Building Cardio

Discussion in 'Health and Fitness' started by Wrath7, Sep 24, 2014.

  1. Wrath7

    Wrath7 New Member

    Hey guys, for the next two months I wont be able to train as I please cause I will be far from home and my dojo, but in the main time Im a bit scared that I will lose my cardio, and as a smoker thats pretty easy to happen...
    Any advice on what I can do? I dont have my space here for training inside so Im a bit lost, any help would be great :)
     
  2. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    Stop smoking - most of your problem solved
     
  3. Giovanni

    Giovanni Well-Known Member Supporter

    as a former smoker, stop smoking. you can do it.

    but you know, if you want to maintain or improve your cardio, do cardio. bike, run, skip, etc.

    google is your friend. this was the first result when i searched for "cardio exercises".

    http://greatist.com/fitness/cardio-bodyweight-exercises
     
  4. Wrath7

    Wrath7 New Member

    I tried it a couple of times but... yeah... always go back to the same lol

    I've been running for about 30-45 minuts a day after works, but I dont see much improvements... :\
     
  5. Giovanni

    Giovanni Well-Known Member Supporter

    because you smoke.

    i know it's hard. i smoked for 18 years and did have a couple setbacks. you can do it. get help: see a doctor, get a patch or some other nicotine aid, do psychotherapy. i think once you quit, you'll see massive improvements.
     
  6. Wrath7

    Wrath7 New Member

    thanks for the help :)
     
  7. belltoller

    belltoller OffTopic MonstreOrdinaire Supporter

    Listen...at 22 it gonna be a breeze to quit - compared to what it will be like if you wait until your 40's or 50's ( as I did :( )

    You may think you feel the effects now, but its nothing compared to how you will gas-out as you get older and your lungs are caked with soot and ...

    I remember finishing half-marathons and then lighting up driving back home. Didn't think any thing of it.

    I'm paying for it now. I breathe a little easier each day but I'm not kidding myself.

    Damage done.

    If you quit now, even if you don't move a muscle for the next two months you will have a net gain in your cardiopulmonary system right off the bat.

    The dividends you will receive because of your decision today will be compounded with interest in years to come.
     
  8. Dan93

    Dan93 Valued Member

    How much do you smoke? do you train at home, you don't need much space for Shadow boxing just ease up on big movements i.e. high kicks ect.

    When jogging try jogging to a point i.e. lampost then sprint to the next one, great for cardio.. Look into Tabata/HIIT training which will work wonders for your cardio.

    Any chance of joining a gym for the two months, some will do it per month rather than contract as you might be more motivated in a group/class setting.
     
  9. Bozza Bostik

    Bozza Bostik Antichrist on Button Moon

    If you are having problems with giving up smoking, try e-cigarettes. That's what I did. Even if you switch to vaping, it's a heck of a lot safer than smoking. There is still some discussion about that though.

    If you get a good e-cig, it basically will give you the same feeling, more or less as smoking, you'll get that lovely burning throat and lungs feeling, and you'll have the hand-mouth habit thing that gums don't give you. I found gums and patches useless as although I got the nicotine I didn't have the other habits associated with smoking. So I'd still have cravings and what not.

    You can get liquids with different nicotine amounts, so you can slowly lower the level and the addiction until you are smoking liquid with no nicotine at all.

    They're also a heck of a lot cheaper than cigarettes. Vaping would cost me about 1 euro a day. Smoking, about 7 euros a day.

    Give it a try. It might help you stop and if it doesn't you'll be doing something a lot safer.
     
  10. Wrath7

    Wrath7 New Member

    I tried e-cigs once, but I didnt really enjoyd it... Im trying to reduce at least for now, and hope to stop smoking soon... It will be...a little hard but yeah, its something I really should do
     
  11. Bozza Bostik

    Bozza Bostik Antichrist on Button Moon

    Yeah, I can understand that, but to be honest...it's stupid e-cigs, cardio, money and health or lovely fags, bad cardio and a heck if a lot of health problems.

    You can still build cardio when smoking though. Like Belltoller, i'd run for 15 - 20 kms and light up straight after. I'd do that on a 40 a day habit too. But i'm nails like that! ;)

    Before I would run, i'd walk down the streets smoking, sorting out my music on my iphone. The looks I would get were priceless, especially when I was lighting up the second one. The run would have been easier if I didn't smoked though.
     
