SubscribeCardio Coach: No More Boring Cardio?
Exercise needs motivation. Without motivation you might never get up off the couch.
Currently there seems to be a deluge of MP3 or audio workouts. This week I took Cardio Coach for a road test and was pleasantly surprised.
I first heard about Cardio Coach when writing Rob's inspirational story. He successfully used the audio workouts in his exercise routine.
What is Cardio Coach?
Cardio Coach is a guided workout from trainer Sean O'Malley. You can either download MP3's ($14.95) or have a CD delivered ($19.95). I opted to download the Volume 1 workout (72mb, 192kbps, 35:29).
The workouts can be done on any cardio machine (e.g. treadmill, bike, etc) or on the road.
Scalability
A good workout is one that can easily be scaled (up or down) to your level. Cardio Coach does this by using perceived levels of exertion (of course you can use heart rate readings). Each workout is split into chunks that are at different levels.
Road Test
I decided I would jog/run for my workout (this could easily be a walk). At first, during the warm-up and steady-state phases I was a bit cynical. The workout seemed to be mostly music, with a little bit of introduction talking.
Then came the Intervals and wow! The trainer (Sean) was in my ear warning and preparing, and when the intervals arrived (six "hill climbs" of 20 seconds each) I had a countdown and the music suddenly ramped up in intensity. Incidentally the beat matched my stride - and, feeling exhilarated - I was giving it everything.
After the intervals there was more steady state followed by a set of "sprints" (which could be a brisk walk for some). At the last sprint I was struggling, but Sean was continually exhorting me to keep going and not give up.
I actually ended up running the fastest 5km I have ever done. I know this isn't the point - but it shows that exercise can be just as much about mental toughness than it is about physical ability.
Downside
The downside for me was dodging all the garbage bags on the street (yes... garbage day), and trying to prevent my favorite pair of shorts from falling down (I've slowly slimmed down over the last year - but I refuse to give up my favorite pair of shorts).
Seriously, the Cardio Coach workout was inspiring and very professionally produced.
Audio-based workouts are not for everyone - but if your current cardiovascular exercise is a little mundane - then it may be worth trying something different.
Thanks for the heads-up on this. My new spinning bike arrived yesterday (Yay!) I have already worked out some routines and loaded the music onto my i-Pod, but if I get bored with those, Sean may be just what I need.
ReplySeems kind of expensive, but if you like that sort of thing, it could be cool. I personally prefer to listen to music when I work out.
ReplyHow do you do the six "hill climbs" of 20 seconds each? I can understand sprints - those are higher intensity versions of whatever you were doing before, but "hill climbs"?
ReplyJudy - on a spinning bike, the "hill climbs" are when you're standing up in the pedals. On a treadmill, you would increase the incline. Not sure what you'd do if you were running outdoors on the flat though.
ReplyI live in an area that is hilly - so the "real hills" just had to fit in with the workout. It's all about perceived exertion. Sometimes just walking up a hill is enough to push you up into a higher level of exertion that jogging on the flat.
The cardio coach "hill climbs" for me meant a fast run for 20 seconds. For others it could be a flat out walk.
Anyways - yeah sometimes just straight music is better. Although the key with Sean's workout is a very structured cardio workout that (I believe) combines the best of HIIT and moderate intensity cardio.
Go for whatever makes you get out and sweat a bit!
ReplyAhh! YES!
Replythat is the one thing that i hate about exercising: bordom. In the afternoon it's easier because you've already been awake and active that day and can get lost in your thoughts while on equipment, but getting up in the morning will just about kill, i think, anyone.
This is cool i didn't know you could download these, i'm intrigued...
This is a great idea, thanks. I personally listen to loud, dance, sometimes goth music during HIIT and workout proper. lol about your favorite shorts haha. Only means you lost significant waist inches. Congratulations!
ReplyThat actually sounds like a good idea. I could use something to keep my mind on the task sometimes! It's crazy how much faster I run/ride when I'm with others verse when I'm by myself, without really getting more tired... I wonder if something like this owuld help.
ReplyPersonally, I've found that I don't even need the music. I really get into cardio just because it's cardio. I get a huge adrenaline rush from it. I'm probably a rare case though.
ReplyThere are times when I'm running that my MP3 player's batteries will die and I end up finishing my run in silence. I always think I'll die of boredom when that happens, but I end up just thinking about stuff and listening to sounds around me and it's kind of peaceful. I think if I did that all the time though, I'd get pretty sick of listening to myself think. I don't live in a hilly area at all, so I do sprints for my intervals. It works out pretty well.
ReplyI hate cardio... I need my music.
Reply... I've had my elliptical for just over 8 monthes now. The first 5 were fine; I was still completely new to working out so for the most part the novelty kept me entertained. Sometimes I didn't even listen to music; just veg out on the stuff going on outside... But I've been REALLLY bored lately, and I'm pretty psyched about this idea- any word on whether or not the music is lame, or what genre?
ReplyThe music sounds a lot like Enigma (in fact it may actually be them). so it's kind of trance-ish electronica with a tempo that seems to match your stride.
Anyways, all the workouts have samples on the Cardio Coach site that you can listen to.
Some people like metallica, others like Mozart - so it's all a personal taste thing I guess.
ReplyEnigma is good for cardio, keeps going.
ReplyJust reporting back on my first Cardio Coach workout...
It was great! The workout was well-paced and I liked both the music (it was Enigma, BTW) and Sean's pleasant voice. I particularly appreciated the countdowns to the challenging sprints and hill climbs, as well as the countdowns letting me know how much farther I had to go.
All up, it was like a really good spinning class, but with better music. ;-)
ReplyI tried another one out - this time on my elliptical trainer. Once again it motivated me to really push myself. It makes steady state cardio seem really boring.
ReplyI am officially addicted to Cardio Coach! I have bought the whole series - when you buy 4 MP3s, you get the 5th one free - and will undoubtedly buy any new releases. I'm getting a lot more out of my Cardio Coach workouts than I did with my own music. Oh, and it doesn't hurt that Sean has a sexy voice!
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