So how do you get motivated to do the cardio? I love hitting the gym and lifting, but I find the cardio so boring. How can I make myself get out there and do it...since it's the main thing I need to do?

Thanks

KIT:jumping:

So how do you get motivated to do the cardio? I love hitting the gym and lifting, but I find the cardio so boring. How can I make myself get out there and do it...since it's the main thing I need to do?

Thanks

KIT:jumping:

you have to find a cardio activity you enjoy :) or make your weight training cardio like Zen does.... remember cardio is anything that gets your heart rate up....

I guess you should envision your goals. See your body as you want it to be. If you desire it you will do whatever you have to in order to get there. That's what it's about for me. Motivation is secondary. I have a tremendous amount of desire to achieve my fitness goals. That desire motivates me. That desire is fueled by a vision of myself in the future, fit and healthy, aging in a body that allows me to do what I want to do in life, rather than decaying and failing like so many people's bodies are doing.

Practically speaking I find that cardio after lifting is more difficult than cardio by itself, and cardio after lifting when on low carbohydrates (what I do) is grueling. So, I suppose if I wanted to make cardio as enjoyable as possible I'd do it on non-lifting days and make sure I was properly fueled with good complex carbohydrates.

Make use of "net time" as described by Tony Robbins...basically doing multiple things at once, multi-tasking.

Find something you enjoy doing and do that in addition to the workout.

ie:

1. Listening to music on an IPOD
2. Listening to self-improvement audio on an IPOD
3. Listening to audio podcasts on a hobby of yours(lots of audio podcasts out on the net)
4. Watch TV

Basically find ways to make the time spent doing cardio more productive..

-Mike

you have to find a cardio activity you enjoy :) or make your weight training cardio like Zen does.... remember cardio is anything that gets your heart rate up....

I've gone this way lately. I rarely do traditional cardio, but instead do barbell complexes, DB swings, 1 arm snatches at highish reps, step ups, etc on the days between heavy lifting days.

So I'll have 3 strength days a week, and 2-3 GPP style days with less CNS impact but higher metabolic type workouts. Maybe I'll throw in an HIIT day on the bike to give me 6 workout days a week.

I've migrated to this since I can't easily jack my heart rate up anymore on my exercise bike even at highest resistance (it won't go as high as most commercial models), and my knees don't allow me to do sprints multiple days a week. A complex is a very easy way to jack up the HR, and it's more fun.

Do HIIT or Tabata. You won't have time to be bored.

If you enjoy lifting, then turn your training into your cardio.

In recent years, that's what I've moved to. Short rest periods are the key - no more than 45-seconds between sets. Shorten that to 30 seconds as you get into better cardiovascular shape. Regardless of the exercise you're performing (legs, biceps - doesn't matter) - short rest periods must be upheld as long as you can maintain proper form. Never, ever, compromise form.

For the ectomorph, which is my body type, this form of cardio doesn't do much in the way of hypertrophy because lighter weight must be employed due to the minimal recovery time between sets. This form of training does maintain what lean mass you do have and creates (at least for me) that "hardened" look that so many people aspire to.

Of course, the above must be in conjunction with a reasonably clean diet. And I tend to drink water in the extreme - about 1.5 gallons per day regardless of what day it is.

-R

I really enjoy pushing myself til I'm dripping with sweat at the cardio. I find a mantra helps. Just me n' the elliptical "burn the fat (x5000)"

I find cardio very rewarding. I get the physical rush, and the mental gratification of pushing my body well past the point it wants to stop. No music, TV, or distractions - just willing myself to sweat more.

But I'm like crazy determined to get a six-pack, so slight psychosis really helps in the motivation department (one-track mind aimed at low BF% = driven)

I to find cardio very frustrating I hate doing it well I hate using a machine like steppers, bikes, cross trianers actually anything where I am just sitting there in one position it bores the hell out of me. So I get outside I live on the beach so I get my runners on and head down to the sand I either walk or run depending on the mood that I am in I generally like to run as I do not have to do it for as long to burn the same amount of calories. I find it soothing because when I am finished I can just sit there and watch the surf and relax and think about my goals and what I just did and ask myself was that enough could have I done more or even sitt down and think about money, family anything for a while before heading back home.
So I guess what I am saying here is find that thing that is not boring for you my wife loves doing cardio with her friends or taking my son out and going for a walk with him anything but beleive me you are not the only one that finds cardio boring.

LoL I find its best to do cardio when its nice, warm, and sunny out. Go to your local park, or wherever there will be a lot of college aged girls, and just run. The more whistles and cat calls you get, the faster you will find yourself going. Even better than a park is running through a campus town.

Of course I jest. But getting a few whistles here and there never hurt anyone :P

Anyways, Im gonna agree with the guy who said to keep your goal in mind. Also, as you progress, its easy to say youve reached your goal and get complacent. Always up that bar! Keep your eye on the prize and get running/biking/swimming. Playing a sport like football, rugby, lacrosse, and to a lesser extent, tennis and american football, are also great "fun" ways to do cardio, if you can find enough people!

Racquetball or some other competitive sport. If you are a competitive sport you will be trying to win, and the cardio will be a side benefit of your victories (and defeats :) )

I use an elliptical machine at the Y, for up to 60 minutes at a time. While it's not my favorite thing, I can get through the workout without going crazy. What do I do? I close my eyes, for one, so I don't get distracted by the TV monitors showing the latest annoying news item about Brittney. I think to myself, "I'm taking care of my body, so I can live a long and healthy life." I also think about what I'll be doing at work that day.

And if you like math, you can try to calculate how many calories you'll burn by the end of your session; that can also give you inspiration for pushing a bit harder sometimes. I was elated when I first broke 1,000 calories in a 60-minute workout!

One last endorsement for using an elliptical machine, by the way: in the past, every time I'd get going on regular outdoor running for a couple of months, I'd start to pick up speed and want to go longer. The combination of longer and harder runs would ruin my knees, and I'd have to stop, and I'd always fall out of my routine. On the elliptical, though, I just bump up the resistance to 18, which means slower steps (easier on the knees, but still challenging to the body) and *fewer* steps (once again, less damage to the knees). I've been doing this for almost a year, and no knee problems!

Jared

Man, I really wish I could do elliptical machine :( For some reason, everytime I even TRY, I can only last about 2 minutes and my legs are just giving up and I can't go any longer. Maybe I was doing it wrong? I dunno.. Not like my legs are weak or anything.

I bought stationary bike. I used it about 3 times a week. I love to watch NFL Football and just pedal. :) Sometimes it's a pain to do, but hey, gotta do it.

Although, I been pretty bad with cardio this week. I haven't done any yet and it's thursday already. I will do some tonight though.

So how do you get motivated to do the cardio? I love hitting the gym and lifting, but I find the cardio so boring. How can I make myself get out there and do it...since it's the main thing I need to do?

Why is it the main thing you need to do?

And you can always use lifting for cardio:

-kHE5jlFDXE

That one is a little heavy to do for 20 minutes but with the right weight and rest you can dial in whatever cardio you need.

I'd come chase you, but I'd catch you, and then where would you be :confused:. Haha as for cardio, I do sprints. Find a partner and try to beat him with all your might, it works!

Zen's videos are great. They're unaffected and pragmatic. :tu:

Zen's videos are great. They're unaffected and pragmatic. :tu:

Just the facts, ma'am.

M9lC31pX8lE

Just the facts, ma'am.

M9lC31pX8lE


LMAO