The most effective workout routines are those that combine strength training and some form of cardio.
It’s a proven scientific fact that the more lean muscle mass you have, the more calories you’ll burn.
And also, bigger muscles burn more fat than smaller ones.
As I’ve already stated, most people understand the benefits of strength training because it adds muscle and muscle makes you healthier, leaner, and stronger overall.
When it comes to doing cardio, folks tend to skip it altogether.
The problem is, most people hate doing cardio and will make up any excuse not to do it.
A popular excuse is not having enough time, which is understandable to a certain extent because most of us have way too much on our plates in the form of To-Do Lists.
However, we all can set aside a few minutes multiple times per week to squeeze in a little cardio training.
Do you put off doing cardio?
Have you been looking for a way to add it to your weekly workout regimen without wasting hours of your time?
The good news is you are about to discover how you can spend only 20 minutes on a cardio workout and still reap huge benefits.
Let’s get started…
So first of all, why is it necessary that you add cardio to your workouts?
Here is a short list of the benefits of doing cardio:
- Helps to reduce stress levels
- Burns calories which can lead to weight loss
- Strengthens your heart and lungs (Cardiovascular System)
- Can reduce your risk of certain diseases
- Reduces depression and boosts confidence
- Can give you more energy
- Promotes better sleep patterns
To sum it up, adding cardio to your workout routines improves your health and well-being which leads to a better quality of life.
Combine this with strength training and you're on your way to feeling great.
So how can you reap the benefits of cardio in only 20 minutes per workout?
It's called Interval Training and it can be applied to many different forms of cardio exercises including jogging, walking, biking, swimming, etc.
Interval Training can also be applied to cardio exercise machines such as exercise bikes, treadmills, elliptical trainers, etc.
The concept of interval training in a nutshell is to perform shorter workouts, but at higher intensity levels. This is accomplished by pushing hard for say two minutes and then slowing down for two minutes.
If you repeat this cycle four more times then you’ll have put in your 20 minutes.
You could also do one minute hard, one minute easy, and then repeat this nine more times.
The beauty of the interval training concept is that you can be creative with how long you perform each cardio exercise.
Here’s an example to illustrate interval training in action:
Interval training is perfect for running. If you're working out on a treadmill or running outdoors, it's the same process.
Start out with a warm-up jog followed by two minutes of a challenging pace.
This won't be your all-out because you have to maintain it for two minutes, but a pace that will safely challenge you.
You then follow this with two minutes of either a walk or a very slow jog.
Repeat four more times and you've got yourself an effective cardio workout in only 20 minutes.
Let’s close out…
Conclusion
One of the biggest takeaways is that when it comes to cardio training, you could either go at a slower pace for longer periods of time or you could go at a faster pace for shorter periods.
Let’s say you live in Northern California and planned a trip to Disneyland located in Anaheim which is in Southern California. You could either drive or fly.
No matter which mode of transportation you take, you’ll still get to Disneyland.
However, driving will take at least 5 to 6 hours compared to flying which typically takes roughly an hour.
Think of performing your cardio exercises slowly as driving to your destination and flying as getting there faster.
Either way, you’ll burn extra calories, which can lead to weight loss and a major improvement in your cardiovascular system.
The interval training concept can be applied to any form of cardio exercise, regardless if it’s on a machine or not.
The key is to apply the principles of the concept for example; two minutes hard, two minutes easy, repeat four more times. Or one minute hard, one minute easy, repeat nine more times.
Now that I’ve made you aware of interval training, you can no longer say you don’t have enough time to do your cardio workouts because all you need is about 20 minutes per session.
There’s only one thing left to do, and that is to implement the interval training concept this week.
You'll get your blood flowing, your heart pumping and reap all the benefits cardio has to offer...all in only 20 minutes!
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