RIO Fitness Chicago® Exercise & Nutrition Blog

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

To get back into shape we need to keep things simple. One of the easiest things we can do every day to jumpstart getting back into shape is cardio. Especially if we can do it as soon as we wake up before consuming any calories which is one of the two best times to do cardio (after strength training is the other). The correct way to do cardio to burn more body fat is simple as well. Only 25mins of 60sec high/low intensity intervals. Here's an example for a machine, but the principle of up & down intensity every 60sec can be used for anything (running/walking outside, swimming, doing actual stairs, etc).

Cardio example (treadmill):

Warmup 60sec @ 3.0 speed
Minute 1 - Speed 5.0
Min 3 - Speed 5.0
Min 5 - Speed 5.0
Min 7 - Speed 5.0
Min 9 - Speed 5.0
Min 11 - Speed 7.0
Min 13 - Speed 7.0
Min 15 - Speed 7.0
Min 17 - Speed 7.0
Min 19 - Speed 7.0
Min 21 - Speed 9.0
Min 23 - Speed 9.0
Cooldown 60sec @ Speed 3.0

That's it just 25mins of cardio to burn more calories from body fat! All the even numbered mins (2,4,6, etc) you come down to Speed 3.0

Side note, doing more than 30mins of cardio will burn just energy calories (glycogen) not body fat. Over an hour, glycogen runs out, and so the body will burn muscle tissue, which will slow down our metabolism = gaining body fat quicker.