Cardiovascular training (part 2 of 2)

However, if you're bulking up or just want to remain fit, you want to keep the heart in top shape and possibly improving the overall capacity. Then you should aim for higher heartrates, where 80% of max is a good rule of thumb.
The max is decided by your age, as in:
220 - age = approximate max pulse. A 30-year old person would be: 220 - 30 = 190 max.

Point 3 is quite logical. Example: Your lats are skinny, and you feel like adding some muscle onto them. Then rowing might not be a good choice for cardio, as you run a fair risk of overtraining your back, while dancing or powerwalking allows your back to rest while still getting your cardio done. It's pretty simple - don't chose a cardio activity that uses the same muscles you're trying to grow the most.

How often?
Again, this is determined by your goals. As in the example of the fat-loss program, you want to do quite a lot cardio to get rid of the excess calories, while still not going overboard. Remember what I wrote about maintaining muscle in the first part. A person on a fat-loss program could do, for example, 4 x 45 minutes/week of cardio if it's strenous, while 5 x 60 minutes/week might be suitable for a less strenous kind of cardio. The other option is considerably more exhausting, making 2 x 45 or 3 x 30 mins/week more appropriate.

Beware
Before you get all Gung-Ho about it and start out with high set goals, make an honest evaluation of your own shape. What's my history? Is my schedule realistic? Can I stick to this schedule for more than two weeks? And if you have any heart- or respiratory problems, make sure to consult a physician before taking on a serious program. And do I even have to mention it? If you have asthma, you don't do ANYTHING without proper medication available!
For the rest of you: Just listen to your body, and you're on the highway to excellence!

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