I know most people turn to cardio to burn fat but I’m not really a huge fan of doing zone-out cardio workouts such as walking, jogging, biking, swimming, elliptical training, etc. where you just sort of put your body through the motions and tune out mentally. While I do think zone-out cardio workouts serve a great purpose for relieving stress or just having fun and doing something active, I don’t think doing this sort of cardio to burn fat is the best way to go about things.
Cardio to Burn Fat
Interval training is a well-known super time efficient way to burn fat fast by alternating between high intensity cardio “spurts” and lower intensity recovery periods. However, “cardio-sculpt” workouts are also highly effective…and a tiny bit more fun too!
Cardio sculpt workouts get your heart pumping (which burns a lot of calories and fat) but also incorporate low-weight, high repetition resistance exercises to tone and sculpt your muscles. This type of workout is an amazing method of getting an overall body-toning, strength workout and fat-burning/ calorie-burning cardio workout all at once. With cardio-sculpt workouts you don’t necessarily need to do high-impact exercises that stress your joints either. In fact, a cardio sculpt workout can be completely no-impact and yet still be highly effective at burning fat and calories.
Don’t Just Go Through the Motions…
Engage Your Mind When You Exercise
Unlike hopping on the elliptical trainer or jogging to nowhere on a treadmill, you can’t exactly “tune out” while doing a cardio sculpt workout because you need to focus on doing the exercises properly. A well designed cardio-sculpt workout flows quickly from one exercise to the next and keeps your mind in the game the entire time. By concentrating on each exercise and engaging your mind in your fitness regimen you’ll actually get quicker results than if you just zone-out and move your body mindlessly through the motions. It sounds sort of hokey, I know. But mindful exercise really does work.
Cardio Workouts at Home:
Circuit Training Workouts that Burn Fat
Cardio-sculpt workouts can be done in the convenience of your home with minimal equipment (a very light set of 1 to 3 pound dumbbells is all you need). Perform the 10 minute cardio-sculpt routine in the video above as you would circuit training workouts where you repeat the routine two or three times through for 20 or 30 minute workouts. You’ll know it’s working when your heart starts pumping hard! You’ll be blasting fat fast and you won’t even need to leave your living room.
Niki G
Tuesday 4th of January 2011
Ivy, That was very fun! I have been sick with flu symptoms and stuck in the house for two days. I saw your post, so I decided to get off the couch. It really is amazing what ten minutes can do to get the blood pumping and energy up! Happy New Year, Niki
Ivy Larson
Tuesday 4th of January 2011
oh no Niki, so sorry you were sick =( Hope you are feeling better? So happy you liked the workout! Hope you and Jonn had a Happy New Year (sorry you weren't able to make it to the party) Let's get together again SOON!