Improving Cardio

**Te(V)plar** · Posted On: 4/15/2004 2:05am

Im fairly strong, flexible, and fast, but my endurance is just fucking awful, imo. I hate going for long jogs, and this is the root of my problem. Can any of you suggest excercises to improve cardio that you find enjoyable/less tedious/ more time efficient? Many thanks.

**Shadow_Dragon_X** · Posted On: 4/15/2004 2:27am

For endurance? There's a game called (I'm sure this will get flamed somehow) Dance Dance Revolution. It's one of the most cardio intense workouts I have ever done. It's great exercise and it's great fun. It takes a little while to get the hang of but once you get it, it's great... By playing it I have enhanced my endurance greatly, or so I think.

(Yeah, yeah I'm anticipating flames on this)

**Deadpan Scientist** · Posted On: 4/15/2004 2:52am

**NHB_Ben** · Posted On: 4/15/2004 3:11am

You want more cardio to fight? Fight longer and harder. Jogging will only maximize your efficiency at jogging (you will notice minimal gains in other areas).

That being said, fight multiple fresh sparing partners one after another until you gas.

**Shadow_Dragon_X** · Posted On: 4/15/2004 3:48am

ha ha... Yeah, **** you... brandei... lol... if you've ever played you would know that it is a highly insensive cardio work out.

On another note that pic is funny as hell...

**Djimbe** · Posted On: 4/15/2004 4:57am

Dont Jog OR Run -

SPRINT !!!

The faster you go the better off you qill be

1) Sprint till you cant

2) Brisk Walk/Jog till your Heart settles

3) Sprint till you cant ...

Like this till youve done 5-10 Sprints .

The reason you walk briskly/jog in the Interim is that it fools your body into thinking that THIS is your new "Resting Basal Heartrate" and responds accordingly .

Oh , and do NOT do this every day .

3X/week should be all you really need .

**NHB_Ben** · Posted On: 4/15/2004 5:06am

Originally posted by Djimbe
Dont Jog OR Run -

SPRINT !!!

The faster you go the better off you qill be

1) Sprint till you cant

2) Brisk Walk/Jog till your Heart settles

3) Sprint till you cant ...

Like this till youve done 5-10 Sprints .

The reason you walk briskly/jog in the Interim is that it fools your body into thinking that THIS is your new "Resting Basal Heartrate" and responds accordingly .

Oh , and do NOT do this every day .

3X/week should be all you really need .

Again... this will make you a better runner as opposed to a better fighter.

**Hannibal** · Posted On: 4/15/2004 5:28am

I don't think so. WHen I was fitter I noticed that my cardiovascular endurance I recieved from running helped in martial arts too.

**NHB_Ben** · Posted On: 4/15/2004 5:41am

Originally posted by Hannibal
I don't think so. WHen I was fitter I noticed that my cardiovascular endurance I recieved from running helped in martial arts too.

You will notice marginal gains simply from using those muscles. But, obviously, it makes a little more sense to train the muscles you'll actually be using. Otherwise, running is just mindless joint trauma. I'm good friends with a guy who has a doctorate in applied health science and I've been over this with him before. So if you have any other brain-dead comments to add... don't.

**Dr. Fagbot Q. MacGillicuddy, PhD** · Posted On: 4/15/2004 6:14am

after just a few weeks, this routine has dramatically helped me:

5-minute warm up speed-walk/jog - heart rate should begin to rise, but as a rule of thumb level of effort should allow conversation.

1 1/2 minutes of light running - somewhere between a jog and a run.

30 second sprint.

repeat previous two steps four or five more times, for a total of five or six.

five-minute walk/cool-down.

do it three times a week.

i too hate running for long periods of time, but the total time invested here is just about 20 minutes. it might not replace ring time or sparring with lots of exertion, but it's a great supplemental exercise. for more info, do a search for "high intensity interval training" or check this out:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...&dopt=Abstract