So because of the move, job ect. getting back on the workout schedule was a little rough. When I first moved in July, I was kicking ass and taking names! Since I didn't have to start my new job till August, I was doing two - a - days at the gym, usually hitting weights in the AM and cardio in the afternoon/evenings. Once I started the new job, travel, summer vacations well.... lets just say the gym was no longer my first priority.
Its great to take breaks, especially after 2 months of 2x a day of training, and i definitely needed it. I could tell my joints were being effected. But a break should usually be a week or two depending on how your body feels. Mine was almost a month long, and that was not key for a very happy girl!
For the last two weeks, I have been back on schedule and getting the diet back in line. (hard to not eat good when you are on vacation!) And I feel amazing. My body really does crave the physical challenge and I have said many a time, your body is a machine, you have to put good fuel into it for it to run at peak performance. If you are like me and may have fallen off for whatever reason, there is no shame in that! Just re-prioritize, change the mindset back into beast mode and get it done! No reason to beat yourself up over it.
I found this blog off one of my fav sites: cutandjacked.com
Because if you are like me, I love to run but running does not agree with me all the time. I am not built for it. Plus, sometimes I just like to mix it up, especially if you don't necessarily have an hour and a half for cardio.
We all want to get cut and jacked; after all, that’s why we’re here! In reality, the thought of performing cardio in order to achieve that hard, lean, ripped look turns many of us off completely, and we never reach the light at the end of the tunnel.
In this article, I’m going to give you 5 alternative methods that you can use instead of traditional cardio to get yourself ripped, cut and jacked…
# 1 Cut Rest Periods
I’m not a big advocate of cutting rest periods if it means your strength is affected. Strength training should always be your number one priority, regardless of what your goal is. However, most people will benefit from cutting their rest periods down to 60 seconds between sets.Unless you’re a power lifter, I don’t see any reason for you to rest any longer.
# 2 Skipping
Skipping is every boxer’s number one ‘go to’ method when they want to skyrocket their conditioning levels, cut body fat and improve their athleticism.Gray Cook states that it also improves one’s posture, simply because it is impossible to skip hunched over. This is one of the many reasons why running causes so many injuries as it is possible to run with poor posture.
So, if you’re a trainer and you want to improve someone’s posture, hand them a skipping rope and watch them magically transform their posture in front of your very eyes.
30 seconds on, 30 seconds off for 10 minutes at the end of a strength workout will get anyone blowing.
#3 Hill sprints
Yes, I am well aware that sprinting is a form of running! The reason why most people hate cardio is due to the fact that it’s about as fun as watching grass grow.With hill sprints, you will be done and dusted in 20 minutes…max! You’re probably wondering why the hill, right?
Well, there are two good reasons:
- It’s harder.
- It’s safer – the hill slows you down and doesn’t allow you to reach top speed, which is where you are at greatest risk of injury.
- 10 x 50 - 80 metre sprints will do the trick.
# 4 BB Complex
Try this barbell complex at the end of your strength training program; this will act as your cardio. A bb complex is when you do all the reps of one exercise before moving onto the next exercise and you 
don’t put the bar down until all the reps are complete; that counts as one set. You’ll briefly rest and repeat for the recommended number of sets. Use a weight you can shoulder press 10 times.- High pull from hang x 5
- Clean from hang x 5
- Shoulder press x 5
- Front Squat x 5
- Shoulder Press x 5
- Rest for 60 - 90 seconds.
- Complete 4 sets in total.
# 5 Play/Sport
Remember back in the day when you were a kid and video games, computers and Facebook weren’t popular? What did you do?You probably grabbed a bunch of friends and went outside and played soccer, tiggy, raced around on your roller blades, or played some form of ball game until your mum called you in for dinner.
Notice how people were in much better shape back then?
That’s because they played themselves into shape.
You can also do this on your off or rest days. Just grab a bunch of friends and go shoot some hoops or do something physically active and get away from the stuffy gym for a day or two.
It will act as a great incidental form of cardio.
http://www.cutandjacked.com/5-Alternative-Methods-To-Traditional-Cardio
