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Cardio

by Robert
(Albuquerque, NM, US)

Albuq. Personal Trainer

Part two..

The thing that is hard is to explain to clients that they must do cardio. Again, I always get the same excuse.”I don’t like to run, swim, or jog.” I find myself going down the list of ways to do cardio for them, but every time I do, they find the excuse they don’t like cardio at all. It must be an Albuquerque thing. Can someone out there tell me if it is the same in other cities?

Robert Chavez

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Convincing clients of cardio
by: Heather

I frequently get the same excuses, but I tell my clients to break up their cardio in smaller timeframes. Walk on the treadmill for 10 minutes in the morning before work. Go walking at lunch. Take the baby out for a ride in the stroller, while you push the stroller up hills through your neighborhood. I think clients get intimidated when they think they have to devote a huge amount of time to cardio all at once. I find I get a better response, and more motivation, if I can come up with ways for them to break their cardio up throughout the day.

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How I started LOVING cardio...
by: K.C.

I was one of those people who hated cardio. There were a few things that really started turning me on to it.

Try explaining to your clients the physiology of why cardio works and how it works. Tell them that every time they get off a treadmill, elliptical, etc. you want them to tell themselves and BELIEVE that they are now thinner than they were 30 minutes ago. When you can start visualizing the changes your body undergoes as a result of cardio and realize that it IS a productive process, you don't feel like you're running towards a horizon that never comes.

Another thing that got me going - Music! I couldn't believe what an unbelievable difference the right music made for my cardio workouts. Make some small talk with your client. See what kind of music they enjoy...Tell them what you enjoy listening to. Ask what makes them want to get up and dance. Just talk to your clients, smile, make them feel at ease and soon they'll be telling you about how every time they hear Will Smith's 'Gettin' Jiggy With It' they can't help but want to move...just a little. Then, encourage them to get an ipod with music like that on it. Burn them a CD! Something! Music really gets people motivated in amazing ways. I've heard some people say they really get pumped running to 'Eye of the Tiger' as corny as it sounds.

I don't think people like cardio because A) It's hard and B) It's boring - By explaining to them how it works, why it works, and keeping them entertained while doing it and making it a "fun" time, you can eliminate the "cardio sucks" myth. After doing it for a while, they're going to realize how much better they feel afterwards and that will be added motivation.

I'm not a personal trainer, yet, but I'm your average Jane that hated cardio and learned to love it and decreased bodyfat from 23 to 11% in 12 weeks because of an attitude change. Best of luck to you!

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In the place I live a lot of people do cardio
by: Anonymous

They do Cardio because they are aware of the health benefits. A lot of them are old. Guys don't like to do cardio because they want to be bulky and they think they will lose muscle mass if they do any type of cardio. Wrong!! you will lose muscle if you do a lot of cardio and have not consume enough carbs and protein.

L.C.

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get creative
by: Anonymous

you don't have to do a stick of cardio to get in shape .. promise ..

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EMPATHY
by: Trivad PT UK

1. Show empathy towards how they feel
2. Clarify with them that CV is the best way to improve CV fitness and burn fat
3. DONT argue with or persuade them to do it
4. Give them time to consider their options and feelings, and what advice you (the trainer) have given them
5. Be patient. If you do the above, they will open up to your advice.
6. Accept that you cannot help them- IF they are not perpared to LISTEN TO YOU

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A new way of cardio
by: Leopoldo

I don't know if I'm wrong but it's worked for me for the last years. I have discovered that you can actually have cardio by getting into an intensive superseries routine or intensive circuit routine; for example, 15 pull-ups, 25 push-ups and 15 shoulder lifts complete the FIRST SET!...do it 3 or 4 more times and you will end up sweating like hell and with a 190 heart-beat rate.

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Many forms of cardio
by: Miranda

Try doing burpies (or burpies with push ups), mountain climbers, etc and your heart will be racing. Body weight circuits are great for those who don't like long boring cardio and in my opinion, are better than taking a walk. What's great is you can customize the circuit according to the fitness level (to a point). Walking may be the best option for those who are just beginning and overweight since we all need to get somewhere and it's easily incorporated throughout the day.

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no cardio to get in shape? seriously?
by: Anonymous

whoever posted the comment 'you don't have to do a stick of cardio to get in shape...promise' must not know much about the state of actually being in shape. first of all, yes, i agree the weight training will get you the LOOK of being in shape, but once you get running and are out of breath after a quarter mile, it becomes quite evident that you are not in shape. there is a big difference between being there and looking like you're there. didn't mean to make this an argument forum but i just couldn't help responding to that.

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Cardio
by: Anonymous

With cardio the focus, as it is with many trainers, is on exercise to burn calories.
This is a problem, because if you're focussed on that then obviously the more exercise you do the more calories you burn, hence endless hours of mind numbing cardio (look at Oprah's trainer - no idea at all!). If the focus was on health, fitness and strength, then weight/fat loss becomes a (nice) side benefit. But I could talk about this to people until I am blue in the face - do they ever listen? - never. Anybody who thinks they are going to get fit walking on a treadmill or going on any of those other daft exercise machines (eliptical trainers)is going to be very dissapointed. don't want to workout hard and they don't want to eat correctly.

So it doesn't matter what the theory or technique or training being proposed or argued for, if it's tough they just don't want to know! What they really want is to go to bed fat, have a magic fairy wave her a wand overnight, and to wake up slim. No effort, no responsibility, and no penance toward their poor behaviour previously (because, of course, it was never their fault in the first place).

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Bored with Cardio? seriously?
by: Anonymous

This is my first visit to this forum.

I used to make a total chore out of getting to the gym. For the past 2 years, I've been a cardio junkie because I love Zumba.

A lot of hardcore tough exercise people think we're just shaking our butts, which really upsets me. I am here to tell you to tell your clients - unless they totally LOATHE dancing - to go try it.

I now want to get into personal training - in about 6 months to a year - so I can figure out a way to cross-motivate people to do both or something. I know there's some killer idea brewing here...but I just wanted to tell you guys that Zumba has totally changed my life and it can make cardio fun for people.

It changes all the time as well, as we add new movements and things - so it never gets boring, and it feels like a party.

Who said a cardio workout HAD to be boring?

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USE A FOOTBALL!!!!
by: Anonymous

(This is for male clients who hate running)

What happens to a guy once he gets a football in his hand? He thinks he is the GREATEST running back ever and starts to do little juke moves in place, heisman pose, etc.

So for those who love football but hate running have them hold a football while they are running.
Trust me they will have announcers in there head saying "He's at the 20....the 30....the 40....HE'S GONNA GO ALL THE WAY"

Trust me....It works

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Skipping
by: Anonymous

Cardio as a beginner is hard and embarrassing so you need to encourage people to do a bit at a time. When i began i as too humiliated to get on a treadmill even though i wasn't terible, so i found otehr subtle ways to improve and then one day i hopped on and realised how much easier it felt. That little boost gives a person a basis to work and improve from.
Can i suggest skipping, its amazing and also gives your biceps a good workout. I don't mean a sissy skip, i mean tough and intensive intervals. Its fab at providing a good point to start from.
just think ROCKY!!!

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II encourage HIIT training
by: Anonymous

For cardio I use High Intensity Interval Training once a client gets established. it greatly shortens the cardio session.Unless they are training to run a 5 k or something this seems to work best for fat loss...instead of running on a treadmill for 45 mins and only burning 400 calories of which 190 they would have burnt sitting in a chair...

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