You want to get lean?
Maybe you want to have a body that looks like that of a
fitness model or one that simply looks beach ready year round.
Most of the time you will read or hear advice telling you
that in order to get lean and burn that extra fat all you need to do is running
30 minutes a day or 60 minutes or more.
You know what I mean. Get on the
treadmill and start jogging.
Sounds boring. Well,
that’s because it is.
If you have tried to do long cardio or look at those who do
this type of cardio you will notice that they don’t look very lean and
athletic. In fact, they do look thin but
lack muscle and muscle definition like an athlete.
Alternative To Regular Cardio
So what can you do? How can you avoid doing that dreaded 30
minutes on the treadmill or an elliptical machine?
Well you can simply switch to athletic based training. All you have to do is follow a method of
training that athletes like football players, sprinters Olympic athletes use.
Most athletes use plyometric training in their cardio component instead of long cardio.
Why Plyometric Exercises Work
As I mentioned above, an athlete typically looks lean and
has some muscle mass. In order to have
an athletic body it is best to work on fast twitch muscles.
One way to develop your fast twitch muscles is by doing
short and explosive workouts. So rather
than doing cardio that works the slow twitch muscles, like jogging or similar
types of workouts, it is best to work with cardio that develops fast twitch
fibers.
The best way to split your cardio in order to make it more
athletic is by doing short drills using your bodyweight, agility ladders or any
cardio activity done in short bursts of intense activity and short rest.
How to Create A Plyometric Workout
The best way to create your own plyometric workout is doing
the following:
- Choosing the length of time for each exercise
- Choosing the length of time for each rest period
- Divide each exercise equally
- Choose a combination of exercises that will raise your cardiovascular level
- Choose exercises that are athletic and build lean muscle at the same time
Here is an example of a plyometric workout:
You can easily follow the routine outlined in the video or
you can create your own.
Here is a plyometric workout I came up with:
- Jumping Jacks
- Walking Lunges
- Kettlebell Swings
- Box Jumps
*split each exercise by 30 seconds of activity and 30
seconds of rest
A workout like this will get your heart rate up and will
help you keep or build lean muscle.
You can create workout that is lower body focused or combine
it in a way that works as a total body workout.
Rather than doing your usual cardio session go ahead and get
creative. Save time and instead choose
drills that are more athletic. By using
plyometrics you will find yourself burning unwanted fat and looking leaner than
ever.
