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Zone 2 Cardio: The Aerobic Workout Everyone Should Be Doing

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Zone 2 Cardio: The Aerobic Workout Everyone Should Be Doing Zone 2 cardio puts the “steady” in “steady-state cardio.” It’s not flashy like high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or dramatic like bonking, yet it deserves just as much attention. Zone 2 cardio is foundational to any fitness routine, whether you’re an endurance athlete who wants to improve their performance or someone who just wants to be a healthy, functional human. So, if you’ve noticed a “trend” around this type of exercise, know this: Low-intensity, steady-state cardio (LISS cardio) has always been around. And if, until now, it hasn’t been part of your exercise routine, it’s time to change that. What Is Zone 2 Cardio? Zone 2 cardio refers to a specific exercise intensity that you can sustain for an extended period, during which your heart rate is about 60 to 70 percent of your max heart rate. (Your max heart rate is the number of times your heart beats in a minute during an all-out effort, like sprinting the final stretch of a 5K. More on how to determine your max heart rate later.) In this zone, you may be slightly breathy, but you’re not gasping for air. There are five heart rate zones, each of which has a target range based on a percentage of your max heart rate (MHR). Below is a general breakdown of heart rate zones, but note that these numbers are estimates and may differ according to your source and from one person to the next. Zone Intensity % of MHR Zone 1 Low–moderate 50%–60% Zone 2 Moderate 60%–70% Zone 3 Moderate–high 70%–80% Zone 4 High 80%–90% Zone 5 Very high 90%–100% Zone 2 Cardio Benefits Like any form of cardio exercise, zone 2 cardio can bolster heart health and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. And because it burns calories, steady-state cardio is an effective tool for weight loss and healthy weight management. Zone 2 cardio (and movement, in general) can also positively impact your mood and mental health and improve the quality of your sleep. But cardio that specifically keeps your heart within the zone 2 range also offers some unique benefits, especially for endurance athletes who want to improve their performance. Here are a few: 1. More mitochondria If it’s been a while since you took a biology class, here’s a quick refresher on what mitochondria are and why they’re critical to athletic performance: Mitochondria are a type of organelle found in the body’s cells that use oxygen to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary source of energy that fuels physical activity as well as basic biological functions. More mitochondria means more ATP and, therefore, more energy for physical activity. Todd Buckingham, Ph.D. Exercise Physiologist at PTSportsPRO in Grand Rapids, Michigan, explains that zone 2 cardio is “ideal for mitochondria development.” Working out at a sustainable intensity for a longer duration increases your cells’ demand for energy, and the body adapts to this demand by producing more mitochondria. So, for athletes who want to up their endurance (or just feel better during and after a workout), zone 2 cardio is essential. 2. Capillary development Capillaries are small blood vessels that deliver oxygen-rich blood to the muscle cells, where the oxygen is used to manufacture energy by the mitochondria. According to Buckingham, optimal capillary development occurs squarely in zone 2, between 60 and 70 percent of your max heart rate. A more robust network of capillaries allows your body to put more available oxygen to good use during exercise. 3. Longevity Even if you’re not looking to set any new PRs, zone 2 cardio can enhance your everyday life by simply extending it. “Zone 1 and zone 2 exercise has been shown to increase life expectancy,” Buckingham says. “It helps increase your VO2 max, and there’s a direct relationship between your VO2 max and your longevity.” VO2 max is a cardiorespiratory fitness metric that scores how efficiently your body uses oxygen. (The link between VO2 Max and zone 2 cardio makes sense, considering what we know about capillaries and mitochondria.) The number measures milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute (ml/kg/min). 4. Requires less recovery HIIT is popular for multiple reasons: It’s fast, efficient, fun (depending on who you talk to), and offers plenty of its own unique benefits. That said, high-intensity exercise requires more recovery than low or moderate-intensity exercise, and doing too much of it can even negatively impact your health. Because it’s less intense, zone 2 cardio requires less recovery time, which makes it easier to remain consistent with your fitness routine and stay active between workouts. (If you’ve ever been too sore to function after a HIIT session, you get it.) Additionally, steady-state cardio is generally accessible to more people, including those new to fitness, individuals with injuries or mobility issues, and older adults. When Not to Use Zone 2 Cardio While almost anyone will, from a health perspective, benefit from incorporating LISS into their workout routine, focusing on zone 2 cardio won’t help you achieve certain performance goals. If you’re concerned with developing explosiveness and power — maybe you’re a sprinter, a high jumper, or a baseball player — zone 2 cardio should not be your primary focus. Instead, you should prioritize short bouts of intense movement. How Often and Long Do You Need to Train in Zone 2? Along with two days of muscle-strengthening exercise, the Centers for Disease Control recommends the following weekly guidelines for aerobic activity: 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity (a.k.a. zone 2 cardio) 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity An equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity However, your training should align with your goals, fitness level, and lifestyle. For example, an avid runner training for a marathon needs to log more zone 2 cardio per week than a time-pressed parent who’s just beginning to exercise for the first time. That time can be distributed throughout the week (e.g., five 30-minute workouts) and even throughout the day with exercise “snacks.” For example,

