6 Best Cardio for Fat Loss and Muscle Gain

Cardio exercises are your best bet when it comes to losing fat. They get your heartbeat racing pretty quickly and keep it in the fat-burning zone for longer.

The question then is: Can cardio exercises also help you build muscle? The answer is yes - if you perform speficic cardio exercises regularly and combine them with a high protein diet, you should pretty soon build functional muscle.

However, you will have to keep changing or progressively increase the intensity of the cardio exercises every few months to avoid hitting a fitness plateau.

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Best Cardio Exercises for Fat Loss and Muscle Gain

Below we discuss six basic cardio exercises you can do to lose fat and gain muscle:

1) Sprint

Sprints are a great way to burn as many calories as possible in as little time. It's one of the best things to do if you want to lose weight.

Sprinting is also a great way to build fast-twitch muscle fibers and burn fat at the same time. It can help you build strong hamstrings, glutes, ripped abs, and obliques. Get off the treadmill, and sprint outside, preferably on a track or field, or find a hill that slopes gently.

Some tips:

• If you're outside on a track, try running fast for one lap and jogging for the next.
• If you're on a treadmill, sprint hard for 20-30 seconds. Before you do it again, slow down the belt, and jog for about a minute.
• Run as fast as you can to the top of a stadium or set of stairs, and jog or walk down.
• Running downstairs or bleachers is never a good idea, so take active breaks on the part that goes down.
• Lifting your knees high is a good way to work the glutes and quickly build sprinter power.

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2) Walking Lunge

Walking lunges are a great way to work on both strength and cardio, and they help fix a lot of health problems common today. Moreover, they speed up metabolism and burn fat much better than steady-state cardio.

As most people spend all day sitting at a desk or behind the wheel, their hip flexors are tight, core is weak, and they have poor posture. Walking lunges stretch the hip flexors and work the core muscles, which makes you more flexible and relieves lower back pain.

Most people also have weak hamstrings, glutes, and backs, as they sit all day and always work on their 'mirror muscles', which are their quads and chests. Lunges work the back muscles and the ones in the legs, which are usually ignored. Lunges also strengthen the muscles around the knee, making you less likely to get serious injuries like ACL tears.

Watch the following video to learn how to do this exercise:

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3) Squat Jump

Squat jumps are like regular squats, but you add a jump to the movement. When you do a squat jump, you work your behind, thighs, and hamstrings. Squats also help make the knee, hip, and ankle joints more flexible.

To do this exercise:

• Stand with your feet apart and arms by your sides.
• Swing your arms back as you squat down till your knees are at a 90-degree angle.
• Jump and swing your arms forward.
• Land and do it again.

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4) Burpee

This cardio workout stands out, as it works the entire body and gets your heart rate up quickly. Although the exercise looks simple, it's very hard on the heart, lungs, and muscles.

To do this exercise:

• Stand with your feet at hip distance.
• Put your hands on the floor in front of you, and get down on your knees.
• When you land, you should be on your hands and toes in a push-up position, with your body in a straight line.
• Do a push-up on your toes or knees (optional; will add intensity).
• Right away, jump your feet back to where they started.
• Stand up, and do that 10–15 times or for 30–60 seconds.

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5) Jump Rope

Jumping rope is a good way to increase your heart rate up. It strengthens the calf muscles and makes the tendons and connective tissue around them more flexible. When you do a jump rope, you also use your arm muscles and the muscles in the stomach.

To do this exercise:

• Take a light hold of the jump rope handles.
• Put your shoulders at ease, and keep your elbows close to your body.
• Bend your knees slowly.
• Turn the rope with your wrist, and keep moving it in a smooth arc as it goes over your head.
• To protect your knees and ankles, jump low.

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6) Jumping Jack

Jumping jacks are a great full body exercise. They are an excellent way to work the heart, lungs, and muscles at once.

To do this exercise:

• Spread your arms out to the sides and legs out wide as you stand up straight.
• Jump and bring your arms back to your sides and legs back to the middle of the body.
• Jump again, and spread your arms and legs.
• Repeat.

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Takeaway

Cardio exercises are beneficial in many ways. Working out can make you feel happier, as exercise makes the body release chemicals like endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, etc. which can increas sense of well-being and happiness.

Performing cardio exercises regularly along with following a high protein diet can help you lose fat and build muscle.