Cardio workouts like running are an amazing part of any workout routine. Combined with the HIIT workout, they are extremely effective for losing fat fast and efficiently.
What Are the Best Types of Cardio Workouts To Get Lean?
The best types of cardio workouts to get lean are those that keep your heart rate elevated throughout the workout. Intensity over quantity is key to your lean workout routine. You probably know that you should be getting some cardio exercise every day but that’s where things get confusing.
You want to work out and be healthy, but how do you start? Let’s first address the most important thing that will make all the difference in your fitness journey: your mindset. The first rule of how to lose weight and exercise is securing that the workout you do is the best workout for getting you the maximum physiological response in your body.
Once you get to a place where training is a regular occurence, you will learn that different types of workouts will have very different impacts on your results. And the unquestionable number one cardio workout to get lean is… running.
Can Cardio Training Be a Full Body Workout?
The best forms of cardio workouts can be a full-body workout when done correctly. Many HIIT workouts serve as both cardio workouts and full-body workouts that raise your heart rate, tone your muscles, burn fat, and get you lean all at the same time. High-intensity cardio workouts and HIIT workouts can save you a lot of time because they deliver the greatest results in the least amount of time. HIIT is great to incorporate into your lean workout routine and should be performed regularly.
Why Is Running One of the Best Cardio Workouts?
Running is one of the best forms of cardio because it’s a full-body workout. It is an ab workout, a leg workout, and an arm workout all while being a HIIT workout at the same time. An added bonus is the meditative aspect of running as well. It gives you the biggest bang for your buck, so to speak. Just check out the physique of any serious runner – you will see that they are lean and have functional, toned muscles. There is no bulk or extra weight on them – because that would make running extremely difficult. Most lean workout routines — like Mission Lean — are based on running and high-intensity cardio.
How Quickly Can I Lose Weight and Get Lean Using HIIT Running as My Cardio Workout?
Running can help you get lean quickly if implemented correctly to your lean workout routine. A unique aspect of this type of HIIT workout is how quickly your body improves its fitness (and appearance.) Because the run is such a complete workout, your body has no choice but to adapt to make it easier for you to move in this way.
How Do I Get Started With Running as My Cardio Exercise?
You should get started in simple steps with your cardio workout — especially if running hasn’t been a big part of your life up until now. Even if it’s just for 5 minutes you should go for it and get moving. Run for 5 minutes, then walk for 10 minutes. Repeat 2-3 times. In another week try to run for 10 minutes, then walk for 10 minutes. Eventually, you will work up to being able to run the entire time of your cardio exercise and you will feel amazing. The most important thing is the mindset of actively improving your performance. In each cardio workout, you are trying to go for longer or trying to go faster.
What if I Hate Running and Want a Different Type of Training For Weight Loss?
When you think of running, you probably think of your standard high-school track-type training, i.e. same path, same intensity, for a certain distance or time. While this is one of the more common types of cardio, it is far from the only type of running. If you think you hate running and want to do different cardio workouts, then you can try to spice it up by doing various workouts – not just one long run at the same speed. To make things interesting, we have several track and treadmill workouts that you can do as part of the Mission Lean program. These methods will get you to improve your fitness and total performance no matter what level you are at.
Different Types of Training Have a Different Impact
Even when the goal is to get lean, different types of cardio will have a different impact on your body. Any type of running or HIIT workout will burn fat and calories, and allow you to lose weight, but the type of training you do will determine how your body adapts. Think of the kind of bodies a sprinter and long-distance runner usually have – both would be considered lean by most measures, but their body types are not the same. A sprinter will have more muscle mass, while a long-distance runner will be leaner. It all depends on the type of workout your pursue. Similarly, when choosing the best combination of running and HIIT toning workouts, you need to find the formula that matches your fitness goals. If you want to lean down more quickly, your program should include more running workouts than HIIT routines. If your goal is to improve your tone and you are already at a good weight, than you should opt for HIIT workouts instead, and you have a great selection of hundreds on the Mission Lean app. You can use different exercises not only to get the body you want, but also to introduce some diversity to your workouts (and improve your performance in different aspects of fitness, if that is your goal). So, you may not like one specific type of running or HIIT move, but when you incorporate these into a diversified routine it will be more tolerable.
Running Burns Calories, Improves Your Overall Performance, and Gets You Lean
Before you make any negative judgments about running, give it a try for one month first. Your lean workout routine will come together as you begin to implement different training methods. Commit, see what happens, and maybe you will like your results so much you will become a lifelong runner and make this your preferred cardio workout.
Start using a lean body app to help you along with your lean body transformation. Let’s get to it! Mission: Lean!
Jon Pearlman is a former standout tennis player at Harvard, ATP-ranked touring pro, and author of The Lean Body Manual. He founded Mission Lean to share his unique formula for lean body fitness and nutrition, an approach that took over a decade to develop and perfect. He is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist.