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4 Sprinting Tips to Help You Build Power, Strength, and Speed

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4 Sprinting Tips to Help You Build Power, Strength, and Speed When was the last time you really had to sprint? Heart pumping, legs burning, and going as fast as you possibly could? If you can’t remember, then you’re missing out on one of the best tools to challenge your body and improve body composition. Sprinting is arguably one of the most essential training tools for athletic performance. If you’re going to work sprints into your routine, you need to consider the best ways to approach them to maximize their use and to protect yourself. When you do, you’ll see improvements in your body’s ability to perform. What Are the Benefits of Sprinting? Boosts athletic performance Sprinting carries over to every sport because of the power, strength, and speed benefits. “Because it’s super explosive, it’s activating practically every muscle in the human body,” says Mike Young, Ph.D., director of Athletic Lab, which focuses on speed development and athletic performance. “Not too much in the fitness world involves every muscle group acting as aggressively as you see in sprinting,” Young says. Improves body composition Beyond sports performance, the benefits of sprinting carry over to the body’s physical qualities, Young says. “You get the benefit from the high intensity through body composition and lean mass — more athletic glutes, hamstrings, and quads,” he says. “This is why you see elite sprinters look the way they do — really lean and muscular. Some of that simply comes from the act of sprinting.” How to Acclimate Your Body to Sprinting Sprinting is an intense, high-impact exercise. To protect your body and get the most out of your sprints, follow these tips. Warm up When you do start sprinting, start with a quick warm-up like high knees and lunges to get your body loose and primed to sprint. Then start with the basic movement, acclimating your tissues, muscles, and even bones to the intensity, Rooney says. Even sprinting in place can be a good starting point as your body gets used to the movement. “You have to wake up the nervous system that accesses the big muscle fibers — the big motor. When you do that, you can work that musculature,” Rooney says. Start slow If the last time you sprinted was in high school gym class, don’t go right out and do 100-yarders. You just want to start with moving fast again, says Martin Rooney, CSCS, founder of Training for Warriors. That could be taking quick steps through a speed ladder or doing paces slightly faster than would feel comfortable. While there’s no “perfect” distance to sprint, aim for 30 yards or so when you’re first starting out. Maintain your body You should work on mobility — through stretching and dynamic movements like lunges that improve your range of motion — so you lower your risk of injury. And if you’re at a higher body weight than you should be, dialing in your nutrition and losing weight will improve your ability to sprint, Rooney says. 4 Sprinting Tips to Get You Faster If you want to make sure you’re experiencing all of the benefits sprinting, here are four tips to help you do it the right way. 1. Keep your mechanics tight The fastest body is the most efficient body, meaning you’re not wasting energy with body parts in the wrong place. While it may seem that running fast is just, well, running fast, then you’re not making the most of your effort. Your anatomical checklist for great sprinting technique: Lean your whole body forward. Instead of just hunching your back, Young advises to think of leaning from your ankles up so that your head, neck, spine, and pelvis are all aligned. Stabilize your head. “A common error is for the head to flop around from normal postural alignment,” Young says. That means the force transfer from the ground is not transferred efficiently throughout the body. Because the human body isn’t designed ideally for sprinting (we’re too vertical compared to the horizontal position of, say, a cheetah), a wobbling head makes an inefficient system even more so. 2. Accelerate with long strides Good sprinting form is about how you accelerate through the run. “The physics of running has not changed: If you run in a world governed by physics, you don’t get to top speed without acceleration,” Young says. That means your first steps are big, long strides — not the short, choppy ones you see some people doing — with big, swinging arms. When you take short steps, you can’t generate a lot of force, because there’s less contact time with the ground. Having great stride length means longer contact time with the ground — and more force to propel the body forward, Young says. 3. Experiment with intensity When most people hear the word “sprint,” they think “all-out.” That doesn’t have to be the case, Rooney says. You can aim for 70 or 80 percent of max effort in your workouts — and play with combinations of different distances and intensities. “When we say sprint, it doesn’t mean it has to be like a tiger is chasing you,” Rooney says. 4. Strengthen your sprint muscles The glutes and hamstrings — and all the muscles in your posterior chain — serve as your engine for speed, Young says. Deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, glute-ham raises, and steps-ups are great for strengthening those muscles to help with sprinting performance. Any single-leg exercises will also be helpful, Young says. And there are few better movements that train power and speed than plyometrics, which help build explosiveness. The post 4 Sprinting Tips to Help You Build Power, Strength, and Speed appeared first on BODi. When was the last time you really had to sprint? Heart pumping, legs burning, and going as fast as you possibly could? If you can’t remember, then you’re missing out on one of the best tools to challenge your body and improve body composition. Sprinting is arguably one of the most essential training tools for […] The post

