"Your" cardio workout?

jeffro503
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Edited Date/Time 1/24/2012 9:54pm
Just wanted to get some opinions on what your cardio workouts are like. And exactly what you are doing to get back into race shape?

I know some guys here have a Concept2 rowing machine ( which I don't.....yet! ). For me , I have been hitting light to moderate weights for strength ( 4 different workouts for a complete upper and lower body workout ) , and on my cardio , i have been beating the crap out of my elliptical trainer , stationary running on a 1" thick foam pad , and my new thing , is running sand dunes. the dune running is something new I came across a few weeks ago....and it has been kicking my ass!

What about "Road" cycling? Or Mtn bike riding....which do you prefer?

Slap me in some input here dudes.
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chase383
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5/25/2011 12:09pm
I love my Concept 2. I will throw in some running when I can.

But... (and this is no secret) nothing is better than seat time.

I wonder why more people don't skip rope??
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ATKpilot99
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5/25/2011 12:10pm
I do a 30 to 45 min road bike ride 4 or 5 days a week. I have some pretty good hills on the roads I ride on which intensifies it some. I also do 30 minutes on the elliptical 4 to 5 days . I do some weight training, maybe 3 days of the week. I used to love running but my Achilles tendons and knees hate it these days.
rc4187
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5/25/2011 12:11pm
chase383 wrote:
I love my Concept 2. I will throw in some running when I can. But... (and this is no secret) nothing is better than seat time...
I love my Concept 2. I will throw in some running when I can.

But... (and this is no secret) nothing is better than seat time.

I wonder why more people don't skip rope??
Skip rope was exactly what I was going to suggest. it's one of the best things you can do. It's not that hard on your joints and builds coordination and cardio. also very cheap and can do it almost anywhere.
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chase383
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5/25/2011 12:13pm
hey ATK Pilot.. Were you at the Racer X Vet race at Byron last year?

The Shop

level
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5/25/2011 12:15pm
I ran for 6 minutes total on the treadmill the other day. Was pretty proud and disappointed at the same time. Smile
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ATKpilot99
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5/25/2011 12:15pm
chase383 wrote:
hey ATK Pilot.. Were you at the Racer X Vet race at Byron last year?
Yep that was me. It was my first race in awhile, bet you could tell, lol.
jeffro503
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5/25/2011 12:21pm
I know I see a lot of the top guys doing "Road" cycling , which surprised me a little , considering the sport. I would think doing some nasty MTN bike riding would work a person better? I haven't done much of either , but am thinking about dusting off the cobwebs of my MTN bike and doing it again.

The reason I started this thread was , to look for other things people are doing. I suffer from Asthma , and I have quite a bit of scar tissue built up in my left lung from a bad punctured lung I suffered in 05'. It makes it hard for me to do the cardio stuff......but I keep pushing myself to the point of just about passing out! haha.
chase383
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5/25/2011 12:21pm
It was awesome seeing those bikes again.. Hopefully you can make it out again this year.

Thread hi-jacking over.. and I apologize Jeffro..
bartoner
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5/25/2011 12:21pm
Run, Spin Bike, Run, Jump Rope, Run....repeat
MXD
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5/25/2011 12:25pm
I play ice hockey 2-3 times a week and try to ride once during the week before race day. It's not the best or most direct effort I could put forth but it's a hell of a workout.
5/25/2011 12:27pm
Depends what I'm training for but I mostly train for off-road adventure races so I have to get creative. I mix it up between

swimming
eliptical
trail running
mountain biking
rowing
treadmill

Lately I've been incorporating cardio and strength training together at the gym. Instead of doing strength and then going and running or whatever, I'll do a set of weights then get on the jump rope or run in place. It's actually very applicable to off road races where high-strength situations come during a long cardio workout. Plus it shortens my workout time considerably because I'm completely spent after 40-50 mins instead of 1 1/2 hrs.
GrapeApe
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5/25/2011 12:32pm
Mtn bike 2-3 times a week, road bike (when it rains and the trails are too muddy), and swimming are my primary sources of cardio. I stopped running years ago and my knees and back thank me for it. The only time I run is the occasional 5k or triathlon with my wife.
raddad
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5/25/2011 12:33pm
Jeffro,
If you truely want the best workout for the time you put in and the gains in strength and cardio, try "Russian Kettle Bell Training" Its super tough yes, but the results are amazing! I know Ryno uses this method and also i saw on a video that Metty does also. Go on Utube and take a look but dont just go out and buy some Kettle bells, make sure you go to a class so you don't hurt yourself.

I train with Progressive martial arts and fitness.com which you can go online and see the owner Chris Fornie in action who is also an MX racer and can set you up with MX specific training. I also have athsma, bad knee's etc. but in three years i went from barely hanging on in the +50 or 55 class to our states +40B top rung and tied for first in the +45B class. It was all about fitness for me to be able to ride 4 motos a day on Sunday compared to barely making it through one a few years ago!
LoudLove
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5/25/2011 12:36pm
Even expert/pro mountain bikers spend 70-80% of their seat time on road bikes. The off road training is primarily to keep skills in check, but for a sustained cardio workout, they hit the pavement.

Don't forget about "band" training, which incorporates angles that free weights cannot simulate. Bands also improve your muscles aerobic capacity and put less stress on joints.

