Getting Creative with Cardio

SmashingMachine · 06-13-2008, 09:12 AM

We all know that Cardio can eventually become boring and mundane. So, I like to put the treadmill or eliptical trainer on manual and do my own thing. For example, our Elipticals have a max ramp/incline of lvl 14 and workload/resistance of 20. So, I put the ramp to lvl 14 and do 3 mins warmup at lvl 1 resistance. I then do 1 minute at each level of resistance all the way up to lvl 20 and then come back in descending order for 1 minute and finish with 3 mins cool down. What kind of things do you all do to keep it real?

Crashsti · 06-13-2008, 09:25 AM

My elliptical trainer has five preprogrammed options as well as a custom mode. So i always have something differant to do. It even has a reverse program where your motion is backwards, its really weird. Sometimes i just set the resistance level and go as hard as i can for a predetermined distance and try to beat the time whenever i do that. My favorite is the interval program. go like hell for 30 seconds, 30 to 60 seconds active recovery and then 30 more seconds of hell. When i don't use cardio equipment i like to design bodyweight/light dumbbell/band circuits that don't strain the muscles but really put your cardio to the test. I will try to beat a certain time and when i do i will change some variables such as reps or weight to put me above the chosen time again. Then work my way back down to ie. 5 minutes or so. I wrote alot of the circuits down in my Crash's Course thread. They got me in really really good shape.

GSPALLTHEWAY · 06-13-2008, 03:07 PM

i hate cardio and im sick of it.... but i love to play tennis... theres my answer right there.... sports of most kinds can really get the job done, and you wont even realize you are doing it

Crashsti · 06-13-2008, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GSPALLTHEWAY

i hate cardio and im sick of it.... but i love to play tennis... theres my answer right there.... sports of most kinds can really get the job done, and you wont even realize you are doing it

Sports are fun and playing them is good exercise but you can't push yourself as hard in sport as you can under the controlled conditions of a gym. Its just not possible.

GSPALLTHEWAY · 06-13-2008, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crashsti

Sports are fun and playing them is good exercise but you can't push yourself as hard in sport as you can under the controlled conditions of a gym. Its just not possible.

play a high level tennis match that goes 2 to 3 hours and i beg to differ... or a long pickup full court game...

those are creative ways of cardio...

texmo · 06-13-2008, 04:04 PM

I chase girls. This is hard work and rewarding at the end.

SmashingMachine · 06-13-2008, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texmo

I chase girls. This is hard work and rewarding at the end.

I'm married so all I can do is run to the end of my chain and bark...not much cardio there, for me...lol.

Crashsti · 06-14-2008, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GSPALLTHEWAY

play a high level tennis match that goes 2 to 3 hours and i beg to differ... or a long pickup full court game...

those are creative ways of cardio...

Creative? Not really. Simply playing a sport for hours on end with the belief that you're getting a superior workout is a misconception. Its a workout and for some people it probably beats going to the gym. But if someone where to say to me that they have an hour a day for cardio i'd be unlikely to send them off to the tennis courts. Even if you play tennis seriously, hours on end of "playing" time is'nt the most effective way to get prepared. Tennis specific circuits designed around the proper work to rest ratio is a far better method. Thats being creative.

SmashingMachine · 06-14-2008, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crashsti

Creative? Not really. Simply playing a sport for hours on end with the belief that you're getting a superior workout is a misconception. Its a workout and for some people it probably beats going to the gym. But if someone where to say to me that they have an hour a day for cardio i'd be unlikely to send them off to the tennis courts. Even if you play tennis seriously, hours on end of "playing" time is'nt the most effective way to get prepared. Tennis specific circuits designed around the proper work to rest ratio is a far better method. Thats being creative.

I think it could be a great calorie burner, but I doubt that workout consistency would be there. Games like that have a lot of ups and downs as far as level of physical intensity. Cardio requires a constant intensity to be truly effective.

MTKrav911 · 06-14-2008, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmashingMachine

I'm married so all I can do is run to the end of my chain and bark...not much cardio there, for me...lol.

LOLOLOLOL.

Post of the year candidate right there.

Well said sir.

I used to have a chain, a 14 year old long chain. BUt, eventually it weakened, and.....

I ran away.

texmo · 06-14-2008, 10:36 PM

I feel if you going to do cardio based towards fighting then it should be intesnse. I like skipping with my weight vest to a timer. For 30 seconds I skip at normal left, left, right, right then 15 seconds I double skipp. After you have done this for a few 3 minute rounds with 30 second breaks (I do squats in the breaks) you will know about it.

SmashingMachine · 06-14-2008, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texmo

I feel if you going to do cardio based towards fighting then it should be intesnse. I like skipping with my weight vest to a timer. For 30 seconds I skip at normal left, left, right, right then 15 seconds I double skipp. After you have done this for a few 3 minute rounds with 30 second breaks (I do squats in the breaks) you will know about it.

that sounds like...work...lol.

