How to Get Great Interval Workout With Cardiovascular Equipment in the Gym
You can do cardio intervals just about anywhere, as we found out during our fitness competition this month : your living room is classic, or you can hop on your bike or lace up your sneakers. But sometimes the easiest option is to go to the gym and get some cardiovascular equipment.
What to choose and what to do about it? The good thing about these machines is that many of them are built-in, so you can just ask the friendly little computer on your bike or treadmill to surprise you for 20 minutes. Otherwise, just pick your favorite on / off circuit. (As we mentioned, one minute of hard rest and one minute of rest is easy to remember and usually a good workout.)
Treadmill
Choose this if: you wear trainers and love to run or want to learn better in it. Forget it if you need something weaker, or if you’re not used to running and can’t figure out how to make yourself feel good.
Elliptical
Choose this if: You want to disconnect and not think too much about what you are doing. It’s popular for a reason: it seems lightweight even when you work hard enough.
Bicycles
Choose this if: You want to push really hard. A stationary bike is great for sprints, and if it’s an exercise bike with a spinning style, you can turn the handle to quickly adjust resistance without waiting for the car to pick up speed.
Stairs
Choose this if: You want to do some serious ATV training. If you set the resistance too hard, it will easily be stronger than a cardio workout. If you want to go through every interval so your feet don’t feel on fire, be conservative with your settings and don’t rely on handrails.
Rowing machine
Choose this if: you know how to use it. This is the first requirement. ( We can help you in this regard .) The main benefit of this method is that it affects your entire body, including your arms and body, and not just your lower body.
The best option, in my opinion, is all of the above. I will get bored after a few minutes on this machine, but in a gym with many options, why choose? You can do a 5-minute cycle of intervals on the treadmill, then switch to the elliptical trainer for the next lap, and then cycle. Why not if your gym isn’t too busy?
Let us know: how do you like gym intervals and do you have a favorite workout on the machine of your choice?