The other day I wrote about my least favorite workout…Plyometrics. Lest I appear like a whiner, I will write today about my favorite kind of workout…the Cardio/Core Combo. I like this kind of workout because I never have time to get tired of one thing. Typically I don’t use weights for this, just my body and a few extras (like bands and a medicine ball). However, it is still considered “strength training”. Using a timer, I only do each exercise for about one minute, but I am always amazed how hard this can be. By doing Cardio first, I feel warmed up and ready for the Core exercises. The other reason I like to get the Cardio out of the way is that I am forced to do the Core work under time pressure. I usually don’t have much more than about an hour and 15 minutes to exercise, so I have to work fast and I don’t have time between sets. My first choice for Cardio is always running, but I don’t like to run more than four days a week if possible. When I can’t run, I usually do the elliptical machine or the exercise bike (we have a Lifecycle at home…but no elliptical). One thing I like about the elliptical or bike is that I can read while I workout. Since it is difficult to find time during the day to read (and I usually fall asleep immediately after I open a book before bed), I love the chance to fit it in. [Read more…]