Passing time when cardio-ing!
Every morning for the next 3 weeks (at least) I have to do fasted cardio as part of Phase 3 of my training program. I usually LOVE cardio! If it comes in the form of HIIT training or circuits, I'm all about it. But steady state FASTED cardio would have to be the worst form of cardio ever created as it is relatively slow, monotonous and time consuming- well 45 minutes!
TALK TO FAMILY & FRIENDS:At the moment my boyfriend is living in the USA and I am living here in Australia. The time difference between us at the moment is 12 hours. This means as my day is starting with me jumping on the treadmill at 6am it is 6pm his time and he is usually done for the day at work and at home. We try to chat during this time. Obviously this is not a good idea if you are doing high intensity training but for steady state, where your heart rate stays just above you aerobic rate (so you should be able to train and hold a conversation... although breathing may get a little heavy) catching up with a friend or family member is ideal. PLEASE NOTE: Calling a friend or family member who lives in the same time zone so say at 6am, is sometimes not preferable on their behalf! Take it from me from past experience, some friends do not appreciate a wake up call :)CATCH UP ON YOUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL SUBSCRIPTIONS:
Now I am a bit of a YouTube snob. I watch a lot of clips but I only follow a very select few. I have to genuinely love their content to subscribe. However, in saying that, my notifications are always reminding me about new unread posts. So, I use my cardio time to watch them and catch up on all my favourite vloggers! If you are new to YouTube or are going to sign up after reading this, I have mentioned below some of my fav accounts so you can go and follow them too! Trust me, it makes the workout go so quickly. Especially because I put my phone "landscape" on the ledge which actually blocks the time on the machine, sometimes I only know that time is up because the resistance on the machine slows and I know it's cool down time. Awesome huh!Anyway... here is the list.AMANDA BUCCI:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHoUCBKPrngzm5FqrIq2tlABRITTANY LESSER:https://www.youtube.com/user/brittanylesserfitnesEMILY DUNCAN:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYPI1d_1hXLTYuXGEcDq0RATANA ASHLEE:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNQ9n0LdN5_27UgHUQ2VSRgThis is awesome when you are on the treadmill or elliptical- not so great when you are on the rower or battle ropes :)
LISTEN TO A PODCAST OR TWO:In all honesty- I am 100% obsessed with listening to podcasts! I actually listen to one before I go to bed each night. I get into bed, put my headphones on and drift off to sleep listening and learning to all things fitness, supplement and nutrition related. But not all podcast have to be this way, you can listen to whatever you like that suit your interests. I'm just a fitness nerd and LOVE learning about all the latest fad diets, ways to improve my training and of course all the expert advice about vitamins and supplements. I have put a photo up with all the podcasts that I have subscribed too. My personal favs are: The ATP Project - which is Australian, the TNT podcast and Barbell Shrugged which is really motivational and informational.But search around in the podcast library until you find something you like! I particularly love listening to podcasts during cardio because you don't need to watch anything. When I am rowing or fast cycling or even on the battle ropes, I can leave my phone nearby and listen to a podcast ... if you have bluetooth/wireless headphones that is!CREATE & LISTEN TO YOUR FAVOURITE PLAYLIST:I think this is the usual go to when training. Download your favourite tunes, place into a playlist and press play when you get into the gym. You could perhaps even time your playlist to the length of time you want to train so that when the music starts- you start and when the music stops- you stop! It's almost like you're playing musical statues, only in reverse ;)WATCH A MOVIE/TV EPISODE:Can't say I've ever done this as I don't watch any TV at the best of times but I know some people are completely obsessed with a particular series. Upload it to your phone and watch an episode or two while you're training! How easy is that?