The bores of cardio...
Discussion
Hiya guys,
Having been told that I need to lose 19kg to get my BMI down to an acceptable level for a new role within my work, I have ditched the weight training in an effort to reduce the numbers on the scales.
What do you folks do to keep cardio interesting? I'm currently doing 20 mins treadmill (1min 30 running - 2min walk) and 10 mins on the stairmaster on intervals, I'm just finding it so boring!
I miss the weights but it is important that I get my weight down to 100kg as soon as possible.
How do you guys mix it up to stop the boredom?!?!
Having been told that I need to lose 19kg to get my BMI down to an acceptable level for a new role within my work, I have ditched the weight training in an effort to reduce the numbers on the scales.
What do you folks do to keep cardio interesting? I'm currently doing 20 mins treadmill (1min 30 running - 2min walk) and 10 mins on the stairmaster on intervals, I'm just finding it so boring!
I miss the weights but it is important that I get my weight down to 100kg as soon as possible.
How do you guys mix it up to stop the boredom?!?!
You need to get out of the gym. no sane person would find doing cardio inside a gym entertaining. I enjoy cardio much more than resistance training, I do mine through sport, road running, fell running, cycling and hiking mainly. Basically all the things I like to be fit for! Get some trainers and a light backpack and head to some hills. Enjoy.
On the treadmill , walk 100 metres run as hard as you can for 400 metres , repeat 4 times then take a 400 metre walk . Do this four times , my walk is around 6km/hr and my run is around 16 km/hr but adjust this to suit your ability and experience. A couple of sessions of this a week and all of a sudden a nice steady 5km run outside will feel like heaven.
Another workout similar to what you're already doing, 2.5 mins jog ( not walk) and then 2.5 mins run . Do this 4 times so 20 mins total. Speeds will depend on your fitness but would probably start at 8.0/9.0 km jog and 11/12 km for the run. Each session try and drop the jog part by 30 seconds and increase the run part by 30 seconds so 2 mins jog 3 mins run times 4 . When you get to 1 min jog 4 min run times 4 put the speeds up and go back to 2.5 min jog / 2.5min run times 4 and start again. Chasing the improvement becomes addictive while the short sessions mean it is not too daunting and easy to stick to.
Try and mix it up, if you can do some runs outside , maybe do a park run, I don't if 5 km sounds a long way or is nothing to you but it soon becomes easy.
Another workout similar to what you're already doing, 2.5 mins jog ( not walk) and then 2.5 mins run . Do this 4 times so 20 mins total. Speeds will depend on your fitness but would probably start at 8.0/9.0 km jog and 11/12 km for the run. Each session try and drop the jog part by 30 seconds and increase the run part by 30 seconds so 2 mins jog 3 mins run times 4 . When you get to 1 min jog 4 min run times 4 put the speeds up and go back to 2.5 min jog / 2.5min run times 4 and start again. Chasing the improvement becomes addictive while the short sessions mean it is not too daunting and easy to stick to.
Try and mix it up, if you can do some runs outside , maybe do a park run, I don't if 5 km sounds a long way or is nothing to you but it soon becomes easy.
Also try mixing up the machines in one session, if I'm bored and fancy a change I like to do 7 mins each on the treadmill , rower and bike with no rest in between. As you get better and fitter it becomes easier and you'll probably start stretching the time out. I like to check my heart rate at the end of each session and watch how quickly it drops in a minute. Seeing it improve every week becomes addictive. Always try to have a metric which you can see and improve on wether it be calories burned , speed , distance covered etc.
k the gym, screw running and cycling. All that is BORING. Pick up a sport that you might actually enjoy and even laugh. Doesn't matter what it is, as long as you find it fun so you'll go to it whether you're feeling motivated or otherwise. Thirded on the get out of the gym vote. I'm in a similar situation so have decided to do couch to 5k (running) in an effort to shed a few pounds. What I like about it is being out in the fresh air and enjoying the sights and sounds of the countryside. Where I live borders on rural land and I'm looking forward to being able to cover larger distances so I can enjoy my runs even more by getting in amongst it.
That and I've realised there are some fairly fit female runners that pound the pavements round my way, usually get a smile as I'm passing even though I must look pretty pathetic at the moment gasping for air after a 1 minute jog but I'll get there and on day be able to keep up (at a suitable distance to perve their lycra clad bums
).
That and I've realised there are some fairly fit female runners that pound the pavements round my way, usually get a smile as I'm passing even though I must look pretty pathetic at the moment gasping for air after a 1 minute jog but I'll get there and on day be able to keep up (at a suitable distance to perve their lycra clad bums
).C0ffin D0dger said:
fairly fit female runners that pound the pavements round my way, usually get a smile as I'm passing even though I must look pretty pathetic at the moment gasping for air after a 1 minute jog but I'll get there and on day be able to keep up (at a suitable distance to perve their lycra clad bums ).
Scratch what I said about running. What time is best for going for a jog?).
Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff