The Sure-Fire Way to Burn Fat: Cardio Acceleration

Cardio acceleration: the addition of bursts of cardio between strength training sets. When you replace your rest periods with short bursts of cardio there’s no space left to not burn fat.

There’s a world of people going to the gym out there and they are all there for different reasons: to put on muscle, to get stronger, to lose weight, to hit a PR. Despite the hundreds of valid fitness goals, there’s one underlying desire that 99% of gym-goers have: to look better.

Better is subjective, but I’m guessing we can all agree that better involves seeing at least a bit more muscle definition, amiright?

And to do that, to actually see that muscle definition, you have to lose body fat.

One sure-fire way to do that is cardio acceleration.

Cardio Acceleration: What is it?

Cardio acceleration is a form of high-intensity interval training. The goal with any kind of HIIT is to keep your heart-rate elevated through the exercise and workout. What separates cardio acceleration from the pack is that the HIIT replaces rest periods in between strength training sets.

Is it hard? Uh, yea. Does it work? Definitely.

Why it works

By replacing your rest periods with bursts of interval training you benefit in a few ways:

You increase the amount of cardio you would be doing otherwise. If you have a hard time fitting in cardio around your strength training workouts, problem solved. Adding these bursts of movement will increase your in-workout calorie burn.

Moreover, cardio acceleration intensifies your work and raises your BPM. The result: your body uses more energy post workout to recover so the calorie burn lasts longer.

Cardio acceleration also increases blood flow which decreases delayed onset muscle soreness. Increased blood flow during your workout brings much needed nutrients and oxygen to your muscles which helps them recover faster.

Finally, HIIT is, by definition, short. It’s the best way to lose fat without sacrificing muscle gains.

The Best Exercises for Cardio Acceleration

You can perform almost any cardio exercise in HIIT fashion, but my recommendation is to limit the bursts to body weight only exercises. I also highly recommend choosing an exercise that does NOT use the same muscles/muscle group that your strength training exercise is targeting.

• Sprints
• High Knees
• Jump Rope
• Jumping Jacks
• Mountain Climbers
• Medicine Ball Slams
• Kettlebell Swings
• Burpees
• Bench Step Ups

If it Sounds Intense…

That’s because it is.

If you’re a complete beginner, I don’t recommend jumping straight into cardio acceleration. The truth is, if you are just starting out you probably don’t need cardio acceleration yet, you simply need to get moving and you’ll see results. If you’ve been working out for a while, are comfortable in the gym and want to see some results, give cardio acceleration a try.

Make it Work for You

Here’s how to make cardio acceleration work for you, whether you are an athlete, a seasoned gym vet or a weekend warrior.

>> Grab one of my favorite, 20-minute workouts for Ultimate Fat Burn!

Split Your Rest Periods Between Cardio and Recovery

Start by splitting your rest period in half. If you typically take 1 minute rest periods, spend the first 30 seconds doing cardio and the second 30 seconds recovering. Gradually increase the amount of your rest period that is spent doing cardio.

Dial Back Your Intensity

Rather than hit the treadmill for a 60 second sprint at 10 speed, choose an exercise that won’t take quite as much intensity. Alternatively, dial your sprint down to a jog. When just starting out, it’s smarter to jog in place between strength training sets than it is to do man makers.

Avoid Doubling Up Muscle Groups

If you are squatting, don’t add squat pops as your cardio acceleration exercise. Instead, find an exercise that doesn’t exhaust the muscle group you are trying to strength train. For example, you can do mountain climbers or medicine ball slams while squatting, and step ups or jogging in place while bench pressing.

Try It

If your looking to burn fat calories without sacrificing muscle gain, give this a try.

Total Body Cardio Acceleration

Leg Press Machine – 4 sets x 6-8 reps
Mountain Climbers – 60 seconds

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press – 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Jumping Jacks – 60 seconds

Barbell Row – 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Medicine Ball Slams – 60 seconds

Seated Shoulder Presses – 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Step Ups – 60 seconds

Cable Wood Choppers – 3 sets x 8-12 reps
Jog in Place – 60 seconds