    Last edited: Sep 24, 2014
  12. Wrath7

    Wrath7 New Member

    yeah, I know that :) but since i used to have asthma and all I really wanted to stop cause it keeps messing up my cardio and pretty much everything in my training xD
     
  13. Rhythmkiller

    Rhythmkiller Animo Non Astutia

    I stopped smoking in January. It is a very hard road to travel but it can be done. I tried the E-cigarette method and it didn't work for me as it gives you a little bit of a hit but that just made me want to smoke more so i decided to go cold turkey.

    I have noticed the benefits specifically in the cardio department. Suddenly stopping smoking doesn't make you automatically fitter but the healing process can begin.

    One thing you will notice though is that you won't be monstrously coughing after a sparring session or hard workout and your food will taste better. Obvious other benefits in terms of your lungs healing aside. But thats your call.

    Recently i purchased a bike, 2 months ago actually and ride 16 miles a day to and from work. Not sure how to guage the improvement other than the fact that i don't want to give up on that hill climb anymore and have the will to go a little further. My legs are getting stronger and it's noticeable so i would suggest biking.

    Baza
     
  14. Bozza Bostik

    Bozza Bostik Antichrist on Button Moon

    I love running, I really do. But when you look at the injury rate...(Take with a huge pinch of salt)

    http://www.t-nation.com/training/4-most-damaging-types-of-training

    Unless you want to actually be a runner or do marathons etc, I'd chose other activities or mix runs up with other exercises (2 x run, 1 x bike, 1 x swim or whatever).
     
  15. Phantom Power

    Phantom Power Valued Member

    I gave up smoking about 13 years ago using patches, wasn't easy but if you can get through the first 6 months, it does get easier until you become an elitist ex-smoker who cannot stand smoke anywhere near him/her. There's also a good book that helps re-program your mind a little, Allen Carr's Easyway and again I thought it helped although I didn't follow it entirely (ie I used patches) but a few friends have quit cold turkey using the book.

    I can't run currently but I'm really enjoying swimming to get some level of cardio back, if that's an option to you. I find just going as fast as I can for a few lengths, rest and repeat gets me gassing really easily.
     
  16. belltoller

    belltoller OffTopic MonstreOrdinaire Supporter

    Everything you've said here indicates that you won't quit.

    Sorry, hate to be rude but I know the thinking so well. I said those very things to myself and my wife for years and years.

    Cheers,
     
  17. Giovanni

    Giovanni Well-Known Member Supporter

    agreed.

    for me, it was two things/thoughts that got me going. one, in my mind, i was not a smoker any longer. two, i realized i needed help. while i did not do therapy, i did get on the patch. and i went through the entire 8-week process, before going cold-turkey. for me, the patch really, really helped. got me used to not performing the act of smoking, before i cut it off. plus it helped me realize what i was missing as far as breathing and tasting go--and i smelled much better!
     
  18. Wrath7

    Wrath7 New Member

    You are not being rude, thats fine...
     
  19. Johnno

    Johnno Valued Member

    Stopping smoking is hard, and it's something that you have to really want to do in order for it to work.

    You don't sound like you want it right now, but.... you want to improve your cardio. And you know that you can't have both.

    So which do you REALLY want?

    If you are prepared to try to give up the fags, then working on your cardio will give you tremendous incentive to stay off them. And excercise will of course give you a far nicer 'buzz' than tobacco!

    I stopped smoking a number of years ago, and it was the best thing I ever did. Wish i'd never started, but at least I stopped.
     
  20. David Harrison

    David Harrison MAPper without portfolio

    You know what's worse than smoking?

    Living a sedentary existence and smoking.

    If you're not ready to give up yet, just start your cardio training anyway. Don't use smoking as an excuse and say "I'll get serious with my cardio training as soon as I stop smoking". That will just lead into a vicious circle of guilt, loathing and bad health.

    So, start your cardio training, and hopefully it will eventually make you want to give up smoking. The important thing right now is just to get off your bum and do it. Don't think about it, just start doing it.
     

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