You can create a fat-burning cardio routine that focuses on building leg muscles to complete two goals with one workout. Powerful leg muscles give you the ability to complete intense fitness movements that better your health. As you gain strength, you’ll be able to push yourself harder to build even more muscle and burn extra fat during your workouts. Here are a few exercises to combine to make a good leg-targeting cardio routine.
Recumbent Bike
Since you control the resistance on a recumbent bike, you can warm up and cool down using the lowest levels. Make sure to warm up for five to ten minutes before heading into a high intensity workout to loosen your muscles and slowly ramp up your heart rate. The cool down period should last about five minutes as well to give your body time to adjust to normal intensity levels.
After warming up, crank up the resistance level and ride the recumbent bike for twenty to thirty minutes. Find a good balance between speed and strength to keep your heartbeat in range while pushing your leg muscles to their limits. Your thigh and calf muscles will provide power for these movements while sitting in a reclined position on the bike.
Rock Wall
Next, climb up a tall rock wall for twenty to forty minutes. Although it’s tempting to pull yourself up the rock wall using your arms, you need to push off each step with your feet to boost yourself upward. Your leg muscles will work hard to maintain your balance on the small footholds while your hand placement determines your path.
Always position your hips next to the wall to balance your weight over the most powerful muscles in your legs. Do not try to rush up the wall, instead take your time while finding the right places to stand and grab. Even without speedy movements, your heart rate will soar into the target range as you make your way up the tall climbing wall.
Brisk Jog
End your workout routine with a brisk fifteen to thirty minute jog. The amount of time you spend jogging greatly depends on how long you spent on the climbing wall. You want to jog around to stretch out the muscles in your legs and give your heart a good workout.
Focus on properly pushing off with your mid-sole, not the balls of your feet. You never want to land on your heels as that could damage the joints in your hips, knees and ankles. If you feel exceptionally tired at the end of the jog, you can transition to a quick walk instead of hopping back onto the recumbent bike for the cool down.
Set Your Pace
Pay close attention to how you feel after each workout. You want to feel energized and ready to go after a workout, not worn down and tired. Adjust your pace and machine resistances to challenge your muscles without causing excess fatigue or soreness. Always check your heart rate as you exercise to verify it’s in the right range.
