Cardio: Expert Guides and Resources

Like walking, running provides a fitness workout that you can take with you anywhere. You can work up a great sweat, burn lots of calories, and your muscles feel invigorated after you finish. You don’t need a rack on your car or a suitcase full of equipment; you just open the door and go.No single type of exercise is better than all the rest.

CrossFit super-enthusiasts who want to take it to the next level can become a Certified CrossFit Trainer (CCFT) or Certified CrossFit Coach (CCFC). Earning certification shows that you have the skills to work knowledgeably and effectively with individuals and groups at all levels of experience. And in a broader sense, certification ensures integrity and consistency among CrossFit certificants and affiliates.

After a cardio workout (aerobic exercise such as brisk walking, jogging, bicycling, swimming, or stair climbing), you should always remember to cool down before resting. Don’t stop suddenly and make a dash for the shower or plop on the couch.Ease out of your workout just as you eased into it during a warm-up — by walking, jogging, or cycling lightly.

If your goal is permanent fat loss, you need to burn enough calories to make a significant impact. Here's why: In order to lose a pound in one week, you need to create a 3,500-calorie deficit; in other words, you need to burn off 3,500 more calories than you eat. A 30-minute power walk on flat ground burns about 120 calories.

Sprint training is an exercise regimen that burns fat, builds muscle, and boosts BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). Because studies have shown that short bursts of running are more efficient than long walks or jogs, sprint training is becoming the recommended method of choice for cardiovascular exercise. Image credit: BONNINSTUDIO/ShutterstockWith sprint training, there are two basic ways to achieve ideal results: Flat sprints Incline sprints You will only want to perform sprint training exercises a couple times a week.

The basic crunch is the consummate abdominal exercise in a strength-training program. Pay special attention to your form when you do crunches, especially if you have lower-back or neck problems. Performing the basic crunch Follow these steps to perform crunches: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has emerged in the last decade as a style of cardiovascular exercise that is especially helpful for burning fat, building strength, enhancing endurance, and improving glucose metabolism (the way your body burns energy). HIIT has become an essential tool in most personal trainers’ and athletic coaches’ toolboxes.

You’ve probably heard of CrossFit and wondered what it is and how you can start doing CrossFit workouts. CrossFit is an intense, cross-training exercise program that combines different kinds of exercises into varied fitness routines called Workouts of the Day (WODs). CrossFit athletes rarely do the same routines in the same week.

CrossFit is an intense, multi-discipline exercise program that combines all different kinds of exercises into varied fitness routines called Workouts of the Day (WODs). Usually, CrossFitters will not do the same routines in the same week. For example, in Monday’s WOD, you might do 10 push-ups, 10 squats, and 5 burpees, completing as many repetitions as possible (often abbreviated AMRAP) in a given amount of time.