take less than 20 minutes.