Cardio Workouts

Cardio is, as we all know, the number one method of burning that muffin top around your waist and revealing the sleek abdominal muscles beneath. But if we are to journey together on our quest to resemble the cast of Spartacus then we must decide which machine or technique to use, a few are outlined below with their positives and negatives.

Jogging

Low intensity and famous for its ease jogging is available to people of all ages, weights and areas; no pricey gym membership just strap on your trainers and you are off! So if it is so easy and cheap why it is not the number one method, and why do these brightly lit buildings full of pumped up steroid monsters and big iron weights even exist? Basically because there are quite a few drawbacks. For example are you going to go jogging when it snows? I did last year and it was hell; cold air feels like scalding hot whisky when you are running and frankly I am surprised I didn't break and ankle. Another thing to look at is repetition; running the same course around your estate over and over will soon make you lose motivation and excitement; the mundaneness of the exercise will cause you to quit.

Positives

- Easy to get started

- Cheap

- Great for burning fat

- Tones legs, arms and abdominal muscles

Negatives

- Boring, even with music

- Results will be minimal unless a huge amount of time is committed

- Builds little muscle

- Can cause injuries through impact to knees and shins

Verdict?

- Good for beginners but should always be supplemented with other exercises

Cycling (Not static)

Going for a bike ride along the local canal or through a forest can be an excellent workout; the scenery changes fast enough to stay interesting and your workout will be naturally varied due to hills and such like. Cycling to and from work or school is another good way to utilize ones time to exercise however this requires a road bike and a little more kit to do properly. Either way one can go for a lot longer on a bike, making it a viable option for serious trainers. A problem however is that for newcomers a bike, helmet, reflectors, pump and either a tracksuit for mountain biking or specialist cycling gear for road biking will set you back a pretty hefty sum (always go for cycling gear when on roads and also, if you are a guy, give your legs a shave; this has nothing to do with speed and is instead to minimise fiction related injuries in the case of a crash, while also making it easier to clean wounds).

Positives

- Fun and engaging

- Better than running for a communal exercise as you don't lose your breath as fast!

- Fantastic leg definition

- General fat burning

Negatives

- Significantly less energy burned per hour than other exercises

- Can be very expensive to start

- Only targets one muscle group

- Can be very dangerous

Verdict?

- Good for people with the time, inclination and a mild death wish!

Cycling (Static bike)

A safer and cheaper alternative to cycling in the great outdoors or along the highways of your homeland is to use a static bike, at home or at the gym these provide many of the benefits of a regular bike, for example you can alter the difficulty of each spin (basically changing the gradient). At home one can watch television and slowly spin away their flab while in a gym one can listen to music or chat. This all makes the static bike a fantastic choice for those who want to start slow.

Positives

- Safe and warm, with no chance of being killed by a lorry!

- Easy for beginners

- Can change difficulty as strength increases

Negatives

- Very little energy burned compared to other activities

- Less interesting than regular cycling

- Only targets one muscle group

Verdict?

- Probably the best thing for new people to go for, but unless you plan on using one four hours a day people with decent fitness levels should try to go for harder things

Rowing Machine

One of the few cardio workouts one can do on the upper body there are some truly fantastic bodies in the world of competitive indoor rowing, and this is because it is one of the best cardio muscle workouts you can do, with a calorie burn rate just below running at a good pace of a slightly inclined treadmill it strengthens, tones and burns fat all at the same time as building muscle across your whole body. In my opinion it is probably the second best full body exercise one can do.

Positives

- Works the upper body while burning a lot of energy

- Works legs when done correctly

- Back and shoulders will strengthen quickly which aids in other exercises

- Can be easily done at home or in the gym

- Able to listen to music or watch television while exercising

Negatives

- Difficult for beginners with little to no experience

- Can get repetitive and dull

- Not brilliant for people wanting a more all-round workout as it is pretty specific to the back, shoulders, legs and chest area

Verdict?

- My personal favourite machine based cardio exercise for its muscle group coverage and quick strengthening of the back, shoulders and core

Swimming

Last but not least; my most loved exercise for getting oneself in good shape: nothing quite works the whole body like an hour or so in the pool. The various strokes make it accessible to people of all levels and the supporting effect of the water gives people with previous sporting injuries a support, allowing them to keep fit. The style of the exercise can be easily changed with a pull buoy or kick float; this allows you to do the same stroke with just the arms or the legs, thus spot training one muscle group.

Positives

- Fantastic full body exercise

- Quickly builds shoulders while slimming stomach giving an impression of greater change

- Can spot target muscle groups

- Intensity is easy to change

Negatives

- One must learn for a while before one can utilize

- Provides less muscle growth than weight lifting

- Provides less calorie burn than running

Verdict?

- Out of all the exercises listed hear this is my favourite, it allows one to build and impressive body without the need for expensive equipment. Although supporting exercises will supplement and benefit your workout swimming can be a standalone exercises like no other.