Cardio time!

You will be performing four days of cardio a week during this program two High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) sessions and two Interval Cardio sessions. Both of these types of cardio will be performed for roughly 30 minutes a session.

• HIIT Cardio is short bursts of very intense cardio performed at maximum intensity – followed by a less intense, or complete rest/recovery period. These workouts are typically performed in a 1:1 or 1:2 work/rest ratio.

• Interval Cardio is moderate-to-high intensity cardio, with the high intensity level less extreme than when performing HIIT cardio.

Target Heart Rate

Just like your weight training workouts, you want to challenge yourself during these cardio sessions! You can’t simply go through the motions and expect there to be a significant reduction in your body fat levels.

Since everyone is different, the only way to really know how if you are pushing yourself hard enough is to wear a heart rate monitor. Your target heart rate for each type of cardio should be:

• HIIT Cardio 120-190 beats per minute
• Interval Cardio 140-150 beats per minute

Split Your Cardio

I always recommend splitting up your cardio and weight training workouts, if you can. I know this isn’t possible for everyone, and the most important thing is getting it done.

If you can split them up, this will help you ramp up your metabolism twice during the day rather than once, which can help you burn more calories – and more body fat. It also ensures you’ll have more energy for both workouts, since you will be eating at least one meal between them.

Like I mentioned on the Program Overview page, I am not assigning cardio-specific days for this program, because I want to give you some freedom to be able to choose the days you do cardio. However, here are a few rules to go by:

• If you can only train one time per day and are doing your cardio and weight training in the same session, this is perfectly fine. Just make sure to always do you cardio after your weight training workout. You want to push yourself when you weight train, and doing cardio before will sap you of some much-needed energy and you won’t be able to lift as heavy.

• Try to avoid performing HIIT cardio on leg days. These cardio workouts take more of a toll on your lower body, so I recommend doing your interval cardio workouts here.

• It is ok to do cardio on one of your rest days, but make sure to take at least one complete rest day every week.

Sample Cardio Schedule

Monday: Day 1 HIIT Cardio
Tuesday: Day 2 Interval Cardio
Wednesday: Day 3 No cardio
Thursday: Day 4 Rest/No cardio
Friday: Day 5 Interval Cardio
Saturday: Day 6 HIIT Cardio
Sunday: Day 7 Rest/No cardio

The cardio workouts are below. Feel free to do your own cardio workouts as long as you are following the above heart-rate guidelines. If you are using a machine, adjust the speed or incline as necessary to stay your heart-rate range.

At-Home Workouts

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