Curtis Health
  • Home
  • About Us
    • The Curtis Heritage
    • Meet the Team
  • Programs for
    • Employers
    • Property Managers and Building Owners
    • Individuals
  • Virtual Services
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
    • How Can We Help?
    • Leave a Review
  • Blog
  • Thrive
    • Recorded Zoom Classes
    • Log In

Poor Cardio Habits and How to Break Them

Posted on February 2, 2017
by Kerri McBeath
2 Comments

Cardio

As a fitness instructor, trainer and gym manager, I have seen a lot of people doing cardio.  Some right, some very wrong….yes there is a wrong way to do cardio.  So I thought I would discuss a few of the most egregious cardio habits, why you are not seeing results and how to fix them.

Low Intensity Cardio

Back in the 1990’s when I first started teaching, we had classes called “Fat Burners” where the cardio was long and the intensity was low.  The theory was that if you worked at no more that 65 percent of your heart rate maximum, your body would burn fat.  That has been discredited by much research and we now know that very few people can train their bodies to burn fat (some long distance runners can do it).  Instead, the body burns glycogen first and then when it runs out of glycogen, it starts to burn muscle.  Another reason to keep your engine fueled with a high grade diet, including smart carbs.

I see people sitting on a recumbent bike (usually reading or watching TV) pedaling at the slow pace.  Now if you’re recovering from an injury or you just want to break up your day with a little exercise (a walk outside would be better instead of sitting), then OK but if you really want to lose weight, relieve some stress or improve your cardiovascular system, then you need to be working harder.

Try attending a HIIT class.  The High Intensity Interval Training class will give you the benefit of cardio and weight training and push you to work at your maximum intensity…remember it’s YOUR max intensity, not the person next to you.  Work as hard as you can but safely to avoid injury.  Not only is this better for you physically, it’s far more time efficient than an hour of low intensity cardio.

Distracted Cardio

I see this time and again…people that watch TV while doing cardio.  While this may pass the time, you are not going to be working as hard as if you concentrate on your workout.  Listening to music – yes that is motivating and enjoyable.  And don’t get me started on those who read during cardio.  If you can read a book or a magazine, there is no way you’re working hard enough.

Turn off the TV and save the book for later and focus on what you’re doing.  If you’re walking or running outside, take the moment to enjoy nature; it’s also a great exercise in mindfulness – learning to be present and enjoying the moment you’re in can be a huge task in our technology-driven world.

Diet Cardio

This is what I call doing tons of cardio for the sole purpose of being able eat or drink anything afterwards.  I’ve seen people go from the gym to Starbucks in 15 minutes and order a venti carmel macchiato….there’s no way you’ve burned enough calories in a short workout to burn off those calories.  And the calorie counters on cardio machines woefully over-estimate the amount of calories burned, especially if you lean your upper body on the machine!

As you get older, you have to watch your caloric intake far more than the exercise you do.  So don’t sabotage your exercise efforts but over-indulging in post workout drinks, protein bars or shakes.  Eat a light meal or snack up to 2 hours prior to working out and then have a small post workout snack of carbs, a little bit of protein and lots of water.  Drinks like Gatorade are meant for workouts of 2 hours or more.

Race Training Cardio

People decide they’re going to sign up for a 5 km, 10 km, half-marathon or yikes! Tough Mudder (one of those team events crawling through the mud etc) and they begin to train in hopes of losing weight.  If you are over-weight, beginning to run will put excess pressure on your lower body joints and may lead to injury.

Instead sign up for the race, but set yourself some short-term goals.  Start with walking a short distance the first week to let your body become accustomed to the different muscles you’re using.  Keep increasing the distance weekly and/or go to a walk/run program.   Slow and steady really does win the race!

