Jim Stoppani’s Complete Cardio

“Cardio” is the casual term we attach to aerobic exercise, which simply refers to the energy system we’re using during this form of training. When lifting weights, you tend to rely more on the anaerobic energy systems to fuel muscle contractions. With aerobic exercise, which typically refers to rhythmically performed movement at a low to moderate intensity for prolonged periods (think jogging or bicycling), the energy systems at work require oxygen.

Although it’s possible to lose fat with weight training as your lone mode of exercise, to truly maximize fat loss you need to incorporate some form of cardio in your regimen. More importantly, cardio provides health benefits, such as improved cardiovascular health (hence the name “cardio”), reduced risk of diabetes and metabolic diseases, and reduced risk of certain cancers. Plus, cardio can actually help enhance recovery from weight training.

Bottom line: If you want to be fit, healthy and perform at optimal levels inside the gym and out, cardio is a must. That’s why I wrote this Complete Cardio series of articles – to help you make sense of all your aerobic options so you can decide which form of cardio is best for your personal goals and preferences. Do you hate running? No problem. That’s merely one way to do cardio; there are literally hundreds of other alternatives for the jogging-averse.

Over the course of five weekly installments (a new article posted every Monday), I’ll cover all critical areas of cardiovascular training, with a specific focus on activities and programming that will allow you to hang on to your hard-earned muscle while whittling away body fat, getting healthier and becoming a more well-rounded athlete in the process.

Here’s how the individual articles will break down:

Part 1: HIIT vs. Steady State
Part 2: HIIT Programming
Part 3: Frequency, Timing & Fasted Cardio
Part 4: Tabata & Cardioacceleration
Part 5: Power HIIT

If you miss an article along the way, no worries: They’ll all be stored in the archives of JimStoppani.com for years to come. After reading all five articles, I hope you’ll come to better understand and appreciate the benefits of cardio and attack your HIIT workouts with the same passion and intensity as you do traditional weight-training sessions. Do this and your hard work is guaranteed to pay off. I promise!

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