People often ask me what is the best type of cardiovascular workout. Since I often have limited background information in the way of their exercise routines, I often refer them to three types of cardiovascular workouts that when applied correctly, significantly improve not only their overall fitness levels, but in their ability to work at increasingly higher intensities.
Why higher intensities you may ask? Being able to work at increasingly higher intensities in and of itself is not usually one’s goal, unless, as is the situation with most people, it has been shown to make one more lean looking and generally healthier. If it appears that I am encouraging only working out if one is going to work out at a very high intensity level, I am not. In fact, the use of varying up our routines through three types of training intensities as you will see should be a the core of any good cardiovascular training routine.
Take a look at one person’s program I have below. Your challenge will be to use it as a template for your training. Be mindful of each training intensity and see if you can find a corresponding pace that is suitable for your fitness level.
The three types of walking or running you will be using are the following:
1. LSD also called Long Slow Distance
2. Intervals
3. Fartlek or called Swedish Play
Day One
Long Slow Distance Day.
Walk or jog at an easy to sustain pace for 1.75 miles.
Comments:
Your goal is to just keep moving.
Let the pace feel easy.
May be a good day to get off the treadmill and go outside.
Day Two
Fartlek – the goal is to get used to going faster, but on your own terms- in other words you decide how long and how fast you will speed up.
Walk or jog at any easy pace for one and a quarter mile speeding up and slow downing as you feel inclined.
An example would be walk 5 minutes easy ( 3.5 pace ) and go at a faster clip for one to two minutes ( 4.0 walk or 6.0 jog ). Rest and repeat as you decide.
Comments:
Have fun with this.
It is not designed to be timed. Just go faster when you would like to.
It’s a great introduction to feeling a sense of moving faster in a less structured environment and a more carefree manner than timed intervals.
Condusive to both the treadmill and streets or trails.
Day Three
Intervals
Walk or jog at an easy pace ( 3.5 – 5.5)) for 5 minutes then do the following:
One minute fast at 4.0 walk or 6.5 run
2 minutes easy at 3.5 paced walk
Repeat 2 more times then:
Walk easy for half mile at 3.5 pace or an easy jog at 5.5 pace
Repeat above timed intervals 3 more times.
Finish with easy walk for 4 minutes.
LSD – should feel managebale but general sense of fatique upon finishing
Fartlek – should feel manageable but invigorating. Mild fatique.
Intervals – should feel manageable but more taxing than either of the other two types of training. Breathlessness to be expected when doing the faster intervals. Should feel recovered breathwise when finishing the 2 minute easy recovery walks.
Using these three forms of training principles throughout the week helps us to work harder on our higher intensity days, while still making vast improvements in our fitness levels and body composition. Training smartly means varying up our training intensities sensibly so that we stay in the game of fitness for a lifetime!
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