The first thing to consider is the neuromuscular demand of your cardio activity. Some forms of cardio need a lot more recovery than others, and it’s essential to consider this before choosing what to do.

Running has a landing action and a large number of foot contacts. So if you are not used to running, start with fewer sessions and build your tolerance. 

Circuit training, a lot of cardio these days, is (pseudo) HIIT, basically a circuit. Depending on the exercises used, these sessions can require a lot of recoveries.

Cycling and other low-impact activities like swimming and rowing require much less recovery, making them a smart choice for some, if not most, of your cardio.

What are you going to work on? 

• Endurance – moderate-intensity cardio. These can be time trials to beat your last time over a certain distance, and the key is to pay attention to your splits and stay consistent throughout. Note that this form takes the longest. 
• Anaerobic/lactate threshold – that burning sensation in your legs. How long can you tolerate it? Build up to a speed to feel the accumulation of lactic acid, hold that pace for as long as you can, then recover and go again. This form of training can also be longer.
• Sprints / ATP-CP – concise bursts of all-out effort, 10-20 seconds, with repeated bouts at the same output/intensity. This is the most time efficient of the three, but if you have yet to do zero cardio training, do not start here, or you will not be making the most of it. 

When designing your week, think about your time and what you want to prioritise. Of course, you can’t do it all at once, so I recommend programming it in phases to switch the training emphasis every 8-12 weeks. 

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram, where I share exercise techniques and show you how to maximise your training. I hope you enjoyed this blog post, if you have any questions, I host a weekly  Q&A session on my Instagram channel. Otherwise, please feel free to email me at andy@andyvincentpt.com. 

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