Suggestions for intensive cardio routine

ianmc38

I'm looking for peoples suggestions for an intensive 1 month cardio routine.

At the moment, I'm extremely unfit. 27, ex smoker, havn't trained regularly for about about 18 months. If I run for 5 minutes at jogging pace, I'm usually gasping for air.

I just joined a gym a few days ago (not in Ireland) and want to start doing a really high intensity cardio routine. I want to do this for the next month and then return to a normal fitness program when I move to another country in April.

So basically I want to make the most cardio gains possible in a one month period to regain some form of general fitness.

I dont have a job, so I am free to train 7 days a week.

I'm 5"10 and 73kg. If you need any other info, let me know.

Any advice/suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Brian?

ianmc38 wrote: »

I'm looking for peoples suggestions for an intensive 1 month cardio routine.

At the moment, I'm extremely unfit. 27, ex smoker, havn't trained regularly for about about 18 months. If I run for 5 minutes at jogging pace, I'm usually gasping for air.


So basically I want to make the most cardio gains possible in a one month period to regain some form of general fitness.

Why 1 month? Why not make it something you're going to continue?

A high intensity cardio routine and an inability to jog for more than 5 minutes do not really go together. Start off small and build up, if you can only jog for 5 minutes without stopping today then aim to jog for 6 minutes tomorrow. If you try for too much too soon it'll knock your confidence and possibly make you more prone to injury.

Try something like this, I've heard its good.

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Vampireskiss

Try this

http://bodyforlife.com/exercise/cardiotraining.asp

ianmc38

Well I intend on continuing with a less intensive routine when I get to Australia next month, but I want to do start a routine that will help improve my cardio fitness as quickly as possible.

I wasn't sure whether circuits or HIIT were a better option.

As much as I tire after 5 minutes, I can still push myself for longer. I'm not looking for a means to start running long distance races or anything like that. I'm just looking for the quickest way to improve cardio fitness.

FWIW I come from an athletic background, i've just been lazy for a year or so since Ive been traveling without gym access....

Brian?

ianmc38 wrote: »

Well I intend on continuing with a less intensive routine when I get to Australia next month, but I want to do start a routine that will help improve my cardio fitness as quickly as possible.

I wasn't sure whether circuits or HIIT were a better option.

As much as I tire after 5 minutes, I can still push myself for longer. I'm not looking for a means to start running long distance races or anything like that. I'm just looking for the quickest way to improve cardio fitness.

FWIW I come from an athletic background, i've just been lazy for a year or so since Ive been traveling without gym access....

HIIT is great, but you can't do it properly unless you have a fairly good level of fitness. You could try do interval training i.e. walk, jog, run, sprint until you get that level of fitness back.

celestial

ianmc38 wrote: »

Well I intend on continuing with a less intensive routine when I get to Australia next month, but I want to do start a routine that will help improve my cardio fitness as quickly as possible.

I wasn't sure whether circuits or HIIT were a better option.

As much as I tire after 5 minutes, I can still push myself for longer. I'm not looking for a means to start running long distance races or anything like that. I'm just looking for the quickest way to improve cardio fitness.

FWIW I come from an athletic background, i've just been lazy for a year or so since Ive been traveling without gym access....

If you are gasping for air after 5 minutes of jogging, then virtually anything will improve your fitness very quickly. The couch to 5k programme is pretty good I hear and will give you structure and something to aim for. Otherwise pick a goal - if you can jog for 5 minutes until you have to stop now then aim for 10 minutes without stopping, then 15, then 20.... You'll find that you won't be able to hit these targets at first, but you can work up to them by stop-starting. Run a bit, then walk, then run.

It's all about progression and building up to a goal - this is the quickest and most effective way - the only way really.

ianmc38

So with the run-walk-run approach, how long should I be trying to do sessions for? At christmas, I was doing this with my brothers dogs, doing a 4k circuit each day for about 9 days before I mvoed back to Hong Kong.

Killme00

Ian,

If you are leaving for Oz in a month i would recommend breaking those thirty days into six segments of five days. Plan to train three days out of the five and to do the following:

Day A Low intensity Cardio (jog/walk, light row etc) and Weight programme 1 (legs and chest)

Day B High Intensity Cardio (rower intervals, running intervals, spin bike intervals etc)

Day C Low intensity Cardio (jog/walk, light row etc) and Weight program 2 (back and shoulders)

Aim to decrease the interval rest times weekly on the high intensity day. And make sure you sleep, otherwise you'll be dead by the third segment.

**Disclaimer: Just my opinion