The past 6 months to the present, I have cut out all forms of heavy cardio! Why? I've been taking a cardio style boxing class for the past 2 years almost every Sunday! It's very intense cardio, burning almost 1000 calories within the hour. It trains your muscles so that after the class you will still be burning calories for the next couple of days. As much as I love the class my goal has been to gain weight and put on noticeable muscle mass. Taking this class for 2 years, I found my body fat percentage was getting very low and I was burning to many calories for what I was wanting to achieve. TO MUCH CARDIO CAN EAT AWAY AT MUSCLE TISSUE & CAUSE LOSS OF STRENGTH. I stopped taking the class and started to focus more on compound workouts (squats, deadlifts, chest press etc.) for a few months to utilize the calories I consume rather than burning them off through intense cardio. Following a nutritious diet and taking a break from intense cardio, I was able to increase my body fat percentage to a health level again. Not only have I noticed excellent results within my ability to lift, my form and my overall body composition but I have gained body fat in certain areas where I felt self cautious (like my breasts and back).
Today I've decided I am going to add cardio style exercises back into my workouts. Focusing on muscle building! It is possible to build muscle through cardio, although a better name for it is "conditioning". Conditioning is how you can increase your physical capacity as an athlete! This is done by shocking and stimulating the muscle through certain types of physical exercise.
CONDITIONING EXERCISES
Sprints (hill sprints, incline treadmill sprints, sled sprints) Jump Rope Battle Ropes Kettle Bell Swings Plyometric (jumping jacks, jump squats, high knees, burgees etc.) These are just a few examples, there are many different types of conditioning exercises. Do your research and use what works best for you and your body!
Your ON time should be: anywhere from ten and sixty seconds straight, as hard and as fast as you can.
Your OFF time should be: anywhere form 1-3 minutes or as long as you need to bring your heart rate down a bit. Over time you can work to decrease your rest time. Repeat for 10-20 minutes, 2-3 days per week. This will help you get ripped while building some muscle and strength!
Adding conditioning back into my workout routine makes me super excited to see the results to come!! Cant wait to share the with you all. XO
FULL LEG WORKOUT
GLUTES/HAMSTRINGS
WARM UP: 10 minutes incline treadmill 2 minutes walking, 2 minutes deep lunges COOL DOWN: Leg & Glute stretches 1 minute rest in between sets.
SUPERSET A1. Single Leg Hip Extension with Squeeze 12 reps each leg x 4 sets A2. Cable Pull Through with Squeeze 15 reps x 4 sets SUPERSERT B1. Deadlift Pulses 5, 5, 5 pulses x 4 sets B2. Single Leg Press (sitting angled) 12 reps each leg x 4 sets SUPERSET C1. Hamstring Curl 15 reps x 4 sets C2. Single Leg Deadlift 12 reps each leg x 4 sets CORE: Decline Ling Leg Lifts 15 reps x 4 sets Russian Twists 30 seconds x 4 sets