Running is my favorite aerobic exercise. You ask why you can love such an exhausting activity? I will not now prove the health benefits of running and its role in losing weight. Kilometers of articles have been written about this, you have probably studied them.
I love running for its accessibility, simplicity and versatility. Time for running can be entered into any, even the most intense work schedule. I have experience with both morning and evening running.
Cheerful morning
If you work late and come home exhausted, running in the morning is an option for you.
The hardest thing about running in the morning is getting out from under a warm blanket, especially in cool weather.
Do not start from the first minute after waking up. Drink a small cup of tea on an empty stomach, walk at a calm pace. Let the pulse, slowed down after sleep, return to normal. Give the body the opportunity to wake up completely, and then it will not resist the new routine.
Until you get used to such early and vigorous rises, during morning runs, uncomfortable sensations are possible. Over time, the body adapts to this training regimen.
Evening runs
Getting up early is too much stress for you? Already in the evening you begin to think with horror what time you need to get up tomorrow in order to be in time for a run? Or maybe your work day starts too early?
The ideal option for you is to run in the evening.
An important nuance: evening running training should be on an empty stomach. The process of digestion of food uses the reserves of the body, which are needed for training. Even for long-term runners, undigested food causes discomfort during a run.
It is worth considering the time of dinner in advance. I offer two options to choose from:
- Wait until a light dinner is digested (and ideally it should be, regardless of whether you are going to run or not). If there is a stadium near the house, illuminated paths of the park or square, go for a late jog.
- Start right after the end of the working day so that you can have dinner not too late.
Run for lunch
Jogging at lunchtime - why not? Perhaps there is a cozy square near the place of your work. If you can handle changing and showering, this is a great option!
Do not torture yourself with thoughts about what time of day it is better to run. The ideal option for jogging will tell you your work schedule and body features. Consider your biorhythm: an owl does not need to run in the morning, but evening runs will bring benefits and pleasure.
Experts recommend running within the first hour after waking up. They explain this position as follows. A person draws energy from food, namely carbohydrates, which enter the body through food. During sleep, the body depletes all its reserves of carbohydrates. And when you run in the morning on an empty stomach, the energy is drawn from fats. Accordingly, such high rates of fat burning are obtained.
It also turns out that jogging in the morning increases the level of metabolism. That is, having worked in the morning, your body will intensively burn fat all day.
After any physical activity, a person loses quite a lot of calories. Accordingly, a wild feeling of hunger is a normal phenomenon. It seems that you can eat an elephant. And in fact, if you do not moderate your ardor, then you can eat much more than usual. If you decide to lose weight, then after a run, a very light breakfast will suit you, which will include vegetables (fiber), by the way, very useful for the body. Lean protein will also help.
To make it clear what is being said, we provide a very good example of a breakfast for those who want to lose weight: fish, broccoli or cauliflower (which is in the refrigerator), cheese, preferably goat, and whole grain bread. Well, tea. Green tea is best suited after the morning "torture". And quench your thirst, and invigorate.
The same controversial issue is how and when it is better to run. But there is one small, but indisputable nuance in this matter. Or maybe not even one. First, there is something for everyone. If someone runs at a slow pace and for him this is an effective way to lose weight, then this option is not necessarily suitable for everyone.
There are even developed schemes for running. How, how much and in what rhythm to run. But do not rush to follow everything written. The best judge for you is your body. Listen to him, and he will tell you what is good for you and what is bad. According to the schemes, you can try to run only when you are a trained athlete.
And the second is the individual characteristics of the runner. Someone runs faster, someone slower, and someone barely. In the matter of the rhythm of jogging, it is better not to be equal to others, but to slowly try all the options. So that the training gives good results, and the runner is comfortable at the same time.
Running from extra pounds
Studies show that short workouts after waking up burn up to three times more calories than non-exercise exercise. Therefore, it is better to run for weight loss in the morning.
The fact is that during the night the body uses all the available reserves of carbohydrates (this is the most affordable source of energy). At the time of the morning run, a new portion of carbohydrates has not yet been received, and the body is forced to spend fat reserves, which in other conditions are very reluctant to part with.