Hope this will help you with your cardio training.  If you need more info on cardiovascular training, take a look at these links:

www.mensfitness.com

www.fitday.com

www.shape.com

Share on Facebook Share
Share on TwitterTweet
Share on LinkedIn Share
Nutrition and Exercise
← Newer Post
Older Post →

Comments

  1. Fitoru mct says:
    August 12, 2020 at 11:12 pm

    Great tips! I do cardio every day to keep me fit. I will keep this in mind and cut my caloric intake for a healthier version of myself.

  2. jbhnews.com says:
    May 5, 2025 at 11:56 am

    Those who don’t prefer it think it’s too weak to hassle utilizing, and
    that’s honest enough. It won’t be a Dianabol for bulking, nor will it’s like Winstrol
    for cutting or contest prep. Regardless of your intercourse, male or feminine all the
    time tread with warning when purchasing this steroid.
    There just isn’t plenty of top quality Oral Turinabol on the
    market and naturally there’s all the time the authorized
    points that potentially surround such a buy order.
    Tbol is a light drug compared to other steroids, so it carries less extreme side effects with it.
    The main function of using this steroid is to enhance total performance, and it’s an efficient steroid to boost the effectivity of other anabolic steroids.
    Tbol will increase your metabolism fee and also will increase purple
    blood cell depend that promotes muscle mass progress, and improves your power and stamina considerably.
    Turinabol is usually stacked with different compounds for synergistic results, which might enhance the
    chance and severity of unwanted effects, particularly when higher cumulative doses are concerned.
    Responsible customers prioritize cycle design, regular
    blood work, and on-cycle help to manage threat.

    Whichever objective a complicated user has, most will really feel confident in starting their dose at 40mg daily.
    It may even contribute to muscle hardness as a end result of it doesn’t cause water retention. This opposed effect on blood lipids is typical when taking any anabolic steroid.
    However, oral steroids usually trigger more cardiovascular strain in our
    testing because of them stimulating the hepatic lipase enzyme within the liver
    (causing extra important fluctuations in cholesterol).
    Our checks show that Turinabol’s hepatotoxicity is usually less extreme than other oral steroids.
    Nonetheless, users should not be complacent and use Turinabol in lengthy
    cycles (beyond 8 weeks), as liver failure and jaundice remain attainable.

    This practical strength enhance is supported by findings in Sinha-Hikim et
    al., American Journal of Physiology, who element how androgens affect
    muscle protein synthesis and force manufacturing. These effects are properly documented throughout AAS research and symbolize
    the foundational mechanism of most muscle-building steroids (Hartgens & Kuipers,
    Sports Activities Medicine). As said before, Turinabol is in reality a
    modified model of Dianabol (Methandrostenolone); it has the same chemical structure
    as its parent steroid, with the addition of a chlorine group.
    Tbol consequently becomes a milder steroid in comparability with Dianabol with marginally totally different
    results . Nick Walker showcased unimaginable power during his push
    day session while unveiling his updated exercise cut up, designed to optimize his performance and physique.

    Due to its liver and cholesterol-impacting results, this is typically thought-about one of the best use of
    Turinabol. Turinabol is much more than just Dianabol, with no
    estrogenic unwanted effects. Tbol is certainly nonetheless anabolic
    but at a considerably decrease level, and as such, it’s
    used for various functions than Dbol. In brief, Dianabol is for fast, large weight acquire and often kick
    begins an off-season bulking cycle. Most features with Dbol will be misplaced as a result of
    most of it’s water weight. So if Turinabol is getting used as the first anabolic compound in a cycle, features will
    no much less than be dry and clean, and you know any mass you’ve gained is
    lean tissue rather than fluid.
    Commonplace feminine Oral Turinabol doses will usually
    fall in the 2.5-5mg per day range. Virilization is extremely
    unlikely with such doses but is nearly assured with doses that surpass 5mg
    per day. Keep in thoughts because of particular person sensitivity some women may expertise
    virilization symptoms even in the 2.5-5mg vary. This should be a protected dose that presents minimal virilization chance.

