Add Resistance to Your Workout

Let’s say you’ve finally got into the groove of getting your cardio in. And now it’s time to step it up a notch. It’s no secret that you need more than cardio to stay in shape and meet your workout goals, but you also need strength training to keep your workouts dynamic so your body does not get too comfortable.

Here’s what you can do: add some resistance to your workout to get both the cardio and strength from the workouts, build muscle and add power, and push your body beyond its regular limits. From kettle bells to dumbbells to resistance bands, there are so many ways to add some resistance to your training.

So the question is – how? How can you add resistance to your cardio?

Running with Resistance: One of the ways to work harder while running is to run with a resistance band. There are other ways like running with weights on your ankles, or picking up light dumbbells as you run, but I really like the resistance band approach as it makes your entire body work harder. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Here’s a video to help you visualize.

Spinning instead of cycling: Cycling outdoors is great, but to challenge yourself with resistance, try a spinning class. There are positions that really only work on a stationary bike that may not work outside, and you can increase and decrease the resistance on your own without relying on the road.

Swimming with weights: Swimming is one of the ultimate forms of cardio working the entire body. To add in resistance, you can swim with water weights. Water weights are simply weights than you can use under water. They are not made of the same tools are regular weights. These can help you challenge yourself because they simply add to the weight you have to move around in the pool.

Keep in mind that adding power to your workout is also very good and may have similar effects to adding resistance. It’s all about pushing yourself.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: Karatedepot.com