In addition, morning aerobic activity "unwinds" the metabolism for the whole day. This means that for some time after training, you will spend more calories on daily activities.
Important: this method of losing weight can definitely be recommended only to owners of excess body fat. There is a risk of burning muscle mass instead of fat, and this is an undesirable development of events.
If your goal is to lose weight, but an early jog is an unrealistic task for you, run at a different time of the day. Listen to the body, give it the opportunity to choose what time is best to run.
Losing weight are often interested in: how much do you need to run to lose weight? For training in the morning on an empty stomach, 20-30 minutes will be enough. At any other time, for weight loss, you need to run for 40 minutes. When the body adapts to the loads, and endurance appears, it will be effective for fat burning from 40 minutes to an hour.
There are a number of simple programs that help calculate the likely number of kilograms that a person can lose over a certain period. If you want to easily find such a program on the Internet is not a problem. If you really want to, then after a certain period you can check how accurate it shows the results.
But there is a small remark, because everyone's body is different. Even if you enter all the exact parameters of the runner, there is a large error. Therefore, do not expect much from Internet programs. And just every day to work on yourself and your body.
There is a constant temptation to refuse physical training Because it's hard work. Of course, it is better to lie down and relax, eat something tasty. Therefore, in any undertaking, in any business, willpower is very important. If you want some certainty, set goals for yourself and firmly go towards them. This will be the best indicator for you.
Gaining muscle mass and running: how to combine?
If you do not have serious fat reserves and are currently actively gaining muscle mass, jogging in the morning on an empty stomach will not do any good, rather the opposite.
Breakfast, then run!
I already mentioned that after a night's sleep, glycogen stores are reduced. If you exercise on an empty stomach, the body will begin to look for alternative sources of energy.
A fat runner who has never lifted anything heavier than a spoon before will use fat reserves. But for an athlete who has already formed muscle mass, after a cardio load on an empty stomach, it is the muscles that will go into the furnace. The fact is that the body is extremely reluctant to use fat reserves, this is an inviolable reserve. Muscles are less valuable to him, but important to us, aren't they?
Important: if you are a happy owner of muscle mass and plan to increase it further, morning cardio on an empty stomach is not your topic.
Morning aerobic training is not prohibited, just prepare for it. We are following this plan:
- Waking up an hour earlier than the fat runner
- Breakfast consisting of easily digestible foods (omelet, whole grain bread, juice)
- Pause for digestion (40-45 minutes)
- Let's start!
You are the man who came to gym for muscle mass? So go and get it! Your main task in the gym is effective strength training, the cardio preceding it will deplete the body's energy reserves. In such conditions, it will be difficult to “finish off” those last 2-3 repetitions in the approach, which give impetus to the desired muscle growth.
In addition, cardio training reduces the body's ability to create new muscle structures and at the same time provokes the breakdown of existing ones.
Running training before strength training is possible if it is scheduled at least 3 hours before the start of iron exercises. During this period, it is important to restore glycogen stores with the help of proper nutrition and sports supplements (gainers).
A girl who does not set a goal for a tangible gain in muscle mass, 1-2 hours before strength training, may well afford a half-hour run.
Strength training can't compare to cardio for depleting glycogen stores. Therefore, at the end of work with iron, some energy reserve will still remain. If this is the only possible variant run, cardio after strength training has a right to exist.
And yet, if you want to get an effective cardio session, recover within 2-3 hours and start boldly. Glycogen stores will be replenished (you will have time to eat during this time), and protein breakdown will be avoided.
Can you lose weight by running for just 15 minutes?
The answer is simple: you can. But again, there are nuances. Then you need to select the enhanced running mode. And, of course, you need to do this regularly. Otherwise, you won't see any results. Well, if it doesn’t work hard, then you need to sacrifice the calories that you eat. Let's say if your diet is 500 kilocalories, and during the run you dropped only 200 of them, then another 300 will have to be consciously abandoned. Like this.
Beginning runners often prefer morning workouts, as fatigue accumulates in the evening after a hard day at work, and only a few are able to force themselves to put on sneakers.
Well, let's go in the morning!