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4 Wall Ball Exercises That Work Your Entire Body

Blog, cardio, Cardio Workouts, Fitness, Leg Workouts, Strength Training /

4 Wall Ball Exercises That Work Your Entire Body Wall ball exercises are a staple in strength training workouts for their benefits to strength, power, and coordination. And because these exercises generally work all four limbs, you’re sure to get a full-body workout. If you’re up for a rounded test of your fitness, then we dare you to take the wall ball challenge. Read on for more on how to incorporate wall ball exercises into your routine. What Are Wall Ball Exercises? Wall ball exercises offer a compound, high-energy workout that involves throwing a weighted medicine ball against a wall or other hard upright surface. Many moves incorporate a lower-body component, combining the throw with a squat, a lunge, or a side shuffle, making it a full-body exercise with a high cardiovascular demand. Note that wall ball exercises are different from stability ball exercises, which involve a large, inflatable ball that most often remains on the floor and is used by the body for leverage. Wall ball exercises, conversely, require a smaller ball that is used specifically for throwing. How to Choose a Medicine Ball Medicine balls come in a range of weight options that generally run from five- to 30-pound loads. Typically, you’ll choose a wall ball based on your body size and the type of exercise you’re doing. Select lighter balls for speed training and heavier balls for power and strength workouts. There are two different types of balls to choose from: One is rubbery and bounces a lot, while the other larger, softer ball bounces very little. Each type of medicine ball customarily has a padded outside layer so that it can be gripped and caught easily. How to Do a Wall Ball Exercise Although there are many different wall ball exercises, the following is a tried-and-true wall ball movement designed to hit many muscles at once. Stand about two feet in front of a wall with your feet hip-width apart. Keep the wall ball between your hands at chest height. Squeeze your elbows into your sides. Sink into a squat until the crease of your hip is at or below your knees. Descend as low as you can, while maintaining a neutral arch in your spine. Keep the ball close to your chest on the way down. Keeping your chest up, push your body away from the floor and throw the ball at the wall, aiming for a spot about eight feet off the ground. Catch the ball following contact with the wall and sink back into your next squat. Repeat the exercise. Benefits of Wall Ball Exercises “Wall ball exercises are excellent additions to your fitness arsenal,” says Alison Heilig, a CrossFit coach, and NASM-certified personal trainer. Here are just a handful of reasons why we agree with Heilig. 1. Engage multiple muscle groups It’s pretty tough to find a wall ball exercise that doesn’t work for multiple major muscle groups. Most moves combine upper- and lower-body engagement, “and work basically your entire body in one compound movement,” Heilig says. You can build strength in your shoulders, core, chest, arms, glutes, and legs in a single rep. 2. Build explosive power Wall ball exercises are a great way to add some explosive power to your training, says Holly Janiszewski, a Minneapolis-based personal trainer and founder of Holly J Fitness. The important difference between power and strength is that power is force (strength) combined with speed. It requires a significant amount of force to slam the medicine ball against the wall and, over time, you may notice an increase in power that allows you to throw the ball harder and faster. 3. Boost your heart rate Because wall ball exercises recruit an impressive number of muscle groups, they’re good at getting you sweaty and breathless. So you’ll benefit from adding a few to a HIIT or circuit training routine to jack up your heart rate. You can create more of a cardio focus by choosing a lighter ball that can be thrown for more reps at a faster pace, Heilig says. 4. Improve balance and coordination No matter which variation you choose, wall ball exercises can help you develop greater balance and coordination. To perform any wall ball exercise, you need to coordinate your mind and body. Wall Ball Exercise Variations Performing variations on wall ball exercises is a sure way to beat boredom. The following wall ball exercises build on the basic move for a more challenging workout. 1. Standing chest pass To target your shoulders, chest, and arms, try the standing chest pass. Stand at least three feet away from the wall with your feet shoulder-width apart (soften your knees to protect your joints). Hold the a soft wall ball between your hands at chest height. Engage your core and press down into the floor with your feet. Explosively throw the wall ball into the wall as hard as possible and catch it on its return. Continue to throw the ball back and forth repeatedly for reps. 2. Chest pass with lateral shuffle Not only does this exercise work your shoulders, chest, and arms, it also spikes your heart rate with quick, lateral movements. Follow the same instructions for the chest pass, but shuffle laterally from side to side (about 15 feet) as you throw the ball against the wall. So, throw, shuffle, throw, shuffle. 3. Wall ball side slam As you rotationally slam the ball against the wall, you’ll engage all the muscles that comprise your core. Stand sideways with your left shoulder a little more than arms-length away from a wall. Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a wall ball with both hands at belly height and extend your arms out in front of you. Soften your elbows. Twist your torso away from the wall toward the center of the room. Then, turn your torso quickly back toward the wall to throw the ball against the wall as hard as possible. Catch the ball on the rebound and repeat continuously for the assigned rep count. Turn and repeat

