| It is common to hear fitness professionals and | | | | respond to and recover from a variety of |
| medical doctors prescribe low to moderate | | | | demands making it less likely to fail when you |
| intensity aerobic training (cardio) to people who | | | | need it. Think about it this way -- Exercise that |
| are trying to prevent heart disease or lose | | | | trains your heart to rapidly increase and rapidly |
| weight. Most often, the recommendations | | | | decrease will make your heart more capable of |
| constitute something along the lines of "perform | | | | handling everyday stress. Stress can cause your |
| 30-60 minutes of steady pace cardio 3-5 times | | | | blood pressure and heart rate to increase rapidly. |
| per week maintaining your heart rate at a | | | | Steady state jogging and other endurance training |
| moderate level". Before you just give in to this | | | | does not train your heart to be able to handle |
| popular belief and become the "hamster on the | | | | rapid changes in heart rate or blood pressure.The |
| wheel" doing endless hours of boring cardio, I'd like | | | | important aspect of variable cyclic training that |
| you to consider some recent scientific research | | | | makes it superior over steady state cardio is the |
| that indicates that steady pace endurance cardio | | | | recovery period in between bursts of exertion. |
| work may not be all it's cracked up to be.First, | | | | That recovery period is crucially important for the |
| realize that our bodies are designed to perform | | | | body to elicit a healthy response to an exercise |
| physical activity in bursts of exertion followed by | | | | stimulus. Another benefit of variable cyclic training |
| recovery, or stop-and-go movement instead of | | | | is that it is much more interesting and has lower |
| steady state movement. Recent research is | | | | drop-out rates than long boring steady state |
| suggesting that physical variability is one of the | | | | cardio programs.To summarize, some of the |
| most important aspects to consider in your | | | | potential benefits of variable cyclic training |
| training. This tendency can be seen throughout | | | | compared to steady state endurance training are |
| nature as all animals demonstrate stop-and-go | | | | as follows: improved cardiovascular health, |
| motion instead of steady state motion. In fact, | | | | increased anti-oxidant protection, improved |
| humans are the only creatures in nature that | | | | immune function, reduced risk for joint wear and |
| attempt to do "endurance" type physical activities. | | | | tear, reduced muscle wasting, increased residual |
| Most competitive sports (with the exception of | | | | metabolic rate following exercise, and an increased |
| endurance running or cycling) are also based on | | | | capacity for the heart to handle life's every day |
| stop-and-go movement or short bursts of | | | | stressors. There are many ways you can reap |
| exertion followed by recovery. To examine an | | | | the benefits of stop-and-go or variable intensity |
| example of the different effects of endurance or | | | | physical training. One of the absolute most |
| steady state training versus stop-and-go training, | | | | effective forms of variable intensity training to |
| consider the physiques of marathoners versus | | | | really reduce body fat and bring out serious |
| sprinters. Most sprinters carry a physique that is | | | | muscular definition is performing wind sprints.Most |
| very lean, muscular, and powerful looking, while | | | | competitive sports such as football, basketball, |
| the typical dedicated marathoner is more often | | | | racquetball, tennis, hockey, etc. are naturally |
| emaciated and sickly looking. Now which would | | | | comprised of highly variable stop-and-go motion. |
| you rather resemble?Another factor to keep in | | | | In addition, weight training naturally incorporates |
| mind regarding the benefits of physical variability is | | | | short bursts of exertion followed by recovery |
| the internal effect of various forms of exercise | | | | periods. High intensity interval training (varying |
| on our body. Scientists have known that | | | | between high and low intensity intervals on any |
| excessive steady state endurance exercise | | | | piece of cardio equipment) is yet another training |
| (different for everyone, but sometimes defined | | | | method that utilizes exertion and recovery |
| as greater than 60 minutes per session most | | | | periods. For example, an interval training session |
| days of the week) increases free radical | | | | on the treadmill could look something like |
| production in the body, can degenerate joints, | | | | this:Warm-up for 3-4 minutes at a fast walk or |
| reduces immune function, causes muscle wasting, | | | | light jog; |
| and can cause a pro-inflammatory response in the | | | | Interval 1 - run at 8.0 mi/hr for 1 minute; |
| body that can potentially lead to chronic diseases. | | | | Interval 2 - walk at 4.0 mi/hr for 1.5 minutes; |
| On the other hand, highly variable cyclic training | | | | Interval 3 - run at 10.0 mi/hr for 1 minute; |
| has been linked to increased anti-oxidant | | | | Interval 4 - walk at 4.0 mi/hr for 1.5 minutes; |
| production in the body and an anti-inflammatory | | | | Repeat those 4 intervals 4 times for a very |
| response, a more efficient nitric oxide response | | | | intense 20-minute workout.The take-away |
| (which can encourage a healthy cardiovascular | | | | message from this article is to try to train your |
| system), and an increased metabolic rate | | | | body at highly variable intensity rates for the |
| response (which can assist with weight | | | | majority of your workouts to get the most |
| loss).Furthermore, steady state endurance training | | | | beneficial response in terms of heart health, fat |
| only trains the heart at one specific heart rate | | | | loss, and muscle maintenance.Visit to receive your |
| range and doesn't train it to respond to various | | | | own personalized metabolic rate calculator as well |
| every day stressors. On the other hand, highly | | | | as a free training/nutrition ebook that will |
| variable cyclic training teaches the heart to | | | | revolutionize your fitness program. |