You wanted a program that gets results. Well, here it is. There is nothing magic about it. The success depends on consistency, hard work, and sensible eating habits. In other words, it depends on you. It’s difficult, but it works.
Principles Of The Ultimate Cardio Meltdown Workout
This program is designed to make you lean and fit. If you are not willing to work hard, try one of those “get-something-for-nothing programs” and see where it gets you. If you really want to achieve a fit, hard body, this program is for you. The program is divided into three levels: The Cardio Meltdown Prep Workout, The Beginning Cardio Meltdown Workout, and The Advanced Cardio Meltdown Workout. Start at the beginning and build up. Here are some of the basics:
• Do 60-90 minutes of aerobics 5 days per week. This will burn about 700-1,000 calories a day, which is enough to get rid of about a pound of fat per week. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but you will lose fat and not muscle. What’s more, you will lose the weight and it will stay off. Add a sensible diet to the equation and you will rid your body of excess fat before you know it.
• Include interval training in your workouts. Interval training includes intense running (sprinting) interrupted by periods of rest or light exercise. This program begins with intervals of 100 meters (the straight part of a running track) and progresses to 400-meter intervals— one lap around a standard running track. You will be in incredible shape when you can do 6-8 400-meter intervals. The procedure is simple: run the interval (100, 200, or 400 meters) then rest 5 minutes by either walking or jogging easily in between sprints. Interval training will increase your metabolism so that you continue to burn calories at a higher level 24-48 hours after the workout is over. Long-term weight control studies show that people who train intensely tend to lose more weight than those who exercise slowly.
• Train with weights at least two days per week. Weight training increases muscle mass that will give you a higher metabolic rate. More muscle mass helps you burn more calories during the day. Also, you will look more fit if you have more muscle. You will not build large bulky muscles on this program, so train hard when lifting weights.
• Stretch after you work out, when the muscles are warm. Maintaining flexibility will help prevent injury and maintain normal range of motion in the joints. Stretch after exercise during the cool-down period rather than before. Pre-exercise stretching decreases muscle strength and may predispose muscles to injury.
• Eat a well-balanced, reduced-calorie diet. The Mediterranean diet— one high in fruits, vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, monounsaturated oils, nuts, red wine, and fish— is best for women who want to be lean and exercise intensely. Avoid simple sugars and saturated and trans fats. The Atkins-type diet— high in protein and fats and low in carbohydrates— is probably not a good idea because you need carbs to train intensely. The Atkins diet works well for people who want to lose weight but are only moderately active.
• Listen to “Coach Pain.” Pain that lasts more than a few days usually means that you did something wrong in your program. This workout plan is difficult and will lead to injury if you are not careful. Proceed slowly and back off if you feel aches and pains. Don’t be afraid to scale down the program if you can’t tolerate it. If you start having problems, substitute exercises that don’t hurt. For example, do intervals on an elliptical trainer instead of on the track if your knees or hips hurt. On the other hand, don’t be a wimp. For best results, do the program as it is presented. You will be amazed at the progress you make.
The Cardio Meltdown Prep Program
Instructions: Do this program if you have been sedentary. Check with your physician if you have any health problem that might make exercising dangerous for you.
Week 1:
• Walking: 5-6 days per week; Walk until you get tired— shoot for 10-30 minutes.
• Weight Training: Monday and Thursday; do one set of 10 reps of the following exercises: bench presses, upright rowing, lat pulls, bent-over rowing, arm curls, crunches or sit-ups, squats or leg presses, leg curls.
• Stretching: 5-10 exercises; 1 set, hold stretch for 15-30 seconds
Week 2:
• Walking: 5-6 days per week; walk 20-40 minutes, as tolerated.
• Weight Training: Monday and Thursday; same as week one; increase weight used as tolerated.
• Stretching: 5-10 exercises; 1 set, hold stretch for 15-30 seconds
Week 3:
• Walking: 5-6 days per week: Walk 30-60 minutes, as tolerated
• Weight Training: Monday and Thursday; same as week one; increase weight used as tolerated.
• Stretching: 5-10 exercises; 1 set, hold stretch for 15-30 seconds
Week 4:
Repeat week 3 until you can walk for 60 minutes without stopping.
• Walk-run: 5-6 days per week; Walk for 60 minutes; every 5 minutes, jog for 30-60 seconds.
• Weight Training: Monday and Thursday; same as week one; increase weight used as tolerated.
• Stretching: 5-10 exercises; 1 set, hold stretch for 15-30 seconds
Week 5:
Repeat week 4 until you can run for one minute during each 5-minute interval of your one-hour walk.
