People hate Cardio

HOW MUCH?

• There is no 'best' cardio exercise. Anything that gets your heart rate up fits the bill
  It's not what you do, but how hard you work. Any exercise can be challenging if you make it that way


• Do something you enjoy. If you hate gym workouts, don't force yourself onto a treadmill. If you like socializing, consider team sports or a walking club.


• Do something you can see yourself doing at least 3 days a week.
  Be flexible. You don't have to do the same thing all the time--it's boring and will lead to weight loss plateaus as well.

Don't worry about the science behind heart rate. To get started take note of your percieved exertion, keep your cardio just below the level of were you can't hold a converstation, maybe a 4-6, and you will be doing some good.

Don't Skip the CORE!

If you get knocked down or fall can you continue the fight?

If your on the ground what muscle group do you think is most important? The act of "getting up" takes almost every muscle in the body. The core ties these muscles together, the stronger the your core the more efficient you can react in a downed situation. Think about a side crunch and the movement the officer in the above photo is making. What if he had to maintain weapon position and stand, his core would be doing 90% of the work.

Bridges and bicycle crunches are 2 very effective ways to train your abs. Don't skip the core, it is important!

Heart Reat Monitor

I use a polar heart rate monitor that allows me to, not only monitor my heart rate during exercise, but I can download the data onto my computer for further analyses. This is great for serious athletes and novices like the rest of us. For me it helps motivate me and keep me interested. Polar makes lots of cool tech to help you reach your goals check them out here .

Here is a sample of my heart rate during a spin class at the gym.

The graph helps you see how hard you are working, the peaks in the red are around 85% of my max.

To get your heart rate estimates click here.