Free Cardio Workouts

Some people are actually *shocked* when I tell them what one of the best free cardio workouts for my goals are.  They look at me in disbelief, like there should be more to it than I let on.

Surprise surprise, it's plain old "walking".  Yep, for those that have weight lifting, bodybuilding and general health goals in mind, one of the best free cardio workouts I have come across is going for a walk.

Now, I'm not talking about strolling along like a snail.  I'm talking about moving your butt here a little... but still be able to call it a brisk walk; but definitely not running.

Walking is such a natural exercise for your body.  It's easy on the joints, it's great for your heart and it even makes you feel great!

I also think walking is one of the great free aerobic workouts for bodybuilders because, if done properly (which I'll get into), it can burn fat and save muscle.

Walking is a low intensity cardio exercise.  Your body doesn't consider a walk to be intensive enough to burn glycogen, i.e. carbohydrate stores or precious "muscle" stores.

Now, when your goal is to gain muscle and keep fat to a minimum, walking is an excellent free cardio routine because it will do both of these goals.

In my opinion, walking first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, is the best way to tap into your body's fat stores without losing muscle.

Now, if you were to jog or run after you wake up and without eating first, you had better to be sure to get a good meal with carbohydrates and protein in, before hand.

Running tells your body it needs energy right now and straight from glycogen.

Walking within a certain heart rate, does not.

That is why you hear of so many bodybuilders who hit the treadmill first thing in the morning, before breakfast.

It gives them a chance to burn some fat, while preserving the muscle they worked so hard for, and to get their metabolism going for all the food they need to eat for the up-and-coming-day.

So, grab your water bottle, a heart rate monitor (I like to stay between 120 BPM and 125 BPM when walking) and hit the sidewalk or treadmill.

Heck, take the dog too!  Kill two birds with one stone with one of the best free cardio workouts there is, plain old walking : )

Looking for the BEST CARDIO WORKOUTS?

Learn about High Intensity Interval Cardio Training (HIIT) here.

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