Before an early start - tips from experienced runners:
- Jogging immediately after waking up is a serious stress on the cardiovascular system. Blood at this time of day has an increased viscosity, it is more difficult for the heart to pump it. So don't start right out of bed!
- Do a five-minute light warm-up to warm up your joints and muscles. This will help avoid injury.
- Motivation is an important point when planning a morning run. Take care of sportswear in advance, the mere sight of which will make you feel better. Have comfortable cute sneakers waiting for you at the door.
- The first morning races will be short, up to 15 minutes. Over time, they will become longer, but it makes no sense to run at this time of day for more than 40 minutes.
- At the end of the lesson, take a shower, after half an hour, have breakfast with easily digestible foods.
When is the best time to run is up to you and your body to decide. Let scientifically proven theoretical calculations fade into the background. Analyze the individual characteristics of the body, work schedule and family circumstances. Training is designed to bring not only benefits, but also pleasure!
The most effective running for burning fat
One of the most effective types running for weight loss is considered - interval running. The bottom line is to change the load: moderately, quickly, moderately, quickly. If you want to run in this style in the morning, then you need to prepare your body for this. You need to wake up slowly (within 5-10 minutes), then it is important to do a warm-up, after which you need to drink a glass of water and sit down to eat after 15 minutes.
Breakfast should be low glycemic complex carbohydrates. After breakfast, 20-40 minutes should pass, after which you can go for a run. The run itself should start smoothly, i.e. the pace at the very beginning should be low (walking is possible), after a few minutes you can increase the speed to your usual pace. After 3 minutes, you can already run for effort, alternating between fast and medium paces.
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Of course it's effective. The main thing is the focus on results. You don't need to box yourself in. These are outdated stereotypes. Now, on the contrary, everyone lives according to the principle: “I am an individual”. And it is true. Someone is a lark and can wake up at dawn. And for someone early - it's closer to dinner. And then an evening run will perfectly help to cheer up.
When the goal of losing weight has already been set, the most important thing is to run regularly, and be sure to monitor your diet. Power loads are very draining. And you can eat more calories. As a result, you will get the opposite effect.
Cardio guide: we will tell you who, when and how to do cardio.
Do I need to do cardio at all, when exactly do I need to do cardio and in what volumes. Zozhnik understands everything related to cardio.
What is cardio
The name "cardio", in fact, comes from the Greek word kardio - heart. Therefore, in theory, cardio training is training of the cardiovascular system. However, in fitness rooms, “cardio” began to include any aerobic activity in general: running, walking on an ellipse, cycling, and most group activities.
Actually, cardio training, namely training the heart and the cardiovascular system, is most effective in a certain heart rate range, so you need to constantly monitor it.
Your personal range can be determined precisely and individually by taking a test on a gas analyzer (here).
Or just use the approximate formula: 220 - your age = your maximum heart rate . Cardio training should take place in the heart rate range from 60% to 80% of your maximum. Accordingly, for a 30-year-old person, this range is approximately 114-152 beats per minute. If you train below the lower limit, training will not bring tangible benefits, if it is higher and without proper preparation, it can harm.
This is how the “cardio” and “fat burning” zones on the simulators are marked, but do not rush to believe them.
The topic of the fat burning pulse zone is also very popular (perhaps because it is often noted on cardio equipment in fitness rooms): this zone is also determined individually on a test on a gas analyzer and it is slightly lower: about 60-70% of the maximum heart rate (115-135 beats / min for an average 30-year-old person).
However, the most important thing about this is that cardio training for fat loss can be effective, like any other activity, but strength training is best (see below: why cardio training is not The best way lose weight).
Who needs cardio training and for what purposes
But first, let's tell you to whom and in what cases. recommended cardio:
1. Actually, regular moderate cardio training is for keeping the cardiovascular system in order and in general for prolonging life.
Cardio helps during the period of fat burning, and hinders - during the mass gain. Choose.
2. If you are building muscle mass, then increased cardio training is not recommended, since their effect on muscle growth is somewhat opposite to hypertrophy. However, during the "cutting" the presence of cardio in your training plan (but only along with strength) will make fat burning even more effective.