Want a well-rounded training regime? Look into P90X, or something similar. It improves strength, flexiblity, and endurance.

Finally: don't overtrain. There's a point of diminishing returns where each additional rep actually impedes your progress.
Camp332
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5/25/2011 12:36pm
Bang my wife for the best 30 seconds of her life....


Then I throw in some mountain biking 1 time a week, twice if I'm lucky. Elyptical machine at the gym in the mornings.
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gsxrcr28
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5/25/2011 12:53pm
I Mountain Bike 3 times and train MMA 3 times a week.

The biking is cool cause it's a good crossover for MX with some jumping, pushing traction limits etc...
teamchrist
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5/25/2011 12:56pm
Mountain Biking, Road Biking, and Jogging for me
mxb2
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5/25/2011 12:59pm
Camp332 wrote:
Bang my wife for the best 30 seconds of her life.... Then I throw in some mountain biking 1 time a week, twice if I'm lucky...
Bang my wife for the best 30 seconds of her life....


Then I throw in some mountain biking 1 time a week, twice if I'm lucky. Elyptical machine at the gym in the mornings.
I ll give that a try,gotta ask the gf or mistress lol!
Camp332
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5/25/2011 1:07pm
Camp332 wrote:
Bang my wife for the best 30 seconds of her life.... Then I throw in some mountain biking 1 time a week, twice if I'm lucky...
Bang my wife for the best 30 seconds of her life....


Then I throw in some mountain biking 1 time a week, twice if I'm lucky. Elyptical machine at the gym in the mornings.
mxb2 wrote:
I ll give that a try,gotta ask the gf or mistress lol!
Just stick with me kid, and you will win the title bro.
swtwtwtw
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5/25/2011 1:13pm
teamchrist wrote:
Mountain Biking, Road Biking, and Jogging for me
x2
Sandberm
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5/25/2011 1:27pm Edited Date/Time 5/25/2011 1:28pm
teamchrist wrote:
Mountain Biking, Road Biking, and Jogging for me
swtwtwtw wrote:
x2
Me too.

I never really jogged on a regular basis till last fall. The bicycling Ive been doing for about ten years. I found that the jogging taught me how to breath better and it gave me more endurance on the bike.

Isnt jogging the reason Dungey was in superior shape to the rest of the field last year dureing the Nationals?
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jeffro503
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5/25/2011 1:30pm
Man.....thanks dudes! Some great ideas in here. Some I didn't mention , some I kind of forgot about , and some I didn't know about.

The swimming thing was one of the things I forgot to mention , but did quite a bit of it last summer. I gotta get back to the pool.

Raddad......I had never really seen Kettle bell training before until now. Looks pretty cool if you do it right.

Road biking question : What is the difference of road biking for cardio , or doing something like an elliptical trainer for the same duration. Do you guys go by the miles , or go by a certain time? Like 30 miles , or 1hr or something like that? I always wondered how far and how long someone like Dungey may road cycle? Like , how many times per week , and for how long?

Great thread so far guys....and thanks for all of your input.
peelout
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5/25/2011 1:34pm
skidsteer16
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5/25/2011 1:39pm Edited Date/Time 5/25/2011 1:43pm
Heart rate training...no matter what I'm doing I always wear a heart rate monitor.

Road bike, Mountain bike, Running, Spin bike, Stair master, Weight training...

I pay close attention to keeping my HR in the aerobic zone when I am training for cardio and anaerobic zone when I am doing intervals.

I'm reading Chris Carmichael's book right now...learning a bunch of new techniques and training principles.
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slowvet
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5/25/2011 1:50pm
peelout wrote:
[img]http://208.116.9.205/10/content/26957/1.gif[/img]
Laughing Where do you find this stuff?
njracer46
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5/25/2011 1:53pm
Rip the stationery bike every now and then and just staying active.. besides that half pack of smokes a day haha
Did 8 strong laps at the practice track last weekend
kopfjaeger
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5/25/2011 2:01pm
I have been doing cross fit workouts three times a week and running 2 times a week......need to ride more though!!!
5/25/2011 2:09pm
We've been going to the gym for about a month now. I am doing cardio on the treadmill and elliptical machine. I've been mostly doing interval training on those, trying to build up a base and sometimes just due to lack of time. I've also been lifting weights once or twice a week. Hoping to be able to get the mountain bike out and ride that soon. We also recently got a weighted vest, which I've jogged with once, and that definitely increases the level of the work out. Even with the limited time to hit the gym, we've both seen improvements in our fitness level. I'd like to be able to add swimming in to my exercise program as well, and will probably try a rowing machine and some other options for cardio soon too.
augiedog
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5/25/2011 2:20pm
Watching my son trying to clear a new double on the track. Bout gives me a heart attack every time. ;-)
IWreckALot
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5/25/2011 2:27pm
The heart rate monitor is an excellent idea. I started running about 6 or 7 months ago and found that I could pace myself better if I watched a monitor. This helps build distance faster.

Running is definitely the best training for those times when you stall your bike and have to kick it 100 times for it to start. That used to kill my cardio. However I've had to tone it down to bicycle riding because I was killing my knees and achilles tendon and shins every day.

I saw someone say that riding a road bike is better for you to build cardio but I'll argue that I have more fun cutting up the trails and it makes me want to stay and ride longer.

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