You’ve undoubtedly heard that going too hard on the cardio can negatively impact the gains you’re trying to make. There’s no doubt about that. But with the right exercises, you don’t have to sacrifice muscle mass for an extended cardio workout. Here, we’re going to highlight some of the best exercises for strengthening your muscles while burning fat and giving your heart the workout it needs.
Cycling
Above the rest, cycling tends to be one of the best cardio methods out there. Especially if you’re hitting some tough terrain, you’re giving a real strength workout to your arms, legs, and your core to keep you balanced. As with all motion-based exercises, the repetition is what gives you the cardio workout you need. If you really want to get serious about cycling, then it’s worth considering picking up a mountain bike as your tool of choice.
Rowing
If it’s your lower body you’re most concerned about, then you need to get your hands on a rowing machine. Its benefits are well demonstrated by now. The quads, the glutes, and the calves are all the primary tools in pushing against the resistance of the machine. That’s not to say that the upper back doesn’t have some benefits. If you have a stiff back, the range of motion afforded by the rowing machine can actually prove a highly effective relief.
HIIT the beach
Sustained running is one of the most effective ways of losing weight, but there’s a fear it can have a reductive effect on your muscle gains. To put it plainly, these beliefs aren’t true. But you likely don’t want to take any chances. If you want to make sure your muscles are getting a proper workout on your run, then you want to stress them to the point of exhaustion. To that end, HIIT can help you find and push past that limit. Running on the beach is even better since the added resistance of the sand requires a lot more strength to push past.
Take a swim
That resistance and the effort you have to put in to push past is why the water is one of the single best environments to work in. Swimming builds the muscles in the arms, legs, and the core all while getting your blood pumping.
Nothing but you
You won’t be making gains with these exercises, but you want to make sure you’re not losing any, either. For those who lift weights, bodyweight exercises won’t be pushing you past your limits and building muscle. But they can be the perfect way to target and sustain all those muscle groups you want to hit so they don’t shrink. Meanwhile, the repetition made easy by these relatively light-weight exercises means that your cardiovascular system is getting the work you want, too. This is particularly important for targeting visceral fat that can be harder to see.
You want to keep that muscle, but it’s important to remember that the health of your organs, your blood pressure, and your weight all contribute to your health. Hopefully, the exercises above make it a lot easier to find a real balance with your regime.
