One of the top questions I get asked is “What type of cardio should I be doing?”.  I believe, as I do with the type of training routine a person needs and diet, that you need to gear your cardio to your goals.  I also believe in changing it up and not sticking with the same exact routine day in and day out.

Much like you need to shock your muscles when weight training, you also need to shock your body with cardio.  Change up your cardio so your body stays guessing, stays surprised and does not grow accustomed to the same thing over and over.  As you will notice when your body gets used to something…there is no change!!!

Let me also specify something before I continue…I am not talking about prep for a show.  When I prep for a show my cardio stays pretty much the same but that is due to the great change in diet as the weeks progress, the rotation and depletion of certain foods and the usual lack of energy and stamina as you approach closer to your show.

Most people that are asking are not in competition mode :-) Most people asking are ones trying to see changes in their body and/or wanting to shed extra pounds.  I do HIIT (high intensity interval training), I also do standard cardio on the treadmill, elliptical, bike and change up the speed, resistance, etc. depending on what I am training for. I find that what works best for me for a shoot is not what I would do for a show.  Due to length of time that I may have to prep for each situation and what kind of look I need to have going in to a shoot as opposed to a show, determines my cardio.    Also where my starting point is, what I look like at that exact time that I find out I have something coming up also determines my cardio.

Another big tip that I give to many people who ask is experiment!!!  Do not be afraid to experiment and find out what works best with YOUR body!! There is no rule or rulebook that says you HAVE to do this, you CAN’T do that and if you don’t, it won’t work!!  My best advice is to work with one type for a set amount of time and then switch it up.  You may also hate a certain kind of cardio and if that is going to keep you from doing it altogether then don’t do that kind!

I will end with this….cardio, what ever form you choose to work with, monitor your results, monitor your body and continually strive for change.  Change brings results!!!!

Have fun ladies!!!!

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