Secrets of Cardio Machine Programs
How to program your cardio equipment for optimum results.
Cardio in a gym used to be easy. You would walk in, get on the treadmill or exercise bike and get to work. They were about as complicated as an on-off button. Sit down, turn it on and start moving.
Today that on-off switch has been replaced with a computer console that offers dozens of workout routines, courses and levels. Would you like to try the fat burning, cardio, or manual programs? Should you measure by time, distance or calories? It's overwhelming.
Time to end the confusion. This is what all those choices really mean and which one you should consider using.
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QUICK START
When you get on most cardio equipment, there's usually a big button that says QUICK START. If you're like me and don't want to spend a lot of time messing with things, that's the button to hit. You can then usually increase the speed your machine is moving. It's simple, but it won't give you an optimum workout.
MANUAL
The MANUAL button offers a wider range of choices. First you'll be asked to set a goal. The machine needs to know what it should measure so it can tell you when your workout is over. You can measure by how long you want to workout (TIME), how far you want to go (DISTANCE) or how many calories you've burned (CALORIES).
Once you've set your goal, then the equipment will want to know how to set the intensity of your workout. You can have it control how fast you go (SPEED or PACE), the angle of the surface you'll be exercising on (ELEVATION or INCLINE), how vigorously your heart should be pumping (HEART RATE) or how many METs you want to expend.
The least understood measurement is the MET. It means metabolic equivalent. One MET is the amount of energy your body uses when you're at rest. If the cardio machine is giving you a program that's six METs, it wants you to use up six times the energy you would need to expend in a resting state.
TECHNICAL DETAILS - Many machines measure a single MET as an expenditure of 3.5 milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of bodyweight per minute. Many trainers will use MET for their guide because it accounts for differences in body weight that other measurements ignore.
Setting and using a machine on MANUAL gives you more control over many of the variables in a workout, but it lacks the subtle refinements many programs offer. If you're ready to fine-tune your workout even further, try one of these five common cardio machine programs.
CARDIO or AEROBIC is a high intensity workout that emphasizes cardiovascular benefits and maximizes fat burning. Many machines will require you wear a heart rate chest strap so they can automatically adjust the intensity level. A cardio workout will try to keep your heart rate beating at 80 percent of your theoretical maximum. Because it's more intense, it should be saved for users who are more fit.
HILL or INTERVAL workouts are interval-training programs that have hills (periods of greater intensity) followed by valleys (periods of lower intensity). It's a good cardiovascular workout that's just a little less intense than most CARDIO settings.
