1. More sessions, not longer ones
If you want to increase your cardio and it’s actually going to help you move toward your goals (i.e. you’re not overdoing it), don’t just extend your sessions — you’ll benefit more from distributing it more evenly over extra sessions. This helps mitigate against fatigue as long cardio workouts drain a ton of energy. By distributing the same total amount of cardio across more days of the week, you’ll typically notice more consistent energy levels and be able to enjoy life more in general! So don’t be tempted to go through it all at once.
2. Set a step goal
I tell all my babes to get in 10,000-12,000 steps every day. This ensures they get in a solid amount of cardio and keep moving for a solid portion of the day without it becoming excessive. Walking is a great way to achieve this if you don’t enjoy intense cardio, and it has the added benefit of being low-impact, so you’re way less likely to sustain injuries than would from running. You don’t have to go super hard in your cardio sessions — save the most intense work for strength training where you can really feel the benefits!
3. Never do cardio before strength training
Doing cardio right before you start a strength workout rapidly depletes your energy and glycogen stores, leaving you with no gas left in the tank when you get into the heavy stuff! This forces your rep count and the weight you can handle to plummet, reducing your lean muscle gains. If you do them around the same time, always do cardio second —save your energy for strength training, when it’s most important. This change alone will ratchet up your gains and move you closer to the body composition you want!
We’ve helped thousands of women get toned without excessive cardio, allowing them to enjoy life more fully while building a body composition they love — if you want to join a program that helps you tone up sustainably while loving the process…