The next article in our returning to training series is about cardio and how we do things here at AdMac Fitness. It follows on from our more generic article on returning to training which can be found here.
One aspect of training that a lot of people are confused about is cardio and how to do it post lockdown. Having reduced their running, cycling and swimming during lockdown, some who rely on longer duration work will be feeling the effects of reduced cardiovascular fitness. If your cardio was gym based with rowers, cross trainers and stair masters etc, you’ll have suffered too.
We’re going to give some pointers about how we’re returning to cardio post lockdown at AdMac Fitness. It’s not a guide on returning to running etc, more a how and why we’re going to re-introduce the cardio element to our programming for our members.
At AdMac Fitness, our approach to cardio doesn’t rely on the long duration, steady-state work that most people associate with cardio exercise. Our clients have all round fitness and physique goals, so we have to approach our cardio training differently. We use a variety of exercises, rep ranges, timed intervals etc to bring about a cardio response. We use ropes, prowlers, weights, kettlebells, intervals and a hole host of other approaches to ensure our clients don’t just look great, they also have the stamina to match!
How We’re Returning to Cardio at AdMac Fitness
We’ve got to balance out the needs of the clients with that fact that they’re likely to be reconditioned.
It’d be stupid of us to go flying straight into the highest intensity work otherwise we’re likely to cause problems. Instead, we’ll be adjusting exercises, rep ranges, weights and work intervals. We’ll stick to our principles of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), which allows us to manipulate exercise selection and workloads.
We’ll build our clients back up at an appropriate intensity, starting with lighter loads, shorter work intervals and lower impact exercises. This flexibility means we can adapt workouts to make sure clients safety is put front and centre. If we were relying on running, swimming or cycling alone, we wouldn’t have the ability to tweak workouts so effectively.
For anyone returning to cardio post lockdown you should start with baby steps and build up your intensity as you go.
How we do Cardio at AdMac Fitness
Our cardio approach involves a short burst of high intensity work towards the end of the session. The evidence base in support of HIIT is just too strong to ignore and the positive results are proven time and again across multiple studies.
There’s nothing wrong with going for a long run, it’s just not the most effective way to get our clients into the shape they want to be in. If we were training runners, great - we’d have them running. We’re training people who want a high level of general fitness, a healthy amount of muscle and low body fat. That’s why we do the kind of cardio we do.
More and more, personal trainers and strength coaches are blurring the lines between ‘cardio’ and ‘strength’ training and recent analysis of the research around the topic suggests that most of the benefits of high intensity strength training cross over to both.
The effects of this kind of cardio are both wide-ranging and significant for people across the age ranges. Evidence shows that high intensity resistance exercise is effective for people of all ages and the benefits extend across the physical capabilities.
A lot of people assume that resistance-based HIIT is only safe and effective for young, fit people. However, evidence is showing there are huge fitness benefits for older exercisers using the approach as well. In this particular study, the subjects were older men and they underwent a period of twice weekly training sessions. The effects were monitored across a range of physical capabilities, with the evidence showing that the training benefitted not just their strength and muscle mass, but cardiovascular fitness too.
An AdMac Cardio Blast Example…
Typically we use ‘finishers’ - high intensity ends to a session, designed to burn a lot of calories, raise the heart rate and improve stamina. We use short, high intensity work intervals and the exercises may be a mixture of rope work, slams, sprints, mountain climbers etc. We’ll perform multiple rounds and circuits, bringing about the training effect we’re looking for.
These may be timed for 30 seconds, with a 15 second rest between exercises, for example. This varies depending on the exercises, the goals of the session/client and the state of fitness.
We’re in the results business, first and foremost. Our clients come to us because they want to get fit, improve their health and see the physical and mental benefits of effective exercise. What we do is decide our approaches based on what the evidence suggest. In the case of our cardio, we listen to the science and programme accordingly.
Let AdMac Guide You Back to Fitness
As professional personal trainers, it’s our job to help you exercise safely and effectively. We also work out of our private studio in Bow, East London. We can operate in a safe, socially-distanced way and assure you that our standards of hygiene and cleanliness are second to none.
If you want to let us guide you back to full fitness in the best way possible, contact us on 07921465108 or email us at admacfitness@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!