Best cardiovascular workout in shortest time?

[ktaadin]

If you're looking for a very short workout that has been demonstrated to increase VO2 max, google the tabata protocol. It includes near sprints with brief rest intervals to bring you near exhaustion in a short period of time, and produced impressive results. It's probably not recommended though unless you are already in excellent shape and would not put your heart at risk by doing it.

Also, to put alot of the internet fanboy stuff in perspective, the exertion levels of the athletes were closely monitored and increased throughout the period of the study.

As an aside, almost any form of sprint/rest/sprint/rest type of regime will produce good results while requiring less time. Just decrease the length of the rest period intervals as your fitness increases.

Edit: I did just notice your mention of a cardiologist. If you have any heart condition, neither of these workout suggestions are appropriate for you.

[sweetdreamerx0]

Jump-rope is great, quick cardio

[FreedomThroughAnarchism]

Originally Posted by movintime

Should it be a weights ONLY or combine some cardio w/ weights?

I know high intensity weights get my heart rate up but you're not supposed to do them more than 1x/wk.

Anyone exercise physiology or cardiac rehabs types here? I'm healthy 51 yo male & in very good health/shape, yet want to improve my VO2 max & aren't sure how best?

Does anyone also undersand the ACSM's position statement on cardiovascular training? Or know how cardiac rehab actually trains hearts w/ what type specific traing protocols? I do know that Olympic athletes train in high alititude to increase blood, heart & O2 levels so short of moving to Colorado anyone know how best to simulate this at home?

PS - I can't spend hrs per day either, so wondered how much time/day & the minimum days per wk to acheive optimum fitness for heart health? Can someone give me a bottomline, baseline, to go by to setup a great cardio schedule time-wise?

VO2max is considered best stimulated by doing 1200 meter (upwards of 1600 meter - though 1200 is better) repetitions. Numerous repetitions.

This is the methodology promoted as a tried-and-true method of increasing aerobic capacity by well known exercise physiologists like Jack Daniels, David Martin, etc... Other methods have been advanced such as doing short intense bouts repetitively (some research has suggested it may work as good, or better than longer intervals, but that's always been debated), while others adhere to the old method of just doing lots of endurance work (which probably requires more time than you are willing to invest), but the 3 - 4 minute interval method seems to be the least controversial method.

Two references I recommend are..... not that I'd really expect you to buy these.... but just throwing it out there because they are two of the better books out there (the Coe and Martin book, in particular, has the most exercise physiology out of any running book ever written and is probably more useful exercise physiology information overall (from the perspective of those looking to use that science to actually get in shape) than even the esteemed McArdle & Katch book, Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition, and Human Performance) :

Better Training for Distance Runners - David Martin
Daniels' Running Formula - Jack Daniels

Daniels formula is a bit overly-complicated and it mainly appeals to the "number crunching geeks" like myself that like to over-complicate things, but 1200 meter repetitions (or thereabouts - at a very brisk pace) are pretty much considered the consensus nowadays as far as what is an optimal way to maximize your aerobic capacity.... at least as far as running goes.

If one does not do running, that person can substitute a similar arduous exercise, depending on their preference (bicycle, ski machine, row machine, elliptical). Try working up to several repetitions of 3.5 to 4 minute bouts of extremely brisk activity. Start with two or three repetitions, and work up to six repetitions, over a period of weeks. If one can do five or six repetitions too easy such that one could do more, than the intensity of the 3 - 4 minute bouts is not high enough, and the person has to exert a bit more effort so that they become harder each repetition.


Uhhhh... minor disclaimer.... if you are doing this as some kind of cardiac rehab.... I don't know if maximizing your aerobic capacity is something you ought to be doing. Trying to increase it, yes..... maximizing it, no. Be careful what protocols (exercise regimine) you choose to do this, as there is quite a bit of difference between a doctors idea of training your heart, and an athletes and exercise physiologists idea of training your heart. And it's usually a pretty big difference. The distinction is not so much the exercise done, but that athletes and exercise physiologists promote punishing the body and pushing it to the limit far more than most doctors would ever recommend. Most doctors, heart doctors or otherwise, probably don't have a real good understanding of the punishment athletes put themselves through to maximize their aerobic capacity.

Originally Posted by movintime

Thus, I feel I'd like to do 20-30 mins maybe 5-6 days/wk to really get bang for the buck & treat the heart health optimally.

20 - 30 minutes is adequate for a good VO2max workout, but that form of workout is not to be done 5 - 6 days a week. Top athletes rarely even do that. Anywhere from one to three days (max) a week is generally suitable to elicit the desired physiological response. The remainder of the days should comprise of different work-outs (usually "easier" days) that are designed to stimulate and maximize other physiological traits, besides VO2max.

Originally Posted by movintime

I do step-ups w/ lbs on a bench, elliptical trainer & trampoline w/ hand weights but not sure if this is enough. Thanks.

That's a nice workout. I think if you like doing it, you should keep incorporating some of those elements into your regular workout, but if you were talking about maximizing your aerobic capacity, those are a little pedestrian for that purpose.

It might be adequate if you are doing some kind of heart rehab, but for maximizing ones fitness, one will have to do a bit more than that.

[rnc76]

Originally Posted by movintime

Thanks to you both. But I read the bk, 'Body By Science' by Dr. Doug Mcguff & John Little, & they claim that raising one's generating of ATP (via glycolyis & thus intense weight exercises) enhances the cardiovascular adaptability MORE than just tradional "cardo" like running, etc. I tried to revamp due to this but feel like I'm not doing enough. My cardiologist also says to do longer workouts & get HR up sustained for 45 mins/ few times per wk. I'm confused though on how best to optimally do this at home in shortest time yet not cut time or effort corners? Thanks.

You probably should listen to your cardiologist instead of people on a message board. Your heart rate doing kettlebells, tabatas, HIIT will hit levels he/she might consider dangerous. I love high intensity workouts but you need to ask your doc what 1) what should your max peak heartrate be 2) what should your max sustained heartrate be. You should proabably wear a heartrate monitor to make sure you stick in those ranges. Granted, your doc might be more conservative than you like, but it is your life we are talking about.

[movintime]

Hi all, sorry to get back late.

I have NO heart issues but have anxiety/palpations that have been cleared by 2 cardiologists. I see the new 2nd cardiologist, just to maintain fitness & heart prevention. He is an Ironman Triathlete, & thus knows raw food diets & training. He does TRX workouts, & I may try them, as he has a runner's build vs my more slightly bigger lifter's build built up over the last 20 yrs of weights/cardio.

Thanks to all here for advice, & I'll see him this wk to re-eval my program.