5 Dynamic Cardio Duos to Blast Fat

Every venture and life has its pros and cons. No matter what it is, fitness, business, finances, etc. everything has some things you like about it and other things you really don’t.

In the case of fitness, most people tend to look forward to their resistance training workouts, but dread every second, minute, and hour of cardio.

This isn’t the case for every fitness enthusiast (some people love cardio and loathe resistance training as strange as that may seem to some of your reading this). Suffice it to say that both are needed to maximize your results and overall health.

If you’re one of those people who dreads the thought of slogging out another cardio session on the elliptical or treadmill, then we’ve got just the thing for you!

Here are 5 dynamic duos you can implement into your cardio routine that will inject some fun, enthusiasm, and excitement the next time you need to get your cardio training in!

5 Cardio Workouts to Burn Fat and Improve Heart Health

#1 Kettlebell Swings & Battle Ropes

Battle ropes and swings in the same workout?!

You probably think we’ve lost our minds, but trust us, if you want to torch a ton of calories in a short amount of time, there may be no better pairing on the planet than swings and battle ropes.

*Rest 30-60 seconds between rounds, depending on conditioning level.

For the battle rope, use any type of motion you want -- up and down, side to side, circles, etc. For the swings, make sure you’re hinging and letting the explosive force from your hips drive the bell up. You do NOT want to be squatting the weight down and then using your arms to raise the weight.

#2 Heavy Bag Punching & Jumping Rope

This is time-tested conditioning work that has experienced a renaissance in recent years than to the growth in popularity of mixed martial arts.

Boxers have used the jump rope as one of their main cardio/conditioning tools for generations, and it remains one of the best ways to get in a tremendous cardio session without having to use a lot of equipment, pay a bunch of money, or even leave the house. Jumping rope can also be done in intervals for those that like HIIT protocols.

Heavy bag punching, while it might seem easy, is one of the best ways to build your shoulders and serratus as well as unleash some pent up aggression.

*Rest 30-60 seconds between rounds, depending on conditioning level.

For the heavy bag work, feel free to mix it up between various punching combos (jab/cross, jab/cross/hook/uppercut, etc.).

The same can be said for jumping rope -- singles, doubles, criss-cross applesauce, they all work!

What matters is you putting in the work.

#3 Sled Push & Pull

Sled pushes and pulls are a great cardio pairing that helps burn calories while helping you build muscle at the same time. They also won’t be as taxing on your recovery since there is no eccentric loading, which is the most damaging portion of a rep.

*Rest 60-90 seconds between rounds, depending on conditioning level.

Mark off the distance you’ll traverse each round. As soon as you reach the line, immediately spin the sled around and start back the other way. Once one complete round is done, you get to rest, not a single step before.

Pushes and pulls can either be done for strength (which means you’ll go slower, but get a great mix of cardio and strength building) or speed (which means you’ll load up less weight on the sled, but you better be moving quickly!).

Both methods are great, and you could also rotate between the two options during the weeks ahead to keep your cardio fresh, challenging, and motivating.

#4 Hill Sprints & Walking Downhill

Sprinting is a phenomenal way to incorporate HIIT (high-intensity interval training) into your weekly workout schedule. Even better is that it requires no equipment whatsoever!

You don’t even need a track. Simply find a hill with a slight incline and you’ve got everything you need to challenge your heart, lungs, and legs.

If you don’t have a hill, a flat stretch of land will do just as fine.

There is no predetermined rest period for these. Your hill/flat stretch of road might not be exactly 100ft long.

Sprint the 100 or so feet and your rest is the time it takes to walk back to the start position. Don’t rush back, but don’t drag your feet like a snail back either. A regular walking pace that allows you to catch your breath and prepare mentally and physically for the next sprint is all that’s needed.

If you’re new to sprinting, take things slowly. Many a hamstring have been tweaked from people trying to go 0 to 100 without a proper warm up and/or lack of conditioning. Your first few weeks adding sprints to your routine, keep things to an intensity ~8/10.

As you gain confidence and skill with sprinting you can start opening things up more and more.

#5 Cardio Confusion (User’s Choice)

For this last pairing, you get to be the master of your domain (or creator of your demise, depending on how you want to look at it).

Set a timer for between 20-40 minutes, depending on how long/intense you want your cardio session to be.

You will pick two (maybe three) cardio machines and rotate between them using 5 minute work blocks for the entirety of your time block.

As an example, we’ll choose the elliptical and rower.

çThere is no rest between rounds. The rest you get is walking from one machine to the other.

Since these work periods are longer compared to the other cardio combos on this list, the intensity will be slightly lower. That doesn’t mean you can take it easy. Push yourself and try to maintain a high level of effort.

If your gym is crowded and you can’t rotate back and forth between two machines without seeming like the equipment hog, then grab a pair of dumbbells or one single kettlebell and perform swings for 30 seconds followed by 30 seconds of rest before getting back on the machine.

Takeaway

Cardio isn’t everyone’s favorite thing to do to burn calories and lose weight, but with just a little bit of creativity, you can make those weekly cardio sessions something you might actually look forward to.

Remember, whenever beginning a new fitness routine to start slow, then build intensity over time.

And, for those of you looking for an added boost of energy and motivation to crush your cardio workouts, check out our extensive line of thermogenic fat burners, including Pro Ripped Max and Make Her Lean Max. Not only does these product help increase energy and focus, they also contain research-backed ingredient to amplify calorie burning and fat loss, helping you get more from your time spent doing cardio.