3. If you are losing weight, then adding cardio to strength exercises is also a good idea. In the end, anything that increases calorie expenditure is good for weight loss. But remember that cardio is not the most effective way to lose weight.
4. If you are involved in cyclic sports and you need to develop your endurance, cardio will help you.
5. Cardio as a recovery. Light loads have a beneficial effect on the speed of recovery - we have a material about overtraining and its dangers.
Cardio is not the best way to lose weight
This is generally the most common misconception: women, fearing to “swing” and hoping to lose weight, storm ellipses in all fitness rooms in the world. However, fears about “swinging” are completely groundless and we have written more than once that this is completely impossible without steroids and hormones. But using only cardio for weight loss is a completely working option, but adding strength training is even more effective.
Yes, it is true that, say, 45 minutes of cardio can "burn" more calories than during an equal time strength training, but the overall effect for weight loss may be worse.
But strength training burns your fats not only during exercise, but mainly during rest, after your workout, significantly raising the overall metabolic rate. In addition, even the small amount of muscle that you can get from strength training (for example, 5 kg) requires additionally 50-75 kcal per day in addition to your normal diet just for their maintenance, and this does not include their work, for which they also need more energy. This extra calorie allowance makes it a little easier to maintain a small calorie deficit and burn fat on a regular basis.
The best effect on fat burning has a combination of full-fledged strength training and cardio training. In order to lose weight, fitness experts recommend 2-3 strength training sessions per week, flavored with 2-3 cardio workouts for 45-60 minutes. Moreover, it is advisable to conduct them on different days, and even such a volume of training can not be afforded immediately, but at least with an average level of readiness for stress - that is, if you already go to the gym regularly and have time to recover.
How long to do cardio
Experts advise doing cardio for at least 30 minutes in order for the training to have at least some effect. But do not forget that if you are a total beginner in the gym, then you need to start with easy 10-15 minute workouts and gradually increase the load.
Keep in mind that doing cardio for more than an hour can negatively affect muscle growth. Scientists have found that although aerobics “burns” fat, but after an hour of exercise, the body switches to muscle tissue. After 2 hours of cardio training, the body loses up to 90% of leucine, an important amino acid, including one necessary for muscle growth.
Multiple “Mr. Olympia” Jay Cutler does not disdain cardio during the fat burning period.
Here is what one of the most famous jocks in the world, Jay Cutler, says: “ during the preparation for the competition, I decided to push on aerobics and extended the aerobic training to an hour and a half. I immediately noticed that there was less strength, the muscles “shrank” and lost their usual elasticity.Since then, I have been doing cardio for no longer than 45-50 minutes.“.
Cardio + strength
We repeat that muscle building and fat burning are largely competing processes for the body, which means that it is not recommended to do cardio during the muscle building period, but on the contrary during the “drying” period.
At the same time, it is recommended to do cardio on a separate day, but if you have to combine it, then it is better to do cardio training after strength training. If you start with cardio, you will use up glycogen, and this will lead to a decrease in muscle strength, which means you will not be able to load the muscles enough in the “strength” part of the workout.
But remember that fat burning is not a type of training, but a set of measures. First of all, you should eat less than you spend, and so that your muscles do not leave your body along with fat, you must support them with strength training and a high protein diet (1.8-2.5 g per 1 kg of body weight per day).
Cardio training is becoming more and more popular. Many choose this type of exercise for weight loss, training the heart muscle, or maintaining good health. Cardio workouts give you a boost of energy and a sense of self-confidence. To get the maximum result, you should choose the right type and intensity of the load, monitor the progress of the workout and the pulse.
What is cardio training?
Cardio training is a type of physical activity that is performed through aerobic glycolysis (an energy process). During training, glucose, as the main source of energy, is oxidized by oxygen and provides the body with additional energy to perform actions. There are many types of cardio training, which allows each person to choose the most suitable and effective.
The benefits of cardio
Maintaining the health of the cardiovascular system. This is the main advantage of cardio. Cardiac training occurs due to increased blood circulation under the influence of physical exertion. This makes it work at twice the speed. Since the heart is also a muscle, regular physical exercise train it and increase endurance.
