Four Simple Cardio Programs to Burn Fat Super Fast

Jumping Rope

Jumping rope provides a number of health benefits: not only is it a great cardiovascular exercise that burns calories and fat, but it also develops good coordination between the hands and feet, as well as rhythm (muscle coordination). The greatest thing about jumping rope is that it is very inexpensive and you can do it almost anywhere.
Jumping rope has been proven to be a very effective method for burning fat. It has been shown to burn as many as 1,000 calories per hour. Wow, that is some serious caloric expenditure! Some of the best and leanest athletes swear by it. Movies often depict professional boxers skipping rope because it develops great cardiovascular endurance and stamina. It's no wonder that boxers are some of the best-conditioned athletes.

Grab a jump rope and try it yourself!
Stand erect, but relaxed, when you jump.
Keep your knees slightly bent.
Look straight ahead, not at your feet.
Land on the balls of your feet, not on your heels.
Keep your arms fairly still, do not flail.
Start by jumping slowly, building up your speed so you can jump rope more quickly over time. See how many times you can jump without missing. Try to do 100 skips before you have to stop – then, beat that record the next time. Do 50 super fast jumps, followed by 50 slower jumps.
Jumping rope is great for the whole family. Have even more fun by getting some friends to play Double-Dutch. Jump rope for 30 minutes, five times a week, and watch your waistline shrink. Go invest in a jump rope today, and quickly get the body you want.

Jumping on a Trampoline
Jumping on a trampoline – yes, I said jumping on a trampoline – is a great workout. It not only develops excellent proprioception (body awareness), but it also burns a ton of fat and calories. And did you know that the rhythmic bouncing has a powerful effect on the lymphatic system, which builds a stronger immune system?
A trampoline provides exercise that are easy on the joints, very low in stress, and great for the body.
It's easy to start a trampoline regimen. Buy a mini-trampoline for your living room and jump while watching your favorite TV show, or bounce to a trampoline workout video. For tons of family fun, buy a large trampoline for the backyard. Start jumping on your trampoline for 30 minutes a day and bounce away your pounds.

Outdoor Sprints
A Great workout: go outside and sprint as hard and fast as you possibly can. Once you feel like you're going to collapse, stop; walk until you're no longer huffing and puffing; then, sprint again. You might call this the 'Forrest Gump' Workout. Repeat as many times as you can, or until you complete a full 30 minutes of sprints and rest/walking.
This is a very intense workout, so you need a good level of fitness and conditioning before trying it. Sprint your butt off, walk until you catch your breath, then do it again. The harder you push yourself, combined with the faster and longer distance you run, the sooner you will get in shape and the more fat you will lose.
Outdoor sprints offer fat loss and a great body at no cost, so push harder than you ever have pushed before. If this sounds too difficult, consider the payoff. Any successful athlete will tell you they have put their bodies through this type of workout challenge.
If you are in good physical health, a sprint workout is extremely safe – so remember, just because you might feel like quitting doesn't mean you have to. In other words, keep pushing and get your butt in shape, no whining, no complaining; just results, and a happy, more confident you.

Stadium Stairs

Running up stairs is a great no-cost, outdoor workout available at your local high school or college stadium. Sprint to the top of the stadium, then walk down the stairs. Remember, safety first! As soon as you get to the bottom, sprint back up to the top, and repeat.
This extremely high-intensity cardio program will burn fat quickly and send your heart rate through the roof. Sprinting stairs is a common exercise for all levels of athletes, and who among us doesn't want the lean, muscular shape of an athlete? So stop complaining about not being able to afford the fancy equipment. Go to the stairs and run your butt off! You'll get a tight, firm rear because you'll lose that fat from your behind, and everywhere else, as you burn up the calories running up those stairs.

By Scott White
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Cardio Workout Plan: Best Cardio Workout Plans

Most people do not do cardio because they want to…I know I don’t.  Instead, a majority of exercisers incorporate cardio into their workout routine with the hopes of burning calories or blasting away fat from their problems areas in the most effective and fast manner possible.
If you are looking for the best cardio workout routine, we have some great and easy strength and cardio workouts that you can do on the treadmill, elliptical, stationary bike, or using no equipment at all. Enroll in this course for a complete at home cardio workout without the excuses, and read on to for more ideas for the best type of cardio workout plan to fit your lifestyle.

Exercise 1:  60 Minute Cycling Hill Workout

Instead of coasting on your next biking excursion, try this stamina-building cycling workout.

