What to choose cardio: running, cycling, swimming, aerobics, boxing and cardio in the gym

The term "cardio" implies a positive effect on the heart. Cardio develop the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, improves endurance and aerobic capacity rights.

Cardio needed everything: those who want to develop endurance, and people who want to lose weight, and even athletes seeking to build muscle. The correct choice of cardio and correctly matched the intensity increases aerobic capacity without sacrificing muscle.

Run

The first thing that comes to mind when talking about cardio - running. It would seem that this is the most simple and natural for the body load, but running is not for everyone. Of course, anyone can to start runningBut if he by this favor and pleasure, whether for a run will come a second time will receive depends on many factors.

If you are overweight, with joints of feet problems or bad physical condition, need to be very careful in the selection of the load. If you chose to run, then increase the intensity of your workouts should gradually.

Which muscles are working

Running not only strengthens the legs and buttocks. The work includes the body and muscles, including the press. But let us still down.

During run time, the quadriceps work (front thigh), a rear surface femoris, anterior and posterior tibial muscle (shank), the gastrocnemius muscle. Tighten all gluteal muscles: large, medium and small, running iliopsoas muscles responsible for hip flexion.

In addition, running strengthens the muscles of the upper and lower press, and intercostal muscles responsible for a strong body. Work hand in the run time provides a small load on the biceps, triceps and latissimus dorsi.

Of course, running will not help you pump up the muscle definition (hands and feet), but it is enough to keep them in good shape.

You will approach a run if:

• You want to pump the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, to strengthen (not inflated) muscle, increase endurance;
• you want to lose weight, and a cautious approach to the choice of load (rapid increase in intensity can slow the metabolism);
• you are looking for the cheapest kind of cardio - without gyms, swimming pools and simulators.

You will not work run if:

• you have a lot of extra kilos and problems with the joints of the feet. While running a big load goes to the joints of the feet, and in combination with overweight and unprepared muscles and ligaments running session in bodily injury;
• you hate running since childhood. Many remember running in physical education classes, and not always the pleasant memories. Perhaps, quiet workout to your favorite music change your view of the race, but if everything is within you protests against jogging, do not need to force yourself - to select other types of loads.

A ride on the bicycle

Running in the slower pace requires more effort than relaxed cycling, so that cycling will become a great start for people with poor physical fitness or obesity.

Pleasant trips correctly picked the bike not to alienate you from cardio, and a gradual increase in load (distance, speed, lifting) will help to develop endurance and adjust the shape faster.

Unlike running, while riding a bicycle is not a shock load on the legs. This is another plus for people who are not accustomed to serious stress. In addition, cycling at speeds up to 15 kilometers per hour is shown to people suffering from varicose veins.

Which muscles are working

During cycling a big load goes to the quadriceps. It is these muscles are often sore after unusually intense cycling. Also tighten the gluteus muscles and hamstrings, calf muscles being worked.

Try biking if:

• you want to start with small loads;
• during a workout you like to watch the changing scenery (yes, it changes and during run time, but much slower);
• you suffer from varicose veins;
• you want to develop movement coordination and sense of balance.

You do not suitable cycling if:

• you want to quickly lose weight (if you are planning to go to a quiet pace on flat tracks, load and calorie consumption will be minimal);
• you want to train all year round (in the winter will have to go to the gym and exercise on an exercise bike);
• you do not like to sit during physical activity.

Swimming

Swimming - an ideal workout for people who are overweight or problematic joints. Risk of injury while swimming is practically zero, and minimal stress on the joints. At the same time diving not only strengthens the muscles of the legs, as is the case with the bike, but also arms, shoulders, back, and abs.

Due to motions in different planes swimming strengthens the joints and ligaments, develops coordination and improves endurance.

Any cardio a positive effect on the respiratory system, but swimming is definitely wins this in other sports. While swimming the crawl or breaststroke exhalation occurs not in the air and in the water - a denser medium, which requires more effort, and after inhalation swimmer holding his breath for a certain time. Due to such increases exercise capacity lungs, breathing becomes more complete and deep body increasingly saturated with oxygen.

In addition, swimming is great for people with spine problems. In water, the spine is completely unloaded, removed the pressure on the intervertebral discs, are trained muscles of the back and press.

Which muscles are working

Probably the most common (and fastest) navigation style - crawl. When sailing this style works large and small pecs, biceps and triceps, latissimus dorsi, quadriceps and hamstrings, calf muscles.

During swimming the breaststroke leg muscles longer loaded. During the legs have tighten the gluteal muscles, biceps and quadriceps muscle of the thigh, calf muscles, resulting in the thigh muscles. During breeding hands in water include chest muscles and shoulder muscles.

