Skip The Endurance Cardio

Let’s face it, we all weren’t born to love long distance running and lengthy amount of time on the treadmill. If you find yourself dreading the long haul but desire a cardio routine to help you burn fat and lose weight to reach your weight loss goals, then consider a different approach: supersets and circuits. Cardio training isn’t always about burning fat and losing weight, though. When incorporated into a resistance training routine, you can improve your weight lifting as well! Consider these routines next time you’re at the gym and want to skip the 45 minute jog that feels like it lasts for ages.

Supersets: paired motions of flexion/extension or primart/antagonist muscles where 15-20 repetitions are completed and then immediately the counter motion is repeated 15-20 repetitions as well (15 bicep curls, 15 triceps extensions with low weight). Take a 45 to 60 second break in between and complete another 2-3 rounds!

Circuits: mix up your total body and running routine with a combination of machines and movements. Spend 10 minutes running a track, 10 minutes on an elliptical, and then another 10 minutes on a bike. It helps stir up the mundane treadmill running. If you prefer to run on the track or treadmill rather than machines, try 10 minutes of running or jogging followed by a core exercise (burpees, plank, lunges, crunches, etc.) for 5 minutes. Alternate between the two for about 30 minutes and you’ve got yourself a moderate to high intensity workout!