Cardio - part 4 - what types of cardio are there?
As a final little bit of info, find below some details on the different types of cardio exercise you can get involved with!
Starting with:
Low intensity / long duration
Walking, light swimming, gentle cycling - generally 40% - 60% effort.
This type of cardio activates the 'fat stores' as you are not working hard enough to demand too much from muscle but looking primarily at fat.
This is a very time INEFFICIENT way to exercise, but if you enjoy it, why not? if you are looking for something more time efficient to burn fat and do not enjoy long runs or cycles, read on!
Examples - brisk walk for 40mins +, cycling at a relative speed for 2+hrs or swimming light breast stroke for 1+hr.
Fats are burnt during the activity, but stops immediately when you stop. If you are new to exercise, or very overweight and can not put much pressure on your joints - this may be for you to begin with.
Medium intensity / Medium duration
Brisk walk/light jog, faster cycle or front crawl swimming - generally 70-75% effort
This type of cardio gets the muscles working a little harder and you should find it more of a struggle to speak, but still be able to do so. As the intensity has increased, you wouldn't be able to perform at the same level as the low intensity. This is becoming slightly more time efficient, but still taking up a lot of time - again if you enjoy the exercise, why not! if you don't continue down!
Examples - jogging for 30mins +, cycling pretty fast at all times for 1hr+ or swimming front crawl 30-45mins quite fast.
Fats are also burnt during this exercise, but there is a higher demand on the muscles so any prolonged activity at this level will result in muscle being burnt for energy as well as fat.
High intensity / Short duration
Sprints, short sharp bursts of high effect - generally 80-90% effort
This type of cardio uses the heart and lungs to an almost maximal effort level, really hard breathing and you should struggle to say or do anything other than the exercise in hand. This generally takes anything from 10-30mins to complete and you should feel very tired after this type of exercise.
Examples - fast run or sprints - running or cycling, swimming at a high pace for each length.
Here fat stores are being activated to compensate for the massive energy requirement needed to keep up with the exercise - muscles are also taking a lot of demand, and depending on the type of exercises you are doing, can eat into muscle as well.
Maximal effort - interval/tabata
Very short and maximum effort bursts, where you do an exercise for anything from 10-45sec giving it your all, all the way through, with short rest periods - generally 85%-95% (in essence, work HARD, rest, work HARD, rest, repeat)
This can be the most time EFFICIENT way of burning fat, as the demand is so high you burn the fat during (again potential some muscle in there) and then an 'afterburn' effect is created, which in simple terms is: the oxygen supply does not meet the demand, and continues to be less for up to an additional 12hrs, and the body burns more energy to bring this oxygen supply back in line.
-- hopefully that made sense? (just message if not!)
Examples: metafit, insanity, speedflex, bodyweight maximal effort intervals.
Fat is at its optimum burning here - and that continued afterburn - but the intensity level is not always accurate, you should not feel comfortable doing this type of exercise and generally will hurt something rotten the next day - but a short term soreness for a long term gain!
All of these will increase your fitness level in some way or form, what you enjoy and what your goals are are all different and tailoring you training to those goals should be of utmost importance when your decide to train or get involved with a personal trainer - you are number one, always remember that!
