Lets face it, some of us get really fed up with doing our traditional and standard cardio routine on a regular basis. It seems like running like hamsters on the infinite road to nowhere that is the treadmill just doesn’t feel like it is working. Sure, you could occupy the mind from the tedious task by plugging in your ipod or watching one of the big tv screens that your gym might have beside the running machines.
The truth is though that if you are able to watch TV or even hold a conversation whilst doing your cardio you aren’t working hard enough. Whilst I am certainly not totally against regular cardio practises like jogging or cycling this article hopes to show you some alternatives that will get the blood pumping and leave you breathless.
Take for instance a move most commonly done with dumbells, barbells or kettlebells called the clean and press (often abbreviated to C&P). You lift the barbell/dumbell off the ground to your shoulders, then press the weight up to the ceiling so your arm is straight up overhead. Reverse the action to put the weight down. You might be reading this thinking that it seems more like a weight training exercise than a cardiovascular one, but I’m sure that after only 10-15 repetitions at a fairly challenging weight you’ll definitely have an increased heartrate and be gasping for air.
This exercise alone is far more effective in the long term than jogging 40 mins on a treadmill would be for weight loss. Try dumbell one-arm snatches too to feel the benefits. Your body gets a great workout and your mind has something to focus on. Really concentrate as you perform these exercises and you may even find that your attention span and ability to work may improve also.
For the extra busy types why not try doing five minutes worth of intense brisk exercises. For example five minutes of lunges, push-ups squats with little or no rest in between sets. Five minutes is all it takes and if you don’t feel like you’ve just finished sprinting by the end of these then you couldn’t have been working hard enough.
Try these exercises next time you don’t fancy jogging, changing your exercise program routinely will do you the world of good.
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