Cardio.....extremely boRing!!

[bigfrankie]

whats going on everyone?! I don't post much, but I always lurk the boards and read about different things in regards to training and such. but my question is... how many of you find cardio (running on treadmill, elliptical, etc) extremely boring?! i have a hard time doing my cardio, even with an ipod and a t.v in front of me, i get extremely bored......

sooooo, a buddy of mine who trains ju jitsu and boxing, has decided he is more then happy to help me 4 times a week to do some boxing training at our local Golds Gym. We do about a hour and a half each night of training. the training consist of different techniques on how to hit the bag and strike in different ways, blocking, jump rope, practicing foot work, etc. on my 3rd day of doing this, i feel great, i get a crazy sweat everytime and it feels better then i ever did after running...


now, my question is.... is boxing a good replacement for running, jogging, etc??

i've always had a thing for fighting, and i love watching MMA fighting and such... so it keeps me pretty entertained..and a week into my diet and training, ive lost 8 lbs....

i also plan to lift weights 2 times a week when i dont train....

an feedback will be highly appreciated! thanks so much!

-frankie

[silver_shadow]

it's probably more intense than the cardio that 99% of the population indulge in. gets my thumbs up. but you really need to look up HIIT, tabata and barbell/dumbell complexes as well.

[RSP]

Do this....Get on an elliptical for 20 minutes one day. The next day...go spar, grapple, whatever with this guy for 20 minutes and you will die. I used to box when I was younger and its intense. I couldn't imagine MMA grappling to be anything less than exhausting.

[RSP]

I will say that for cardiovascular work...the jogging or elliptical would probably be better for cardiovascular health because you can get your heart rate up for longer periods of time. The drawback to grappling would be that you likely can't do it very long. Look at the MMA guys...they fight for 15-20 minutes and they can't breathe. As far as FAT loss...the anaerobic intensity of grappling would be better than an elliptical/treadmill with aerobic work.

[Delinquent]

I will say that for cardiovascular work...the jogging or elliptical would probably be better for cardiovascular health because you can get your heart rate up for longer periods of time. The drawback to grappling would be that you likely can't do it very long. Look at the MMA guys...they fight for 15-20 minutes and they can't breathe. As far as FAT loss...the anaerobic intensity of grappling would be better than an elliptical/treadmill with aerobic work.

Huh? I thought the goal in fat loss was to stay within aerobic respiration? Once anaerobic respiration takes over, I thought that's when muscle catabolism occurs ie: endurance runners lack of muscle. This is assuming it's a steady anaerobic respiration and not like HIIT. I was always under the assumption that if you kept your heartrate under 140 or whatever it is for your age/weight, you were in "fat burning mode". Anything above that was "cardio mode"

Anyways, when it comes to cardio it's a mental game really. I used to hate it also but when I'm just doing a steady rate instead of HIIT, I pick a bush outside and focus on it. Everything else becomes a white blur and next thing I know, it's 40 minutes later.

[booey]

Switch up the cardio to keep it from being boring. Doing it outside every now and again is a great change up.

[ChefWide]

Dont do 'cardio'. Ever. You're not a hamster in an exercise wheel, dont bloody well behave like one. It's like wiping your ass with and endless rope. Find some complimentary or skill based ancillary movements that you constantly vary and execute at a high intensity.

hmmmm... how about 5 pullups/10 pushups/15 ATF BW Squats on the minute for 15 minutes. How about 10 x 100m all out sprints? Run up bleachers, walk down holding a 20lb med ball? How fast can you do 30 Clean & Jerks at 75% BW?

Do your very best to never get on an elliptical, stair climber or arc trainer again as long as you live. On your deathbed, you WILL want that time back again. Rule of thumb? If you can read a magazine, talk on your cell or concentrate enough to give a shit what's on the TV, you're wasting time that you can never get back again.

The only thing long slow distance styled training is good for is if compete at a sport that covers long distances, slowly. Seriously. Train like you play then go out and play new sports as often as you can.

[ChefWide]

Huh? I thought the goal in fat loss was to stay within aerobic respiration? Once anaerobic respiration takes over, I thought that's when muscle catabolism occurs ie: endurance runners lack of muscle. This is assuming it's a steady anaerobic respiration and not like HIIT. I was always under the assumption that if you kept your heartrate under 140 or whatever it is for your age/weight, you were in "fat burning mode". Anything above that was "cardio mode"

Anyways, when it comes to cardio it's a mental game really. I used to hate it also but when I'm just doing a steady rate instead of HIIT, I pick a bush outside and focus on it. Everything else becomes a white blur and next thing I know, it's 40 minutes later.

