If you can’t find some fun in your training, you’ll never last, so keeping yourself interested in your workouts and having fun is the most essential thing to stay on track. For most people, cardio represents some mindless activity on treadmill, stationary bike, and elliptical or sissy like aerobic dance routines. What you need is a physical challenge that will motivate you and deliver maximum results.
High intensity training gives you wider spectrum of fitness benefits than lower intensity exercise. Take the Tabata protocol for example. Tabata discovered that a protocol consisting of 20 seconds of all-out cycling followed by 10 seconds of moderate cycling for a total of four minutes (8 repeats) was just as effective as forty-five minutes of aerobic exercise. You can take the principles of this method and incorporate different exercises to suit your preferences. You can try The best 20 minute cardio workout, or 20 minute interval cardio workout which are both based on the Tabata protocol.
Another great fat burning cardio workout is doing 400 meters sprints. Each time challenge yourself to beat your own personal record. You can start with 2 rounds per workout with 3 to 5 minutes rest between rounds. You can gradually increase the number of rounds per workout.
You can do the same thing by running up a hill ( to increase intensity wear a weighted pack on your back). This time try to run as far up the hill as possible for 10 to 20 seconds and than walk back down.
Stair lunges and stair workouts are also very effective cardio training, that will dramatically sculpt and tone your legs and shape your butt. Everyone has access to stairs and the only thing you really need is your own body weight and the will to train hard.
Lifting heavy weights for high reps burns enormous amounts of calories and puts your cardiovascular system through an intense workout. Check out the Rock your body workout for this style of training.
Personaly, one of my favorite pieces of cardio equipment is my $10 skipping rope. Skipping burns and impressive amount of calories, is great indoors or out, and can be incorporated in an unlimited number of ways into almost any workout. I use my skipping rope in many of the exercise routines you can find on BodyRock.Tv .
That’s a great information.Thanks
The thumbnail picture of you kicking the bag is cool. Is there a hi-res version of that image available?
Zuzana,what’s the difference between cardio and weight training?
Is doing woodchops considered weight training?
I love cycling because in this area the hills give you both severe challenge going up and both a rest going down and the reward of the wind in your face. I like doing stairs also and often do them with dumbells curling as I go.
I’m so glad that i found this site and your YouTube channel. It gave me the motivation to get going again. I’ve been doing the same cardio/weights workout for years and have hit a wall. I’m excited to try your workouts at home instead of the gym. Thanks!
Hi Joanna,
you are very welcomed here, I am glad you found us.
Hi Zuzana! You have greatly inspired me. You have the kind of body i’m looking to build. The only problem is that although you have really good videos, tips, etc, there’s too many of them! I don’t know which ones i should do and in what order. I have about 40 minutes in the morning to devote to working out. Although i have 3 young children, through good genes and some pilates I don’t have a lot of visable body fat to lose. What exercises should i be doing to really start toning and sculpting my abs, arms, and butt?
Hi Amberle,
you can start with any workout you want as long as you choose the easiest ones for the beginning, so that you wouldn’t get sore after your first attempt :) Everyone is different so you have to find out yourself which of the workouts you can do with a proper form. Don’t do the same workout every day. Your workouts should vary from one day to another and so should the intensity. That said, if you chose a workout that was really intensive for you, then pick another workout for tomorrow with less intensity. This way you will be able to exercise frequently on daily basis without getting over trained. You can choose to have an active rest instead of a light workout as well. Some days I go to play tennis just for fun or I go for a long walk with my dog instead of doing a light workout. Diet is a huge part of your overall fitness so please take a look at my diet advice, there is all information that you need to know about a healthy diet and I am frequently updating with a new healthy and tasty recipes :)
Hi Zuzana,
I got to your website (very good by the way!) because I was looking for exersices to improve flexibility and there this post on youtube about streching and you mentioned that you were trying for month untill you find this streching program. You said that the program was in th website but I can’t find it!!! Can you let me know where it is???
Thanks a lot!!!
HI Karina,
I used to do the static stretching program, that have helped me to get more flexible, but then I have learned that the way I used to stretch was not good, so I didn’t want to give a bad advice to people on this site. I have got myself a dvd from Pavel Tsatsouline – Relax into stretch and I like that method, because it is a lot more gentle than pushing through a lot of pain into a static stretch. I personally think that the best way to get flexible without getting injured is through yoga, tai-chi, pilates and some forms of strength training. I am sure that there are more activities that can help you to improve your flexibility that I haven’t tried yet. The most important thing to remember about stretching is that it shouldn’t be painful. I used to push trough a lot of pain and that is not good. Flexibility is a reflexion of the state of your mind. The more you can be relaxed the more flexible you can get. The more stress and fears you have the more stiff your body gets, it is that simple.
hi, wanna know is all your workout suitable for guys?
can guys get tone and lean muscle like yours ?
Hi Ridzuan, my workouts are gender neutral :)
Hey Zuzana,
I have a question, I’m a woman and I tend to store more fat around my midsection. what is the best workout to burn fat around that are. I’ve heard jogging for 30 minutes. Do you agree? or is there something better that you recommend. I’m also a beginner.
Thank you,
GiGi
I think walking is the best cardio