Not a Cardio Enthusiast....Advice Please.

K

kimmy0169

Cathlete
Hello,

I am currently doing a Pyramid rotation which is doing amazing things for my upper and lower body, but my problem is cardio. I don't like it. The thought of doing 40-60 minutues of stepping, or walking discourages me and and all I do is watch the clock. However, I love weight work and and can do an hour or more of weight work without blinking. What I would like to do is incorporate some of my old firm workouts on days when I am not doing heavy weight work because they at least have cardio and weights. I plan on using "very light" weights. Is this too much? Would I be overtraining? For instance I did Firm Cardio Split this morning with 5lb weights for most of the segments. I try to incorporate Cathe's KPC at least once a week because that keeps my interest. My body tends to respond positively to circuit training as well.

Any advice would be appreciated.
 
I'd say give it a shot. You'll know fairly quickly whether you're doing too much weight work; IMHO you'll find it a very doable program.

Usually what works best is what works for YOU, and keeps you coming back. Cardio is important to health, so whatever you can do to squirt it in, do it.

A-Jock
 
I agree with Annette.

Also, since you like circuit training, consider getting Cathe's Boot camp from the I series, which will get you breathing heavy, will test your all over stamina but only features 6 minutes of real cardio! Consider getting also Cathe's new High Step Advanced Training for similar reasons. Sounds like you will love these and they will definitley have a cardio effect for you.

If KPC is your thing, then go for it, once per week for definite, and how about Cardio kicks too? Or try some of the Powerstrike Kickbox DVD's, they could also help you get cardio in in a way more suited to your tastes. There have been stacks of reviews of Powerstrike on the Open forums, if you do a search, you should find them.

Are you more a social person when you work out? If so, maybe solitary cardio at home bores you silly. In which case, enlist a friend to go power walking with you or join you for a cardio class at the gym.

Everything helps!

Clare
 
I agree with both Clare and Annette. You may also want to try Janis Saffell's Hardcore Kickbox Circuit. It isn't as intense as KPC, but it has a fun factor.

I've also found doing a portion of a cardio tape, 20-25 minutes, then doing Pyramid Upper Body (up pyramid only) or intense ab work - makes for a great combo. I save lower body work for a seperate day.

Diane
 
RE: What was I thinking . . .

Re circuit-style workouts with a cardio emphasis, in addition to Boot Camp and the KPC/LG premixes:

Cardio and Weights from The Intensity Series
The entire Terminator DVD
CIRCUIT MAX!!!!!
Step Jump Pump from the Body Blast Series
CTX Power Circuit workout (leg circuits only)
Body Max (includes a 20-minute power leg circuit routine)
The Timesaver DVD from the Body Blast Series (this includes shorter cardio segments and then targeted strength segments)

Never underestimate the power of a bald woman to spend your money wisely for you . . .

A-Jock
 
RE: What was I thinking . . .Not a Cardio Enthusisast

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

I felt like I got a good workout this morning by doing a firm tape. A little cardio and a little weight training makes me feel I have accomplished more than just walking or stepping.
 
I'm not much of a cardio enthusiast myself and have been using The FIRM for 15+ years. As long as you're keeping the weights light I don't see any problem except that you won't be building endurance. You also don't mention what your fitness goals are. Obviously in order to burn fat, the cardio workouts need to be sustained for at least 20 mins. I hope this helps.
 
Just curious if you've tried Boot camp, I'm not much of a cardio fan either but I like BC. It's very fast paced and incorporates weights as well. Check it out if you don't have it - it has killer core work too :)
 
Have you tried any activities other than walking or cardio tapes? Maybe you'd like joining a sport such as softball, volleyball, tennis or soccer. That would give you some time to socialize while getting fit and motivate you to do it on a schedueled basis. If you have kids, there are lots of things to do with them like rollerblading, swimming, hiking and running around playing tag. Kids love it when their parents play games with them and they need exercise too. If you watch tv or movies at night, using equipment like an exercise bike or treadmill makes it go by quickly without needing to find any extra time to do it. My husband wouldnt get any exercise without his treadmill. There are lots of ways of doing cardio. Find one you like and you'll be more likely to stick with it :)

Dawn
 
RE: Not a Cardio Enthusiast...Pyramids

I really do not have a formal rotation. I do PUB on Mondays, PLB on Wednesday and the total bonus combo on Friday, or I do LB and UP using the just the pyramid up section.

I was wondering if anyone else uses the Pyramid workouts in another way such as using one challenging weight for all the sets etc..
 
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