SmashingMachine · 06-14-2008, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTKrav911

LOLOLOLOL.

I ran away.

Ironically, my wife's ringtone, on my cell phone, is "And I ran, I ran so far away..." The great eighties Flock of Seagulls hit.

Actually, my wife has been great so far...knock on wood.

texmo · 06-14-2008, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmashingMachine

that sounds like...work...lol.

I did 8 rounds of it yesterday at 3 minutes each and then did 4 rounds on the bag then 5 rounds of sparring. Suffice to say im pretty smahed today. Its only 3pm and I am already drinking beers haha

MTKrav911 · 06-15-2008, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texmo

I did 8 rounds of it yesterday at 3 minutes each and then did 4 rounds on the bag then 5 rounds of sparring. Suffice to say im pretty smahed today. Its only 3pm and I am already drinking beers haha

Tex, I'd love to see you post your jump rope routine. I used to use a good rope routine in my TKD days, and I loved it, but it escaped my workouts and I need something fresh, because I was always good with the rope.

Appreciate any input you could post up.

I love your posts.

SmashingMachine · 06-15-2008, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texmo

I did 8 rounds of it yesterday at 3 minutes each and then did 4 rounds on the bag then 5 rounds of sparring. Suffice to say im pretty smahed today. Its only 3pm and I am already drinking beers haha

You sound like you're in pretty good shape...I thought my workout today was tuff, but I think that hoses mine. I ran 1.8 miles to the gym...worked out on the eliptical for 30-35 minutes...did some shoulder rehab and ran home...but urs sounds tougher.

Crashsti · 06-16-2008, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texmo

I feel if you going to do cardio based towards fighting then it should be intesnse. I like skipping with my weight vest to a timer. For 30 seconds I skip at normal left, left, right, right then 15 seconds I double skipp. After you have done this for a few 3 minute rounds with 30 second breaks (I do squats in the breaks) you will know about it.

Exactly!! Fight cardio should be intense but it should also be specific to the sport you fight in, ie. wrestling, boxing, MMA, ect.. It should also be tailored to your style if you fight MMA, ground based vs. stand-up. I also think that many people limit the meaning of cardio to just stand for lung capacity when they should see it as the body's ability to take in oxygen and deliver it to the muscles while at the sametime removing lactic acid. I've seen it before, where a guy has the lungs to run forever at a pretty good pace and then be winded by a few rounds on the pads. By running or riding a bike he has'nt conditioned his body to deal with the localized build up of lactic acid or the delivery of oxygen to the torse and upper limbs. So even with his "good" cardio he is'nt prepared for the stress of combat sports. You have to know that an exercise or cardio program really has a positive effect on your performance. Otherwise your leaving your in ring performance to chance. You hope you did the right things when you should know that you did. BTW, jumping rope is a great cardio workout, especially if when you wear a weight vest or use what is knows as a heavy rope, which is a weighted jump rope.

GSPALLTHEWAY · 06-16-2008, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crashsti

Creative? Not really. Simply playing a sport for hours on end with the belief that you're getting a superior workout is a misconception. Its a workout and for some people it probably beats going to the gym. But if someone where to say to me that they have an hour a day for cardio i'd be unlikely to send them off to the tennis courts. Even if you play tennis seriously, hours on end of "playing" time is'nt the most effective way to get prepared. Tennis specific circuits designed around the proper work to rest ratio is a far better method. Thats being creative.

at times you pick just for the sake of picking...

can you tell me "creative ways" of cardio...? I have only seen a few things mentioned from tex, and thats the point of the thread... I appreciate the advice of tennis specific circuits, but ive trained tennis athletes for 7 years, so i am familiar.. I used the idea of playing sports as an alternative, creative way to keepa active and get some cardio in. Not sure how or why you can so strongly disagree with it... Just a nice little change from running or sprinting in a closed environment

Crashsti · 06-16-2008, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GSPALLTHEWAY

at times you pick just for the sake of picking...

can you tell me "creative ways" of cardio...? I have only seen a few things mentioned from tex, and thats the point of the thread... I appreciate the advice of tennis specific circuits, but ive trained tennis athletes for 7 years, so i am familiar.. I used the idea of playing sports as an alternative, creative way to keepa active and get some cardio in. Not sure how or why you can so strongly disagree with it... Just a nice little change from running or sprinting in a closed environment

I pick for the sake of picking? All i said was playing tennis is not a creative way to do cardio. I totally agree that it's a fun alternative for those days that you don't want to be a machine. I have also played tennis and am not terrible, but i can say with certainty that if you don't have a partner or good pair across the net you spend alot of time chasing wild balls and walking back and forth to get the balls that did'nt make it over the net. To truly get a cardio workout from tennis you have to have some skill at it. You don't need that same level of skill to runs sprints or blast through a cardio circuit. Playing sports is a valid idea and response to Texmo's question. i just feel that most sports have much to high a learning curve to be beneficial to someone not interested in actually learning the ins and outs of tennis or another sport.