WHICH CARDIO IS BEST?! 💥🏃‍♂️🏋️‍♀️ MODERATE INTENSITY INTERVALS: A classic and one of my favorites! 🎯 This involves maintaining a certain level of intensity for a set time, followed by a brief rest, then repeating. It burns a ton of calories! 🔥 For example, if you're jogging, increase your pace every 5 minutes for 1 minute, then recover. PHEW! Rower, treadmill included in this too!! 💨 It's incredibly effective. JOGGING/BIKING/SWIMMING: These are popular choices 🚴‍♂️🏊‍♀️ but require more time ⏳ to be effective. Runners, for instance, are fat-burning machines because of the high frequency of their activity, but they often have lower calorie intake, which can make muscle gain challenging. If you're looking to maintain muscle 💪, this might not be your best option—#1 (intervals) is better for that. BJJ./BOXING etc: LOVE these sports! 🥋🥊 However, the bursts of activity are short, unlike steady-state exercises like running or biking. You’re unlikely to lose much weight unless you're training both on and off the mat. For weight loss, the activity needs to be cyclic 🔄 and continuous. Fatigue sets in quickly 😓, affecting technique, and it's hard to sustain for an hour like you can with running, intervals, or cycling. HIIT: HIIT is awesome for short, intense bursts—20-25 minutes is killer for burning calories! ⚡🔥 But it's tough to maintain for longer durations, and fatigue can lead to poor form, increasing the risk of injury. 🚑 BEST MODALITY FOR WEIGHT LOSS AND MUSCLE RETENTION: ELIPTICAL (110-150 BPM): This machine burns serious calories while reducing muscle breakdown! 🔥🏋️‍♂️ The key is total workload distribution since you can use both your upper and lower body. It’s low impact, dependable, and sustainable. Caveat: Be sure to challenge yourself by using the pre-programmed workouts or incorporating moderate intervals (like I mentioned above). 🔄💪 INCLINED WALKING (Weight Vest Optional, but Recommended!): Inclined walking, or regular walking 🚶‍♂️, is great because it distributes your weight across your body. While it doesn’t engage as much as the elliptical, it’s still very effective. 💯 That's why step trackers are so popular—you hit the number that burns calories, and BOOM, job done! You’ll need to walk a lot, but it causes less muscle damage and can be done anywhere. 🏞️ Intensity matters, though, so make sure to cycle through moderate, mild, and aggressive walking days. Consistency is key! 🔑

If you really want to maintain a solid 'cardio' program it should NOT look like this 1. Gym 2. Go home after the gym and wait till next training day It should look like this for a 4-6 week period with variation for the next 4-6 weeks: 1. Gym (Frequency should be 3-5days/week, BUT periodized!!!) 2. Day of cardio in the form of aggressive ZONE 2 3. Day of aggressive ZONE 5 training Walking is fine but there needs to be progression. That progression can be 'rucking'(weighted vest), 1 minute sprints on a rower with a 30 second rest, 10x. I ruck outside or treadmill. While on t-mill I will randomly change the elevation every 2 min for 45 min. I recently added basketball. That's right! I simply, solo, outside, play full court for 15 minutes with 3 minute rest for 4 quarters. I wanted to challenge my fitness, coordination, and it aligns with my philosophy of enhanced fitness by playing! Try it! IT doesn't have to be my program but think about what else could you do to supplement what you do in the gym. PS: This is key to weight loss/management too!

Mg, OR MAGNESIUM plays a crucial role in various bodily functions, including muscle and nerve function, bone health, and protein synthesis. For injury prevention, particularly concerning tendons and ligaments, magnesium can be beneficial in several ways ESPECIALLY #4!: How Magnesium Helps Tendons and Ligaments 1. Muscle Relaxation: Magnesium helps relax muscles, which can reduce the tension on tendons and ligaments, potentially lowering the risk of strains and sprains. 2. Collagen Synthesis: Magnesium is involved in collagen synthesis, which is essential for maintaining the structural integrity of tendons and ligaments. 3. Inflammation Reduction: Magnesium has anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce inflammation in tendons and ligaments, aiding in recovery and reducing the risk of injury. 4. Calcium Regulation: Magnesium helps regulate calcium levels in the body, preventing calcium from depositing in soft tissues, which can lead to stiffness and decreased flexibility, increasing injury risk.