Adding Cardio For Beginners
Adding Cardio For Beginners
Level 1: <5000 Steps Per Day
So you were an athlete back in the day. Maybe you played a few varsity sports in high school, a club sports in College (D1 if elite), and now you find yourself going between your couch and cubicle. Working out 3-4 times a week in the gym is showing you some relative strength gains, but you can’t seem to trim that excess fat through dieting alone. I’m here to show you the way, by building your aerobic base and increasing your cardio vascular endurance.
You need to add Cardio, and walking is the best activity a human can do. Applying cardio in your youth (relative 20s-30s) pays dividends back to your overall health in your later years. Stabilizing blood pressure, balancing glucose, lowering triglycerides, raising HDL, improving circulation (check your feet for a pulse), and much more.
Along with these health benefits, it is the one thing that will aid you in trimming excess fat, which will accentuate your muscles, in turn making you think you have “gains”.
I am not talking about HIIT training or high heart rate workouts. The only people that high intensity / high heart rate workouts benefit from are people with an excellent aerobic base already. Chances are you don’t have that yet, but it is okay, I WILL build you up. (Think marathoner who adds mile repeats *sprints* to achieve a Boston Qualifying time).
Right now, we are worried about getting daily steps in and strengthening the bones in your legs. Much like a gym workout, where you 1) lift weights —> 2) create small tears in your muscle —> 3) rest/recovery —> 4) body repairs said muscle —> 5) go back into the gym and are able to lift heavier/more efficiently. (I simplified this process way down but you get the gist).
The same goes for adding daily steps onto your legs. If you are currently below 7,500 steps per day, you need to progressively load volume (steps) onto your legs before even attempting a run. This is why I recommend walking before running, stress fractures or soft tissue damage will be induced if you are not conditioned.
We are following the same flow as muscle building. Log steps/miles on your legs —> Create stress your legs —> Rest/Recover —> Come back stronger.
If you go out for a run right now without properly building yourself up, you are at risk of shin-splints and stress fractures. (Much like an intense full-body workout after a 2-year hiatus at the gym and you give yourself rabdo because you think you’re still in your prime).
Progressively Loading Daily Steps:
Not all steps are created equal, but for now, try to stay on your feet and get consistent/consecutive steps in. A very good guide for adding steps on your legs and cardio into your life to lose weight (if your essentially “coming off the couch”) is:
(think of accessory steps as “needed” steps you gain from going about your day)
Week 1: 6 days where you get 5,000 steps consecutively (in one walk), and 2,500+ accessory steps (going about your day)
Week 2: Same as week 1.
Week 3: 3 days of 5,000 consecutively steps with 3,500+ accessory steps. 3 days getting 7,500 steps consecutively with 3,500 maximum accessory steps.
(note: find a way to add accessory steps. If you take an hour lunch but only need 15 minutes to eat and 45 minutes to talk fantasy football with co-workers, it’s time to put at least 20 minutes of that 45 minutes to work by adding steps in)
Week 4: Same as week 3, but don’t be afraid to play around with the days. Increase/Decrease your consecutive steps every other day such as: 5k on Monday 7.5k on Tuesday, etc. Or 2 days of 5k and 4 days of 7.5k. Tailor to how you feel.
Week 5: 6 days of 7,500 consecutive steps with 3,500+ accessory steps. At this point accessory steps can be small 5-15 minute walks throughout the day.
Week 5+: Repeat into infinity if you only want to walk as an addition to your regular gym schedule.
Don’t be afraid to add “long walks” to your regiment, where you rack up 10,000 steps in one walk. Doing this bi-weekly will show you immense gains and you’ll never find yourself weak on your feet even after the longest of days.
Outside Walks vs Inside Walks:
Depending on where you live, where you walk will change throughout the year. Middle of the summer in Texas? Maybe not the best idea to go for a walk during your lunch break and come back dripping sweat, save that for post work. Same goes for a Winter Blizzard storm in New York. I still suggest getting outside when possible.
If inside/at gym:
When you get to the gym, you will immediately walk to the treadmill. Do not stretch, this is pointless and you might even hurt yourself. Once you arrive at the treadmill do not look at what anyone else doing because they will be moving faster than you. I understand you were once an in-shape competitive athlete, but you’re out of shape at this current juncture. We’re working on it and we will get you there in due time. Add incline if your HR dips low to add some intensity.
If outside:
Find a few nice routes with some scenery, touch some grass, smile weirdly at people walking by, listen to a podcast.
How to maximize your walk:
Regardless of where you walk, YOUR BODY DOES NOT KNOW PACE, YOUR BODY ONLY KNOWS TIME AND EFFORT.
Meaning, try your best not give a damn about your pace, what’re you gonna compete in the Olympics? Don’t forget to wear a watch that displays heart rate. For walking you will want your heart rate to be at 50-60% of your max heart rate. *Rough* Max heart rate formula is as follows: 207 - (.7 * age). Again, do not look at pace.
You will stay on the treadmill with your heart rate at 50-60% off your max for 30 minutes. Cardiac drift is real, so start around 50% and naturally rise up to 60% (ish on both %’s).
As the weeks go on and this becomes easier, either 1) add some incline, 2) add time 3) start running. Ideally 45min is great but 30min is fine when starting. Once you are done make your way over to the weights and get a 30min workout in where you rest little between sets.
Feel free to play around with the format. I’m here to provide cardio advice, but I have plenty to say on cross-training (stay toon’d). If you workout 5 times a week, make sure you get that 2.5 hours of walking cardio in. Maybe you want to walk 45min for 3 sessions and 30min for the 4th, with the 5th being an hour of weights.
For now, don’t go over 45min and don’t go under 30min in one walking workout.
Rough Graph Here:
Example:
If you are 30 years of age, your ideal walking HR should be:
207 - (.7 * 30) = 186 max sustainable heart rate
186 * 55% = 102BPM average for walking. This number will have latency of around 10bpm, so don’t be afraid if you’re above it. If you’re below it, congrats your are in shape, time to kick up the speed or incline.
I genuinely want to see more runners in this world and if walking is your thing don’t be scared, this will not be limited to only a running blog. I will be posting a lot about walking, hiking, & adding steps in general to get you started.
If you’re feeling competitive and want kick up your cardio, trim more fat, and boost your life/health: then it’s time learn how to run and hop over to the next installment of my Starter Pack here: Adding Cardio: Intermediate Level (Read if you average more than 7,500 steps per day).
Best,
BowTiedRunner