1. Find a hill that will take about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes to climb.
2. Warm up for 15 minutes using moderate effort.
3. For your first hill climb, stay seated on your bike and use moderate resistance.  Recover by pedaling downhill in an easy gear.
4. For the second hill climb, stay seated and increase resistance.  Recover by pedaling downhill in easy gear (RPE 2).
5. During the third hill climb, sit halfway up the hill, and then move into a stand using moderate resistance.  Recover by pedaling downhill in easy gear.
6. In the fourth hill climb, sit halfway up the hill, and then stand using hard resistance.  Pedal downhill in easy gear.
7. For the fifth hill climb, stand the entire time with moderate resistance.  Pedal downhill in easy gear.
8. For your final hill climb, stand the entire way up using hard resistance.  Pedal downhill in easy gear.
9. Finally, ride with moderate effort for about a half hour, and then cool down for 5 minutes applying easy effort.

Exercise 2:  Walking Workout

1. For 5 minutes, walk at a comfortable pace to warm up
2. For 3 minutes, increase your speed or incline until you are working harder than your warm up pace.  This should be harder, but you should still be able to carry on a conversation.  This will act as your baseline pace
3. For 2 minutes, increase your speed or incline until you are working slightly harder than baseline pace.
4. For 3 minutes decrease you speed back down to your baseline.
5. For 2 minutes, increase your speed once again.
6. For 5 minutes come back down to a comfortable pace.

Exercise 3:  Stair climber Workout

If you are interested in getting the most out of a stair climbing machine, consider this calorie-burning cardio workout.  While performing this workout, remember to keep standing upright with your abdominals firm, and do not lean into the side rails.

1. 0:00-5:00                      Warm up with an RPE of 4-5.
2. 5:00-10:00                    Pick up the pace using an RPE of 5 to 6.
3. 10:00-15:00                  Feel your body getting warmer by using an RPE of 6 to 7.
4. 15:00-18:00                  Now go all out with an RPE of 8 to 9.
5. 18:00-21:00                  Recover using an RPE of 5 to 6.
6. 21:00-51:00                  Now repeat minutes 15:00-21:00 five more times.
7. 51:00-60:00                  Finally, cool down at an RPE of 3.

Exercise 4:  Elliptical Fat-Burning Workout

Run, walk, or hop onto the elliptical for this 40 minute fat-burning workout.

1. 5 minutes:  Warm up at an easy pace on the elliptical, reaching up to an RPE of 5.
2. 30 minutes:   Complete eight 1-minute sprints at a fast pace with an RPE of 8 or 9.  Between your sprinting bursts, return to an RPE of 6.  Do this for a span of 30 minutes.
3. 5 minutes:  Cool down with an RPE of 3.

Exercise 5:  20 Minute At-Home Cardio Circuit

Here is a fun cardio workout plan to do at home.  This workout packs some classic PE movies that are ideal living-room exercises.

1. March in place for 3 minutes (or take 360 steps)
2. Do 60 Jumping Jacks
3. March in place for 1 minute (or take 120 steps)
4. Do 60 Jumping Jacks
5. March in place for 1 minute (or take 120 steps)
6. Do 30 Squat-Thrusts
7. March in place for 1 minute (or take 120 steps)
8. Do 30 Squat-Thrusts
9. March in place for 1 minute (or take 120 steps)
10. Do 30 Squat-Thrusts
11. March in place for 1 minute (or take 120 steps)
12. Do 30 Squat-Thrusts
13. March in place for 1 minute (or take 120 steps)
14. Do 60 Jumping Jacks
15. March in place for 1 minute (or take 120 steps)
16. Do 60 Jumping Jacks
17. March in place for 2 minutes to cool your body down

Exercise 6:  30-Minute Run/Walk Workout

If you enjoy running and walking, consider mixing the two up with this run/walk cardio workout plan.  All you have to do is walk or jog, and then really kick it up a notch for one minute.

1. Walk for 3 minutes to warm-up your muscles
2. Jog for 1 minute
3. Walk for 2 minutes
4. Jog for 1 minute
5. Walk for 1 minute
6. Jog for 1 minute
7. Walk for 1 minute
8. Run for 1 minute.  You can choose to alternate between a run and walk or and run and jog, depending on your level of fitness, for intervals of 12 minutes (6 sprints in total).
9. Jog for 1 minute
10. Walk for 1 minute
11. Jog for 1 minute
12. Walk for 1 minute
13. Jog for 1 minute
14. Walk for 3 minutes

Exercise 7:  Rowing Machine Workout

If you are interested in trying the rowing machines you see at the gym, try out this cardio workout plan on a rowing machine.

1. With medium resistance, do four to six 10-minute sets of high-intensity rowing on a rowing machine.
2. Rest for 2 to 3 minutes in between each set; this will allow your heart rate to come down a bit so you can regroup with intense effort.

