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Get Your Best Body Ever: The Workout
Cardio Workout: The Quickie
Your goal: Get in three cardio workouts per week, alternating between a steady 30-minute session (do your fave class, a clear-your-head jog -- you name it) and any of the speed-it-up routines below. "As with a car, you don't always want to gun the engine," says Masiello, who picked his most crowd-pleasing interval options for you. "Intervals are great for burning tons of calories, but your body also needs a dose of less-intense aerobics." The best part? The interval sequences are simple to remember, even without these cheat sheets.
Total time: 16 (advanced) to 29 (beginner) minutes
It's easy: Speed up for the number of seconds listed for your level, then go at an easy pace for a minute or two to recover. Repeat 8 times for a complete cardio session.
Warm up for 5 minutes: 3 minutes light walk or jog > 30 seconds at half effort > 30 seconds light walk or jog > 30 seconds at 75 percent of maximum effort > 30 seconds light walk or jog
Choose one of the levels below and repeat 8 times to complete your session.
| Level | Sprint | Recovery |
| Beginner | 60-second jog | 120-second walk |
| Intermediate | 30-second sprint | 60- to 90-second walk |
| Advanced | 20-second all-out | 60-second walk |
Month 2: Repeat cycle 10 times.
Month 3: Repeat cycle 10 times and cut recovery 10 to 20 seconds.
Trainer's tip
If you're using a treadmill, there's a lag of 5 to 10 seconds that it takes the belt to reach your target speed. So the sprint time starts when the belt actually hits your selected mph, and the recovery starts once the belt returns to a walk speed.
Download the free playlist for this workout from Deekron, the FITNESS DJ!
Download from iTunes here -- and hit "Subscribe" to get more mixes from Deekron!
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i do about 6to7 miles every other day at 6.7 miles and 1.5 incline sometimes i challenge myself by doing the random hills.
3/22/2011 09:27:38 AM Report AbuseTry swimming. That's what I had to do after breaking my ankle back in September. I've just now started trying to run again.
2/23/2010 06:09:13 AM Report AbuseI am 73 with a partial hip replacement which did not heal well so can not walk any distance without the possibility of bad hip pain. Does anyone have suggestions for cardio other than walking and jogging?
2/15/2010 07:00:06 PM Report Abusesimple to your speed
1/16/2010 11:49:23 PM Report Abuse