You should choose a swim, if:

• you have problems with joints and spine;
• you want to minimize the risk of injury;
• you want to keep on our toes all the muscles of the body.

You will not work swimming, if:

• you uncomfortable in the water;
• go to the pool away and inconvenient. Gyms still more than pools. In addition, the pools have a certain time sessions that may be difficult to fit into your schedule.

Aerobics

This is a great option for someone who is boring to engage in cardio alone. Group lessons to music, a wide variety of movements, the load on different muscle groups and with all the benefits of cardio.

Aerobics includes active walking, jumping, stretching and exercises to study different muscles on the floor. Dance aerobics may include elements of different dance styles - Latin, mambo, hip-hop, Zumba (This is precisely the mix of aerobics and dance) and many others, at the discretion of the coach.

Popular Destinations fitness - step aerobics. In this case, the exercises are performed at higher elevations - the steppe. This is mainly active walking and zashagivaniya on a step, followed by tilting the body and arm movements.

You will approach aerobics if:

• you like to rhythmic music lessons;
• you want to engage in a group;
• you need to strengthen all the muscles of the body;
• you want to develop flexibility.

You should not do aerobics if:

• you have varicose veins, problems with joints and spine;
• You want to gradually increase the load, guided only by their feelings.

Boxing

Virtually every fitness center has a punching bag, and carried out training in boxing or kickboxing. This sport does not only provide a good cardio, but also help to acquire self-defense skills, develop coordination and reaction speed.

If you are afraid of the consequences in the form of bruises and contusions, you can do just before pear, practicing strokes and ligaments. In that case you will get the necessary cardio and work out equipment, but self-defense skills are very weak and are unlikely to be useful to you in a real situation.

Sparring will pump faster response and proper technique. You can hear a hundred times by the trainer, you need to hold up your hands, and still lower them, but if you miss a beat once due to the lowered hand a second time to repeat will not be necessary.

Which muscles are working

Boxing develops muscles of the shoulder girdle due to the load during the shock and permanent hold hands in front of his head for protection. During the strike also involved the chest muscles, and turns and slopes include the work of the press.

In boxing banned kicking, but the load on the thighs, calves and lower legs are still there. Kick starts with turning hips and going through the whole body, ends the ejection arm. Blow, which begins from the shoulder - the weak, the whole body is involved in a powerful movement.

In addition, during training you do not stand in one place and to quickly move and bounce around a pear or a partner, so that the muscles of the legs all the time are in tension.

You should take up boxing, if you want to:

• pump speed reaction and coordination;
• develop self-defense skills;
• strengthen the muscles of the shoulders and body.

You do not suitable boxing, if you:

• fear of pain, bruises and contusions;
• You have a head injury, problems with vision.

Cardio

In any gym there is at least a little cardio. Let us examine the most common simulators of this area and the criteria by which you can choose the one that is right for you.

Treadmill

If you love to run, but do not want to train outside in bad weather, you are automatically routed to the treadmill. Running on the street It provides a variety of load on leg muscles, but exercise on the track are more comfortable and do not require additional sportswear in transition and winter periods.

On a treadmill, you will burn more calories than exercise bikes, steppers and rowing simulator. If you compare the track with the elliptical trainer, there is no consensus, some of them helps to burn more calories. Indicators are approximately equal.

On a treadmill, you can create a personalized workout or select an existing computer, increase the angle tilt and speed, set the interval training with high intensity, or just walk, if you run more early.

Pros:

• most natural load for the person;
• rapid waste of calories;
• possibility to choose the program and create a varied workout.

Minuses:

• the impact load on the foot and knees;
• few people are afraid to "fly away" from the track, so hold on to the handrails during the run time, doing the exercises correctly.

exercise bike

It is the most gentle and safe type of cardio in the gym, so it is often recommended to recover from injuries. Compared to running on the track during the occupation on the exercise bike is minimal stress on the joints.

However, exercise bikes only works the lower body and arms, shoulders and body are deprived even of the light load that fall to them at run time, not to mention such simulators as elliptical and rowing.

Pros:

• security;
• Gentle load.

Minuses:

• low consumption of calories;
• no load on the shoulders, arms and body.

elliptical trainer

Elliptical trainer will appeal to those who do not like running, but wants to burn as many calories as possible. This simulator simulates like climbing stairs or cross-country skiing: leg starts zashagivanie, then passes through the path of the ellipse, and returned to the top spot. Hands at the same time also involved. You can move the large handrails, reducing the load on the legs and increasing the voltage of the body muscles and arms.

