Cardio for Meatheads
There may come a point in the pursuit of looking strong, that you need to do some sort of cardio.
Ask yourself, what type of cardio do i enjoy?
If you are happy putting in the time just incline walking for a hour, great. If this isn’t for you, then you will need to find something else to get the job done.
By the way this is not a post saying you shouldn’t do steady state cardio, it’s just not for everyone.
Steady state cardio is an effective tool for controlling body fat and being healthy. I actually quite enjoy it ( when I need to) and use it with many clients, personally I find it a good time to think about things and it doesn’t impact my workout the next day but I do understand that it’s not that exciting for everyone, which puts people off and they end up doing nothing.
For those who don’t enjoy steady cardio but understand the need to get their heart rate up and burn some calories, here are some tips I recommend that can all be done in under 20 minutes, you could class these as HIIT workouts.
I prefer to call it Meathead cardio because a lot of the methods still involve some type of weight or tool to satisfy the meathead in us.
Complexes – series of movements without placing the weight down
If performing for conditioning keep it reasonably light, focus on technique and speed.
Barbell complex – 5 x 8 each Deadlift, Row, Clean & Press, Lunges, Squat
Sled pushing,dragging – if you have access to a sled or prowler this a great tool as it doesn’t leave you feeling sore the next day. Set a timer for 20 minutes and just get in as many sets as you can. This should be light and move quickly.
Kettlebell swings – I like doing this in a ladder fashion 20-1 or a total rep target say 150 for the day. Gets the heart rate up without feeling like you’re going die.
Ball/rope slams – 20 seconds work/ 40 seconds off for 5-10 rounds
I like this at the end of a upper body workout
Carries – pick a variation of carry farmers,rack,sandbags,over
Aim for distance/time around the 60s mark.
Bodyweight circuits
Performing a basic Bodyweight circuit is a easy way to get your cardio done, get through it as fast as you can and keep moving.
Just don’t overdo the reps & sets so that it affects your strength workouts the following day. Push ups, squats, burpees, pull ups,inverted rows, crawling, running will all get the job done.
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