Hate cardio or afraid to do cardio cuz it’ll “kill your gains”? Even if you’re a “cardi-NO” kind of person, regular cardio really is one of the BEST things you can do for your lifting performance, health, and physique.
Benefits of Zone 2 Cardio
- improve heart health
- improve mood, depression, anxiety
- improve insulin resistance and blood sugar levels
- lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels
- more easily maintain body weight
- age better, keep up with your dog and kids
- improved performance when lifting and exercising
- reduce risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease
Where Did the Fear of Cardio Come From?
One of the reasons the “don’t do cardio, it will kill your gym gains” vibe surfaced was because research even a few years ago (circa 2017-2018) was mixed. At the time, studies leaned that tons of cardio and lifting might negatively impact ability to effectively build muscle, perform your best, get stronger, etc.
But fast forward to present, research currently leans that lifting and cardio CAN be very complimentary – IF following good programming (likes ours at Paragon Training Methods), eating adequately to support recovery, controlling training volume between the two, and so on.
We Love Cardio at Paragon Training Methods
In addition to our lifting programs where you can lift 3, 4, or 5 days per week, you also have the option to stack on up to 3 optional cardio sessions per week. You can run, bike, swim, row and you have the choice of 2 zone 2 sessions and 1 zone 5 session each week.
And of course we’re always doing what we do best at Paragon: encouraging our members to smash lots of calories, carbs, and sleep (cuz we already handled the intelligent workout programming that allows them to prioritize recovery).
What is Zone 2 Cardio?
Zone 2 Cardio = slow and steady cardio.
It’s an “easier” (read: kinda boring and monotonous) pace where you’re trying to keep heart rate between ~60-70% of max heart rate. I say “easier” in quotes, because it definetly DOES take some grit, concentration, and is a bit of a mental game to keep your heart rate steady and consistent.
Heart rate monitor is the way to go, but basically know that zone 2 is likely a pace that you could maintain for 30-60 min while only nasal breathing, or a pace that you could maintain while also holding a (slightly strained) conversation with someone.
Biking, rowing, or briskly walking on an incline treadmill are usually the best options for Zone 2. You can certainly run, ski erg, etc – just might have to work a lil harder to maintain your heart rate (:
Try doing 20-30 minutes of zone 2 cardio 2-3 times per week. Then you could work up to longer sessions of 40-50+ minutes over time!
Where To Go From Here
I’m always posting educational content regarding nutrition, fitness, and sharing what I’m up to on my Instagram. You can also follow us on the Paragon Training Methods Instagram for tons of free workouts and more tips to help you look and feel your best!
ps: there’s a good reason why over 3,000+ people around the globe choose to subscribe to our online workout programs over at Paragon Training Methods.
You can workout from home or in a gym. Workouts take 30, 45, or 60 minutes. And whether you want to lift 3 days per week, run AND lift, or just look and feel your best – we have super effective workout programs that are backed by science that fit YOUR goals, YOUR life, and you’ll have a great time doing it.
Come see what all the hype is about and join now.