For maximum results, use interval or high-intensity exercise. A sufficient duration of training is 30 minutes.
Muscle development. Cardio training reduces the amount of subcutaneous fat and allows you to form high-quality muscles. However, for maximum results, you should combine cardio with strength training. For muscle growth, low-intensity cardio is suitable.
Slimming. Cardio training is ideal for burning fat, activating metabolism and preserving muscles. The best option is training with low intensity. Athletes who have abused carbohydrates the day before and replenished their glycogen stores are shown high-intensity training.
To speed up the process of losing weight, exercise should be combined with taking a sports supplement based on L-carnitine. They will help you get the best results.
Preparing the body for other loads. Due to regular training of the heart muscle and strengthening of the vascular system, physical strength and endurance are significantly increased. This allows you to increase the load, and accordingly - to get the maximum result.
Improving well-being and health. For the normal functioning of the body, it is necessary to maintain motor activity. Cardio training lowers cholesterol levels, stabilizes blood pressure, and minimizes the risk of diabetes, obesity, heart and blood vessel disease.
Improvement of the emotional state. During exercise, endorphin levels rise. Due to the increase in the concentration of the hormone of joy, people who regularly engage in cardio training are much less likely to suffer from depression, insomnia and stress.
For cardio training, no additional equipment is required. It is enough to buy running shoes and daily jogging will help keep the body in good shape.
Cardio Intensity
The intensity of the training depends on the goals pursued. To maintain body tone and health, loads of 40-60 minutes twice a week are suitable.
If there is a need to lose weight or form a muscular relief, then you should train 3-5 times a week for one hour.
The intensity of training should be increased gradually, focusing not on the program written by the coach, but on your own feelings. Only in this case you can get the maximum benefit.
It is important to consider heart rate indicators, which indicate the effectiveness and safety of training. Heart rate will help determine when you can increase the load for maximum results.
Before starting cardio, a warm-up is necessarily carried out, which warms up the muscles. At the end of the workout, a hitch is performed, including stretching exercises, which will help relieve stress from the muscles.
Before starting cardio, be sure to consult with your doctor. This is especially important for people with chronic diseases or those over 40 years of age.
The benefits of cardio training are enormous. They help to create a perfect fit body without fat deposits, improve heart function and maintain good health. However, only regularity, the right choice of the type and intensity of the load will help to get the maximum result.
Strength training is aimed at increasing the strength, density and volume of muscles, of course, with proper nutrition. Starts and accelerates anabolic processes in the body. The main way of energy formation is anaerobic (oxygen-free) breakdown of glucose and glycogen in muscles and liver. Metabolism accelerates for at least a day after strength training, which contributes to the effective burning of fat.
The main goal of cardio is to train the cardiovascular system, develop endurance and additional calorie consumption, that is, the process of catabolism - the breakdown of existing sources and their conversion into energy. Glucose and glycogen are decoupled predominantly aerobically.
Cardio loads for weight loss have a rather modest relationship, since calories are spent only at the time of the workout itself, but not after it.
STRENGTH AND CARDIO TRAINING: COMBINATION OPTIONS
1. CARDIO BEFORE STRENGTH TRAINING
Many believe that half an hour of cardio will deplete glycogen stores, and during strength training, fat will be the main source of energy. In practice, things don't look quite like this:
- The energy needed for effective strength training is wasted on cardio. The anaerobic part of the workout goes without due return.
- Protein is used as an energy substrate and only partially fat.
Bottom line: underdeveloped muscles, increased joint wear, significant protein loss with minimal fat consumption.
2. CARDIO AFTER STRENGTH TRAINING
The power load is performed with maximum efficiency, glycogen is consumed as an energy source, again, subject to proper nutrition. The final cardio workout is the balance of strength and glucose deficiency. The main energy substrate during aerobic exercise should be fat. What in practice:
- If after strength training you have enough energy for a half-hour jog, then you worked out the muscles without full return.
- Protein enters into catabolic reactions faster and easier than fat. Muscle tissue is consumed along with adipose tissue.