For your form, remember to create a fluid motion with your strokes.  You can remember to be fluid in your motions by counting 1-2-3 and 3-2-1.  On 1 count, push with your legs; on 2 count swing up your body by leaning back; and on 3 count, draw your arms down towards the bottom of your rib cage.  Then, reverse it: on 3 count, extend your arms; 2 count, swing your body forward from your hip area; and on 1 count, bring your legs up after the handle passes your knees.

Exercise 8:  Treadmill Workout

In this 45 minute workout, you can stay slim on the treadmill all season.

1. Warm up: Walk easily and then pick up the pace into a brisk walk for 3 minutes
2. Power walk for 2 minutes
3. Run fast (but do not sprint) for 2 minutes
4. Repeat Steps 1 & 2 ten times
5. Cool down: Walk easily for 2 minutes

Exercise 9:  Invisible Jump rope

This fun and traditional exercise can also be used without any equipment.  It will on conditioning, core, and ankle strength and stability.

1. Start in an upright position with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Imagine that you are holding a jump rope in your hands.  Keep your elbows at your sides.
3. Start jumping and push off the floor on the toes while swinging your arms in a circular motion.
4. Repeat for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Cardio On Up

With these cardio workout plans, you will be able to make good use of your gym, living room, bike, and the outdoors. 

Jump Rope for the Ultimate Cardio Workout

Our favorite form of cardio at the Exercise Equipment Fanatic is jumping rope. Jumping rope burns more calories per minute than just about any other form of cardio exercise. If you've never tried it before you are really missing out. It does, however, take some time to get your rhythm down as well as to build up enough stamina to be able to do it for more than a few minutes at a time. But they are definitely are a great way to get in a fun, challenging, and intense workout.

By the way, if you don't already own one you can pick one up online for less than 8 bucks!

To get started, you'll want to make sure you are using the proper jump rope length, otherwise if the rope is too long or too short, you'll constantly be tripping yourself up and get frustrated quickly. It's easy to determine the proper rope length. Simply step into the middle of the rope with either foot and pull the handles up towards your armpits. You want the rope ends to stop right at your armpits, if they do not reach your armpits the rope is too short, likewise if they extend past your armpits the rope is too long.

There are also a number of different kinds of ropes as well, speed ropes, beaded ropes, leather ropes and ropes with weighted handles. We recommend you just start with a basic cloth or leather rope and then move on to a speed rope or weighted rope. Beaded ropes are good if you plan on jumping outside, since they take longer to wear out. Weighted handle ropes typically have a pound or so each in the handles. While this doesn't sound like much, those little weights give your shoulders a great workout, and until you are used to them you'll probably have to take them out after just a couple minutes. Speed ropes are made of a thin vinyl cord and are really the best kind to get for cardio fitness. This is the same kind that boxers typically use.

Once you choose your rope you'll want to start performing some jump rope workouts. We recommend starting slow and overtime building up your endurance and skill so that you can really get in the zone. Before we get started with the jump rope moves you should learn first, we want to briefly remind you of the benefits you get from jumping rope.

As mentioned before, you can burn a LOT of calories jumping rope. Of course, you will have to master the movement first, but once you get it down, you can burn up to 1,000 calories per hour! You don't need a ton of space either, just make sure to have the proper overhead clearance. Jump ropes are also very inexpensive and portable, so you can easily pack them in your suitcase on a business trip or take them to your local park and get a nice workout in.

Basic Jump Rope Moves

Once you get good at it, jump rope workouts become really fun. And that, to us, is the biggest benefit of all because the more fun an exercise is, the more you'll want to do it! So let's go over some of the more basic jump rope moves to start off with:
Basic Hop - This is the old fashioned one hop where you just use both feet at the same time to jump over the rope
Alternating Jumps - This is where you hope back and forth from one foot to another
Single Foot Jump- Just as the name implies, jumping over the rope while standing on just one foot.
Front and Side Straddles - You perform this jump by splitting your feet in the air and landing on them either wide apart or with one foot in front of the other
Running In Place - This jump can be a little tricky. You have to spin the rope a little faster until you are essentially running in place while the jump rope passes underneath you
Remember, it's a good idea to mix in all the different jumps mentioned above and will probably take some practice for you to be able to do so. Once you can perform the above jumps with ease you can move onto some of the more advanced moves such as double and even triple unders, criss-crosses, heel jumps, backwards and a bunch of others. The point here is that there is always more you can learn.

Some final tips to remember when you are doing your jump rope workouts and learning the different jump rope moves:
Jump on the balls of your feet
Stay relaxed
Try to use only your wrists when swinging the rope
Find your rhythm
and practice, practice, practice!

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