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Walking vs. Running: Which Exercise Is Better for You?

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Walking vs. Running: Which Exercise Is Better for You? Are you looking for a no-fuss workout in the great outdoors? Maybe one that lets you see the local sights while getting your heart rate up? Unless you acquire some serious gear, your two main choices are walking and running. But which will help you reach your fitness goals in a hurry? That’s a thornier question than you might think. So here’s how to choose between walking and running. Benefits of Running The legions who went in on the running craze of the ’80s weren’t far off: Running is excellent for you. Assuming you’re healthy and relatively fit, taking up running can provide many benefits. strengthens your heart and lungs, tones up your leg muscles, boosts mood, burns fat, improves bone density, and ramps up immune function. 1. Running is a great cardio workout According to a 2015 study of more than 55,000 people, those who ran regularly — even at slow speeds for five to 10 minutes a day — were at a reduced risk of death from any cause. So you don’t have to become a marathoner or even a serious, regular runner to derive many of its benefits. If you run progressively — going a little bit further, faster, or both, over time, and cycling in periods of lower-intensity work — then running can continue to make you stronger and fitter over a lifetime. 2. Running helps you burn calories Like any physical activity, running elevates the metabolism above its normal resting rate, thereby burning additional calories. Jogging at a 10-minute-per-mile pace for an hour, a 175-pound man burns about 800 calories. Do this often enough, in conjunction with controlled caloric intake, and running will help you get leaner, too. 3. Running works your legs and core Check out the leg musculature of any runner, and the effect that running has on your lower body is obvious. But running also strengthens your core, as it fires to stabilize your hips with each step you take. And a strong core provides balance, stability, and stamina in workouts and daily life alike. 4. Running offers endless variety The speed at which you run is an easy way to scale up or down the difficulty of the exercise. And there are so many different types of running workouts that you can experiment with: speed work, fartleks, tempo runs, trail runs, treadmill workouts, hill runs, etc. Plus, you can always switch up the scenery whenever you want — the beach, a hiking trail, or a neighborhood park are all great locations to run. Benefits of Walking Many of the benefits of running apply to walking as well. 1. Walking is a good cardio workout If you take up a regular walking routine after a sedentary period, your cardiovascular system and lower body muscles will become stronger, your mood will improve, and your immune system will function better. Walking for 60 minutes at a brisk rate of 3.5 miles per hour, a 175-pound man burns about 360 calories. 2. Walking is a low-impact exercise Walking is a low-impact activity, which makes it an attractive and accessible cardiovascular exercise for people of all fitness levels. Because it’s less intense than running, which is generally high impact, the health benefits of walking level off sooner than they would if you were running. You can counteract this by making your walking workouts more intense: hiking mountains, for example, walking uphill or at an incline on a treadmill, or carrying a weighted vest or pack. 3. Walking can improve mood Studies show that walking can help you overcome anxious feelings and even help you deal with stress more effectively. And these benefits are only heightened if you walk outdoors, as research suggests that mood improvement is a key benefit of walking outside. 