Hey there MAN Sports Fans! I hope that you all had a GREAT Weekend and are ready for another GREAT Week! I definitely had an awesome weekend, it is starting to warm up here which makes for some perfect weather to get outside, get moving and get things done! I wanted to write a several part series on a question that I get asked quite frequently and something that people always seem to wonder… What type of Cardio/Conditioning is right for me? I also am not going to go to crazy technical on this and provide you with what I consider to be the nuts and bolts of it! Sooo… Let’s get to it! The first type I would like to discuss in Part I is by far the most traditional form of Cardio; Steady State or as some call it Low Intensity Training (LIT).
Steady State Cardio is the type most commonly associated with doing a Cardiovascular Exercise at a Moderate-Easy Pace for an extended period time, such as walking on a Treadmill! In recent years this has gotten a very bad rap with a lot of people, especially those that equate exertion with effectiveness. But, many have used it for a VERY long time to get VERY lean… Hmmm… It must work then?! Well, it does! The key take way points to this form of Cardio and any other for that matter is your Heart Rate; all of the different forms of Cardio/Conditioning are based upon your Heart Rate, which obviously varies greatly from one person to the next based on a lot of variables, but mostly on their level of Fitness. With Low Intensity Training, the key here is that your overall Heart Rate is rather low and at a level that you can maintain very comfortably for an extended length of time, because where the big benefit here is the time you go, because that is where you will use your Fat for energy! One of the best places to implement this type of Cardio is first thing upon waking on an empty stomach, because you have fasted while sleeping and used up most of your bodies stored energy (food), so just about everything that you do will equate to Fat Loss! There are however some very helpful supplements to help you maximize this period even more! Figure Fuel, Scorch, and Yohimbine-HCL are all VERY beneficial to take about 15 minutes prior to beginning Low Intensity Training while fasted!
Figure Fuel provides your body with Branch Chain Amino Acids so that you do not cannibalize your muscle mass, L-Carnitine to help your body utilize even more fat for energy, and Beta-Alanine to extend your performance and enhance your recovery!
Scorch has a host of ingredients all designed to raise your metabolism so that you lose more Body Fat and burn more calories as well as preserve muscle mass!
Yohimbine-HCL is excellent at helping to rid those stubborn areas of body fat, particularly when you have not eaten recently, it also helps to increase your performance and extend your endurance!
As you can see taking this combo before periods of Fasted Low Intensity Training is VERY beneficial and really helps you to maximize your efforts! A few other major benefits to this type of Cardio is the general health and heart benefits that it provides, it is very important to not only be fit on the outside, but the inside as well! Lowering Cholesterol, Decreasing Heart Rate, Decreasing Blood Pressure, Strengthening Bone Mass, are all added health benefits to this type of training! Some may argue that over time this type of training can decrease your metabolism and make you slower, well remember that really anything done in excess is harmful and that the balance is really where the key is! I would highly suggest to start out with lower times and intensities and work up as and only when needed, far too many just arbitrarily add in more, more, more because they assume that it will be better… But, the second you begin to fight your body, you will always lose! Another great time to add in this type of Cardio is immediately after your Weight-Training sessions, because this is another time where you have used up most of your energy stores and are in prime condition for some Fat Loss! Typically beginning with 20 Minutes on a Treadmill at a 10% Incline at Level 3 3 times per week is adequate for most! Remember to always adjust up or sown depending on your present fitness levels, but it is always better to start low and work up! The ideal situation is to do as little Cardio/Conditioning as possible to get lean and still be fit! This type of Cardio can also be very beneficial for recovery as it stimulates blood flow and gets things moving! Just remember to keep the exertion relatively low, you should be able to keep the pace up for a long time and easily talk to someone, read a magazine, etc…
I hope this helps to shed some light on one type of Cardio and stay tuned, next I’ll go over High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).
LIVE LEAN!
READY!!!
Men’s Physique is still very new and taking shape within the NPC and I am looking forward to being a part of the first National Level Contest of the year! I will be heading out to Charleston, South Carolina next week; which is also exciting since I have never been before! I have had a ton of Support and Motivation from those around me along the way, so I am Very Thankful and hope to repay all that I have received 
JR USA’s!!!
Pre-Conditioning Tri-Fecta!!!