    Other steroids that may be included in feminine plans could embrace Anavar or Primobolan Depot but Anavar shouldn’t be used concurrently Oral
    Turinabol due to its related C17-aa nature.
    In the chart below, you will discover the steroid detection occasions for all
    of the anabolic androgenic steroids you could have access to.
    Within the chart, there are three categories; common commerce names, the substance
    or actual steroid that is the foundation of such a trade
    name after which finally, the actual steroid
    detection times for the specific hormone.

    Additional, you will discover some of the detection instances carry a
    range; on this foundation, in case you are a examined
    athlete it’s all the time best to assume the longest detection time attainable.

    One of the first and most noticeable red flags shall
    be a deepening of the voice. Even a slight voice change
    indicates that your steroids are beginning to stimulate virilization. With androgen receptors present
    in the larynx and vocal muscles of females as well,
    the precise mechanism applies if you’re taking extreme
    doses of male androgens. Can there be a extra obvious sign of female steroid use than the growth of hair on the face and body?

    People will discover this rapidly despite it beginning slowly (depending on which
    steroid, your dose, and the way long you employ it). While you should use topical androgen blockers to try to stop hair
    growth, it goes to be a case of dropping the PED dosage or stopping use fully for most women.
    No, it won’t create the athlete, it will not create athletic
    capability, affect coordination or flip a sloth right into a star, however it’ll improve the existing athlete inside.
    If it wasn’t phenomenal for this function you can wager the East Germans wouldn’t have been using it and efficiently so for nearly twenty
    years. Whereas it could not pack a huge punch like Superdrol or shred you down like Anavar, it just appears to make every little thing
    work that much better. Since it frees up more testosterone, as a end result of much
    less binding with SHBG, it actually works nice with testosterone, and even better
    the more compounds you stack. We have collected several critiques from various Turinabol users on Facebook, giving our
    readers an increased understanding of how this steroid affects
    completely different folks. Turinabol is typically taken for
    6–8 weeks, which of the following has been found to be a side effect of anabolic steroid use?
    – jbhnews.com – is a somewhat prolonged oral cycle due to its longer ester structure (slow-acting properties).

    SERMs similar to clomiphene (Clomid) and tamoxifen (Nolvadex)
    have been effective for us in restoring male hormone levels (4).

    Turinabol, when taken by itself, will cause a reasonable
    decline in pure testosterone manufacturing, similar to Anavar.
    We discover such suppression can be exacerbated if cycled
    at the facet of other steroids. Turinabol may also burn subcutaneous fat stores,
    similar to other anabolic steroids, due to it basically being exogenous testosterone and thus
    causing a discount in adipose tissue (2). Turinabol medical use within the therapy of low ranges of testosterone could additionally be really
    helpful by a professional doctor.

Leave a Reply

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

chnewsletterbutton

Recent Posts

  • Your Mental Health Matters – Let’s Talk About It
  • To all the Mommas
  • Easy Ways to Start Going Green
  • Spring into Fitness
  • Top Trends in Corporate Fitness for 2025

Categories

  • Avoiding Illness
  • Corporate Wellness
  • Curtis Health Team
  • Fitness Centre
  • Fitness Facility Management
  • General
  • Getting Outdoors
  • Gym Hygiene
  • Health & Wellness
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Mind/Body Wellness
  • Mindset
  • Miscellaneous
  • Nutrition and Exercise
  • Recipes
  • Setting Goals
  • Uncategorized
  • Women's Health
  • Workplace Wellness

Home | About Us | Meet the Team | How Can We Help? | Careers | Employers | Property Managers | Individuals | Contact Us | Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2024 Curtis Health

CURTIS_LOGO_NEW_Blue

Head Office:  1098 Canyon BLVD, North Vancouver, BC V7R 2K4 Telephone: 604.921.2348

Curtis Health Is Partnering With Kintec: Footwear + Orthotics

Kintec is offering all Curtis clients (including friends and family) expert shoe fitting to best suit your needs at a 15% discount on regular price footwear. 

Click here to access coupon code

Workshop Information Request