Bottom line: effective cardio training can follow strength training, provided that the strength training was facilitated, and your goal is not to preserve muscle volume as much as possible.
3. STRENGTH AND CARDIO WORKOUTS SEPARATELY FROM EACH OTHER
If you have the opportunity to train more than three times a week or twice a day, then it makes sense to separate the time of aerobic and anaerobic training.
Having singled out cardio training on a separate day, it is important to remember:
- Duration not less than 40 minutes. For the first half an hour, the body consumes the available reserves of glucose and glycogen in the liver and muscles. Only then fat is included in the metabolic processes.
- Pulse control. In order for the body to effectively burn fat and not switch to emergency reactions of energy supply, the heart rate (heart rate) should be at the level of 60-70% of the maximum. Max heart rate = 220 - age.
- The quality of breathing directly depends on the normal supply of oxygen to the body and the efficiency of fat burning. Breathing should not be shallow or interrupted. At any point in your workout, you should be able to say out loud, "Today is a great day and I've had a good workout." If linking a few words is a problem for you, reduce the intensity.
- Protein losses can be reduced through proper nutrition.
Morning runs on an empty stomach also have their own characteristics:
- The body is deficient in the morning after an overnight fast. Fat is included in the processes of energy supply already at the beginning of work.
- Again, muscle tissue is consumed along with fat due to the availability of protein as an energy source.
Bottom line: strength and cardio training should be separated by those who want to maintain muscle volume and get rid of excess fat. Anabolic and catabolic processes in this case will be separated in time, and the muscles will have time to recover after power loads. On aerobic days, fat burns with minimal loss of protein (do not forget about proper nutrition). Morning "hungry" cardio loads require less time, but consume more protein.
4. STRENGTH AND CARDIO TWO IN ONE (INTERVAL TRAINING)
The training is divided into microcycles of 6-10 minutes, during which aerobic loads alternate with anaerobic ones, heavy strength exercises with light multi-repetitive ones. For what? The bottom line is that the processes of energy supply in the body always go in several possible ways, aerobic and anaerobic. Their ratio changes, but none of them is excluded. Interval training allows you to use all possible systems and processes in the shortest possible time. The efficiency of fat burning increases significantly, because in addition to the momentary expenditure of calories, an accelerated metabolism lasts almost as long as after strength training. Important nuances of interval training:
- Not suitable for beginners due to high intensity.
- Exercising more than twice a week increases the risk of overtraining and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Bottom line: interval training is suitable for those whose task is to get rid of excess fat, with a certain level of fitness and endurance.
CONCLUSION
How to properly combine strength and cardio loads depends on your goals. All options, except the first, have the right to be and be used. The most important thing is that it is not enough to read and choose, you need to go and do it. Have a successful workout!
If you like our site, please support us. We are glad to see your activity.Many people today crave to lose a couple of extra pounds or maintain their excellent physical shape without the risk of weight gain. Cardio training, an aerobic exercise, in which the main acting factor is oxygen, which is transported in large quantities to the cells of the body, will provide significant assistance to both. A "side effect" of such specific activities is a colossal fat burning. In order for cardio training to bring tangible results in the shortest possible time, you must choose right time to carry it out.
Morning exercise - pros and cons
In order to obtain the only correct answer to the question posed, it is necessary to consider the pros and cons of aerobic exercises at certain hours, as well as after and before strength exercises separately. And let's start with morning exercises.
The obvious benefits of such cardio training are:
- Cheerfulness and readiness to “move mountains” (if your chronotype is “lark”).
- A minimum supply of glycogen in the liver and muscle tissue in view of their complete consumption during a night's sleep, which means that after the start of training, the fat burning mechanism will start almost instantly.
- Accelerated metabolism throughout the day.
To fully experience the effectiveness of morning aerobic fitness, you need to train on an empty stomach. Otherwise, the carbohydrates just received at breakfast will be burned, and not at all the hated fat.
