We already credit cardio-focused activities like running, rowing, and swimming as great ways to blast calories and incinerate fat. But we also know your time is precious, which is why you don’t have hours to mindlessly spend on a machine. We asked some top trainers for their favorite ways to make their cardio even better when it comes to maximizing results in minimum time.
WHY THIS WORKOUT: “Swimming taxes your energy systems without the same breakdown as high-impact activities like running. And you don’t have to swim thousands of mind-numbing yards to get a good workout. During short sprints you mostly burn sugar, but the recovery time allows for more fat burn while increasing speed and efficiency. Even just swimming hard the length of the pool can leave you breathless. Adding in drills helps increase your speed by improving your technique.”
HOW IT WORKS: Since most people are the most comfortable with basic freestyle, use that as your main stroke. If you can, mix in other strokes (back, breast, butterfly) where indicated. Try to keep your speeds consistent or faster during the intervals.
TIME: About 30 to 40 minutes (total 1,650 yards)
DISTANCE: 100-200 yards WORKOUT: Warmup, easy
DISTANCE: 8 x 50 yards WORKOUT: Hard effort. Rest 20–30 sec. between each interval.
DISTANCE: 100 yards WORKOUT: Easy (try to use a different stroke).
DISTANCE: 12 x 25 yards WORKOUT: Sprint. Rest 15–20 sec. between each interval.
DISTANCE: 100 yards WORKOUT: Easy (try to use a different stroke).
REST: 2 minutes
DISTANCE: 4 x 50 yards WORKOUT: Hard effort. Rest 20–30 sec. between each interval.
DISTANCE: 50 yards WORKOUT: Easy (try to use a different stroke).
DISTANCE: 6 x 25 yards WORKOUT: Sprint (all-out effort). Rest 20–30 sec. between each interval.
DISTANCE: 50 yards WORKOUT: Easy (try to use a different stroke).
TRAINER: Corinne Tate-Jackson, New York Health & Racquet Club, New York
WHY THIS WORKOUT: “Doing timed bursts of cardio like jumping rope intermixed with weight training gives you the best of both worlds in terms of building muscle while burning fat. Double unders are an all-around fitness favorite, but since jumping rope itself can be difficult, try mastering one jump, one turn before trying them. The key is to use your wrists while turning the rope, keeping your core engaged without jumping too high.”
HOW IT WORKS: Jump rope as steadily as possible for the warmup, then move on to quick drills before getting into the strength circuits. For each circuit, do 12 to 15 reps of each move, 3 to 4 sets total.
TIME: About 25 minutes
JUMP ROPE (warmup; 5 to 7 minutes)
QUICK DRILLS (3 minutes)
Inchworm with Alternating Arm Lift: Stand with legs straight, lean forward and walk hands into a plank, keeping legs as straight as possible, then lift one arm. Walk hands back to start and repeat with opposite hand. Continue for 1 minute, alternating hands.
Inchworm with Alternating Arm and Leg Lift: Lift one arm, then with both hands planted on the floor, lift one leg. Walk back to start and repeat on opposite side; 1 min. Inchworm with Alternating Arm and Leg Lift plus Spider Lunge: Step one foot forward as close to hand as possible. Hold for 1 count; step back to start and repeat on opposite side; 1 min.
CIRCUIT 1:
Dumbbell Shoulder Presses
Barbell Curls
Medicine Ball Slams
Jump Rope with Double Unders (1 minute)
CIRCUIT 2:
Barbell Sumo Squats
Dumbbell Stationary Lunges
Medicine Ball Squat Ball Throws
Jump Rope with Double Unders (1 minute)
CIRCUIT 3:
Renegade Rows with Pushups
StarJacks
Jump Rope with Double Unders (1 minute)
BONUS ROUND:
(1 minute each)
Jump Rope
Mountain Climbers
Russian Twists
Squats
Burpees
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ON THE TREADMILL
TRAINER: Hollis Lotharius, Mile High Run Club, New York
WHY THIS WORKOUT: “Runners often stick to a moderate pace, but to improve fitness, increase speed, and decrease body fat, do at least one weekly session of interval training. Elevating your heart rate into the anaerobic zone via incline and speed bursts will burn more calories both during and after your run.”
HOW IT WORKS: Use your rate of perceived exertion (RPE) on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being superchallenging.
WHY THIS WORKOUT: “Rowing itself is a great fat-burning workout because it uses just about every muscle in your body. Adding in intervals increases your aerobic and anaerobic capacity and boosts your metabolism. By coming off the rower to do some different strength exercises, you create a different muscular stimulus while giving your body a chance for active recovery.”
HOW IT WORKS: Start with proper rowing technique to maximize efficiency and decrease injury risk. Secure feet in the foot plates with the strap across the widest part of the foot and pulled tight. Grasp the handle and focus on your timing: Drive through your legs, as if jumping backward, then, engaging the core, lean back slightly, pulling handle to just under bra line. Finally, recover by pushing arms forward first, then bringing seat toward feet.
WHY THIS WORKOUT: “Cycling is a great fat-burning workout that’s easy on the joints but creates a high demand on the body. If your goal is to burn fat, anaerobic intervals—incorporating max periods of work with short recoveries—should definitely be part of your program, since they are a great way to transform your body in less time!”
HOW IT WORKS: This routine is based on “Boxed-in Burn Intervals,” which include 3 minutes of intensity with 1 minute of rest between rounds. The workout varies between the effort levels below.
TIME: 30 minutes
TIME: 3 min. WORKOUT:Warmup: Find a speed and resistance that is easy, resembling a flat road (RPM 80–90).
TIME:3 min. WORKOUT: Every 30 sec., perform acceleration “speed ups” at moderate resistance (3 x 30 sec.). Repeat 2x.
TIME:3 min. WORKOUT:Find resistance and speed that feels intense. Each minute progressively add more resistance without going all out.
TIME: 1 min. WORKOUT: Recover 1 min.; light resistance.
TIME: 3 min. WORKOUT:Round 1: 30/20/10 “interval loop.” Perform 30 sec. hard effort, directly into 20 sec. all-out effort into 10 sec. max “sprint.” Return to 30 sec. hard effort. Continuously move through the loop 3x for a total of 3 min.
TIME:1 min. WORKOUT:Recover 1 min.; light resistance.
TIME: 3 min. WORKOUT: Round 2: Repeat Round 1.
TIME: 1 min. WORKOUT: Recover 1 min.; light resistance.
TIME: 3 min. WORKOUT:Round 3: “Dirty 30s.” Do 3 x 30 sec. all-out intervals followed by 30 sec. of recovery (30 sec. all-out effort/30 sec. easy/moderate).
TIME: 1 min. WORKOUT: Recover 1 min.; light resistance.
TIME: 3 min.WORKOUT: Round 4: Repeat Round 3.
TIME: 1 min. WORKOUT: Recover 1 min.; light resistance.
TIME: 3 min. WORKOUT: Round 5: Sprints and speed play. Insert 10–15 sec. max power sprints among 3 min. at random, intermixed with easy to moderate periods of cycling. Example: 15 sec. max effort, 45 sec. easy, 10 sec. max effort, 40 sec. moderate, 10 sec. max effort, 45 sec. easy, 15 sec. max effort.
TIME: 1 min. WORKOUT: Recover 1 min.; light resistance.
