Saturday, October 17, 2009

Bodybuilding Tips, The Best Cardio Machines

By Ricardo d Argence

Anytime you walk into a traditional gym around the country, there will be a healthy supply of cardio machines. Whether its treadmills, stationary bikes, stair climbers, ellipticals or any other cardio machine out there, you have plenty of choices.

A well structured cardio program obviously plays an important role in any effective fat burning workout plan; but which cardio machines are best and what criteria should we use to determine which machines to focus on?

What it comes down to is there are two main factors you should think about when deciding which cardio machine should be added to your program.

1) The machine should not require very much skill to use. In other words, stick to cardio machines that are simplistic and mechanical in nature. Your goal during a cardio session is not to aimlessly slave away for a marathon session lasting an hour or more, but rather to keep the session short, concise and highly intensive.

The reason a cardio machine is popular is because you don't have to focus on your balance or form. Well, not too much anyways.

The goal here is to focus in on having high level intensity. The best way to do this is by choosing a basic and straightforward cardio machine.

2) Obviously potential injury is always a concern, so the machine should minimize any risks. When working out one of the main goals is to keep your joints and connective tissues strong and healthy at all times.

In order to do this, we recommend sticking to a cardio machine that has low impact on your joints. If you have any existing injuries you definitely don't want to injure them.

Experiment with different machines to see how they feel for you. If any specific machine causes you discomfort, make sure to steer clear of it. Here are a few of the machines I specifically recommend using based on the above criteria.

The Upright Stationary Bike is about as straightforward as it gets. Using this cardio machine will allow you to focus on generating a high level of intensity without constantly thinking about your form.

It is also a very low impact exercise and will keep the stress off of your joints. Stationary bikes are also easily programmable and are ideal when performing interval-style training, which is the kind that I most highly recommend.

The Recumbent Bike is the same as the stationary version, but your body is in a seated position. This will take the stress off your lower back, which is important for those suffering from lower back problems.

Using a treadmill is another great choice. Instead of running outdoors and putting more impact on your joints, a treadmill will calm this quite a bit. Plus, whenever you need a bigger challenge, you can always increase the difficulty and set up an incline run.

Stairclimber- This is great for any beginner, or any avid exerciser. It's a low impact movement that gives you the opportunity to have a hard workout and focus in on your intensity level. However, we recommend not leaning the handlebars. This will reduce the intensity.

Everything you see here today will help you choose the right cardio machine. Whether you're just trying to get in shape or looking for a fat burning regimen, each one of these can help you reach your goals.

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