And here, in all its glory, the shortcomings of cardio training in the morning manifest themselves. The first is that, in the absence of glycogen and glucose reserves, along with the destruction of lipids, harmful muscle breakdown will occur. The body simply does not find another source of sugar. The second tangible disadvantage, as a result, is the low level of motivation for aerobic exercise. They will let you know about themselves weakness, dizziness, promising to drag on for the whole day. The training itself will proceed in a mode far from intensive. If you are also an “owl” according to the chronotype, it will become doubly difficult to force yourself to work out in the morning. As a result, cooling for cardio training is provided.
However, not everything is as bad as it seems. The disadvantages of morning aerobic exercise are easy to avoid. Drink a cup of coffee before your workout to feel energized. Take liquid amino acids and fast carbohydrates 15 minutes before class to prevent muscle breakdown. And yet the result is as follows: morning cardio training is an effective thing, not time-consuming, but not suitable for everyone due to the need to take preliminary measures. And few people have time to carry out aerobic exercises before work.
Evening workouts - good or bad?
If morning loads do not appeal to you, you can choose another time for them. Let it be evening, for example. Indeed, why not pay attention to your beloved after work, since it doesn’t work out in the morning? But another question arises: will it be of any use?
Experts say that it will, but they add: only if the food is properly organized. This means that before aerobic exercise, you should eat complex-carbohydrate-protein food. Such a maneuver is necessary to protect muscle tissue from decay during exercise (the prerogative of protein) and provide the body with energy that is enough for the entire cardio workout. Plus, you need to eat a portion of fast carbohydrates 15 minutes before the start of cardio training. As a result, the blood will be enriched with glucose and insulin, and this will provoke an energy boost. Classes will proceed more intensively, fat will disappear in greater quantities.
It is also important to eat in a certain way after a workout. This should be done after 1-1.5 hours, food should be consumed rich in protein and complex sugars. In other words, you need to arrange a light dinner for yourself.
Why pay so much attention to food during evening workouts? The fact is that the right food helps to preserve muscle tissue, where excess calories will be stored, and consumed during exercise. By the way, aerobic exercise on an empty stomach is fraught with muscle breakdown. Conclusion: cardio training in the evenings is a great way to burn extra calories, given the above nuances.
afternoon activities
No one will forbid you to ignore the benefits of morning and evening aerobic exercise, and "write" the exercise of healing the heart and burning fat in a period of time, say, from 12.00 to 16.00. However, here you will encounter difficulties. For example, you can’t train immediately after a lunch meal, you need some time to pass. But again, lunch should be complete, and before classes, it is desirable to eat light foods, that is, fast carbohydrates. This discrepancy, which is difficult to correct, prevents high-impact cardio during the day. However, they hardly practice it, because only a few have time in the midst of the working day to devote themselves to aerobic exercises.
Cardio training and strength training - how to combine
Those who have high hopes for cardio training should immediately understand for themselves: it is very important to correctly combine such loads with power loads so that the work is crowned with success. Let's first find out what the benefits of the cardio-strength training combination are and to whom it is indicated. It turns out that this approach to classes is ideal for "larks" and "pigeons". For the former, the peak of physical activity falls on the period from 8.00 to 14.00, the latter can work vigorously throughout the day. The schedule of sports activities for the owners of both chronotypes is as follows: in the morning - low-intensity cardio training, in the afternoon - a short power load of an average level of intensity, before going to bed - stretching.
I must say, strength training has little effect on the fat burning process. They are needed mainly for building muscle mass. So it turns out that, using the combination of “cardio-strength load”, a person inflicts a blow of furious force on fat cells, and then fixes the result. You can also consider cardio training before strength training as a warm-up.
So what happens when you put time into strength training first and then into a heart-healing workout? In this case, a huge amount of growth hormones is released, which contribute to the burning of fat cells. The mechanism of the combined loads themselves is as follows: during strength training, a small amount of lipids are destroyed. Once in the blood, fat cells after a while again find themselves on adipose tissue. They will be completely destroyed by cardio training that immediately began after the end of the power load. Calories simply will not have the slightest chance of survival! This combination is more suitable for owners of the "owl" chronotype.
Scientists insist: morning and post-strength cardio training are the most effective. However, it will not be superfluous to listen to your own inner voice in order to make the right choice.
Ponomarenko Hope
for women's magazine website
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