Hi Readers
In today’s world, it’s all about efficiency. We want to get as much quality work done in as short amount of time as possible. It couldn’t be truer when in comes to exercise.
In a perfect world, all of us would workout twice a day, doing our cardio in the morning and weight training at night.
But most of our schedules will not permit this type of training schedule so we need to get a little more creative when it comes to our training to get the most bang for our buck.
As physique-minded athletes, our primary goals are to build muscle while minimizing bodyfat. While weight training alone can produce results in both of these categories, adding in some cardio will help round out our training while improving conditioning, fat loss and overall fitness. And while you’re at it, you might as well understand How to practice mindfulness, for you would need to meditate every once in a while to keep your sanity.
So instead of ditching cardio because you are pressed for time, be efficient with your weight training workout and work cardio in between your sets, this is because cardio workouts can be a real help to your overall workout routine.
Why Do Cardio Between Sets?
If you only have 45-60 minutes to workout, you need to take full advantage of that fat-burning and muscle-building window.
If you end up performing 12 total sets and rest an average of two minutes between sets that is 24 minutes of dead time we can use for Cardio and fat burning.
So this 2 minute downtime that you have in between exercises is perfect to include some cardio. You will keep your heart rate and metabolism up without hindering your weight training goals to build muscle.
Exercises
Exercise selection is key when performing cardio in between sets. You want to pick an exercise that won’t hinder your current weight training workout, and that will also provide a huge metabolic stimulus. Plus, there’s nothing saying you have to stick to the exercises you’ve picked every week. You might try Weighted hula hooping one week to see how effective it is, then try planking the following week, then leave both out the training the following week — you just need to find the ones that are right for you. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Kettlebell Swings
Kettlebell swings can be done in between any type of weight training exercises, even on lower body days. They are a great fat-burning tool while stimulating the posterior chain, which we all need to train more often.
Perform 15-25 reps in between each set, striving for 250-500 swings per workout.
2. Jumping Rope
This is another exercise that can be done in between both upper and lower body exercises. Jumping rope works the lower leg but leaves the quads and hamstring still fresh. It also improves athleticism and overall conditioning. Rope jumping or skipping is a great method to remain fit without going to the gym. But doing it with standard or poor shoes can harm your feet. Try out these best rope jumping shoes and keep yourself fit and healthy.
Perform 50-100 reps depending on your current conditioning level.
3. Bike
Many strength coaches use this as their go-to tool for clients but many bodybuilders and physique athletes overlook it.
It is perhaps best used in conjunction with upper body work because if you sprint hard enough your quads will be screaming (as well as your lungs) which isn’t great for your next set of heavy squats.
Perform 20-second sprints in between sets. Work up to no more than 12 solid sprints per workout.
So have fun in the weight room with so little down time and don’t forget your sweat towel.
Mark O’Neill and Shelley Donald are Registered Personal trainers
Email: oneillconditioning@hotmail.com
Web: www.oneillconditioning.com