Unlike running, training on elliptical trainer is not loaded joints of the feet, since there is no impact. At the same time, calorie consumption at playing on the ellipse may be even higher than when running in a calm pace.

By adjusting the position of the body, you can work out specific muscle groups. For example, if you want to load the quadriceps and calf muscles, you need to tilt your body forward, holding little arms simulator, but if you want to pump your buttocks, you need to lean back and pedal as if sitting on the chair.

Some elliptical trainer can work in stepper mode, when the feet do not pass on the ellipse trajectory and movement reminiscent of climbing stairs.

Pros:

• minimal stress on the joints;
• High calorie consumption;
• opportunity to pump the muscles of the legs, back, shoulders and arms;
• the ability to adjust the burden on certain groups of muscles.

Minuses:

• first on it rather uncomfortable to walk, you need to adjust.

stepper

This simulator simulates climbing stairs - quite a natural and frequently used strain in everyday life.

There are several types of steppers:

1. Classic compact simulator without handrails or variant with two kinds of handrails and display.
2. Balancing stepper with expanders, where you turn from side to side. On this simulator in motion involved and legs, and hands.
3. The rotary stepper with rotating handle, which you completely turn the body from side to side while walking.

Depending on the simulator pumped different muscle groups. Classic stepper basically loads the leg muscles: calves, thighs and buttocks. Fitness machine with expander provides an additional load on the hands and press, as well as developing a sense of balance. The rotary stepper apart legs engages the muscles of the back, chest and shoulders.

Even on the simplest stepper can adjust the load on certain groups of muscles, simply by changing the position of the body. If you keep your back straight, there is a greater load on the front of the thigh, when to lean forward - on the back of the thigh and buttocks.

Stepper - not the most efficient fitness machine for burning calories, especially if you are just starting to exercise. To pulse remained in the aerobic zone, will have to maintain a high intensity lifting and muscles may not be ready for such a load.

Therefore, before starting to exercise stepper, it is recommended to learn the other trainers - elliptical, exercise bike, treadmill (referring to brisk walking, not running).

Pros:

• a small load on the knee joints;
• compact simulator; it is possible to put the house;
• You can adjust the load on certain muscle groups, changing technology.

Minuses:

• a large load on the hip joint;
• need to maintain a high intensity that the pulse remains in the aerobic zone.

rowing simulator

As the name implies, the simulator simulates the rowing. You rest against your feet in the simulator platform (fix the foot bindings) and takes the handle. In this position, the body slightly tilted forward, and the press is already tense.

Then you are coming from a platform, pulls back on a movable seat and tighten the knob to the stomach. In the push time tense muscles of hips and buttocks (if you are not tense legs, the load goes on lower back, which can result in injury), while pulling up the handle to the stomach in the works include the back muscles and biceps.

During the completion of the stroke, when you return to the starting position, working the abdominal muscles, hips and buttocks, and when the hands go forward, after the handle, tighten the triceps and abs.

Depending on the position of the body of a rowing simulator allows to strengthen different muscle groups. For example, direct grip on the handle provides a large load on the back muscles and triceps, and the reverse grip - the biceps, pecs and shoulders.

Pros:

• especially strengthening the muscles of the back and shoulders;
• You can adjust the load on the different muscles, depending on the position of the body.

Minuses:

• due to improper techniques can disrupt or damage the back lap.

skipping rope

It is impossible not to mention the sports equipment, although it is not simulator name. There are many types of jumps: a change of feet, double turning of the rope, jumping from side to side, on one leg, and so on.

Jumping rope is very effective in burning calories, but does not need to jump for 5-10 minutes and not less than half an hour.

If the last time you jumped rope in gym class at school, most likely, a half-hour jumps without stopping will seem unreal record.

Even the most ordinary jumping on two legs require practice. For example, beginners too high bounce while to scroll through the rope you need to break away from the floor no more than three centimeters. Too high jump complicates the training, so that people get tired already a minute and can not continue to pursue.

While jumping rope main burden falls on the calf muscles, a little less tense the muscles of hips and buttocks. Also participating in the pole body muscles - direct and oblique abdominal muscles, the latissimus dorsi, the erectors.

Pros:

• simple and cheap simulator, which does not require going to the gym;
• compared to running, the minimum load on the leg joints and spine.

Minuses:

• to turn jumping rope in the long-term aerobic exercise, you need to learn to jump;
• a large load on the calf muscles - is not something that usually want to achieve.

So, we discussed the main types of cardio and cardio. I hope you find your training and try it in the near future.

If you are using another type of cardio, tell us about it in the comments.