Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Aw geez... I'm gettin' annoyed!

I just got back from a morning of work at the gym... and I am annoyed.

I don't know - it just got to me today.

I saw a woman do about 15-20 minutes of steady-state cardio on THREE pieces of cardio equipment. She was there for about an hour (at least she stretched afterward, though!), unaware that her method of working out is so very pointless!

I mean, what is the purpose of exercising on the cardio machines?
Well, it can either be to:
  1. provide a vehicle for fat loss
  2. provide an activity for maintaining a sufficient level of fitness
  3. provide some extra activity after completing an effective strength training workout
  4. provide a method for which to train toward a performance goal (like running a race or practicing for a rowing competition
In three of these instances (1, 2, & 4), INTENSITY is needed. You cannot effectively lose fat, consistently maintain your fitness level, or improve performance without adding some intensity to a cardio workout!

In #3... it is possible to include some steady-state aerobic training as an adjunct to a program that already includes strength training and some form of interval training. But most people don't use it as EXTRA activity. No, they use it as their primary form of exercise.

Eek!!!

So, yeah, I'm annoyed...
Because I see a few people every week that perform this exact same routine of cardiovascular musical chairs. And I just can't believe that we haven't gotten rid of that prehistoric practice yet.

But, I know that it'll take some time to continue to spread the word about effective fitness practices - especially with so many years of ineffective, worthless fitness information in our past. It's not necessarily the fault of these misinformed souls. I'll 'pump the breaks' now...

AND I'll continue on my mission to 'edumacate' as many people as I possibly can in this lifetime!

Wanna help?

Pass on a link to my blog to any friends, family, and coworkers who might appreciate the info!

Or simply suggest that they sign up for my newsletter/email mailing list...

Thanks in advance, my devoted readers.
I love ya all :)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Amen, Kim!

Step away from the cardio machines, people!

I'm going to repost this article on my blog. I think sometimes readers/members/clients don't believe just me so I like to include other voices on my blog.

I know it's not their fault. For years, they've heard "cardio for weight loss." Heck, 10 years ago, I was telling people the same thing- do 30+ minutes of steady state cardio 4-6 times a week to lose weight. I'm just frustrated that it's taking so long for the correct information to trickle down to the masses.