• Walk-run: 5-6 days per week; walk for 60 minutes; every 5 minutes, jog for 2 minutes.
• Weight Training: Monday and Thursday; same as week one, except do 2 sets of each exercise and increase weight used as tolerated.
• Stretching: 5-10 exercises; 2 sets, hold stretch for 15-30 seconds
Week 6:
Repeat week 5 until you can run for two minutes during each 5-minute interval of your one-hour walk.
• Walk-run: 5-6 days per week: Walk for 60 minutes; every 5 minutes, jog for 5 minutes.
• Weight Training: Monday and Thursday: Same as week one, except do 2 sets of each exercise and increase weight used as tolerated.
• Stretching (5-10 exercises; 2 sets, hold stretch for 15-30 seconds)
Week 7:
Repeat week 6 until you can run for five minutes during each 5-minute interval of your one-hour walk.
• Walk-run: 5-6 days per week; Walk for 60 minutes; every 5 minutes, jog for 5 minutes.
• Weight Training: Monday and Thursday; same as week one, except do 2 sets of each exercise and increase weight used as tolerated.
• Stretching: 5-10 exercises; 2 sets, hold stretch for 15-30 seconds
Week 8:
• Walk-run, 5-6 days per week: Walk-run for 60 minutes; jog 10 minutes, walk 5 minutes; repeat 4 times until you have exercised for 1 hour.
• Weight Training: Monday and Thursday; same as week one, except do 2 sets of each exercise and increase weight used as tolerated.
• Stretching: 5-10 exercises; 2 sets, hold stretch for 15-30 seconds
Week 9, or until you can complete the entire workout:
• Walk-run, 4 days per week: Walk-run for 60 minutes: jog 20 minutes, walk 5 minutes; repeat 3 times until you have exercised for 75 minutes.
• Interval training: Monday and Thursday. On a 400-meter running track (or same distance on a field), sprint 100 meters then walk 100 meters. Begin with one repetition and build up until you can do 16 repetitions (2 miles of sprinting the straight a ways and walking the turns)
• Weight Training: Monday and Thursday: Same as week one, except do 3 sets of each exercise and increase weight used as tolerated.
• Stretching: 5-10 exercises; 2 sets, hold stretch for 15-30 seconds
The Beginning Cardio Meltdown Workout
Instructions: If you have been inactive, start with the hard-body prep program before beginning this workout.
Components: Running, interval training, cross training on gym machines, weight training, stretching, and rest. Always warm-up and cool-down.
Monday:
• Jog 3 miles in a park or on a running track or treadmill.
• Stretching: 5-10 exercises; 3 sets, hold stretch for 15-30 seconds
Tuesday:
• Weight training (3 sets of 10 reps): Bench press, upright rowing, lat pulls or pull-ups, bent-over rowing, arm curls, crunches or sit-ups, squats or leg presses, leg curls.
• Cross-training: 30-90 minutes on cardio machines (elliptical trainer, cross country ski machine, stair climber, stationary bike)
• Stretching
Wednesday:
• 2-mile interval training on track: stride or sprint the straight a ways (100 meters), jog or walk the turns.
• Stretching
Thursday:
• Rest
Friday:
• Weight training (3 sets of 10 reps): Bench press, upright rowing, lat pulls or pull-ups, bent-over rowing, arm curls, crunches or sit-ups, squats or leg press, leg curls;
• Cross-training: 30-90 minutes on cardio machines (elliptical trainer, cross country ski machine, stair climber, stationary bike)
• Stretching
Saturday:
• Jog 3 miles in a park or on a running track or treadmill. Try to run fast.
• Stretching
Sunday:
• Rest
The Advanced Cardio Meltdown Workout
Monday:
• Interval training: 6-10 X 200 meters, 90 percent effort
• Running: 6-mile run, easy pace
• Stretching (3 sets, 30-60 sec hold for 6-10 exercises)
Tuesday:
• Cross-training in the gym: 60-90 minutes of elliptical trainer, cross-country ski machine, rowing machine, etc.
• Weight training (3 sets of 10 reps): Bench presses, upright rowing, lat pulls or pull-ups, bent-over rowing, arm curls, crunches or sit-ups, squats or leg presses, leg curls.
• Stretching
Wednesday:
• Rest
Thursday:
• Running: 2-3 miles, easy pace
• Interval training: 6-10 X 400 meters, 80-90 percent effort
• Stretching
Friday:
• Cross training in the gym: 60-90 minutes of elliptical trainer, cross-country ski machine, rowing machine, etc.
• Weight training: Same as Tuesday
• Stretching
Saturday:
• Running: 6-10 mile run, push pace
• Stretching
Sunday:
• Rest