4. Walking can contribute to weight loss Weight loss and fat loss basically come down to energy expended versus energy consumed: As long as you’re burning more calories than you eat, you can expect to lose weight. Walking can help on both sides of that equation. It can help you burn calories and can even help manage the amount of calories you consume. Participants in one study walked briskly for an hour, but didn’t eat more, feel hungrier, or produce more of the hunger hormone ghrelin. Walking vs Running: Which Is Better? Provided you’re healthy, you can’t go wrong with either activity. Running The primary difference between the two exercises is that running is more difficult. Slow jogging may be meditative and relaxing for the super-fit, but it’s a fatiguing workout for most people, necessitating a warm-up before and shower afterward. That means you can only handle so much of it. Walking Walking is much more laid-back. You can incorporate it more easily into your day (chatting with others or having a phone conversation as you stroll). Post-walk, most people feel focused and relaxed. And unless you’re walking in the blazing heat, there’s no need to shower afterward. The answer? If you’re looking for an activity to boost fitness and cardiovascular health fast, with a minimal investment of time — and you’re already in decent shape — running is the way to go. If you want something that’s relaxing, social, and easy to do anytime and anywhere, walking is your pick. Which One Is Better for Weight Loss? Many factors influence weight loss, but the one that stands head and shoulders above the rest is energy balance — also known as “calories in, calories out,” or CICO. “Calories in” refers to the energy you consume in the form of food and beverages. “Calories out” refers to the energy you burn through your daily activities. If “calories in” exceeds “calories out,” you gain weight. If the reverse is true, you lose it. Running for weight loss Because running burns about twice as many calories per minute as walking, you’d think it would be the clear winner for weight loss. But don’t throw out your training kicks just yet. As beneficial

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The slow cardio treadmill workout I’m loving right now

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The slow cardio treadmill workout I’m loving right now My current workout mood: 30-1-30 30 incline 1 mph 30 minutes   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Cassey Ho (@blogilates)   30-1-30 Treadmill Workout This treadmill workout seriously gets my heart rate so high, and in comparison to running (which feels like torture to me) this slow cardio hiking situation feels more enjoyable for my body! I spent yearsssss trying to like HIIT, trying to like running, but honestly, it always felt like I had to try SO hard. I also never really felt like I got better at it.   Ever since I’ve been testing out slow cardio like the 12-3-30, I’ve noticed my body is just simply liking it more. I’m better at it. It’s weird because my heart rate gets high (higher than when I’m running) and yet my muscles aren’t dying. Mentally and emotionally, I’m not dying either! To be completely honest, it’s the first cardio I think I’m actually good at and getting better at, which is so exciting! It all kinda goes back to what your body is better suited for. I have the endurance to push through slow hard things (that’s why I’m good at Pilates) but I know I’m bad at fast sprints (that’s why I never really enjoyed HIIT). It’s just not meant for my body, so I gas out really fast. Give this a try if fast cardio didn’t work for you either! I’m seeing changes in my body and my booty…and I love! Oh and if your treadmill doesn’t go to 30, try a step mill!   My current workout mood: 30-1-30 30 incline ↗️ 1 mph 🐌 30 minutes ⏱️   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Cassey Ho (@blogilates)   30-1-30… Cassey{authorlink}https://www.blogilates.com/blog/30-1-30-treadmill-workout/Blogilates The official blog of Cassey Ho https://www.blogilates.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/fav-1.png

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