It's very easy to get lackadaisical with your cardio routine.  To most people, it tends to be monotonous, boring, and you just want to get it over with as soon as possible.

Still, cardio is a vital piece to the fitness puzzle.

Without it...

...You're not burning additional calories that would otherwise be stored as fat.

...You're not strengthening your heart and lungs.

...You're not reducing additional stress or relief from depression and anxiety.

...You're not reducing the risk of heart disease and other types of cancer.

... You're not going to be confident about how you look and feel.

... You're not going to sleep as well as you like.

... You're not going to have more energy and vibrancy.

... You're not going to lose weight effectively

I think I made my point.  You absotively NEED cardio! 

Now all of these benefits are well and good BUT you still need to keep score.

And what I mean is, in order for you to kick arse with your cardio you need to be aware of two things.

1. Your heart rate.

2. Your breathing.

If you are constantly aware of both these items at ALL TIMES during your cardio workout you can't fail.

For your heart rate, you want to use what you call the "Karvonean Formula" or "Maximal Oxygen Uptake."

This means you take your age from the number 220 and the number you get would be considered your maximum heart rate.  (example.  220 - 40(age) = 180 MHR)

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Depending on how experienced you are with your cardio, you want to work at a certain percentage of your maximum heart rate.  Percentages can be 60 percent if you are a beginner and 80 percent if you are more advanced.  The number you get from this would be your target heart rate (example. 180 x 60 percent = 108 THR)

Now for some people I've trained, this equation doesn't really hold much weight.  Some people can train at 90 to even 100% of their maximum heart rates! 

These people are also half cyborg...hehe. :) 

No, seriously, these people have abnormally high heart rates, so, this formula doesn't really apply to them.

But what does apply to them or maybe YOU as well - would be your breathing.

So if you're working at 75 - 90 percent of your maximum heart rate and you don't feel challenged, I highly recommend that you monitor your breathing.

And to do so, it's really simple.  You want to use what you call the talk-test. 

Meaning, if you can talk very easily during your cardio, your cardio is, well, too easy.

If you're completely out of breath, this means your cardio may be too hard because the oxygen being delivered to your heart is inefficient.  You want to find a happy-medium.  You want to work out at a pace where your breathing is intense, but also controlled.

So be sure to always be aware of your heart rate and breathing.  This way, even though sometimes cardio may be a drag to you...at least you know you're doing it the best way possible and moving one step closer to the body you want... Right?

That's all for today my friend.  Have a great week!

Yours in Total Fitness and Maximum Success,

Jim Coughlin