When it comes to losing fat everyone has a theory. Some people say that slow is the way to go while others say fast will put fat in the past. Ask yourself this question. What type of athlete would you rather look like? A marathoner? Or a sprinter? A marathon runner looks sickly thin with little muscle mass while a sprinter is lean and muscular which is much healthier looking then the marathon runner. Although I prefer the sprinters physique I am a full supporter of doing both types of cardio to add variety to a workout and strengthening the heart muscles.
Sprinters do workouts called fartleks which is a Swedish word referring to short bouts of sprints followed by short bouts at a slower pace. In bodybuilding terms that is called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). HIIT in my opinion is better then endurance cardio because it makes muscles work harder and in time makes muscles stronger which burns more fat. Also, HIIT burns more calories throughout the day then endurance cardio does. Endurance cardio burns more calories during activity then it does throughout the day while HIIT works just the opposite.
To perform HIIT you can do anything.... biking, running, stairclimber etc. You just have to be able to go from fast to slow over and over again for about 15-20min. Choose what intervals you would like to go at and perform HIIT with whatever exercise you decide to do. I usually go 1 min sprint and 1 min jog but its up to you and what you can do.
To make cardio more fun I enjoy listening to music. I bring a mini disc player with me and it makes time fly by and it also gives me an extra push when I need it. Perform HIIT 3 times a week and do a longer endurance at a lesser intensity cardio workout once or twice a week just to add some variety.
Cardio is important to do not only because of the stored up fat from last winter but its also important to do it because of your heart. Big muscles do not mean anything if you can't walk up a flight of stairs without collapsing. Do cardio long enough to get up a good sweat and increase your heart rate. As long as your not over doing it cardio can be a very healthy and helpful tool in anyones routine.
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