If you are anything like me then a typical cardio workout will bore you to absolute tears and make you question your life. When it comes to gym cardio I just feel like a hamster on a wheel wasting the precious day away. You see I would much rather play a recreational game of basketball, football or even ping pong for that matter.
Anything with a little purpose and competitiveness. Unfortunately my three brothers aren’t always down for a little game of pigskin and that’s when I have to drag my ass to the gym, park or sometimes your gf’s bedroom :D
Making Cardio Awesome
This routine is a sample from my Cardio, Abs, and Mobility program. I like to break up my cardio workout into 3 periods, kind of like a game of hockey. By segmenting your cardio workout into 3 separate periods all of the sudden it becomes much more do able. Each period lasts 15 minutes and is followed up with a few abs exercises.
Period #1 – HIIT (15 minutes)
The first 15 minutes of the cardio workout is dedicated to high intensity interval training. The goal is to boost hgh and trigger the release of fat cells into your bloodstream to be burned for fuel. A side benefit of HIIT is improvements in conditioning and anaerobic endurance.
In addition HIIT will promote lean, powerful and athletic looking legs. The kinobody way. If I am doing this workout at the gym I will perform the intervals on a treadmill, stationary bike or jumping rope. I’ll usually use a 1:2 or 1:3 work rest ratio.
Example on Bike
- 2 minutes pedalling easy with low resistance
- 1 minute pedalling hard with high resistance
- repeat for 15 minutes total
Example on Treadmill
- 2 minutes walking at 4.0mph
- 1 minute sprinting at 10-15 mph
- repeat for 15 minutes total
Example on Jump Rope
- 1 minute light skipping
- 30 seconds fast skipping
- repeat for 15 minutes total
Abs Training #1
After completing the intervals we are going to move onto the first segment of core training. This is where we will perform the hardest and most challenging core movements. These movements will build strong, dense abdominals that are rock solid.
Exercise #1 – Front Levers or Abs Wheel Roll Outs: 3 sets x 5 reps
Exercise #2 – Hanging Leg Raises (feet to bar): 3 sets x 5 reps (slow and controlled)
(Exercise #1 and 2 are shown first in the video above)
Period #2 – Low Intensity Cardio (15 minutes)
The second period of the workout is dedicated to low intensity cardio and should be performed at 65-70% of your heart rate. Low intensity cardio is the best way to burn fat without increasing your appetite or interfering with your strength workouts.
To figure out your maximum heart rate subtract your age from 220. Once you get your maximum heart rate multiply it by 0.65 to get 65% and then multiply it again by 0.7 to get 70%.
Perform the low intensity cardio on any machine of your choice for 15 minutes and ensure that you keep your heart rate between 65-70% of your max. I prefer to do this cardio on an elliptical or by walking on a treadmill with a slight incline.
Abs Training #2
For the second segment of abs training we are going to perform less advanced abs movements for higher reps. This will help build deep abdominals that are visible at all times.
Exercise #1 – Leg Raises on Dip Bar + Leg Spread: 3 sets x 8-15 reps
Exercise #2 – Swinging Side to Side Knee Raises: 3 sets x 10-20 reps per side
(Exercises #1 and 2 are shown in the video above)
Period #3 – Low Intensity Cardio (15 minutes)
For maximum fat burning we are going to perform a final 15 minutes of low intensity cardio at 65-70% of your heart rate. Perform this cardio on any machine of your choice.
Abs Training #3
The final abs segment is going to be dedicated to strengthening the TVA to give you a flat and rigid midsection. The exercise of choice is going to be the old school plank.
Exercise #1 – Plank x 5 minutes total
Perform as many sets as it takes to total 5 minutes of the plank. At first it may take you 5 sets of 1 minute. Eventually you will be able to get 3 minutes on your first set and 2 minutes on your second set. If you are a plank master then 5 minutes in one set it is!
Tips and Advice
1. For maximum results perform this routine 2-3x per week and preferably while fasted or 3-4 hours after a meal. This will ensure insulin levels are low and fat mobilization is maximized. If I do this workout completely fasted I don’t bother taking BCAA. I’ll only take BCAA before fasted strength workouts.
2. Have 2 cups of coffee before the workout to maximize fat burning.
3. If people at the gym start asking you about your workout routine and these crazy gymnastic abs movements you’re doing send them to kinobody.com :D