Short bouts of supramaximal effort followed by short recovery periods, then repeat, causes EPOC. Holy grail time. You increase both your capacity for work output, your cardio respiratory response, your bodies ability to flip to burning lactate as a prime energy source, and you dont spend hours and hours doing the exact some motion wearing your joints and connective tissues to shit. The best upside is you produce a level of fitness you can actually use in sport, combat, survival, sex, etc. What part of life rewards lots of long slow movement without variation? Unless you plan to run big distance or toss out centuries in the saddle: No part. If the goal is ultimately to have none of those performance based metrics improve, and only to look good naked, take DNP and get Lipo. Much more effective and you'll prolly still have knees and hips when your 50.

;-)

Who loves ya?

[Lumberjack5.0]

Yeah, there's nothing magic about steady-state cardio for fat loss. Doing something like MMA will burn cals MUCH mroe efficiently, and is obviously more enjoyable.

Cals in - cals out = energy deficit or surplus. There is nothing about being at a specific heart rate or any other variable that matters (much). If you burn the cals, you burn 'em. Period.

You can also eat less, of course :)

[bigfrankie]

thanks for everyones feed back, and i have tried running outside and it just doesnt cut it for me, and i feel like my heart pumps so much quicker doing this training with him and i do plan to do my work outs during the week, my regular lifting... my main goal is to loose 50lbs


does anyone know if thermorexin has an expiration date????


and what does everyone think of lipo-6?

[7_Deadly_Sins]

Hey man, something I've done before for cardio is...read...listen to music..watch TV...play a video game...it really helps kill the time..I use to study while I did morning cardio and it went by like it was nothing.
I donno how much boxing would tax your upper body, you could always try it out for a while and see how you feel.

[ASGARDIAN]

whats going on everyone?! I don't post much, but I always lurk the boards and read about different things in regards to training and such. but my question is... how many of you find cardio (running on treadmill, elliptical, etc) extremely boring?! i have a hard time doing my cardio, even with an ipod and a t.v in front of me, i get extremely bored......

sooooo, a buddy of mine who trains ju jitsu and boxing, has decided he is more then happy to help me 4 times a week to do some boxing training at our local Golds Gym. We do about a hour and a half each night of training. the training consist of different techniques on how to hit the bag and strike in different ways, blocking, jump rope, practicing foot work, etc. on my 3rd day of doing this, i feel great, i get a crazy sweat everytime and it feels better then i ever did after running...


now, my question is.... is boxing a good replacement for running, jogging, etc??

i've always had a thing for fighting, and i love watching MMA fighting and such... so it keeps me pretty entertained..and a week into my diet and training, ive lost 8 lbs....

i also plan to lift weights 2 times a week when i dont train....

an feedback will be highly appreciated! thanks so much!

-frankie

I have done a lot of different sports during my life. Training with a boxer put me in the best shape of my entire life. Hands down.

For me, i hate the stationary machines. I prefer to obtain my cardio training anyway other than a stupid stationary machine.

[A L]

I put my treadmill int he strip club. It woks.

Listen to Cheffy Smoove. He's right. Cario is bullshit. Just go and do!

[dirty~d~]

I don't do my cardio indoors, unless you count ice skating. Cardio equipment is complicated, confusing and restrictive to me so I skip it. I run stairs anywhere I can, run sprints in the sand, rollerblade along the river, mountain bike, hike... All forms of cardio and none are boring to me. :) Find something that gets your heart rate up that you can enjoy repetitively.

[Aesirian]

Cardio's no more boring than the menu for 18 weeks of strict keto dieting. Thats why I do them together, now thats exciting!!!

Sometimes you just got to shove your hand up the DRAGON'S ASS and pull its heart out..no matter how bad it smells! ;) "Eye on the prize!"

[The Seeker]

One more thing - I've found that classes can really help on those days when you need to get your cardio in but are having trouble getting going. I've taken kickboxing classes (where you're doing heavy bag work) and spinning classes.

I was one of those guys who didn't like group classes but I have to admit that I ALWAYS end up working really, really hard even on days that I didn't feel like doing anything.

It's nice to put all of your energy into working hard instead of motivating yourself.

[Sue Me]

Not to beat a dead horse, but I agree on the Classes and on the Boxing. I started boxing this winter, and it is a great calorie burn (based on my Polar HR Monitor) versus say, jogging or a similar boring cardio activity. Spinning classes can seem goofy, but it is a great workout and if you can just zone-in on your own workout during it, the class is a nice switch.

+1 on Cheffy's suggestion - if your schedule allows, hop on a sport's team: Softball, Beach V-Ball, Soccer, Flag Football, Hockey, whatever.