Use dumbbell cardio instead of an aerobic workout

Most athletes would not even consider using dumbbells for cardio. In fact, most athletes don’t even use dumbbells to a fraction of their full potential. Well that’s about to change … if you decide to take my advice.

Training programs are traditionally divided into resistance training (such as weight lifting) and cardio (such as jogging, rowing, or cycling). Or these two types of workouts are done on separate days. And undoubtedly, most athletes choose aerobic exercises like jogging, biking, and rowing for the cardio portion. I don’t see people lifting weights when it’s time to do their cardio.

Over the past year, most trainers (myself included) have turned away from aerobic exercise in favor of anaerobic exercise. Anaerobic exercise is high intensity exercise for short periods of time, repeated. Think of speed ranges.

Evidence shows that anaerobic activity is better than aerobic activity at improving endurance, strengthening the heart and lungs, and even burning fat. Not to mention, it helps you be more athletic and preserves your hard-earned muscle. Unfortunately, not many athletes have made the switch because they have been programmed to do an aerobic workout in their “target heart rate zone.”

So it’s no wonder that the jump to cardio dumbbell workouts was unsuccessful. A cardio dumbbell workout is when you do a series of dumbbell exercises in a circuit with as little rest as possible between exercises. I also call them “dumbbell intervals” because you do an interval of exercise, followed by a rest, and then more intervals.

Dumbbell cardio is a better option for a great cardio (and full-body) workout for many reasons. First, and the simplest reason, is that you don’t need expensive equipment like stationary bikes, rowing machines, or treadmills. All you need is a set of dumbbells and you are ready to go. This is also great if you work out in a crowded gym (yuck!), Where cardio machines are in constant use.

Second, dumbbell cardio gets your heart and breathing kicking up using the WHOLE body, not just a part of the body like the legs. Your heart has to pump blood to the muscles in your legs, core, and upper body. This prepares the heart for more real-world activities than just running.

Third, aerobic exercise works against your physical build. Yes, it burns fat while you do it … but it also tells the body to do whatever it takes to lighten up. This means that your body also sacrifices muscle to reduce weight. On the other hand, using dumbbell cardio sends the signal to shed fat, but in a way that preserves muscles throughout the body because they are necessary to complete workouts.

So, next time you’re looking for a great cardio workout that really helps you build an athletic, lean, high-performance body, step past the cardio machines and lift a pair of dumbbells instead. Also, you may find that dumbbells are effective as a complete training tool. Try dumbbell cardio instead of boring aerobics.