The Body for Life cardio plan is one that is extremely intense. It is an interval plan, but not in the manner you are used to. I would qualify it as a type of HIIT plan, yet it is quite different at the same time. You can find out the Body for Life philosophy here.
Body for Life Cardio Benefits
As with any cardio program, the Body for Life cardio plan has some major benefits. It will increase your metabolic rate and keep it that way for many hours after you stop the workout. It will increase the release of growth hormone. Your cholesterol levels will improve and your digestion as well.
Body for Life Cardio vs. HIIT
As you may already know, I am a big proponent of HIIT cardio. At the same time I use Body for Life cardio all the time. To me the main difference is that Body for Life doesn't give you the kind of rest that HIIT does. It appears that the program was designed to take on the benefits of steady state cardio and mix it with HIIT. It results in a really intense workout.
Body for Life Cardio – How to Execute It
Body for Life cardio can seem complicated to some, but it really is not. My basic plan is to do 20 minutes of Body for Life cardio each time I use it. The following is how I handle my 20 minutes.
4.0 mph – 2 minutes
5.0 mph – 1 minute
5.5 mph – 1 minute
6.0 mph – 1 minute
6.5 mph – 1 minute
4.0 mph – 1 minute
5.0 mph – 1 minute
5.5 mph – 1 minute
6.0 mph – 1 minute
6.5 mph – 1 minute
7.0 mph – 1 minute
4.0 mph – 1 minute
5.0 mph – 1 minute
5.5 mph – 1 minute
6.0 mph – 1 minute
6.5 mph – 1 minute
7.0 mph – 1 minute
3.5 mph – 2 minutes
20 minutes total
The intervals stay the same length, but the intensity slowly builds. I find that I am extremely winded when doing this program. When done you know you've done some intense cardio.
